JP3818358B2 - Recording material edge guide, sheet feeder provided with the recording material edge guide, and recording apparatus provided with the sheet feeder - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sheet feeder that feeds a recording material used in a recording apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, and a copying machine, and is positioned at a side edge of the recording material and guides the recording material to an appropriate feeding path. The present invention relates to a paper edge guide. The present invention also relates to a sheet feeder including the sheet edge guide and a recording apparatus including the sheet feeder.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There is a printer as one of recording apparatuses, and a sheet feeder is used in which printing sheets are stacked and the uppermost one is sequentially fed by a sheet feeding roller. The sheet feeder includes a paper feed roller that feeds the printing paper, a paper hopper that presses the back of the lowermost printing paper to press the uppermost printing paper against the paper feeding roller, and a paper that faces the paper feeding roller. A plurality of stacked printing sheets are provided with separation pads, and only the uppermost printing sheet is surely separated and fed by these cooperative actions, and is conveyed one by one to a conveyance roller disposed immediately in front of the recording head. Sent to. Then, the printing paper sent to the transport roller is sent to the recording head unit side at a constant pitch by the rotation of the transport roller, and printing is performed.
[0003]
Also, such a sheet feeder is provided with a paper edge guide that aligns the side edges of the stacked printing paper and defines the feeding position of the recording head in the main scanning direction. This paper edge guide aligns the side edges of a plurality of printing papers when setting the printing paper, defines the feeding position, and feeds the printing paper so that it does not feed in an obliquely inclined position during feeding operation. It regulates the feeding posture of the printed paper, and plays the role of feeding the printing paper in a posture that is exactly perpendicular to the paper feed roller axis. This is because if the printing paper is fed obliquely, that is, in a so-called skewed state, it causes a printing defect that is obliquely printed on the printing paper in a subsequent printing operation. Accordingly, the position of the paper edge guide is configured to be displaceable in accordance with the width of the printing paper to be set so as to reliably guide both side edges of the printing paper.
[0004]
On the other hand, as described above, since the paper edge guide needs to reliably guide the side edge of the printing paper, if the position of the paper edge guide can be displaced according to the width of the printing paper, the side edge of the printing paper is It is desirable to prevent the sheet edge guide from being easily displaced by pushing the guide surface of the sheet edge guide, that is, after the sheet edge guide is fixed at the optimum guide position, it is not easily displaced from the fixed position.
[0005]
Conventionally, as a fixing means for a paper edge guide having such a function, a saw blade-like unevenness is provided on a back guide (a guide member that supports printing paper from the back) on which the paper edge guide slides, while the paper edge guide side And a fixing means using a so-called latch mechanism that can be fixed at an arbitrary fitting position in the sliding direction of the paper edge guide, or A4 paper, postcard size, etc. For example, a fitting hole or the like is provided only in a portion where the side edge of the assumed standard paper is to be positioned, and a convex portion that fits into the fitting hole is provided on the paper edge guide side to fix the same.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, with such a fixing means, the fixing position of the paper edge guide cannot be fixed at the optimum position. That is, the fixing means in which the fixing position is set in accordance with the preliminarily assumed standard paper size as described above cannot cope with a special size paper other than the preset standard paper. Further, in the fixing means using the latch mechanism, the fixing position can be displaced only for each saw blade-shaped recess provided on the base surface, so the most appropriate fixing position is the saw blade-shaped recess. In the case where it exists between the recesses, it was not possible to cope with this, and fine adjustment could not be performed. Further, in the latch mechanism, when the fixed position is displaced, an unpleasant mechanism sound in which the concave portion and the convex portion collide is also generated.
