JP2024036123A - recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve further miniaturization as compared with a prior art.

SOLUTION: A recording device includes: a carriage on which a recording head is mounted and which can reciprocate in a first direction; a motor which generates driving force; a drive shaft which is rotated and driven by the driving force and extends in the first direction; a plurality of drive sections which are driven by the driving force transmitted through the driving shaft; a switching section which interlocks with the drive shaft and switches a transmission destination of the driving force in the plurality of drive sections; and an abutting section which rotates around a shaft support section so as to have an abutting position where the abutting section abuts on the carriage or a non-abutting position where the abutting section does not abut on the carriage and moves together with the carriage at the abutting position. The switching section switches the transmission destination of the driving force by a moving section moving by the movement of the abutting section.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present disclosure relates to a recording device that records an image on a recording medium, and specifically relates to an image recording device that includes a plurality of drive means and a drive transmission switching section that selectively switches the drive.

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional image recording apparatus, one is known that has one drive source and a plurality of drive means, and performs a switching operation to selectively drive one of the plurality of drive means.

Patent Document 1 discloses an image recording device as shown in FIG. 11 of this specification. In this image recording apparatus, a carriage contacts a rotatably configured switching lever and moves the switching lever in an axial direction. Thereby, the switching gear disposed at the rotation center of the switching lever can be moved to a position where it meshes with a gear that transmits driving force from among the plurality of drive means. Note that while the image is being recorded on the recording medium, the switching lever is in a retracted position with respect to the carriage. Therefore, since no impact is applied to the carriage, there is no problem in the recording operation.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-17993

However, in Patent Document 1, as the number of drive means increases, the input destination gears need to be arranged along the moving direction of the carriage, so the width of the image recording apparatus increases. Therefore, it is necessary to move the switching gear, which is supported parallel to the scanning direction of the carriage, to a position where it meshes with the gear to which the driving force is input from among the plurality of driving means.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure aims to realize a drive switching operation in which one of a plurality of drive means is selected and driven, which is more compact than the conventional technology.

An embodiment of the present invention includes: a carriage on which a recording head is mounted and is capable of reciprocating in a first direction; a motor that generates a driving force; and a drive shaft rotationally driven by the driving force, the first a drive shaft extending in the direction; a plurality of drive units driven by the drive force transmitted via the drive shaft; and a contact portion that rotates around a shaft support so as to be in a contact position in which it contacts the carriage or a non-contact position in which it does not contact, and moves together with the carriage in the contact position. , the recording apparatus is characterized in that the switching section switches the transmission destination of the driving force by a moving section that moves according to the movement of the contact section.

According to the present disclosure, regarding the drive switching operation of selecting and driving one of a plurality of drive means, it is possible to realize miniaturization compared to the conventional technology.

Perspective view of image recording device A cross-sectional view showing the conveyance of a recording medium inside the image recording device. Block diagram of image recording device Perspective view of driving force transmission section Perspective view of driving force transmission switching mechanism Diagram showing the locking position where the driving force transmission switching unit is held Perspective view showing the contact mechanism A perspective view showing the structure around the contact part in the contact mechanism. Cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the driving direction of the conveyance roller and the position of the contact part Diagram for explaining the effects of the present disclosure Schematic diagram showing a drive switching mechanism in a conventional image recording device

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, with a cover or case forming the exterior removed. The image recording device M is a multifunction device that includes a recording mechanism and a scanner mechanism (not shown) disposed above the recording mechanism, and processes related to image recording and reading operations are performed by the recording mechanism and the scanner mechanism. They can be executed individually or in conjunction. The scanner mechanism is equipped with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) and an FBS (Flatbed Scanner). ) and can be done. Note that although the image recording apparatus of this embodiment is a multifunction device that has both a recording mechanism and a scanner mechanism, it may be of a form that does not include a scanner mechanism.

