JP2022133584A - Medium feeding device and recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

To appropriately regulate an edge position of a long medium and suppress displacement of a regulation position between upstream and downstream in a feeding direction.SOLUTION: A medium feeding device includes a medium support part which is configured to be able to expand and contract a support surface that supports a medium, and supports the medium that is fed in the expanded state of the support surface and a regulating part that regulates an edge position of the medium placed on the medium support part in a width direction that intersects with the feeding direction. The regulating part can be expanded and contracted in the feeding direction, and can be expanded and contracted while changing a posture along the support surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a medium feeding device for feeding a medium and a recording apparatus having the same.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200000 describes a side fence that guides the edge in the width direction of the paper and an extension side fence that extends in the direction opposite to the paper feeding direction in order to feed long paper along the paper feeding direction. A paper feeder is disclosed.

JP-A-2002-362787

In the feeding device, the support surface for supporting the medium may be configured to be expandable in order to accommodate a long medium. It may be configured to change. However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, since the extended side fences are configured to extend straight in the direction opposite to the feeding direction, the configuration is such that the inclination angle of the support surface changes along the feeding direction as described above. unable to respond.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a medium feeding device according to the present invention provides a medium support section that is configured to be able to expand and contract a support surface that supports a medium, and that supports the medium that is fed in the expanded state of the support surface. and a regulating portion that regulates an edge position of the medium placed on the medium support portion in a width direction that intersects with the feeding direction, wherein the regulating portion expands and contracts along the feeding direction. and can be expanded and contracted while changing its posture along the supporting surface.

In the medium feeding device of the present invention, a support surface for supporting a medium can be expanded and contracted, and the medium support section supports the medium to be fed in the expanded state of the support surface; a regulating portion that regulates an edge position of the placed medium in a width direction that intersects with the feeding direction; a second support tray located upstream in the feeding direction and having a different posture from the first support tray, wherein the restricting portion includes a first guide portion provided on the first support tray; a second guide part that can be deployed upstream in the feeding direction from the first guide part, and that assumes a different attitude from the first guide part according to the attitude of the second support tray; It is characterized in that it can be expanded and contracted along the feeding direction.

3 is an external perspective view of the printer; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the printer with the scanner section removed; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a medium supporting portion and a restricting portion; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a medium supporting portion and a restricting portion; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a medium supporting portion and a restricting portion; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the medium feeding device cut at the position of the first position holding portion of the medium supporting portion; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the medium feeding device cut at the position of the first position holding portion of the medium supporting portion; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the medium feeding device cut at the position of the first position holding portion of the medium supporting portion; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the medium feeding device cut at the position of the first position holding portion of the medium supporting portion, showing an enlarged view of the restricting portion; 3 is an external perspective view of the printer as seen from the rear side; FIG. The partial expansion perspective view of a support plate. 4 is a perspective view of the printer showing a state in which a support plate supports a long medium; FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the printer according to the second embodiment with the scanner unit removed; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a medium supporting portion and a restricting portion according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a medium supporting portion and a restricting portion according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a medium supporting portion and a restricting portion according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a document cover supports a long medium in the printer according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a printer according to a third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a medium support section and a support plate in a printer according to a third embodiment; The perspective view of the support plate which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a printer according to a third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a side view of a printer according to a third embodiment;

The present invention will be briefly described below.
A medium feeding device according to a first aspect includes a medium support unit configured to be able to expand and contract a support surface for supporting a medium, and supporting the medium to be fed in the expanded state of the support surface; a regulating portion that regulates an edge position of the medium placed on the portion in a width direction intersecting the feeding direction, the regulating portion being expandable and contractible along the feeding direction, It is characterized in that it can be expanded and contracted while changing its posture along the support surface.

According to this aspect, the regulating portion is configured to be expandable along the feeding direction, so that the edge position of the long medium can be appropriately regulated, and the skew of the fed medium can be satisfactorily controlled. can be suppressed to Further, since the regulating portion is configured to expand along the feeding direction, deviation of the regulating position between upstream and downstream in the feeding direction is unlikely to occur. In addition, since the restricting portion can be deployed along the supporting surface of the medium supporting portion while changing its posture, the deployed restricting portion assumes an appropriate posture according to the supporting surface of the medium supporting portion. The edge position can be appropriately regulated.

A medium feeding device according to a second aspect includes: a medium support unit configured to be able to expand and contract a support surface that supports a medium; a regulating portion that regulates an edge position of the medium placed on the portion in a width direction that intersects with the feeding direction; a second support tray located upstream in the feeding direction with respect to the tray and having a different posture from the first support tray, wherein the restricting portion and the first guide portion provided on the first support tray; and a second guide part that is deployable from the first guide part toward the upstream in the feeding direction and takes a different posture from the first guide part according to the posture of the second support tray. , and is configured to be expandable and contractible along the feeding direction.

According to this aspect, the restricting portion includes a first guide portion provided on the first support tray and a second guide portion that can be deployed upstream in the feeding direction from the first guide portion. Therefore, the edge position of the long medium can be properly regulated, and the oblique movement of the fed medium can be suppressed satisfactorily.
In addition, since the restricting portion is composed of the first guide portion and the second guide portion that can be deployed from the first guide portion toward the upstream in the feeding direction, the upstream and the downstream in the feeding direction are configured. It is difficult for deviation to occur in the regulation position.
In addition, since the second guide part assumes a different posture from the first guide part according to the posture of the second support tray, the deployed second guide part can be properly positioned according to the posture of the second support tray. posture, and the edge position can be properly regulated.