[0007]
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and the problem is that the displacement position can be adjusted steplessly in order to reliably and optimally guide the printing paper side edge at the optimum position. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper edge guide that can be securely fixed in position.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the recording material edge guide of the sheet feeder according to claim 1 of the present invention is configured such that the recording material side end of the sheet feeder that feeds the recording material is adjusted in accordance with the width of the recording material. A recording material edge guide that can be displaced by sliding a guide position for guiding by sliding on a back guide that supports the recording material from the back, and has fixing means for fixing the guide position, A friction member that presses against the back guide and generates a frictional resistance force with the back guide; and a biasing means that presses the friction member toward the back guide, and the biasing means Is disposed integrally with the main body of the recording material edge guide by a resin material, and is further mounted on a surface facing the back guide. One of the friction members is elastically deformed by being pinched with the back surface guide, and includes a plate-like body that presses the friction member toward the back surface guide by elastic force due to the elastic deformation, and the fixing means includes: It is disposed in an opening formed in a guide surface that guides the recording material side end, and is parallel to the sliding direction of the recording material edge guide and perpendicular to the sliding surface of the recording material edge guide. A lever portion formed integrally with the main body of the recording material edge guide by a resin material so as to form a substantially L shape together with the plate-like body in a sectional view when the recording material edge guide is cut, The frictional resistance is reduced by pushing down the lever, and the recording material edge guide is slidable, and the fixing means is arranged inside the opening. A second member, which is provided between the main body of the recording material edge guide and the lever part, complements the pressing force with which the plate-like body presses the friction member by pressing the lever part toward the back guide. The elastic body is further provided.
[0009]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the friction resistance between the friction member and the back guide is different from the fixing means that uses a mechanism or structure that predefines the fixing position of the recording material edge guide. Since the recording material edge guide is fixed by force, as a result, the recording material edge guide is slid on the back guide to determine the optimal guide position, and then can be fixed as it is at the optimal position. Even after fixing, the fixing position can be slightly displaced. Therefore, the recording material edge guide can be fixed at the optimum position according to the size of the recording material and the desired feeding position, so that the recording material side edge guide effect by the recording material edge guide can be obtained. It can be obtained reliably and effectively. Furthermore, since the fixing means is not a mechanical fixing means such as a latch mechanism, an unpleasant mechanism sound is not generated when the recording material edge guide is displaced or fixed.
Further, since the urging means for urging the friction member is constituted by elastic force due to elastic deformation of the plate-like body formed integrally with the recording material edge guide, the urging means for urging the friction member Therefore, the urging means can be configured easily and inexpensively.
In addition to the plate-like body that presses the friction member by the elastic force due to elastic deformation, the second elastic body that presses the friction member toward the back guide is further provided, so that the pressing force by the plate-like body is complemented. As a result, the frictional resistance between the friction member and the back guide is increased, and the recording material edge guide can be more securely fixed at the fixed position.
[0010]
The sheet edge guide of the sheet feeder according to claim 2 of the present application is the sheet feeder according to claim 1, wherein the urging means is provided so as to be able to release a pressing force that presses the friction member when the sheet edge guide is displaced on the back guide. It is characterized by that.
[0011]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the paper edge guide is displaced according to the size of the recording material, the pressing state of the friction member for fixing the paper edge guide can be released. As a result, the frictional resistance between the friction member and the back guide is reduced, so that the paper edge guide can be securely fixed when it is fixed and can be easily displaced when it is displaced.
[0016]
The recording material edge guide of the sheet feeder according to claim 3 of the present invention is the recording material edge guide according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the friction member is set when the set recording material side end presses the guide surface of the recording material edge guide. The recording material edge guide is disposed in a region where the recording medium edge guide is pressed against the back surface guide by a moment effect generated by the pressing.
[0017]
A plurality of recording materials set on the sheet feeder and aligned at the side edges by the paper edge guide are fed while being held by the paper edge guide while being fed by the paper edge guide. In some cases, the sheet is fed obliquely, and the recording material side end may press the sheet edge guide. In other words, the paper edge guide may be given a force to move from a fixed position by the recording material.
[0018]
On the other hand, the point of action of the pressing force at which the recording material side edge presses the guide surface of the paper edge guide is inevitably separated from the sliding surface between the back guide and the paper edge guide, and the pressing force is slid. Oriented parallel to the surface. Accordingly, a moment force is generated by applying a pressing force to the action point, and a part thereof appears as a force in a direction in which the paper edge guide presses the back guide on the sliding surface.