The recording mechanism generally includes a first paper feeding section 1 and a second paper feeding section 2 on which a user can load a recording medium, and a transport section that transports the recording medium fed from these paper feeding sections. It has 3. The recording mechanism also includes a recording section 4 that records an image on a recording medium conveyed by the conveyance section 3, and a paper discharge section 8 that stacks the discharged recording medium after the image has been recorded. The paper discharge section 8 includes a recording medium stacking section 81 and an extension tray 82 that can be pulled out from the apparatus M to support a large recording medium. The recording mechanism further includes a maintenance section 5 and a driving force transmission section 6 that perform maintenance to maintain a good ejection state of the recording head in the recording section 4. As will be described in detail later in FIG. The driving force is transmitted by switching to either the section 2 or the maintenance section 5. All of the above units are fixed to the base 7 to constitute a recording mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the image recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and shows the conveyance of a recording medium on which an image is recorded. In this embodiment, there are two methods for a user to set a recording medium when recording an image. First, the recording medium P1 is stacked on the pressure plate 11, thereby setting the recording medium in the first paper feed section 1. The second method is to set the recording medium P2 in the second paper feed section 2 by loading the recording medium P2 in a cassette case 21 that is detachable from the image recording apparatus M. When a user inputs an image recording instruction through an operation unit (not shown), the conveyance motor 31 rotates in the forward direction to feed paper. That is, when feeding paper from the first paper feeding section 1, the driving force transmission section 6 is connected to the drive mechanism of the first paper feeding section 1 and transmits the driving force generated by the rotation of the transport motor 31. As a result, the first paper feed roller 12 of the first paper feed section 1 rotates and the pressure plate 11 comes into contact with it, thereby feeding the paper. A separating roller 13 that provides resistance to the feeding direction of the recording medium is arranged at a position facing the first paper feeding roller 12, and this allows the separation roller 13 that provides resistance to the feeding direction of the recording medium P1 to Only paper is fed to the conveying section as shown by arrow F1.

When paper is fed from the second paper feeding section 2, the driving force transmission section 6 is connected to the drive mechanism of the second paper feeding section 2 and transmits the driving force of the transport motor 31. Specifically, the driving force of the transport motor 31 is transmitted to the second sheet feeding shaft gear 23 of the second sheet feeding section 2 via the driving force transmitting section 6. Then, the second paper feed roller 25 is rotated from the second paper feed shaft gear 23 via the plurality of second paper feed idler gears 24, and the second paper feed roller 25 rotates from the second paper feed shaft gear 23 to the uppermost recording medium P2 loaded in the cassette case 21. Only paper is fed. That is, by providing the separating section 26 that provides resistance to the fed recording medium in the paper feeding direction, even when a plurality of recording media are fed, the separating section 26 prevents them from coming into contact with the second paper feeding roller 25. Only the topmost sheet of paper is fed. Furthermore, the drive is transmitted to the intermediate gear 27 and the intermediate roller 28 via a gear drive train (not shown) of the driving force transmission section 6 . As a result, the recording medium fed from the second paper feed roller 25 is fed to the conveyance unit 3 in the direction indicated by the arrow F2 by cooperation with the driven roller 29 disposed at a position facing the intermediate roller 28. do. When the recording medium fed from each of the above-mentioned paper feeding units passes the detection lever 14, a pair of conveyance rollers consisting of a conveyance roller 32 and a pinch roller 33 driven by the conveyance roller 32 performs recording in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The positions of the left and right leading ends in the width direction of the medium are aligned. Note that the conveyance direction (y direction) of the recording medium in the recording section is a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (x direction) of the recording head.

The recording unit 4 includes a recording head 42, a carriage 41 on which the recording head is mounted, a chassis 44 that movably supports the carriage 41, and a chassis rail 46 as a sliding member. The carriage 41 can reciprocate in a scanning direction that intersects with the conveyance direction of the fed recording medium. As the recording medium conveyed by the pair of conveyance rollers passes over the platen 36 that urges the recording medium provided at a position facing the main recording section, recording is performed while the recording head 42 is scanning due to the movement of the carriage 41. Ink is ejected from the head 42 and an image is recorded on the recording medium.

When an image is to be recorded on only one side of the recording medium, the recording medium is discharged to the paper discharge section 8 through a pair of paper discharge rollers including a paper discharge roller 34 and a spur 35, as shown by an arrow F3 in the figure. When recording images on both sides of the recording medium, after recording the image on one side of the recording medium, the conveyance motor 31 is rotated in the reverse direction while the rear end of the recording medium is being held. Then, the paper discharge roller pair and the conveyance roller pair rotate in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction in which an image is recorded, and convey the recording medium to the reverse conveyance path as shown by arrow F4 in the figure. Then, when the rear end of the recording medium in the conveyance direction passes through the pair of conveyance rollers, the conveyance motor 31 is switched to normal rotation, and the positions of the left and right leading ends of the recording medium in the width direction are again aligned by the pair of conveyance rollers. After that, the same operation as described above for recording an image on one side of the recording medium is performed, and the recording medium on which the image has been recorded is passed through the pair of discharge rollers consisting of the discharge roller 34 and the spur 35 as shown by arrow F3 in the figure. The paper is discharged to the paper discharge section 8. Further, a maintenance section 5 is arranged, and when an image is not to be recorded, the carriage 41 is located at a standby position above the maintenance section 5 and performs a recovery operation of the recording head 42 and the like.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration related to control of the image recording apparatus of this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. The image recording apparatus M of this embodiment executes a recording operation, etc. according to the image data and control signals received from the host computer 906 via the I/F unit 905 in accordance with the processing procedure by the printer driver 9061 of the host computer 906.

