JP4089643B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image recording apparatus such as a printer, a copier, or a facsimile, a stacking unit for stacking a recording medium such as paper or an OHP sheet and an image recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium are stacked one above the other. There is known a configuration in which the stacking unit and the image recording unit are connected by a U-turn conveyance path and the recording medium is conveyed from the stacking unit to the image recording unit via the conveyance path. For example, see Patent Document 1). The U-turn-shaped conveyance path includes, for example, a pair of curved guide members that position the recording medium from both sides in the thickness direction, and is driven to rotate while sandwiching the recording medium in the middle. A conveying means such as a pinch roller for conveying the recording medium is arranged. Further, a conveying means such as a supply roller for sending the recording medium into the conveying path is provided on the stacking portion side, and another conveying means such as a registration roller for drawing the recording medium from the conveying path side is also provided on the image recording means side. It has been.
JP 2002-321838 A

In the above-described conventional image recording apparatus, the recording medium is always conveyed in a constant posture (bending condition) on the U-turn conveyance path. In such an image recording apparatus, in order to simplify the configuration, if a conveyance unit such as a pinch roller in the middle of the conveyance path is omitted, another conveyance unit in which the recording medium is provided outside the conveyance path When the recording medium is subjected to a pulling force, the recording medium is forcibly pulled and a large load is applied to the conveying means, and the recording medium may not be smoothly conveyed.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of smoothly conveying a recording medium and simplifying the configuration. .

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus comprising: a bottom plate capable of stacking and holding sheet-like recording media; and a guide plate provided at one end of the bottom plate and guiding the leading end side of the recording medium upward. An image recording apparatus comprising image recording means for recording an image on a recording medium transported in a predetermined transport direction from a recording medium stacking unit having the image recording means and the target An outer arc guide that connects the recording medium stacking unit in a U-turn shape and guides the recording medium from the downstream end in the transport direction of the recording medium stacking unit to the recording medium insertion port of the image recording unit And an inner arcuate guide disposed between the outer arcuate guide and a free passage which is disposed at a distance from the outer arcuate guide and guides the recording medium while allowing displacement in the thickness direction thereof. When the guide plate includes a central portion in the width direction is curved so as to bulge in front of the other, a separating member attached overlaps the bulging end, to the recording medium stacking unit A supply means for separating one recording medium from the loaded recording medium in cooperation with the separation member and feeding the recording medium to the free passage, and a surface of the outer arc guide facing the inner arc guide Are provided with a plurality of ribs extending in the width direction at predetermined intervals in the transport direction of the recording medium, and the central portion in the width direction is located near the upstream end of the surface. By being curved and projecting toward the free passage side, the rib on the center side in the width direction among the plurality of ribs has a feature that the projecting dimension to the free passage is larger than other ribs. .

  The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, the outer arc guide is detachably attached from the outside of the housing of the image recording apparatus.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the guide projection according to the second aspect, wherein the casing is engaged with a guide groove formed in the outer arcuate guide and guides the outer arcuate guide to a normal mounting position. It is characterized in that is provided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium according to the second or third aspect, a conveyance roller is provided at a recording medium insertion port of the image recording means, and the outer arc guide is fitted to a rotation shaft of the conveyance roller. It is characterized in that a positioning engagement portion is provided.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the one according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the outer arc-shaped guide has a grip portion when the outer arc-shaped guide is attached and detached and a state where the outer arc-shaped guide is attached to a normal position. In a direction to release the engagement of the lock portion with the locked portion by picking at the same time as the lock portion elastically engageable with the locked portion provided in the housing It is characterized in that a release operation unit for displacement is provided.

  The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 5, the outer surface side end portion of the outer arc-shaped guide is provided at a position substantially coincident with one side surface of the housing. Have