[0019]
According to the invention described in claim 3 of the present application, the recording material edge guide presses the back guide by the moment action generated when the recording material side end presses the guide surface of the recording material edge guide. Since the friction member is disposed in the area where the direction force acts, even if the recording material side end presses the guide surface of the recording material edge guide and the moving direction force is applied, the moving direction force is further increased. The friction material is pressed, that is, it changes to the frictional resistance force to fix the recording material edge guide, so the recording material edge guide does not move from the fixed position, and the recording material edge guide is optimized more reliably. It is possible to retain the fixed position.
[0020]
A sheet feeder according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes the recording material edge guide according to any one of the first to third aspects. According to the invention described in claim 4 of the present application, in the sheet feeder, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the present application.
[0021]
A recording apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a recording apparatus including a recording head for recording on a recording material, and includes the sheet feeder according to the fourth aspect. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the same effect as that of the fourth aspect of the invention can be obtained in the recording apparatus.
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an outline of an ink jet printer as an “inkjet recording apparatus” according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the ink jet printer 100 according to the present embodiment with the upper cover removed.
[0023]
An ink-jet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as “printer”) 100 includes a sheet feeder 1 that accumulates a plurality of printing sheets (sheet paper, hereinafter referred to as “paper P”) as “recording material”. 100 on the back of the main body. The sheet feeder 1 includes a sheet receiver 6 that supports the stacked sheets P from the back, a movable edge guide 20 that can slide on the back guide 4 and can be fixed at an arbitrary position, and a fixed edge guide 5. The sheet P is fed while being guided by the movable side edge guide 20 and the fixed side edge guide 5 by displacing the fixed position of the movable side edge guide 20 on the back guide 4 according to the width of the sheet P. . In the printer 100, the back guide 4 and the fixed-side edge guide 5 are formed integrally with the main body cover 13 constituting the printer 100 (for example, injection molding using ABS resin).
[0024]
The paper P is fed to a transport roller 2 located in the middle of the main body by a paper feed roller (not shown) provided in the sheet feeder 1, and the paper P fed to the transport roller 2 is fed to the transport roller 2. While being pinched between the transport driven roller 3 that is driven and rotated according to the rotation, the transport roller 2 is transported in the sub-scanning direction at a constant pitch to the platen 10 positioned below the carriage 7.
[0025]
The carriage 7 is guided by a guide shaft 8 installed on a frame 11 serving as a base body of the printer 100 main body and reciprocates in the main scanning direction. An ink cartridge 9 is detachably attached to the carriage 7, and ink in the ink cartridge 9 is sent to a recording head (not shown) provided at the lower part of the carriage 7. The recording head discharges ink from a nozzle row (not shown) formed on the surface facing the platen 10 onto the conveyed paper P, whereby printing is performed. The printed paper P is discharged from the recording head toward the front side through an opening 14 provided in the cover 13 of the main body of the printer 100 by a paper discharge roller (not shown) positioned below the paper discharge frame 12. .
[0026]
Next, the sheet edge guide of the sheet feeder according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 is a perspective view of the movable side edge guide 20 (hereinafter referred to as “guide 20”), FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow x in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the guide 20 viewed from the back. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the guide 20 in FIG. 2 cut at the zz position.
[0027]
First, the structure of the guide 20 will be described in detail. 2 and 3, the guide 20 is mounted on the back guide 4 formed integrally with the main body cover 13 (see FIG. 1) constituting the printer 100. The guide 20 is provided with a grip portion 22a for gripping the upper portion of the back guide 4 and a claw portion 22b for engaging with the lower portion of the back guide 4. The guide 20 is attached to the back cover 4 by attaching the grip portion 22a to the back surface. After hooking on the cover 4, the guide 20 is pressed toward the back cover 4 to engage the claw portion 22 b with the lower portion of the back cover 4.
[0028]
The sliding surface 4a is not provided with any positioning irregularities for the guide 20, and the guide 20 looks like the gripping part 22a and the claw part 22b hold the back guide 4, and is shown in FIG. It can be smoothly displaced steplessly in the direction of the arrow. A plurality of sheets P are set from above in FIG. 2, the guide 20 is displaced in accordance with the side edges thereof, and the sheet end guide surface 23 of the guide 20 abuts against the side edges of the sheet P. At this time, as described above, the fixed-side edge guide 5 is provided at the end opposite to the side edge of the paper P against which the guide 20 is abutted, and both side edges of the paper P stacked by these two guides. Are aligned.