In the image recording apparatus M, the MPU 901 controls the operation of each part of the apparatus, data processing, and the like. ROM902 stores programs and data executed by MPU901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores processing data executed by the MPU 901 and data received from the host computer 906. The print head driver 942 controls the ink ejection operation by the print head 42 under the control of the MPU 901. The carriage motor driver 943 controls driving of the carriage motor 43 and moves the carriage 41 under the control of the MPU 901. The conveyance motor driver 931 controls the rotation of the conveyance motor 31 under the control of the MPU 901, and rotates the conveyance roller 32 and the paper ejection roller 34, respectively. The MPU 901 displays the status of the image recording apparatus M on the operation display unit 904.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration related to driving force transmission of a driving force transmitting section based on the driving force of a conveyance roller in an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4(a) is a perspective view of this configuration viewed from the scanning range side of the recording head 42, and FIG. 4(b) is a perspective view of this configuration viewed from the end side outside the scanning range. be. Further, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a driving force transmission switching mechanism configured in the driving force transmitting section 6. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5(a) shows the driving force transmission switching mechanism after assembly, and FIG. 5(b) shows the driving force transmission switching mechanism before assembly.

The driving force of the transport motor 31 (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) serving as a drive source rotates the transport roller 32. The rotational driving force of this conveying roller 32 is transmitted to the driving force transmission section 6 via a conveying roller output gear 37 that rotates integrally with the conveying roller 32, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b). Ru. Correspondingly, the driving force transmission section 6 includes a drive input gear 614 that meshes with the conveyance roller output gear 37, and a sun gear A631 to which the rotation of the drive input gear 614 is transmitted via a plurality of gears. Further, the driving force transmission section 6 includes a positioning section 663, the details of which will be described later.

The driving force transmission unit 6 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is shown with the drive base 611 and the drive cover 612 forming the exterior thereof, excluding the drive cover 612. The sun gear A 631 and the sun gear B 632 arranged inside the drive base 611 are each fitted into the drive shaft 635 in a D-cut shape, thereby rotating together with the drive shaft 635. This drive shaft 635 is rotatably supported by the drive base 611 and the drive cover 612. The drive shaft 635 is arranged parallel to the moving direction (so-called main scanning direction) of the carriage 41 and extends in the moving direction. A planet arm 634 holding a planet gear 633 is supported by the drive shaft 635 so as to be movable along the drive shaft 635 . Further, the planetary arm 634 includes a protrusion 634A, and comb teeth are formed on the inside of this protrusion.On the other hand, the drive shaft gear 643 at the end of the drive shaft 635 has a protrusion 643A, and comb teeth are formed on the outer surface of the drive shaft gear 643. teeth are formed. With these comb tooth configurations, the comb teeth of the protrusion 634A and the comb teeth of the protrusion 643A mesh with each other at a predetermined position as the planet arm 634 moves, and the planet arm 634 rotates as the drive shaft 635 rotates. It becomes possible to do so. With the above configurations of the planetary arm 634 and the planetary gear 633, the planetary gear 633 meshes with the sun gear B632 and can function as a planetary gear mechanism.

Further, a trigger holder (also referred to as a moving section) 641 and a trigger holder spring 642 are supported on the drive shaft 635 so as to be movable along the drive shaft. As a result, as will be described later, the trigger holder spring 642 exerts a biasing force against the movement of the trigger holder 641 and the planetary arm 634 along the drive shaft 635 due to the movement of the carriage 41. Further, a drive shaft gear 643 is supported at an end portion of the drive shaft 635 opposite to the end portion supporting the sun gear A 631 and the sun gear B 632 so as to be rotatable integrally with the drive shaft 635. The sun gear B632, planetary gear 633, planetary arm 634, and trigger holder 641 described above interact in the driving force transmission switching operation that will be described later from FIG. constitute the department. In this driving force transmission switching section, the trigger holder spring 642 constantly biases the trigger holder 641 in the -x direction in the figure.