The invention according to claim 7 is the one according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the outer arc-shaped guide is made of a synthetic resin material, and a central portion in a width direction on a surface facing the inner arc-shaped guide, It is characterized in that there is provided a resistance reducing portion made of a synthetic resin material whose frictional resistance to the recording medium is smaller than that of the synthetic resin material constituting the other part.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the inner arcuate guide is provided with a rotatable supply auxiliary roller at an upstream end portion in a conveyance direction of the recording medium. It has the characteristics in the place.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, a supply auxiliary roller that is rotatable is provided on both sides in the width direction of the separating member.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium conveyed in a predetermined conveying direction from a recording medium stacking section capable of stacking and holding sheet-like recording media. An image recording apparatus comprising: the image recording means and the recording medium stacking unit, which are arranged in the vertical direction, connected in a U-turn shape, and downstream of the recording medium stacking unit in the transport direction An outer arc guide for guiding the recording medium from the end portion to the recording medium insertion port of the image recording means, and an outer arc-shaped guide arranged at a distance from the outer arc guide, and the recording medium is displaced in the thickness direction. One free recording medium is separated from the recording medium loaded on the recording medium stacking section by the inner arcuate guide that constitutes a free passage that guides between the outer arcuate guide and the free path. Supply means for feeding out to the path, the outer arc guide is detachably attached from the outside of the housing of the image recording apparatus, and a conveying roller is provided at the recording medium insertion port of the image recording means The outer arcuate guide is provided with a positioning engagement portion that is fitted to the rotation shaft of the transport roller.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus comprising: an image recording unit configured to record an image on a recording medium conveyed in a predetermined conveying direction from a recording medium stacking unit capable of stacking and holding sheet-like recording media. An image recording apparatus comprising: the image recording means and the recording medium stacking unit, which are arranged in the vertical direction, connected in a U-turn shape, and downstream of the recording medium stacking unit in the transport direction An outer arc guide for guiding the recording medium from the end portion to the recording medium insertion port of the image recording means, and an outer arc-shaped guide arranged at a distance from the outer arc guide, and the recording medium is displaced in the thickness direction. One free recording medium is separated from the recording medium loaded on the recording medium stacking section by the inner arcuate guide that constitutes a free passage that guides between the outer arcuate guide and the free path. And the outer arc guide is detachably attached from the outside of the housing of the image recording apparatus, and the outer arc guide is gripped when the outer arc guide is attached / detached. A lock portion that can be elastically engaged with a locked portion provided in the housing in a state where the outer arc-shaped guide is attached at a regular position, and the lock portion by simultaneously pinching the grip portion And a release operation part for displacing in the direction of releasing the engagement with the locked part.

<Invention of Claim 1>
Since a free path that allows displacement in the thickness direction of the recording medium is provided between the outer arc-shaped guide and the inner arc-shaped guide, there is a degree of freedom in the posture of the recording medium to be conveyed, and a pinch roller or the like is not used. However, smooth conveyance becomes possible. Therefore, the structure of the apparatus is simplified, and the size and cost can be reduced.
Further, by providing a plurality of ribs on the outer arc-shaped guide, the frictional resistance against the recording medium is reduced, and the recording medium can be smoothly conveyed.
Further, among the plurality of ribs, the central rib mainly contacts the recording medium and guides the recording medium, and the end-side rib does not contact the recording medium so much, so that the recording medium is smoothly conveyed. be able to.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the outer arc-shaped guide is detachable from the outside of the housing of the image recording apparatus, the jam processing can be easily performed.

<Invention of Claim 3>
When installing the outer arc guide, the guide projection provided on the housing of the image recording apparatus can be engaged with the guide groove of the outer arc guide to guide the outer arc guide to the proper mounting position. Can be performed smoothly.

<Invention of Claims 4 and 10 >
By directly fitting the positioning engagement portion of the outer arc guide to the rotation shaft of the transport roller of the recording medium insertion port, the positioning accuracy of the outer arc guide with respect to the transport roller can be improved. Therefore, the leading end of the recording medium is accurately guided to the recording medium insertion port.

<Invention of Claims 5 and 11 >
By picking the release operation portion at the same time as the grip portion, the engagement release operation of the lock portion and the attachment and detachment of the outer arc guide can be performed at the same time.

<Invention of Claim 6>
Since the outer surface side end portion of the outer arc-shaped guide is at a position that substantially coincides with one side surface of the casing, the turn position on the recording medium conveyance path is close to one side surface of the casing, and thus the casing is reduced in size. be able to.

<Invention of Claim 7 >
If the entire outer arc guide is formed of a resin having a low frictional resistance against the recording medium, the molding accuracy may be difficult and the cost may increase. However, by using a resin having a low contact resistance in the central portion where the contact pressure of the recording medium is particularly high, it is possible to avoid a reduction in molding accuracy and a high cost while reducing the frictional resistance against the recording medium.

<Invention of Claim 8 >
Since the rotatable auxiliary supply roller is provided at the upstream end of the inner arc guide in the conveying direction of the recording medium, the recording medium is smoothly conveyed without being caught by the end.

<Invention of Claim 9 >
Since the auxiliary supply rollers are provided on both sides of the separation member, the recording medium separated by the separation member is brought into contact with the supply auxiliary roller and smoothly conveyed.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image recording apparatus 1. In the following description, the vertical direction is based on FIG. 2, and the left side of FIG.

  The image recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a multifunction machine having a facsimile function, a printer function, a copying function, a scanner function, and the like. The image recording apparatus 1 includes a substantially box-shaped casing 2 (corresponding to the “casing” of the present invention) as a whole. It has a large square shape. The casing 2 is divided into a substantially box-shaped device main body 3 and a cover body 4 covered on the upper surface thereof. The cover body 4 can be opened and closed with respect to the apparatus main body 3 and includes a reading unit 5 and an operation panel 6 for reading an image.