Note that the relationship between the first support tray and the second support tray in this aspect is the relationship between any two support trays when the medium support unit is composed of a plurality of support trays. The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the unit is configured with only two support trays, but includes configurations configured with three or more support trays.
Similarly, the relationship between the first guide portion and the second guide portion in this aspect is the relationship between any two guide portions when the restriction portion is composed of a plurality of guide portions, and the restriction portion is The configuration is not limited to a configuration with only two guide portions, and a configuration with three or more guide portions is also included.

A third aspect is the second aspect, wherein the first support tray and the second support tray are inclined, and the second support tray is inclined more steeply than the first support tray in the unfolded state. Characterized by taking a posture.

According to this aspect, the first support tray and the second support tray take an inclined posture, and the second support tray takes an inclined posture steeper than the first support tray in the unfolded state. The installation area of the apparatus can be reduced compared to the configuration in which the second support tray is tilted more gently than the first support tray.
In this specification, the term "tilted posture" means tilted with respect to the horizontal direction.

A fourth aspect is the second or third aspect, wherein the first guide part has an accommodating part that accommodates the second guide part, and the accommodating part has the second guide part that is accommodated. It is characterized by having a size that allows the posture to be changed.

According to this aspect, the first guide part has an accommodation part that accommodates the second guide part, and the accommodation part has a size that allows the accommodated second guide part to change its posture, When the second guide part is deployed from the first guide part, the posture of the second guide part can be changed from the initial stage with respect to the first guide part. As a result, when the second guide part is deployed from the first guide part, it is possible to prevent the second guide part from coming into contact with the second support tray and becoming difficult to deploy.

According to a fifth aspect, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the second support tray has a position holding portion that holds the position of the second guide portion in the width direction.
According to this aspect, since the second support tray has the position holding portion that holds the position of the second guide portion in the width direction, it becomes difficult for the second guide portion to move in the width direction. The edge position can be properly regulated.

According to a sixth aspect, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the second support tray has a position holding portion that holds the position of the second guide portion in the feeding direction. .
According to this aspect, since the second support tray has the position holding portion that holds the position of the second guide portion in the feeding direction, the deployed second guide portion is difficult to move in the feeding direction. As a result, the deployed state of the second guide portion can be appropriately maintained.

According to a seventh aspect, in any one of the second to sixth aspects, the restricting portion includes a third guide portion that can be deployed upstream in the feeding direction from the second guide portion. and
According to this aspect, since the restricting portion includes the third guide portion that can be deployed from the second guide portion toward the upstream in the feeding direction, the edge position of the long medium can be appropriately restricted. can.

In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the restricting portion can be pulled out from the third guide portion toward the upstream in the feeding direction, and in the pulled-out state, the edge position of the medium in the width direction can be adjusted. It is characterized by comprising a linear member for regulating the.
According to this aspect, the restricting portion is a linear member that can be pulled out from the third guide portion toward the upstream in the feeding direction, and that restricts the edge position of the medium in the width direction in the pulled out state. , a guide structure for regulating the edge position of a longer medium can be configured while suppressing an increase in the size of the regulating portion.

According to a ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, a support plate is provided on the back surface side of the medium support portion for supporting a part of the medium protruding from the medium support portion to the back surface side. and

According to this aspect, since the support plate is provided on the back side of the medium support section to support the portion of the medium that protrudes from the medium support section to the back side, the portion of the medium that protrudes from the medium support section to the back side is provided. contamination can be suppressed.

A tenth aspect is characterized in that, in the ninth aspect, the support plate can be accommodated in the bottom portion of the apparatus main body.
According to this aspect, since the support plate can be stored in the bottom portion of the apparatus main body, the installation space of the apparatus can be saved when the support plate is not used.

According to an eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, a portion of the medium protruding from the medium support portion toward the front side is supported on the top surface of the apparatus main body located on the front side of the medium support portion. It is characterized by having a support plate that

According to this aspect, since the top surface of the apparatus main body located on the front side of the medium support section has a support plate for supporting the part of the medium protruding from the medium support section to the front side, The part of the medium protruding to the front side can be properly supported.

In a twelfth aspect based on the eleventh aspect, a tiltable tilt panel is provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body, and the tilt panel and the support plate adjust the portion of the medium protruding from the medium support section to the front side. It is characterized by being supportable.

According to this aspect, a tiltable tilt panel is provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body, and the tilt panel can support a portion of the medium protruding from the medium support section to the front side together with the support plate. Furthermore, it is possible to cope with a long medium, and there is no need to separately provide a configuration for handling a longer medium, so that an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed.

A thirteenth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the ninth to twelfth aspects, the support plate has a skew suppression portion that suppresses skew of the medium.
According to this aspect, since the support plate has the skew suppression portion that suppresses the skew of the medium, the skew of the medium can be appropriately suppressed together with the restriction portion.

A fourteenth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, a support plate is provided above the medium support portion to support a portion of the medium protruding from the medium support portion.
According to this aspect, since the support plate for supporting the portion of the medium protruding from the medium support portion is provided above the medium support portion, the medium protruding from the medium support portion can be appropriately supported.

In a fifteenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the support plate includes a first support member and a second support member located upstream of the first support member in the feeding direction, The supporting member is rotatable with respect to the second supporting member.

According to this aspect, the support plate is composed of the first support member and the second support member located upstream of the first support member in the feeding direction, and the first support member includes the first support member. Since it is rotatable with respect to the two support members, the installation space of the device can be saved by rotating the first support member when the support plate is not in use.