Further, referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the drive base 611 is provided with a support shaft 501, a support shaft 502, and a support shaft 503 that respectively protrude toward the inside of the driving force transmission section 6. . These support shafts 501, 502, and 503 correspond to the maintenance section 5, second paper feed section 2, and first paper feed section 1, and the inner diameter of the fitting shaft 634B of the planetary arm 634 corresponds to these shafts. engage. This makes it possible to transmit the driving force to each (switch the destination of the driving force). Specifically, the planet arm 634 holding the planet gear 633 can rotate about the drive shaft 635, and the support shafts 501, 502, and 503 are on the rotation locus of the planet gear 633 during this rotation. each is placed. A shaft hole for inserting the same shaft is formed in the fitting shaft 634B of the planetary arm 634, and the shaft hole of the fitting shaft 634B of the planetary arm 634 is located at a position facing each support shaft. It can be rotated and inserted through its support shaft. Then, when the support shaft 501 is inserted into the shaft hole of the fitting shaft 634B of the planet arm 634, the planet gear 633 meshes with the maintenance input gear 651. Similarly, when the support shaft 502 is inserted into the shaft hole of the fitting shaft 634B of the planetary arm 634, the second paper feed input gear 621 is inserted, and when the support shaft 503 is inserted, the first paper feed input gear 15, the drive can be transmitted by meshing with each other. Note that FIG. 5A shows a state in which the planetary gear 633 meshes with the maintenance input gear 651 (transmission of driving force to the maintenance section).

The operation of the driving force transmission section 6 with the above configuration is as follows. As explained using FIG. 4, the rotation of the conveyance roller 32 (see FIG. 4) rotates the drive shaft 635 via the sun gear A631 and the like. This rotation of the drive shaft 635 causes the sun gear B632 to rotate, and the planetary gear 633 that meshes with the sun gear B632 to rotate. This rotation rotates the maintenance input gear 651, second paper feed input gear 621, or first paper feed input gear 15 corresponding to each support shaft, thereby transmitting the driving force to the corresponding drive unit. It can be carried out. In addition, in the driving force transmission switching operation (support shaft changing operation), the planetary arm 634 rotates together with the rotation of the drive shaft 635 described above, and the shaft holes of the fitting shafts 634B of the planetary arm 634 are positioned on the respective support shafts. Match. With this alignment, the aligned support shaft can be inserted through the shaft hole of the fitting shaft 634B of the planetary arm 634 by the trigger holder 641 urged by the trigger holder spring 642.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are side views illustrating three positions, meshing or non-meshing, of the planetary gear as the driving force transmission switching section moves in this embodiment. Moreover, FIGS. 6(d), (e), and (f) are diagrams particularly showing a positioning section 663 provided within the driving force transmitting section 6. FIG. The holding positions shown in FIGS. 6(d), (e), and (f) correspond to the positions shown in FIGS. 6(a), (b), and (c). The positioning part 663 is in the form of a clutch 6632, and engages with a locking part 6412 provided on a trigger holder 641 that constitutes a driving force transmission switching part. The locking portion 6412 is located in a recess within the clutch 6632 and can move along the slope as the trigger holder 641 moves. Further, the positioning portion 663 includes a clutch spring 6633 held by a clutch holder 6631, and the clutch spring 6633 is configured to prevent the clutch 6632 from being disengaged from the locking portion 6412 of the trigger holder 641 that engages with the clutch 6632. energize.

As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and (d), when the locking portion 6412 locks with the first locking portion 6632a provided on the clutch 6632, the driving force transmission switching portion is in the first locking position. (A) is retained. Note that, when the first locking portion 6632a is locked, the locking portion 6412 has a sawtooth shape due to the biasing force of the trigger holder spring 642, as shown in FIG. 6(a). pressed against the side of the As a result, the position of the driving force transmission switching section is maintained. This also applies to holding the positions shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 6(e) below.

In the positions shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(d), the shaft hole of the fitting shaft 634B of the planetary arm 634 is inserted into one of the support shafts 1 to 3, and the drive portion corresponding to the inserted support shaft is connected to the drive section. Force can be transmitted or drive power transmission can be disconnected. In this embodiment, in this position, maintenance of the recording head can be performed by driving the maintenance section 5, or the recording medium can be fed by the first paper feeding section 1 or the second paper feeding section 2. Can be stopped.