  The apparatus body 3 is provided with an opening 8 opened forward in the center in the width direction, and a lower portion of the opening 8 is loaded with a sheet-like recording medium (not shown) such as a sheet or an OHP sheet. The tray storage unit 10 can store the supply tray 9 (corresponding to the “recording medium stacking unit” of the present invention). On the back side (rear side) of the opening 8, an image recording unit 11 that forms an image on a recording medium is disposed above the tray storage unit 10. Further, an outer arc-shaped guide 13 and an inner arc-shaped guide 14 are provided on the back side of the image recording means 11, and between the arc-shaped guides 13 and 14, the leading end of the supply tray 9 in the tray storage unit 10 and the image recording means. A U-turn-shaped free passage 15 connecting the rear end side of 11 is formed. A supply unit 16 is provided between the image recording unit 11 and the supply tray 9 to supply the recording medium on the supply tray 9 to the image recording unit 11 side. In the image recording apparatus 1, as shown by arrows in FIG. 2, the recording medium loaded on the supply tray 9 is sent to the free path 15 by the supply means 16, passes through the free path 15 and is recorded by the image recording means. 11, after a predetermined image is recorded by the image recording means 11, it is discharged onto the upper surface of the front portion of the supply tray 9. The apparatus main body 3 is also provided with drive means (not shown) for driving the supply means 16 and the like, a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the operation of each part, and the like.

Next, the configuration of each unit will be described in detail.
First, the supply tray 9 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 is a plan view of the supply tray 9, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the supply means 16 provided on the supply tray 9 and the apparatus main body 3 side. The supply tray 9 is detachable from the apparatus main body 3 by being pulled out forward from the tray storage unit 10 described above, and is again inserted into the tray storage unit 10 from the detached state in the apparatus main body 3 again. It can be stored inside. The supply tray 9 is provided with a rectangular bottom plate 18 and has a thin plate shape with a size as viewed from above, which is generally A4 size. The bottom plate 18 is configured such that a recording medium can be stacked on the upper surface thereof. The upper half of the upper surface of the bottom plate 18 is a rear loading surface 19A, and the substantially first half region is a front loading surface 19B. Both the stacking surfaces 19A and 19B are inclined so that the rear side, that is, the downstream side in the recording medium supply direction is lower, and the front stacking surface 19B has an inclination angle larger than that of the rear stacking surface 19A. (See FIG. 2).

  On the rear loading surface 19A, a pair of side end guides 20R and 20L are provided on the left and right sides with a space therebetween. Each side end guide 20R, 20L includes a bottom wall portion 21 that extends along the rear loading surface 19A and extends from a position slightly ahead of the rear end of the rear loading surface 19A to the vicinity of the front end of the rear loading surface 19A. ing. From the end of each bottom wall portion 21 on the outer side in the width direction of the bottom plate 18, a guide wall 22 having the same length as the bottom wall portion 21 and along the front-rear direction (that is, the recording medium supply direction) stands vertically. It is installed. Further, a linear guide bar 23 extends from the bottom surface of each bottom wall portion 21 toward the other side end guides 20R and 20L. Both linear guide bars 23 are arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction at a predetermined interval, and are fitted in groove portions 24 provided on the bottom plate 18 along the left-right direction. The side end guides 20R and 20L slide the linear guide bar 23 along the groove 24 while sliding the bottom wall portion 21 to the rear stacking surface 19A, and thus the left and right direction guides (that is, the recording medium supply direction). It is possible to displace in a direction orthogonal to In addition, rack gears 25 are formed on the linear guide bars 23 at opposing portions, and each rack gear 25 meshes with a pinion gear 26 that is rotatably provided at the center position in the width direction of the bottom plate 18. . In this way, the side end guides 20R and 20L are connected to each other via the rack gear 25 and the pinion gear 26, so that the distance from the both guide walls 22 to the center in the width direction of the bottom plate 18 is always equal. They are linked to each other. When the side end guides 20R and 20L are expanded to the maximum width (the state shown in FIG. 3), the distance between the two guide walls 22 is substantially equal to the short dimension (width dimension) of the A4 size.

Further, overhanging portions 28 are provided so as to extend above the bottom wall portion 21 from the upper end portions near the front end of the guide wall 22 in the side end portion guides 20R and 20L. A stopper 29 is erected substantially vertically at the rear end of each overhanging portion 28. These stoppers 29 are located below a discharge roller 99 described later, and restrict the discharged recording medium from moving from the overhanging portion 28 to the rear. Further, a position adjusting unit 30 for positioning the side end guides 20R and 20L at a desired position is provided at the front of the right side end guide 20R. The position adjusting unit 30 has an elastic piece 30A having a U-shaped cross section along each surface of the bottom wall portion 21, the guide wall 22, and the overhang portion 28, and does not apply an external force to the elastic piece 30A. In the state, the locking protrusion (not shown) provided on the lower surface of the elastic piece 30A is locked to the uneven displacement preventing portion 30B provided along the left-right direction on the rear loading surface 19A. The side end guides 20R and 20L are positioned. Further, by pinching the operating portion 30C provided at the upper end of the elastic piece 30A, the elastic piece 30A is bent and deformed, and the engagement between the above-described locking projection and the stopper portion 30B is released, and both side end guides 20R. , 20L can be displaced in the left-right direction.
A pair of front and rear positioning ribs 31 are provided at the center of the rear loading surface 19A in the width direction. The positioning ribs 31 are placed in a standing state so that the rear loading surface 19A A recording medium having a postcard size, L size, or the like can be positioned between a guide plate 43 (described later) provided at the end.