In a sixteenth aspect based on the fifteenth aspect, the support plate has a skew suppression section that suppresses skew of the medium, and the skew suppression section is a first skew suppression section provided on the first support member. A line restraint member and a second skew restraint member deployable from the first support member toward the second support member are provided.

According to this aspect, the support plate has a skew suppressing portion that suppresses skew of the medium, and the skew suppressing portion includes a first skew suppressing member provided on the first support member; In the configuration including the second oblique movement suppressing member that can be deployed from the first support member toward the second support member, the effects of the fifteenth aspect described above can be obtained.

A recording apparatus according to a seventeenth aspect includes a recording unit that records on a medium, and the medium feeding device according to any one of the first to sixteenth aspects that feeds the medium to the recording unit. It is characterized by
According to this aspect, in the recording apparatus, the effects of any one of the above-described first to sixteenth aspects can be obtained.

The present invention will be specifically described below.
In each drawing, the direction along the X axis is the width direction of the device, the -X direction is the right direction as seen from the user when the front of the device faces the user, and the +X direction is the left direction. 1 to 17, the X-axis direction is the direction that intersects the medium transport direction in which the medium represented by the recording paper is transported, that is, the width direction of the medium.
The direction along the Y-axis is the depth direction of the apparatus, the +Y direction is the direction from the rear surface to the front surface of the apparatus, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front surface to the rear surface of the apparatus. In this embodiment, the side surface on which the lower front panel 4 and the upper front panel 5 are provided among the side surfaces forming the periphery of the apparatus serves as the front surface of the apparatus. 18 to 22, the Y-axis direction is the direction that intersects the medium transport direction in which the medium represented by the recording paper is transported, that is, the width direction of the medium.
The direction along the Z axis is the vertical direction, the +Z direction is vertically upward, and the -Z direction is vertically downward.
In the following description, the direction in which the medium is fed may be referred to as "downstream", and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream".

[First embodiment]
1 and 2, an ink jet printer 1A, which is an example of a recording apparatus, is a so-called multi-function machine comprising a scanner section 3 on the upper portion of an apparatus main body 2. As shown in FIG. In the following, the inkjet printer 1A is abbreviated as the printer 1A.
The scanner unit 3 is rotatably provided with respect to the apparatus main body 2, and can take a closed state shown in FIG. 1 and an open state (not shown) by rotating. The scanner unit 3 includes a document cover 3a for opening and closing a document platen (not shown).

A rear cover 9 is provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 2 on the rear side of the document cover 3a. When the rear cover 9 is opened, multiple media can be set in the media feeding device 10A. A plurality of media set in the medium feeding device 10A are fed downstream by the rotation of the feeding roller 8, separated one by one by a separation mechanism (not shown), and formed into a recording head, which is an example of a recording unit. 7 and is recorded. The recording head 7 is provided on a carriage 6 that can move in the X-axis direction.

A lower front panel 4 provided on the front of the apparatus is openable and closable, and when opened, a medium on which recording has been performed can be ejected. Further, by opening the lower front panel 4, a discharge tray (not shown) can be advanced from the inside of the apparatus toward the front of the apparatus.

The printer 1A has a medium feeding device 10A. The medium feeding device 10A includes a medium supporting portion 12A that supports the medium to be fed, and a right regulating portion 30A and a left regulating portion 30A that are regulating portions that regulate the edge position of the medium placed on the medium supporting portion 12A in the width direction. 31A of regulation parts are provided.
A support surface Sa on which the medium support portion 12A supports the medium is configured to be expandable and contractible. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 8, the medium support section 12A includes a first support tray 14 and a second support tray 16 which can be positioned upstream of the first support tray 14 in the unfolded state of the support surface Sa. and Reference numeral 14 a denotes a support surface that supports the medium in the first support tray 14 , and reference numeral 16 a denotes a support surface that supports the medium in the second support tray 16 . A support surface Sa is configured by the support surface 14a and the support surface 16a.
The medium support unit 12A includes a third support tray 18 that can be positioned upstream from the second support tray 16, and a fourth support tray 19 that can be positioned upstream from the third support tray 18. 2 to 12 showing the first embodiment, the third support tray 18 and the fourth support tray 19 are shown in a non-deployed state.

The first support tray 14 faces the feeding roller 8 and is provided so as to be able to swing about a swing shaft (not shown). When the lower end of the first support tray 14 advances to the feeding roller 8, the supported medium is pressed by the feeding roller 8, and the feeding roller 8 rotates in this state to feed the medium.
In addition, the medium support section 12A, the first support tray 14, and the second support tray 16 can support a plurality of media. The sheets are separated one by one by a separation mechanism (not shown) in the vicinity of 8 and sent to the recording unit.

The second support tray 16 is stored in a substantially vertical state on the rear surface of the printer 1A in the storage state (see FIG. 1) stored below the rear cover 9, and the upper portion is covered by the rear cover 9 (see FIG. 1). ing. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the rear cover 9 is opened from this state and the second support tray 16 is drawn vertically upward. The second support tray 16 is engaged with the tray support portion 11, and the tray support portion 11 slides along with the second support tray 16 along the vertical direction.

The second support tray 16 is rotatably supported by the tray support portion 11 via a rotating shaft 11a (see FIG. 3). 6 to 7, the second support tray 16 can be rotated from a vertical position to an inclined position. When the second support tray 16 is rotated toward the tilted posture, the lower end of the second support tray 16 comes into contact with the stopper portion 14b, and the tilted posture of the second support tray 16 is restricted.
The medium support section 12A supports the medium in an inclined position in the unfolded state, and the second support tray 16 takes a steeper inclined position than the first support tray 14 in the unfolded state. The second support tray 16 takes a steeper tilted posture than the first support tray 14 regardless of the posture change accompanying the rocking of the first support tray 14 .