As shown in FIGS. 6(b) and (e), the movement of the carriage 41 causes the driving force transmission switching portion to move by a predetermined amount in the axial direction, and the locking portion 6412 engages with the second locking portion 6632b of the clutch 6632. When locked, the driving force transmission switching section is held at the second locking position (B). In this position, the shaft holes of the planetary gear 633 and the planetary arm 634 are inserted into any of the support shafts 1 to 3, and driving force can be transmitted to the drive section corresponding to the support shaft inserted. In this embodiment, paper can be fed by the first paper feed section 1 or the second paper feed section 2 at this position.

As shown in FIGS. 6(c) and 6(f), when the locking portion 6412 reaches the drive switching position 6632c of the clutch 6632, the shaft hole of the fitting shaft 634B of the planetary arm 634 is connected to any of the support shafts 1 to 3. This is the disengaged position. In this position, the planetary arm 634 is rotatable, and a driving force transmission switching operation to move to another support shaft is possible.

When the carriage 41 moves in the opposite direction to the pushing movement, the driving force transmission switching section moves in the -x direction due to the biasing force of the trigger holder spring 642. Along with this movement, the locking portion 6412 passes through the inclined surface adjacent to the drive switching position 6632c and the convex portion 6632d consisting of a plurality of curved surfaces, and the locking portion 6412 passes through the first locking portion 6632a (the first locking portion 6632a). return to the locked position).

Hereinafter, switching of the transmission destination of the driving force (referred to as drive switching) due to the contact of the carriage will be explained. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a contact mechanism for contacting the carriage 41 in the switching operation by the driving force transmission section 6 described above, and shows a perspective view of the contact mechanism. As the carriage 41 moves (pushing toward the home position), it comes into contact with the contact portion 648 of the contact mechanism, thereby causing the drive shaft of the planet arm 634 (therefore, the planet gear 633) of the drive force transmission section 6 635. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the structure around the contact portion 648. Specifically, FIGS. 8(a) and (c) are perspective views before assembly as seen from different directions, and FIGS. 8(b) and (d) are perspective views after assembly as seen from different directions. .

The driving force of the transport motor 31 is transmitted to the drive shaft gear 643. This force is then transmitted to the shaft support gear 645 by driving the drive shaft gear 643 via the drive shaft idler gear 644 which is pivotally supported by a shaft provided on a drive gear cover 662 (not shown).

The shaft support gear 645 and the shaft support 646 are fitted in a D-cut shape and rotate together. The shaft 646 c of the shaft support 646 is supported by a drive gear cover 662 (not shown), and the shaft 646 d on the opposite side is supported by a drive gear base 661 (not shown), so that the shaft support 646 supports the scanning of the carriage 41 . placed parallel to the direction. The shaft support 646 further supports a biasing portion 647 and a contact portion 648. Note that in this embodiment, a spring is used as the biasing portion 647.

Due to the urging force of the urging section 647, the shaft support 646 and the drive switching contact section 648 are urged toward the drive gear base 661 (not shown), and the shaft support gear 645 is urged toward the drive gear cover 662. Ru. When the urging section 647 biases the surface 648c of the contact section 648, the friction force generated between the surface 646a of the rotationally driven shaft support 646 and the surface 648d of the contact section 648 causes the contact section 648 to move toward the shaft. It is rotationally driven in the same direction as the branch 646.

The contact portion 648 has a first contact surface 648a that contacts the carriage 41, and a contact surface 6411 of the trigger holder 641 when the carriage 41 further moves in the axial direction (+X direction) and pushes the contact portion 648. A second abutting surface 648b that abuts is provided. With such a configuration, depending on the amount of movement (pushing amount) of the carriage 41, the driving force transmission switching section can move to the first locking position, the second locking position, or the drive switching position as shown in FIG. etc. will be moved. In order to prevent the first contact surface 648a from being pushed by the carriage 41 while the carriage 41 and the first contact surface 648a are in contact with each other, a hook shape such as a protrusion may be provided. When the carriage 41 is not pushing the contact portion 648, the contact portion 648 is not in contact with the driving force transmission switching portion, so the biasing portion 647 always applies a constant urging force to the driving force transmission switching portion. has been granted. Therefore, there is no need to change the amount of drive for rotating the contact portion 648 depending on the position of the driving force transmission switching portion.