  Fixed side wall portions 32 are erected vertically in the front-rear direction at both side end positions of the region corresponding to the front loading surface 19B on the bottom plate 18. These fixed side wall portions 32 are disposed so as to be substantially flush with the respective guide walls 22 when the side end guides 20R and 20L are expanded to the maximum width. Further, a cover portion 33 capable of covering the recording medium loaded on the bottom plate 18 from above is extended at the upper end portions of the fixed side wall portions 32 so as to straddle between the fixed side wall portions 32. . The cover portion 33 is attached by fitting fitting edges 34 provided at both end portions to the upper end portions of the fixed side wall portions 32 from above, and is attachable to and detachable from both the fixed side wall portions 32. It is said that. Further, the cover portion 33 is inclined rearward and downward so as to be substantially parallel to the front loading surface 19B as a whole. A raised portion 35 is provided on the upper surface of the cover portion 33 along the rear edge thereof, and the front ends of the overhang portions 28 of the side end guides 20R and 20L described above are substantially the same as the height of the raised portion. It is in the height position. Further, the cover portion 33 is formed with a notch portion 36 that opens forward at the center in the width direction.

  The front loading surface 19B of the bottom plate 18 has a rectangular support member accommodation hole 38 opened forward in the center in the width direction. The support member accommodation hole 38 has a rectangular plate-like shape in plan view. An auxiliary support member 39 is attached. The auxiliary support member 39 is displaceable in the front-rear direction. When the auxiliary support member 39 is not used, the auxiliary support member 39 is entirely accommodated in the support member accommodation hole 38 as shown by a solid line in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the support member storage hole 38 is drawn forward by a predetermined length. In addition, finger support holes 40 that are elongated in the left and right directions are provided in the front portion of the auxiliary support member 39, and a second finger support is provided on the bottom surface of the support member storage hole 38 at a position corresponding to the finger support hole 40. A hole 41 is provided.

  A guide plate 43 is attached to the rear end portion of the bottom plate 18 over its entire width. The front surface of the guide plate 43 is inclined upward, and when a later-described supply unit 16 pushes a plurality of recording media stacked on the bottom plate 18 to the guide plate 43 side, one of the recording media is separated. In addition, the leading end of the recording medium is guided upward. The guide plate 43 is slightly curved so that the central portion in the width direction (left-right direction) bulges forward, and a metal separation member 44 is attached so as to overlap the bulging end of the central portion. ing. The separating member 44 has a plurality of tooth portions arranged vertically at a predetermined interval, and the tips of the tooth portions slightly protrude from the front surface of the guide plate 43, and a plurality of recording targets pushed out by the supply unit 16. One recording medium is separated when the medium abuts against the tips of these teeth. Furthermore, a pair of rotatable supply auxiliary rollers 45 are provided at the upper end portions of the separation member 44 in the width direction at the center bulging end of the guide plate 43.

  The right side end guide 20R is provided with a cam portion 60 that swings the supply roller 52 and the arm member 53 when the supply tray 9 is pulled out and inserted into the apparatus main body 3. The cam portion 60 is provided at the rear upper end portion of the guide wall 22 in the side end guide 20R so that the height from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 18 changes along the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. A slope 60A inclined downward, a slope 60B inclined upward, and a horizontal portion 60C having a substantially constant height from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 18 are formed in order from the front to the rear. The horizontal portion 60 </ b> C is formed almost to the rear end of the guide wall 22, and has the same height as the upper end portion of the guide plate 43.

Next, the recording medium supply means 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the supply means 16.
A box-shaped frame 47 that is elongated in the left-right direction is provided in the apparatus main body 3 at a position above the rear portion of the supply tray 9. The entire supply means 16 is supported by the support shaft 48. The support shaft 48 is arranged in a range from the center in the width direction of the supply tray 9 to the right end. Further, a large gear 49 is attached to an end portion of the support shaft 48 on the outer side in the width direction of the supply tray 9, more specifically, an end portion position slightly outside the side end of the bottom plate 18. The large gear 49 is connected to drive means (not shown), and the support shaft 48 is rotated by the power of the drive means. Further, a small gear 50 having substantially the same diameter as that of the support shaft 48 is attached to the other end portion of the support shaft 48.