[0029]
The sheet end guide surface 23 is provided with an opening, and a lever portion 24 is formed in the opening. The lever portion 24 is formed integrally with the main body of the guide 20 by resin molding, and has a substantially L shape in side view (see FIG. 5). The guide 20 is formed with notched grooves 26 and 26 extending in the sliding direction, whereby an “urging means” and an elastically deforming portion 29 as a “plate-like body” facing the sliding surface 4 a are formed. Accordingly, the elastic deformation portion 29 is elastically deformed, whereby the lever portion 24 can be displaced (tilted) in a direction orthogonal to the sliding surface 4a.
[0030]
4 and 5, the friction member 21 is attached to the surface of the lever portion 24 that faces the sliding surface 4a. Since the friction member 21 is formed with a thickness larger than the clearance between the sliding surface 4a and the lower surface of the lever portion 24 generated when the guide 20 is mounted on the back guide 4, the elastic deformation portion 29 is elastically deformed thereby. The friction member 21 is pressed against the sliding surface 4a, that is, pressed toward the back guide 4. The friction member 21 generates frictional resistance with the sliding surface 4a, and any material can be used as long as the frictional resistance necessary to fix the guide 20 on the back cover 4 can be obtained. (For example, rubber, sponge, elastomer, foamed foam, cork, etc.).
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 4, a ridge 28 for reducing the contact area with the sliding surface 4a is formed on the surface of the guide 20 that faces the sliding surface 4a. The sliding frictional resistance with the sliding surface 4a when displaced from the fixed position is reduced.
[0032]
A coil spring 25 as a “second elastic body” is further installed between the lever portion 24 and the guide 20 main body. The coil spring 25 is attached by fitting it into a convex portion 27b formed on the lever portion and a convex portion 27a formed on the guide 20 main body side. The coil spring 25 supplements the elastic force due to the elastic deformation of the elastic deformation portion 29 to further increase the pressing force of the friction member 21 toward the sliding surface 4a, and thereby the frictional resistance between the friction member 21 and the sliding surface 4a. The force is increased and the guide 20 is fixed more reliably. In the present embodiment, the coil spring is used as the second elastic body. However, any elastic body and installation form may be used as long as a pressing force is applied to the friction member 21.
[0033]
Next, an operation method and effects of the guide 20 will be described with reference to FIG. Since the friction member 21 is pressed toward the sliding surface 4a by the elastic deformation portion 29 and the coil spring 25 in the fixed state, the guide 20 and the friction member 21 are not affected even if a force for sliding the guide 20 is applied. It is difficult to slide and displace on the back guide by the frictional resistance with the sliding surface 4a. However, since the lever portion 24 can tilt with respect to the sliding surface 4a as described above, the upper portion 24a of the lever portion 24 is pushed down to the right side in FIG. 5 (by further elastically deforming the elastic deformation portion 29), The pressing force applied to the friction member 21 by the elastic deformation portion 29 and the coil spring 25 is released, whereby the frictional resistance force between the friction member 21 and the sliding surface 4a is reduced, and the guide 20 can be slid and displaced. It becomes possible.
[0034]
As described above, when the paper P is set, the paper P is dropped with the guide 20 retracted with a sufficient margin than the width of the paper P, and the side edge of the paper P is abutted against the fixed edge guide 5 (see FIG. 1). After that, the upper part 24a of the lever part 24 is picked and the guide 20 is slid and displaced, and the hand is released from the upper part 24a of the lever part 24 in a state where the paper end guide surface 23 is abutted against the other side edge of the paper P. . As a result, the elastic deformation portion 29 and the coil spring 25 are in a state of pressing the friction member 21, and the guide 20 is fixed at an optimal guide position for guiding the sheet P side end. When the paper P is set, the paper P may be dropped in a state in which the guide 20 is displaced in advance according to the width of the paper P and fixed at a desired guide position.