By increasing the urging force of the urging section 647, the driving force of the contact section 648 can be increased. This makes it possible to reduce drive delays caused by stick-slip between the urging section 647 and the contact surface of the drive switching contact section 648. Further, it is desirable that the biasing portion 647 is arranged so that the shaft support gear 645 and the contact portion 648 rotate at the same time. In this regard, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 according to the present embodiment, when the driving force is transmitted, the urging portion 647 and the contact portion 648 begin to rotate integrally. Therefore, as a driving force for driving the contact portion 648, a driving force is generated based on the static friction coefficient and the urging force between the two parts (namely, the urging portion 647 and the contact portion 648). Generally, the coefficient of static friction is larger than the coefficient of dynamic friction. Therefore, by adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the driving force of the contact portion 648 can be increased without increasing the urging force of the urging portion 647. The shaft support gear 645 is provided with a vertical wall 645a. The vertical wall 645a serves to prevent the biasing portion 647 from becoming misaligned even at the drive switching position where it is most compressed, and to suppress loss of biasing force.

9(a) and 9(b) are simplified diagrams showing the driving direction of the conveyance roller 32 and the position of the contact portion 648. FIG. 9C is a perspective view of the vicinity of the contact portion 648, including the chassis 44 and the chassis rail 46. FIG.

FIG. 9(a) shows a state in which an image is recorded on a recording medium fed from the first paper feed section 1 or the second paper feed section 2, that is, the recording medium is moved from the paper feed section toward the recording section. This shows a state in which the conveying roller 32 is rotating in a predetermined driving direction (referred to as the forward direction) when feeding. When the conveyance roller 32 rotates counterclockwise, the contact portion 648 also rotates counterclockwise. By providing the notch portion 44a in the chassis 44 and the notch portion 46a in the chassis rail 46, it becomes possible to arrange the contact portion 648 near the belt scanned by the carriage 41. The movement of the contact portion 648 is restricted (held) by a restriction member (not shown) in a state where it is completely retracted from the carriage 41, that is, in a position where it cannot come into contact with the carriage 41. The height of this non-contactable position is preferably below the height of the notch 44a, and preferably below the height of the notch 46a.

As a result, even when the carriage 41 is scanning to record an image on a recording medium, the contact portion 648 and the carriage 41 do not collide. Therefore, the contact portion 648 can be placed within the scanning area of the carriage 41. Further, since the contact portion 648 is frictionally driven by the biasing portion 647, the transport motor 31 will not be locked even when the contact portion 648 is on a contact surface (not shown).

FIG. 9B shows a state in which the driving direction of the transport roller 32 is opposite to that in FIG. (Since it is the opposite direction to the above-mentioned forward direction, it is called a reverse direction). When the conveyance roller 32 rotates clockwise, the contact portion 648 also rotates clockwise. The contact portion 648 is held in a position where it can contact the carriage 41 by contacting the contact surface 46b of the chassis rail 46. In this state, by moving the contact portion 648 along the axial direction with the carriage 41, the driving force transmission switching portion can be moved. In this embodiment, since the abutting portion 648 is in contact with the carriage 41, a structure that is not easily affected by the accuracy of parts, that is, a structure in which the abutting portion 648 is in contact with the chassis rail 46 that slides on the carriage 41 is adopted. However, it may be configured to hit the chassis 44 or other parts. In addition, when moving the contact portion 648 with the carriage 41, in order to suppress the influence of positional deviation (rolling, etc.) of the carriage 41 due to resistance such as the biasing portion 647, the carriage 41 is moved near the belt that scans the carriage 41. It is desirable to provide an abutting position.

<Effects of this embodiment>
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the effects of this embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 10(a) shows an image recording apparatus having a rotatable contact part 648 in this embodiment as a contact part for drive switching, whereas FIG. 10(b) shows , shows an image recording device with a non-rotatable abutment 648' in the prior art.

When recording an image on a recording medium, the carriage 41 needs to scan at a constant speed of a predetermined value or more, so an approach distance of a predetermined value or more must be provided. Furthermore, the recording head must be periodically moved onto the cap 52 and maintenance operations for the recording head must be performed. Therefore, when recording an image, it is necessary to make the length of the scanning area of the carriage 41 in the scanning direction larger than the maximum width of the recordable recording medium. Regarding the conventional contact section 648', if the contact section 648' is placed in a position overlapping the scanning area of the carriage 41 during recording, the carriage 41 and the contact section 648' will come into contact with each other during the recording operation. However, there is a possibility that a drive switching operation may occur. Therefore, it was necessary to arrange the contact portion 648' outside the scanning area of the carriage 41 during recording.