  An arm member 53 that supports the supply roller 52 is attached to the end of the support shaft 48 on the center side in the width direction of the supply tray 9. The arm member 53 includes a pair of support arms 54 that extend radially outward from the support shaft 48 and that are spaced in parallel to the left and right. A supply roller 52 is sandwiched between the tips (swinging ends) of both support arms 54 and the rotation shaft of the supply roller 52 is supported by a bearing portion 55 provided on the support arm 54. Thus, the supply roller 52 is held rotatably about the left-right direction. Between the support arms 54, four power transmission gears 56 for connecting the small gear 50 of the support shaft 48 and the gear portion 52A of the supply roller 52 are connected in the extending direction of the support arm 54. When the support shaft 48 is rotated by the driving means, the rotational force is transmitted to the supply roller 52 via the four power transmission gears 56. Of the four power transmission gears 56, the power transmission gear 56A directly meshed with the small gear 50 is a so-called one-way gear, which transmits the rotational force from the support shaft 48 side to the supply roller 52 side. Is not transmitted to the support shaft 48 side.

  The arm member 53 can swing from an inclined posture in which the rotation axis of the supply roller 52 is lowered after being lowered from the support shaft 48 to a horizontal posture in which the rotation shaft of the supply roller 52 is substantially the same height as the center of the support shaft 48. When the arm member 53 is in the horizontal posture, most of the arm member 53 and the supply roller 52 are accommodated in the frame 47. When the supply tray 9 loaded with a plurality of recording media is mounted at the proper mounting position of the tray storage unit 10, the swinging end of the arm member 53 is lowered by its own weight, and the supply roller 52 is the uppermost recording medium. Place on top. From this state, by rotating the supply roller 52 counterclockwise in FIG. 2, the recording medium is pushed backward, and the leading end side of the recording medium is pressed against the above-described guide plate 43 to obtain one recording target. The medium is separated and sent to the free passage 15 side. A cork plate 57 having a large coefficient of friction with respect to the recording medium is affixed to the rear stacking surface 19A of the supply tray 9 at a position where the recording medium is not in contact with the supply roller 52. As a result, the last sheet of the recording medium loaded on the supply tray 9 can be easily sent out by the supply roller 52.

  The supply unit 16 includes a driven unit 61 that swings the supply roller 52 and the arm member 53 in cooperation with the cam unit 60 and the guide plate 43 when the supply tray 9 is pulled out and inserted into the apparatus main body 3. Is provided. The follower 61 extends integrally from the lower end of the support arm 54 on the support shaft 48 side of the arm member 53 along the support shaft 48, and is substantially flush with the lower end surface of the support arm 54 as a whole. It has a plate shape. In the state where the supply tray 9 is attached at the regular attachment position, the end of the driven portion 61 opposite to the arm member 53 extends almost to the side end position of the supply tray 9, so that the driven portion 61 is Regardless of the position of the side end guide 20R in the left-right direction, the side end guide 20R is positioned above the guide wall 22. Further, the rear edge portion 61A of the driven portion 61 is bent slightly upward, and the distance from the center of the support shaft 48 to the rear edge portion 61A is from the center of the support shaft 48 to the rotation shaft of the supply roller 52. It is a little less than half the distance. As will be described in detail later, when the supply tray 9 is pulled out and inserted, the driven portion 61 is displaced vertically by sliding the lower surface thereof in contact with the cam portion 60 or the guide plate 43, and the arm member 53 swings. It has come to be.

  Next, the outer arcuate guide 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the image recording apparatus 1, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 as viewed from the obliquely rear upper side, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 as viewed from the obliquely lower front. 10 is a side view of the outer arcuate guide 13, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of the image recording apparatus 1 with the outer arcuate guide 13 removed, and FIG. 12 is an image with the outer arcuate guide 13 attached. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the recording apparatus 1. FIG.

The outer arcuate guide 13 is attached to the rear of the image recording means 11 and above the rear end of the supply tray 9 and is detachable through a guide attachment hole 63 provided in the rear surface of the casing 2. (See also FIG. 2). The entire outer arc guide 13 is accommodated in the casing 2, and the rear end portion of the outer arc guide 13 substantially coincides with the rear surface of the casing 2. The outer arc-shaped guide 13 includes a main body portion 64 that is long in the width direction and is curved in a substantially arc shape. An outer guide surface 65 that guides the recording medium is formed on the main body portion 64 so as to face the free passage 15. Yes. The outer guide surface 65 is formed over substantially the same range as the supply tray 9 in the left-right direction. An upstream end portion of the outer guide surface 65 is positioned at the upper end portion of the guide plate 43, and a downstream end portion of the outer guide surface 65 is a recording medium insertion port of the image recording means 11 described later. It is located immediately before the registration roller 93 and the driven roller 94 that constitute 95. The outer guide surface 65 is substantially vertical in the vicinity of the upstream end, and gradually inclines forward from the downstream side toward the downstream side, and after being leveled, the outer guide surface 65 inclines forward and drops to the downstream end. It is almost arc-shaped. Note that the vicinity of the downstream end portion of the outer guide surface 65 is a flat surface. On the outer guide surface 65, a plurality of ribs 66 along the direction in which the recording medium is transported are provided so as to protrude side by side at a predetermined interval in the width direction. Also, near the upper stream side end portion of the outer guide surface 65 is flared central portion in the width direction to the free passage 15 side, the rib 66A on the center side of the the width direction than the ribs 66 of the other positions The overhanging dimension toward the free passage 15 is increased.