In this manner, the second support tray 16 assumes a steeper tilted posture than the first support tray 14 in the unfolded state. installation area can be suppressed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the medium support portion 12A is provided with a right restricting portion 30A and a left restricting portion 31A. The right restricting portion 30A and the left restricting portion 31A are provided slidably in the width direction on the medium support portion 12A. The right restricting portion 30A and the left restricting portion 31A are engaged via a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown), and when one restricting portion is operated in a direction approaching the other restricting portion, the other restricting portion It is displaced in the direction of approaching the part. Further, when one of the restricting portions is operated in a direction away from the other restricting portion, the other operating portion is displaced in a direction away from the one restricting portion.

The right regulating portion 30A and the left regulating portion 31A are provided with a plurality of guide portions and configured to be expandable and contractible along the medium feeding direction. The right restricting portion 30A includes a first guide portion 32, a second guide portion 34, and a third guide portion 36. As shown in FIG. The left restricting portion 31A includes a first guide portion 33, a second guide portion 35, and a third guide portion 37. As shown in FIG.
Since the right restricting portion 30A and the left restricting portion 31A are generally symmetrical in structure, the right restricting portion 30A will be described in detail below, and the detailed description of the left restricting portion 31A will be omitted.
In this embodiment, since the medium is fed based on the center position in the width direction, the right regulating portion 30A and the left regulating portion 31A are provided. Then, the configuration may be such that only one of the right restricting portion 30A and the left restricting portion 31A is provided.

The first guide portion 32 that constitutes the right restricting portion 30A is provided with respect to the first support tray 14 . As shown in FIG. 3, an accommodation space 32b is formed outside the first guide portion 32, that is, on the -X direction side, and this accommodation space 32b accommodates the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36. Functions as a container.
The third guide portion 36 is located inside the second guide portion 34 in the state of being accommodated in the first guide portion 32, that is, on the +X direction side. Therefore, in FIGS. 6, 7, and 9 showing the state in which the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 are housed in the first guide portion 32, the third guide portion 36 is hidden by the second guide portion 34. It is in.

When the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 are housed in the first guide portion 32, the upper end portion of the second guide portion 34 protrudes upward from the housing space 32b of the first guide portion 32. , the upper end portion of the second guide portion 34 can be grasped and pulled upward. 3 and 9, reference numeral 34c denotes a recess formed in the upper end portion of the second guide portion 34, and the second guide portion 34 can be pulled out upward by putting a finger on this recess.

The upper end portion of the second guide portion 34 is configured as a stopper portion 34b, which is formed at the lower end portion of the third guide portion 36 as shown in FIG. The protruding portion 36c engages with the stopper portion 34b. As a result, the upper extension limit of the third guide portion 36 is defined.

As shown in FIG. 4, the +X direction side surface of the first guide portion 32 is formed as a guide surface 32a for regulating the edge position in the width direction of the medium. When the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 are pulled out from the first guide portion 32 and unfolded, the +X direction side surface of the stopper portion 34b of the second guide portion 34 regulates the edge position in the width direction of the medium. guide surface 34a. The +X direction side surface of the upper end portion 36b of the third guide portion 36 serves as a guide surface 36a that regulates the edge position in the width direction of the medium.

Therefore, the edge positions in the -X direction in the width direction of the medium are regulated by the guide surfaces 32a, 34a and 36a. The guide surface 32a regulates the widthwise edge position of the medium in the first support tray 14, and the guide surfaces 34a and 36a regulate the widthwise edge position of the medium in the second support tray 16. FIG. Since the edge position in the width direction of the medium can be regulated in a long range along the medium feeding direction in this way, the oblique feeding of the medium can be suitably suppressed.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the second support tray 16 is formed with a first position holding portion 16b and a second position holding portion 16c. The first position holding portion 16b is formed at a position facing the stopper portion 34b of the deployed second guide portion 34, and the second position holding portion 16c faces the upper end portion 36b of the deployed third guide portion 36. It is formed in a position where
When the second guide portion 34 is deployed, the fitting portion 34f (see FIGS. 8 and 9) formed on the stopper portion 34b fits into the first position holding portion 16b. Further, when the third guide portion 36 is deployed, the fitting portion 36e (see FIG. 9) formed on the upper end portion 36b fits into the second position holding portion 16c.

By fitting the fitting portion 34f of the second guide portion 34 to the first position holding portion 16b, the position of the second guide portion 34 in the width direction is held, making it difficult for the second guide portion 34 to move in the width direction. , the edge position of the medium can be properly regulated.
Similarly, by fitting the fitting portion 36e of the third guide portion 36 to the second position holding portion 16c, the position of the third guide portion 36 in the width direction is held, and the third guide portion 36 moves in the width direction. The edge position of the medium can be appropriately regulated.

In addition, by fitting the fitting portion 34f of the second guide portion 34 to the first position holding portion 16b, the position of the second guide portion 34 in the medium feeding direction is held, and the expanded second guide portion 34 is held. It becomes difficult to move in the medium feeding direction, and the unfolded state of the second guide portion 34 can be appropriately maintained.
Similarly, by fitting the fitting portion 36e of the third guide portion 36 to the second position holding portion 16c, the position of the third guide portion 36 in the medium feeding direction is held, and the expanded third guide portion 36 It becomes difficult to move in the medium feeding direction, and the unfolded state of the third guide portion 36 can be appropriately maintained.