However, in an image recording apparatus having a rotatable contact portion 648 as in this embodiment, the contact portion 648 is prevented from coming into contact with the carriage 41 during image recording, as shown in FIG. 10(a). You can evacuate. Therefore, even if the contact portion 648 is provided within the range of the scanning area of the carriage 41 (within the range of the movement area in which the carriage 41 reciprocates), no problem will occur in the recording operation. Therefore, since the length of the carriage 41 in the scanning direction can be shortened, the image recording apparatus can be downsized, and the convenience of installation for the user is improved.

In addition, in the conventional image recording device, when the planetary gear 633 and the input gear of each drive section are arranged parallel to the axial direction of the drive shaft 635, the width of the image recording device increases as the number of drive sections increases. Become. However, as in this embodiment, by arranging the input gear of the drive section on the locus along which the planetary gear 633 and the planetary arm 634 rotate, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the image recording apparatus. Furthermore, since the degree of freedom in designing the arrangement of the driving section and the like increases, it becomes possible to provide a downsized image recording apparatus.

As explained above, according to the present embodiment, the drive switching operation of selecting and driving one of a plurality of drive means can be performed in a smaller device than the conventional technology, depending on the position of the driving force transmission switching section. This makes it possible to realize stable switching operation without any problems.

[Second embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the urging part 647 drives the contact part 648 by urging the contact part 648 in one direction and generating a frictional force between it and the rotationally driven shaft support 646. Ta. Although a spring is used in the first embodiment as the biasing portion 647 shown in FIG. 7, an elastic member such as rubber having a higher coefficient of friction than a spring may also be used. In order to reduce the reaction force of the biasing part 647 when pushing with the carriage 41 and increase the frictional force, the shaft support gear 645 and the contact part 648 are each in contact with a sponge material such as urethane foam. The surface may be made of a composite material made of rubber material.

[Other embodiments]
Although the above-described embodiment has been described using an image recording device as an example, the idea of the present disclosure can be applied to a device having the above-described drive mechanism.

The present disclosure provides a system or device with a program that implements one or more functions of the embodiments described above via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. This can also be achieved by processing. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[Technical features of the present disclosure]
The present disclosure includes the following configurations.

(Configuration 1) A carriage on which a recording head is mounted and capable of reciprocating in a first direction, a motor that generates a driving force, and a drive shaft rotationally driven by the driving force, the carriage extending in the first direction. a drive shaft, a plurality of drive units driven by the drive force transmitted via the drive shaft, and a switching unit that operates in conjunction with the drive shaft and switches the transmission destination of the drive force among the plurality of drive units. and a contact part that rotates around a pivot support so as to be in a contact position where it comes into contact with the carriage or a non-contact position where it does not come into contact with the carriage, and moves together with the carriage in the contact position, and the switching part The recording apparatus is characterized in that the transmission destination of the driving force is switched by a moving part that moves according to the movement of the contact part.

(Configuration 2) The recording device according to Configuration 1, wherein the switching unit includes a planetary gear and a planetary arm, and the planetary gear is rotated about the drive shaft by the planetary arm. .

(Structure 3) The planetary gear is provided with a support shaft corresponding to each of the plurality of drive parts, and the planetary gear engages with each of the plurality of support shafts, and applies a driving force to the drive part corresponding to the engaged support shaft. The recording device according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the recording device transmits.

(Structure 4) The recording apparatus according to any one of Structures 1 to 3, wherein the switching section further includes a sun gear.

(Structure 5) A shaft hole for inserting the same shaft is formed in each of the planetary gear and the planetary arm, and any one of the plurality of support shafts is inserted into the shaft hole. The recording device according to any one of features 1 to 4.

(Structure 6) The contact portion is attached to the switching portion, and is provided within a movement area of the carriage while the recording head is recording an image in the first direction. 6. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that:

(Configuration 7) Any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the pivot support supports the contact portion, extends in the first direction, and is rotatable by the driving force. The recording device described in .

(Structure 8) When the carriage moves while contacting the contact portion, the contact portion moves in the first direction, and due to the movement of the contact portion, a lock provided on the moving portion 8. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that the portion moves.

(Configuration 9) The locking portion is located at a first locking position connected to one of the plurality of drive portions, or at a first locking position where the locking portion is connected to one of the plurality of drive portions, or another one of the plurality of drive portions that is not the one drive portion. 9. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the recording device is positioned at a second locking position connected to one drive unit.

(Structure 10) The recording apparatus according to any one of Structures 1 to 9, further comprising a biasing section that biases the contact section in one predetermined direction.