  The main body portion 64 is provided with a mounting recess 67 at the center in the width direction of the outer guide surface 65 and on the downstream side of the projecting portion, and a plate-like resistance reduction curved at the mounting recess 67. Part 68 is attached. The outer arcuate guide 13 is entirely made of a synthetic resin material including the main body portion 64 and the resistance reducing portion 68, and the resistance reducing portion 68 has a smaller frictional resistance against the recording medium than the synthetic resin material constituting the other portion. It is formed of a synthetic resin material. Specifically, the resistance reducing unit 68 is formed of, for example, polyacetal resin (POM) or the like, and the other part is formed of, for example, polystyrene resin (PS) or the like. On the surface of the resistance reducing portion 68, a guide surface 69 having a shape substantially following the outer guide surface 65 of the main body portion 64 is formed, and the guide surface 69 is provided at the above-described protruding portion of the main body portion 64. A plurality of ribs 70 are provided so as to protrude from the rib 66A along the recording medium conveyance direction. Note that the rib 70 of the resistance reducing portion 68 has a protruding dimension in the vicinity of the upstream end portion slightly smaller than the protruding dimension of the upper end portion of the rib 66A on the main body 64 side. Accordingly, the lower end of the rib 70 on the resistance reducing portion 68 side protrudes from the rib 66A on the main body portion 64 side due to a molding error or the like, so that the leading end of the recording medium sent from below is on the resistance reducing portion 68 side. Such a situation that the rib 70 is caught is prevented. Further, the guide surface 69 of the resistance reducing portion 68 is provided with a detection piece receiving hole 71 capable of receiving the tip of a detection piece 90 of a registration sensor 88 described later at a central position in the width direction near the downstream end. Yes. The detection piece receiving hole 71 is elongated along the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and detection auxiliary ribs 72 having substantially the same projecting dimensions as the other ribs 70 are provided at the opening edges on both sides in the width direction.

  Side plate portions 74 extending in the front-rear direction are provided at the upper end portions of both side ends of the main body portion 64. The front end position of the side plate portion 74 substantially coincides with the position of the downstream end portion of the outer guide surface 65, and the front end of the side plate portion 74 has a pair of upper and lower engaging claws 76A protruding forward. A positioning engagement portion 76 is provided. Between a pair of engaging claws 76A in the positioning engaging portion 76, a shaft supporting portion 93A of a registration roller 93 described later can be fitted.

  Each side plate portion 74 is formed with a guide groove 77 extending outward from between the engaging claws 76A of the positioning engaging portion 76 on the outer surface thereof. On the other hand, the apparatus main body 3 is provided with a pair of side walls 78 on both sides of the outer arcuate guide 13 (see FIG. 11, although the front side wall 78 is not shown in FIG. Each side wall 78 is provided with a guide projection 79 that can be engaged with the guide groove 77. The guide projection 79 and the guide groove 77 have a function of guiding the outer arcuate guide 13 to a proper mounting position when the outer arcuate guide 13 is attached to the apparatus main body 3. The groove width of the guide groove 77 except for the terminal portion is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide protrusion 79, and the groove width of the terminal groove is reduced so that the guide protrusion 79 fits tightly. ing.

  In addition, a lock portion 80 is provided at the rear end of each side plate portion 74 so as to extend rearward. The lock portion 80 can be bent and deformed in the left-right direction, and its distal end portion protrudes outward, and this distal end portion is engaged with a locked portion 81 that is recessed in each side wall 78. Thus, the outer arcuate guide 13 is locked at the proper mounting position. Further, a release operation portion 82 that is curved in a U-shape is extended from the front end portion of each lock portion 80 toward the inside in the width direction of the outer arc-shaped guide 13. The lock portion 80 can be displaced in a direction to release the engagement with the locked portion 81. In addition, a plate-like gripping portion 83 is provided on the rear surface of the main body portion 64 so as to extend to the left and right as a pair, and the tip of each gripping portion 83 faces the tip of the release operation portion 82 with a predetermined interval. Are arranged to be. The outer arc-shaped guide 13 can be attached and detached by picking the grip portion 83 simultaneously with the release operation portion 82.

  The inner arcuate guide 14 is disposed in the apparatus main body 3 at a distance from the outer arcuate guide 13, and a surface facing the outer arcuate guide 13 is an inner guide surface 85. The inner guide surface 85 is a convex arcuate surface having a larger curvature than the outer guide surface 65 of the outer arcuate guide 13 on the upstream side (rear side), and the downstream side (front side) is a substantially horizontal flat surface. ing. The upstream end portion (lower end portion) of the inner guide surface 85 is located above the upstream end portion of the outer guide surface 65, and a pair of left and right supply assist rollers 86 are rotatable in the center in the width direction. Is attached. The inner guide surface 85 is provided with a plurality of ribs 87 extending in the transport direction of the recording medium, separated into a front side and a rear side, and protruding in a row at a predetermined interval.