It is also preferable to provide the first position holding portion 16b and the second position holding portion 16c at a plurality of positions in the width direction so as to be able to handle media of a plurality of sizes.

Next, in FIG. 9, the accommodation space 32b of the first guide part 32 is large enough to allow the postures of the second guide part 34 and the third guide part 36 to be changed in the state where the second guide part 34 and the third guide part 36 are accommodated. have As a result, when the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 are deployed from the first guide portion 32, the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 move relative to the first guide portion 32 from the initial stage. You can change your posture by As a result, when the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 are deployed from the first guide portion 32, the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 abut against the second support tray 16, making it difficult to deploy. can be suppressed.

A protrusion 34e is formed at the lower end of the second guide portion 34, and the protrusion 34e is caught by the lower edge portion 32c of the first guide portion 32, thereby allowing the second guide portion 34 to move when not in use. is configured so as not to easily protrude upward due to vibration or the like. However, since the projection 34e is slightly caught by the lower edge 32c, the projection 34e can be easily removed from the lower edge 32c when the user pulls the second guide 34 upward.
Although not shown, a protrusion similar to the protrusion 34e is also formed at the lower end of the third guide part 36, so that the third guide part 36 can easily protrude upward due to vibration or the like when not in use. It is configured so that there is no Further, the second guide portion 34 is supported by the upper edge portions 32d and 32e of the first guide portion 32, so that the height position is stably determined.

A recessed portion 16d is formed in the lower end portion of the second support tray 16, and the stopper portion 34b of the second guide portion 34 and the upper end portion 36b of the third guide portion 36 are aligned with the recessed portion 16d as shown in FIG. It is designed so that it can be entered. With such a configuration, the product size in the Y-axis direction can be suppressed.

As described above, the right regulating portion 30A (and the left regulating portion 31A) can be expanded and contracted along the medium feeding direction while changing the attitude along the expanded medium support portion 12A. A two-dot chain line indicated by reference numeral 34-1 in FIG. 7 indicates the second guide portion 34 in the middle of deployment. In this manner, the right restricting portion 30A (and the left restricting portion 31A) includes the second guide portion 34 that assumes a different posture from the first guide portion 32 according to the posture of the second support tray 16. As shown in FIG. Further, in this embodiment, the second guide portion 34 is provided in a different posture from that of the first guide portion 32 according to the posture of the second support tray 16 .
With such a configuration, the edge position in the width direction of the long medium can be appropriately regulated, and the oblique movement of the fed medium can be suppressed satisfactorily. Further, with respect to the regulating position for regulating the edge of the medium in the width direction, positional deviation is less likely to occur between upstream and downstream in the medium feeding direction.

Further, the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 take different postures from the first guide portion 32 according to the posture of the second support tray 16 . More specifically, the second guide portion 34 and the third guide portion 36 are steeper than the first guide portion 32 so as to correspond to the posture of the second support tray 16 that is steeper than the first support tray 14 . take a tilted position. This makes it possible to appropriately regulate the edge position in the width direction of the medium.

Although the right restricting portion 30A includes the third guide portion 36 in this embodiment, the third guide portion 36 is omitted, and the first guide portion 32 and the second guide portion 34 constitute the right restricting portion 30A. You can also This also applies to the left restricting portion 31A.
However, by providing the third guide portion 36, it is possible to regulate the edge position of the medium in a wider range along the medium feeding direction, and it is possible to suppress the skew of the medium more satisfactorily.

In this embodiment, a portion of the scanner section 3 and a portion of the right restricting portion 30A (and the left restricting portion 31A) overlap in the Y-axis direction, as indicated by symbol Ya in FIG. With such a configuration, the size of the device in the Y-axis direction can be suppressed.
In addition, since a part of the scanner part 3 and a part of the right restricting part 30A (and the left restricting part 31A) also overlap in the Z-axis direction, the size of the device in the Z-axis direction can also be suppressed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, a support plate 20A is provided at the bottom of the rear surface of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be able to be pulled out along the Y-axis direction. The support plate 20A is provided so as to be housed in the bottom of the apparatus main body 2 as shown in FIG. 17 and pulled out from the bottom of the apparatus main body 2 as shown in FIG. Although FIG. 17 shows a second embodiment, which will be described later, the support plate 20A has the same structure.

As shown in FIG. 12, the support plate 20A can support the portion of the medium P protruding from the medium support portion 12A to the rear side. As a result, the portion of the medium P protruding from the medium support portion 12A to the back side can be prevented from being soiled.
Further, since the support plate 20A can be stored in the bottom portion of the apparatus main body 2, the installation space of the apparatus can be saved when the support plate 20A is not used. Note that the support plate 20A can stack a plurality of media P, and FIG. 12 shows 50 media P stacked thereon.

The support plate 20A has skew suppressing portions 21A and 21B at both ends in the width direction. The oblique movement suppressing portions 21A and 21B are plate-shaped members extending along the Y-axis direction, and are laid down as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 11 and in an upright state as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. and are provided to be switchable. Therefore, by placing the skew suppressing portions 21A and 21B in a tilted state, it is possible to suppress the height dimension of the apparatus in a state in which the support plate 20A is accommodated. In addition, when a large load is applied to the skew suppressing portions 21A and 21B, they can fall down, thereby suppressing the formation of damage such as folds on the edges in the width direction of the medium P, and also suppressing jams.