(Structure 11) It further includes a conveyance roller that conveys the recording medium along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the conveyance roller conveys the recording medium from the paper feeding section to the recording medium including the recording head. 11. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein when the recording device rotates in the forward direction to send the recording device to the carriage, the contact portion is held at a first position where it cannot come into contact with the carriage. .

(Structure 12) Structures 1 to 11, characterized in that when the conveyance roller rotates in a direction opposite to the forward direction, the contact portion is held at a second position where it can come into contact with the carriage. The recording device according to any one of.

(Structure 13) The carriage further includes a sliding member on which the carriage slides, and the sliding member includes a notch for protruding the abutting portion and holding the abutting portion at the first position. 13. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, further comprising: a regulating member, wherein the height of the first position is less than or equal to the height of the notch.

(Structure 14) The recording apparatus according to any one of Structures 1 to 13, wherein the plurality of drive units are a maintenance unit that performs maintenance and a supply unit that supplies the recording medium.

(Structure 15) The recording apparatus according to any one of Structures 1 to 14, wherein the urging section is made of an elastic member.

M Image recording device 4 Recording section 5 Maintenance section 6 Driving force transmission section 31 Conveyance motor 32 Conveyance roller 37 Conveyance roller output gear 41 Carriage 42 Recording head 44 Chassis 46 Chassis rail 631 Sun gear A
632 Sun Gear B
633 Planetary gear 634 Planetary arm 635 Drive shaft 641 Trigger holder 642 Trigger holder spring 643 Drive shaft gear 644 Drive shaft idler gear 645 Shaft support gear 646 Shaft support 647 Biasing part 648 Contact part

Claims (15)

a carriage on which a recording head is mounted and capable of reciprocating in a first direction;
A motor that generates driving force,
a drive shaft rotationally driven by the driving force, the drive shaft extending in the first direction;
a plurality of drive units driven by the drive force transmitted via the drive shaft;
a switching unit that operates in conjunction with the drive shaft and switches a transmission destination of the driving force among the plurality of drive units;
an abutting part that rotates around a pivot support so as to be in an abutting position in which it abuts the carriage or a non-abutting position in which it does not abut, and moves together with the carriage in the abutting position;
Equipped with
The switching section switches the transmission destination of the driving force using a moving section that moves according to the movement of the contact section.
A recording device characterized by: The switching unit includes a planetary gear and a planetary arm,
The planetary gear rotates about the drive shaft as a central axis by the planetary arm.
The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that: comprising a support shaft corresponding to each of the plurality of drive parts,
The planetary gear engages with each of the plurality of support shafts and transmits a driving force to a drive unit corresponding to the engaged support shaft.
The recording device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The switching unit further includes a sun gear.
The recording device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: A shaft hole for inserting the same shaft is formed in each of the planetary gear and the planetary arm,
Any one of the plurality of support shafts is inserted into the shaft hole,
The recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The contact portion is attached to the switching portion, and is provided within a movement area of the carriage while the recording head records an image in the first direction.
4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is characterized in that: The pivot support supports the contact portion, extends in the first direction, and is rotatable by the driving force.
The recording device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The carriage moves while contacting the contact portion, so that the contact portion moves in the first direction,
Movement of the contact portion causes a locking portion provided in the moving portion to move;
The recording device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The locking part is at a first locking position where it is connected to one of the plurality of drive parts, or with another drive part other than the one drive part among the plurality of drive parts. positioned in a second locking position connected;
The recording device according to claim 8, characterized in that: further comprising a biasing portion that biases the contact portion in one predetermined direction;
4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is characterized in that: further comprising a conveyance roller that conveys the recording medium along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
When the conveyance roller rotates in a forward direction that transports the recording medium from the paper feed section to the recording section including the recording head, the contact section is held at a first position where it cannot come into contact with the carriage. ,
11. The recording device according to claim 10. When the conveyance roller rotates in a direction opposite to the forward direction, the contact portion is held at a second position where it can come into contact with the carriage.
12. The recording device according to claim 11. further comprising a sliding member on which the carriage slides;
The sliding member has a notch portion through which the abutting portion protrudes, and a regulating member that holds the abutting portion at the first position,
The height of the first position is less than or equal to the height of the notch,
13. The recording device according to claim 12. The plurality of drive units include a maintenance unit that performs maintenance and a supply unit that supplies the recording medium.
12. The recording device according to claim 11. The biasing section is made of an elastic member.
11. The recording device according to claim 10.

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