[0035]
On the other hand, when the paper P is fed, the paper P may be eaten in a posture inclined with respect to the paper feed roller. In this case, the sheet P end exerts a force F _p that presses the paper edge guide surface 23 on the outside by a feeding operation. The pressing force F _p is namely a force for moving the guide 20, even if the pressing force F _p is when a large become the to frictional resistance guide 20 against the movement of the friction member 21 and the sliding surface 4a In other words, the next and subsequent sheets P are not reliably guided by the guide 20.
[0036]
Here, the friction member 21 is disposed in a region outside the paper P from the paper end guide surface 23. Further, when the pressing force F _p by the sheet P side edge acts, because apart from the acting point of the pressing force F _p and the sliding surface 4a, the pressing force F _p generates a as shown moment force M. This moment force M appears as a force F _m that presses the lever 24 against the sliding surface 4 a via the elastic deformation portion 29. Therefore, it acts pressing force F _m is the friction member 21 attached to the lower surface of the lever 24. Thus movement, even paper P by applying a pressing force F _p on the paper edge guide surface 23, it becomes possible to press the pressing force F _p is even more by friction moment force M member 21, the guide 20 from the locked position Therefore, the guide 20 can be more securely fixed at a desired position.
[0037]
Needless to say, the location of the friction member 21, the method of applying the pressing force to the friction member 21, the structure, and the like can be changed as appropriate in order to obtain the effects of the present invention.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the paper edge guide is fixed by the frictional resistance between the friction member and the back guide without providing a mechanism or structure that predetermines the fixing position of the paper edge guide. As a result, the sheet can be fixed at the optimum position, and the paper edge guide effect can be obtained reliably and effectively. Further, since the fixing means is not a mechanical fixing means such as a latch mechanism, an unpleasant mechanism sound is not generated when the paper edge guide is displaced or fixed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ink jet printer according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a paper edge guide according to the present invention.
3 is a plan view of the paper edge guide according to the present invention (a view taken along the line xx in FIG. 2).
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a paper edge guide according to the present invention as viewed from the back.
5 is a zz cross-sectional view in FIG. 2. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
4 Back guide 4a Sliding surface 20 Movable side edge guide 21 Friction member 23 Paper end guide surface 24 Lever portion 25 Coil spring 26 Notch groove 27 Protruding portion 29 Elastic deformation portion

Claims (5)

In the sheet feeder that feeds the recording material, the guide position that guides the recording material side edge according to the width of the recording material can be displaced by sliding on the back guide that supports the recording material from the back. Recording material edge guide,
A fixing means for fixing the guide position;
The fixing means is a friction member that presses against the back guide and generates a frictional resistance with the back guide;
Biasing means for pressing the friction member toward the back guide,
The urging means is disposed to face the back guide and is formed integrally with the main body of the recording material edge guide by a resin material, and the friction member is attached to a face facing the back guide. And a plate-like body that is elastically deformed by sandwiching the friction member with the back surface guide and presses the friction member toward the back surface guide by an elastic force due to the elastic deformation,
The fixing means is disposed in an opening formed in a guide surface that guides the recording material side end, and is parallel to the sliding direction of the recording material edge guide and orthogonal to the sliding surface of the recording material edge guide. A lever formed integrally with the body of the recording material edge guide by a resin material so as to form a substantially L shape together with the plate-like body in a cross-sectional view when the recording material edge guide is cut on the surface to be cut The friction resistance is reduced by pushing down the lever portion, and the recording material edge guide is configured to be slidable,
The fixing means is provided between the main body of the recording material edge guide and the lever portion inside the opening, and the plate-like body is formed by pressing the lever portion toward the back guide. A second elastic body supplementing a pressing force for pressing the friction member;
A recording material edge guide for a sheet feeder. 2. The biasing means according to claim 1, wherein the biasing means is provided so as to be able to release a pressing force that presses the friction member when the recording material edge guide is displaced on the back guide.
A recording material edge guide for a sheet feeder. 3. The friction member according to claim 1, wherein when the set recording material side end presses the guide surface of the recording material edge guide, the recording material edge guide is moved by the moment generated by the pressing. Arranged in the area to press the back guide,
A recording material edge guide for a sheet feeder.   A sheet feeder comprising the recording material edge guide according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   A recording apparatus comprising a recording head for recording on a recording material, comprising the sheet feeder according to claim 4.

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