The oblique feeding suppressing portions 21A and 21B can suppress oblique feeding of the medium P on the support plate 20A.
The states of the skew suppressing portions 21A and 21B may be switched by the user, or they may be configured to be automatically raised when the support plate 20A is pulled out from the bottom portion of the apparatus by pressing them in the upward direction with a spring or the like. can be

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, a rear wall portion 22 is formed at the end portion of the support plate 20A in the -Y direction. With this rear wall portion 22, the curled portion Pa can be maintained and the medium P can be supported even when the curled portion Pa is formed in the medium P as shown in FIG. Protrusion from the plate 20A can be suppressed.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a concave portion 22a is formed in the rear wall portion 22 at the center portion in the width direction so that a finger can be easily put on the support plate 20A when pulling out the support plate 20A in the stored state. .

Note that the support plate 20A is not limited to a configuration in which the entire surface is plate-shaped as in the present embodiment, and may have any configuration as long as the medium P can be supported. Further, the support plate 20A is preferably made of sheet metal in order to reduce the thickness, but may be made of a resin material. Further, the skew suppressing portions 21A and 21B may be configured to be movable in the width direction.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 17. FIG. In addition, in the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those already described, and overlapping descriptions are to be avoided.
A printer 1B according to this embodiment includes a medium feeding device 10B. The medium feeding device 10B includes a medium support portion 12B that supports a medium in an inclined posture, and a right and left regulating portions 30B and 30B that are regulating portions that regulate the edge position of the medium placed on the medium supporting portion 12B in the width direction. and a portion 31B.

The right regulating portion 30B includes a wire 38 as a linear member that can be pulled out from the third guide portion 36 toward the upstream in the medium feeding direction, and regulates the edge position in the width direction of the medium in the pulled out state. . Similarly, the left restricting portion 31B includes a wire 39 that can be pulled out from the third guide portion 37 toward the upstream in the medium feeding direction, and that restricts the edge position in the width direction of the medium in the pulled out state. The wires 38 and 39 can further regulate the edge position of a longer medium, and such a guide structure can be constructed while suppressing an increase in size.

Further explanation is given below. Since the right restricting portion 30B and the left restricting portion 31B are generally symmetrical in structure, the right restricting portion 30B will be described in detail below, and the detailed description of the left restricting portion 31B will be omitted.
As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a ring portion 38a is provided at the tip of the wire 38, and the ring portion 38a ensures operability when pulling out the wire 38 upstream in the medium feeding direction. The ring portion 38a can be accommodated in a recess 36d formed in the third guide portion 36 as shown in FIG.

A tray upper portion 19a of the fourth support tray 19 is formed in an eave shape, and a hook portion 40 is formed on the tray upper portion 19a. The ring portion 38a of the wire 38 can be hooked on the hook portion 40, whereby the wire 38 can be maintained in the unfolded state.
A winding portion (not shown) is provided at the proximal end portion of the wire 38, and a force in the winding direction is always applied to the wire 38. A predetermined tension always acts on the .
Incidentally, the hook portion 40 may be provided displaceably along the width direction, or may be provided in plurality at suitable intervals along the width direction.

With the wire 38 as described above, even when the third support tray 18 and the fourth support tray 19 are unfolded, the edge positions in the width direction of the medium can be regulated in the third support tray 18 and the fourth support tray 19. can. It should be noted that the third support tray 18 has the same tilted position as the second support tray 16, but the fourth support tray 19 has a steeper tilt position than the third support tray 18, thereby allowing the Y-axis of the apparatus to move. The directional dimension can be suppressed, and a long medium that protrudes from the medium support portion 12B can be guided to the front side of the apparatus.
Although the wire 38 is deployed upstream of the third guide portion 36 in this embodiment, the third guide portion 36 may be omitted and the wire 38 may be deployed upstream of the second guide portion 34 . Moreover, the wire 38 may be a linear member, and may be made of non-metal.

The medium protruding from the medium support portion 12B guided to the front side of the device is supported by the upper surface of the document cover 3a that constitutes the scanner portion 3 as shown in FIG. That is, the document cover 3a functions as a support plate that supports the portion of the medium protruding from the medium support portion 12B to the front side. As a result, the portion of the medium protruding from the medium support portion 12B to the front side can be properly supported. A plurality of sheets of the medium P can be stacked on the medium supporting portion 12B and the document cover 3a, and 50 sheets of the medium P are stacked in FIG.

An upper front panel 5 provided on the front surface of the apparatus is configured as a tiltable tilt panel. By tilting the upper front panel 5 upward, the document can be supported together with the document cover 3a. As a result, a longer medium can be handled, and there is no need to separately provide a configuration for handling a longer medium, so that an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed.
In particular, by tilting the panel surface of the upper front panel 5 further than the posture of the horizontal plane, and tilting the panel surface to the angle facing the back of the device as shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, a skew suppression portion 45 for suppressing skew of the medium is provided on the upper surface of the document cover 3a. In this embodiment, the skew suppressing portion 45 is configured by a plate-like member that protrudes from the upper surface of the document cover 3a.
A skew prevention portion 46 is also provided on the panel surface of the upper front panel 5 . In this embodiment, the skew suppressing portion 46 is configured by a rib-shaped member that protrudes from the panel surface of the upper front panel 5 .
Such skew suppressing portions 45 and 46 can appropriately suppress skew of the medium. Note that the skew suppressing portions 45 and 46 are not necessarily limited to members capable of coming into contact with the edges in the width direction of the medium, and may be constituted by marks such as positioning marks that allow the user to visualize the medium set position.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 21. FIG. A printer 1C according to this embodiment includes a medium feeding device 10C. The medium feeding device 10C includes a medium support portion 12C that supports the medium in an inclined posture, and a right and left regulating portions 55 and 55 that are regulating portions that regulate the edge position of the medium placed on the medium supporting portion 12C in the width direction. a portion 58;

As shown in FIG. 18, a first support tray 51 and a first support member 66 are provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body 2 in the +X direction. Both the first support tray 51 and the first support member 66 are rotatable and can be rotated to open as shown in the transition from FIG. 18 to FIG. 19 and vice versa. It can be closed as shown by the changes. The first support tray 51 and the first support member 66 form a flush main body side surface in the closed state.