  Between the inner guide surface 85 of the inner arc guide 14 and the outer guide surface 65 of the outer arc guide 13, the U-turn free passage 15 is formed as described above. The distance between the guide surfaces 65 and 85 of both arcuate guides 13 and 14 is generally large on the upstream side (inlet side of the free passage 15) and gradually decreases toward the downstream side. The interval between the guide surfaces 65 and 85 is sufficiently larger than the thickness of the recording medium except in the vicinity of the downstream end, and is in the thickness direction of the recording medium in the free path 15. Displacement is allowed. Further, in the vicinity of the downstream end portion, the interval between the guide surfaces 65 and 85, strictly speaking, the interval between the tip positions of the ribs 66 and 87 of the both guide surfaces 65 and 85 is relatively small. The leading end of the recording medium that has come out is accurately positioned with respect to the recording medium insertion port 95 formed by the registration roller 93 and the driven roller 94. In this way, in the conveyance path of the recording medium from the supply roller 52 to the registration roller 93, there is no means for conveying the recording medium tightly like a pinch roller.

  A registration sensor 88 for detecting the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording medium is provided below the inner arcuate guide 14 (on the side opposite to the inner guide surface 85) at the center position in the width direction. The registration sensor 88 includes a detection piece 90 that can rotate around a mounting shaft 89 extending in the left-right direction. The detection piece 90 is urged clockwise by a spring member (not shown) in FIG. ing. Further, a through hole 91 is provided at the center in the width direction on the upper surface of the inner arc-shaped guide 14, from which the tip of the detection piece 90 protrudes into the free passage 15, and the tip of the detection piece 90 is the free passage 15. When it does not interfere with the recording medium inside, it is received in the detection piece receiving hole 71 of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 (refer to a solid line in FIG. 7 as a non-interference position). Further, when the leading end of the detection piece 90 interferes with the recording medium, the detection piece 90 is retracted downward (referred to as an interference position, see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 7). The registration sensor 88 also includes a photo interrupter (not shown) that detects the position of the detection piece 90.

  Next, the image recording means 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. A registration roller 93 (corresponding to the “conveying roller” of the present invention) is provided at the upstream end (rear end) of the image recording means 11 so as to extend in the left-right direction. A shaft support portion 93A fixed to the apparatus main body 3 side is provided at both ends of the registration roller 93, and a rotation portion 93B that can be rotated by the power from the driving means is provided between the shaft support portions 93A. A plurality of driven rollers 94 that can be rotated by the registration rollers 93 are provided below the rotating portion 93 </ b> B of the registration rollers 93. A recording medium insertion port 95 is formed between the registration roller 93 and the driven roller 94, and the downstream end portion of the above-described free path 15 is connected to the recording medium insertion port 95.

  The image recording means 11 is provided with a platen 96 that supports the recording medium from below on the downstream side (front side) of the driven roller 94. Further, a carriage 98 on which a recording head 97 is mounted is provided above the image recording means 11, and the carriage 98 moves along the left and right directions above the platen 96, and the recording head 97 is covered on the platen 96. An image is recorded by ejecting ink onto a recording medium. A discharge roller 99 extending in the left-right direction is provided on the downstream side of the platen 96. The discharge roller 99 is rotationally driven in conjunction with the registration roller 93 to discharge the recording medium on which the image is recorded by the recording head 97 onto the supply tray 9 described above.

The above is the configuration of the present embodiment, and the operation thereof will be described next.
When a recording medium is stacked on the supply tray 9 stored in the apparatus main body 3, the supply tray 9 is first pulled out from the tray storage unit 10. At this time, the supply tray 9 can be easily moved by placing a finger on the finger hooking hole 40 of the auxiliary support member 39 housed in the support member housing hole 38 and the second finger hooking hole 41 of the bottom plate 18 and pulling it forward. Can be pulled out.
Here, when pulling out the supply tray 9 on which the recording medium is previously loaded, it is necessary to pull out the recording medium from below the supply roller 52 placed on the upper surface thereof. If the rear loading surface 19A of the supply tray 9 is a horizontal surface, the supply tray 9 may be pulled out and the recording medium may be caught by the supply roller 52. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the rear stacking surface 19A of the supply tray 9 is inclined so that the downstream side (rear side) in the recording medium supply direction is lowered. Then, the recording medium is pulled out so as to be separated downward with respect to the supply roller 52 placed on the upper surface. Therefore, the recording medium is hardly caught by the supply roller 52, and the supply tray 9 can be pulled out smoothly.