When the first support tray 51 is opened, the inside of the device is exposed as shown in FIG. The first support tray 51 and the second support tray 52, the third support tray 53, and the stopper 54 constitute the medium support section 12C.
The stopper 54 is rotatably provided with respect to the third support tray 53, and can take a state (not shown) accommodated in the third support tray 53 and an unfolded state as shown in FIG. . The third support tray 53 and the second support tray 52 can take a state (not shown) accommodated in the first support tray 51 and an unfolded state as shown in FIG. In the unfolded state of the medium support section 12C, the first support tray 51 takes an inclined posture upward in the +X direction, the second support tray 52 takes an inclined posture steeper than the first support tray 51, and the third support tray 51 takes an inclined posture. The tray 53 is inclined more steeply than the second support tray 52. - 特許庁The stopper 54 is inclined more steeply than the third support tray 53 .
Then, the medium supported by the medium support portion 12C is fed into the apparatus by the feeding roller 8 .

The right restricting portion 55 has a first guide portion 56 and a second guide portion 57 . The first guide portion 56 is provided on the first support tray 51 , and the second guide portion 57 is deployable upstream in the medium feeding direction from the first guide portion 56 . A posture different from that of the first guide portion 56 can be taken.
Similarly, the left restricting portion 58 has a first guide portion 59 and a second guide portion 60 . The first guide portion 59 is provided on the first support tray 51 , and the second guide portion 60 can be deployed upstream in the medium feeding direction from the first guide portion 59 . A posture different from that of the first guide portion 59 can be taken.

The right regulating portion 55 and the left regulating portion 58 can appropriately regulate the edge position in the width direction of the long medium and satisfactorily suppress skewing of the medium to be fed. Further, the regulating position for regulating the edge of the medium is less likely to be displaced upstream and downstream in the medium feeding direction. Further, the second guides 57 and 60 take different postures from the first guides 56 and 59 according to the posture of the second support tray 52 . As a result, the edge position in the width direction of the medium can be appropriately regulated according to the attitude of the second support tray 52 .
A concave portion 57a is formed at the tip of the second guide portion 57 to improve the operability when pulling out the second guide portion 57 from the first guide portion 56. As shown in FIG. Similarly, a concave portion (not shown) is also formed at the tip of the second guide portion 60 .

A support plate 65 is provided above the medium support portion 12C to support the portion of the medium protruding from the medium support portion 12C. As a result, the medium protruding from the medium support portion 12C can be properly supported. Further, since the support plate 65 is provided above the medium support portion 12C, the installation space for the apparatus main body 2 in the horizontal direction can be reduced. The medium support portion 12C and the support plate 65 can support a plurality of media, and FIG. 21 shows 50 media P stacked.

The support plate 65 is composed of a first support member 66 and a second support member 67 located upstream of the first support member 66 in the medium feeding direction. It is rotatable with respect to Thus, by rotating the first support member 66 when the support plate 65 is not in use, the installation space of the apparatus can be saved. The first support member 66 forms the side surface of the device main body 2 in the closed state as shown in FIG.
In addition, since the second support member 67 is located inside the device from the side surface of the device body 2 in the +X direction, it is possible to secure the area of the support surface for the support plate 65 to support the medium and to suppress the increase in size of the device. be able to.
In this embodiment, the first support member 66 can be opened and closed independently of the first support tray 51. However, the first support member 66 is configured to open in conjunction with the opening of the first support tray 51, for example. You can

The support plate 65 is provided with a right skew suppression portion 70 and a left skew suppression portion 73 that suppress skew of the medium. The right skew suppression part 70 includes a first skew suppression member 71 provided on the first support member 66 and a second skew suppression member deployable from the first skew suppression member 71 toward the second support member 67. 72. The left skew suppressing portion 73 includes a first skew suppressing member 74 provided on the first support member 66 and a second skew suppressing member deployable from the first skew suppressing member 74 toward the second support member 67. 75.
As shown in FIG. 20, the second skew suppression member 72 is formed with a recess 72a to improve the operability when pulling out the second skew suppression member 72 from the first skew suppression member 71. . Similarly, a recess (not shown) is also formed in the second skew suppression member 75 .

As shown in FIG. 22, in the present embodiment, the support plate 65 assumes an inclined posture that faces upward in the +X direction, and the first support member 66 and the second support member 67 take the same posture. The support member 66 and the second support member 67 may be configured to take different postures. At that time, the second skew suppressing member 72 of the right skew suppressing portion 70 and the second skew suppressing member 75 of the left skew suppressing portion 73 are arranged according to the difference in posture between the first support member 66 and the second support member 67 . It is preferable to configure so as to deploy while changing the posture accordingly. Further, if the posture of the medium can be maintained, the support plate 65 may take an inclined posture downward in the +X direction.

The present invention is not limited to the respective embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, which are also included in the scope of the present invention. One thing goes without saying.
For example, in the present embodiment, an embodiment in which the medium feeding device is applied to a recording device has been described, but the medium feeding device can also be applied to an image reading device that reads an image of a document.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A, 1B, 1C... Inkjet printer, 2... Apparatus main body, 3... Scanner part, 3a... Document cover, 4... Lower front panel, 5... Upper front panel, 6... Carriage, 7... Recording head, 8... Feeding roller , 9... rear cover,
10A, 10B, 10C... medium feeding device 11... tray supporting part 11a... rotating shaft 12A, 12B, 12C... medium supporting part 14... first supporting tray 14a... supporting surface 14b... stopper part 16 Second support tray 16a Support surface 16b First position holding part 16c Second position holding part 16d Recess 18 Third support tray 19 Fourth support tray 19a Tray upper part 20A... support plate, 21A, 21B... skew suppression part, 22... rear wall part, 22a... recessed part, 30A, 30B... right regulation part, 31A, 31B... left regulation part, 32... first guide part, 32a... guide Surface 32b...Accommodating space 32c...Lower edge 32d, 32e...Upper edge 33...First guide part 34...Second guide part 34a...Guide surface 34b...Stopper part 34c...Recessed part 34d... Protruding part 34e... Protruding part 34f... Fitting part 35... Second guide part 36... Third guide part 36a... Guide surface 36b... Upper end part 36c... Protruding part 36d... Recessed part 36e Fitting portion 37 Third guide portion 38 Wire 38a Ring portion 39 Wire 40 Hook portion 45, 46 Skew suppression portion 51 First support tray 52 Second Support tray 53 Third support tray 54 Stopper 55 Right restricting portion 56 First guide portion 57 Second guide portion 58 Left restricting portion 59 First guide portion 60 Third 2 guide portions 65 support plate 66 first support member 67 second support member 70 right skew suppressing portion 71 first skew suppressing member 72 second skew suppressing member 72a ... concave portion, 73 ... left skew suppression portion, 74 ... first skew suppression member, 75 ... second skew suppression member,
P... medium, Pa... curl part

Claims (17)

a medium support unit configured to be able to expand and contract a support surface that supports a medium, and supporting the medium that is fed in the expanded state of the support surface;
a regulating portion that regulates an edge position of the medium placed on the medium support portion in a width direction that intersects with the feeding direction;
The restricting portion can be expanded and contracted along the feeding direction, and can be expanded and contracted while changing its posture along the support surface.
A medium feeding device characterized by: a medium support unit configured to be able to expand and contract a support surface that supports a medium, and supporting the medium that is fed in the expanded state of the support surface;
a regulating portion that regulates an edge position of the medium placed on the medium support portion in a width direction that intersects with the feeding direction;
The medium support section
a first support tray;
a second support tray located upstream in the feeding direction with respect to the first support tray in the unfolded state and having a different posture from that of the first support tray;
The regulation unit
a first guide provided on the first support tray;
a second guide part that can be deployed from the first guide part toward the upstream in the feeding direction and takes a different posture from the first guide part according to the posture of the second support tray; configured to be expandable and contractible along the feeding direction;
A medium feeding device characterized by: 3. The medium feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the first support tray and the second support tray take an inclined posture,
The second support tray takes a steeper tilted posture than the first support tray in the unfolded state.
A medium feeding device characterized by: 4. The medium feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the first guide section has an accommodation section that accommodates the second guide section,
The accommodating portion has a size that allows the accommodated second guide portion to change its posture,
A medium feeding device characterized by: 5. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second support tray has a position holding portion that holds the position of the second guide portion in the width direction.
A medium feeding device characterized by: 5. The medium feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the second support tray has a position holding section that holds the position of the second guide section in the feeding direction.
A medium feeding device characterized by: 7. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the regulating portion comprises a third guide portion that can be deployed upstream in the feeding direction from the second guide portion. ,
A medium feeding device characterized by: 8. The medium feeding device according to claim 7, wherein the regulating portion can be pulled out from the third guide portion toward the upstream in the feeding direction, and in the drawn state, the edge position of the medium in the width direction can be adjusted. A linear member that regulates the
A medium feeding device characterized by: 9. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a support plate on the back side of the medium support section for supporting a part of the medium protruding from the medium support section toward the back side. ,
A medium feeding device characterized by: 10. The medium feeding device according to claim 9, wherein the support plate can be accommodated in the bottom of the device main body.
A medium feeding device characterized by: 9. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a top surface of the apparatus main body located on the front side of the medium support section has a medium protruding from the medium support section toward the front side. Having a support plate that supports the site,
A medium feeding device characterized by: 12. The medium feeding device according to claim 11, wherein a tiltable tilt panel is provided on the front surface of the device body,
The tilt panel, together with the support plate, can support a portion of the medium protruding from the medium support portion toward the front side.
A medium feeding device characterized by: 13. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the support plate has a skew suppression section that suppresses skew of the medium.
A medium feeding device characterized by: 9. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a support plate above the medium support section for supporting a portion of the medium protruding from the medium support section.
A medium feeding device characterized by: 15. The medium feeding device according to claim 14, wherein the support plate comprises a first support member and a second support member located upstream of the first support member in the feeding direction,
the first support member is rotatable with respect to the second support member;
A medium feeding device characterized by: 16. The medium feeding device according to claim 15, wherein the support plate has a skew suppression section that suppresses skew of the medium,
The skew suppression unit includes a first skew suppression member provided on the first support member, and a second skew suppression member deployable from the first support member toward the second support member. ,
A medium feeding device characterized by: a recording unit that records on a medium;
The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, which feeds a medium to the recording unit;
A recording device with

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