  Next, the operation of the supply means 16 when pulling out the supply tray 9 will be described. When the supply tray 9 is in the proper mounting position, the supply roller 52 is in contact with the upper surface of the recording medium or the rear stacking surface 19A of the bottom plate 18, and the driven portion 61 is located above the inclined surface 60A of the cam portion 60. (See FIG. 6A). When the supply tray 9 is pulled out from this state, the trailing edge portion 61A of the driven portion 61 comes into contact with the inclined surface 60B of the cam portion 60 and rises while slidingly contacting the inclined surface 60B. Oscillates counterclockwise in the figure, and the supply roller 52 is lifted (see FIG. 6B). When the supply tray 9 is further pulled forward, the trailing edge 61A of the driven portion 61 passes over the slope 60B of the cam portion 60, and then the driven portion 61 rides on the upper surface of the horizontal portion 60C, so that the arm member 53 is substantially horizontal. It becomes a posture (see FIG. 6C). Then, the supply roller 52 comes into contact with the upper end portion of the guide plate 43 and gets over the guide plate 43 while rotating by friction with the guide plate 43. When the supply roller 52 exceeds the guide plate 43, the upper end portion of the guide plate 43 comes into contact with the lower surface of the arm member 53 and moves toward the support shaft 48 while sliding on the arm member 53 (FIG. 6D). reference). Then, when the upper end portion of the guide plate 43 moves forward from the lower surface of the arm member 53, the supply roller 52 is lowered by its own weight (see FIG. 6E).

Thus, since the cam portion 60 for lifting the supply roller 52 when the supply tray 9 is attached and detached is provided in the side end guide 20R, the side wall portion of the supply tray 9 can be omitted, and the width dimension of the supply tray 9 can be reduced accordingly. It is possible to reduce the size of the apparatus by reducing the size.
Further, the supply tray 9 is not only provided with the displaceable side end guides 20R and 20L but also has a fixed side wall portion 32 on the front side thereof, so that it can be easily held by the hand. Further, since the fixed side wall portion 32 is provided at a position that is substantially flush with the side end guide 20R, the width dimension of the supply tray 9 does not increase.

  Thus, when the supply tray 9 is removed from the apparatus main body 3, the recording medium to be used is placed on the stacking surfaces 19A and 19B. When a recording medium of A4 size or B5 size is used, the recording medium is inserted from the front of the supply tray 9 to the position where it contacts the guide plate 43 on the back side through the lower side of the cover portion 33. At this time, since the cover portion 33 is provided with the notch portion 36, even a recording medium having a size smaller than the A4 size (for example, B5 size) can be easily inserted to the back. When a recording medium having a postcard size or L size smaller than the B5 size is used, the corresponding positioning rib 31 is set up and the recording medium is placed between the positioning rib 31 and the guide plate 43. To be placed.

  Subsequently, when the both side ends of the recording medium do not coincide with the guide walls 22 respectively, the positions of the side end guides 20R and 20L are adjusted in the left-right direction, and the guide walls 22 are adjusted to the both side ends of the recording medium. To match. At this time, if the right side end guide 20R is displaced in the width direction, the left side end guide 20L is also interlocked, so that the alignment workability is good. Thus, when both guide walls 22 are aligned with the both end positions of the recording medium, the recording medium is positioned at the center of the supply tray 9 in the width direction.

  Next, the supply tray 9 loaded with the recording medium is stored in the apparatus main body 3. When the supply tray 9 is horizontally inserted from the front of the apparatus main body 3 into the tray storage unit 10, the upper end of the guide plate 43 first comes into contact with the driven unit 61 and the arm member 53, and the driven unit 61 and the arm member 53 are moved to the guide plate. 43, the supply roller 52 rises and swings until the arm member 53 becomes substantially horizontal (see FIG. 6D). When the supply tray 9 is further pushed in from this state, the driven portion 61 rides on the horizontal portion 60C of the cam portion 60, and then the supply roller 52 comes into contact with the upper end portion of the guide plate 43 and gets over this (see FIG. 6 (C)). Then, the trailing edge 61A of the driven part 61 descends the slope 60B of the cam part 60 and the supply roller 52 descends (see FIG. 6B), and the supply roller 52 is stacked on the stacking surfaces 19A and 19B. The follower 61 comes into contact with the upper surface of the recording medium and floats from the cam 60. Here, since the rear stacking surface 19A of the recording medium in the supply tray 9 is inclined so that the downstream side (rear end side) in the recording medium supply direction is lowered, the recording medium causes the supply roller 52 to move. It is inserted below the supply roller 52 so as to be pushed up from below. Therefore, the recording medium is less likely to be caught by the supply roller 52 as compared with the case where the recording medium has a horizontal loading surface, and the recording medium can be prevented from being displaced. When the supply tray 9 is inserted to the proper attachment position (position shown in FIG. 6A), the attachment of the supply tray 9 is completed.

Next, an operation for recording an image on a recording medium will be described.
First, the large gear 49 is rotationally driven by the power from the driving means, and the rotation is transmitted to the supply roller 52 via the power transmission gear 56. Accordingly, when the supply roller 52 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 7, the recording medium on the stacking surfaces 19 </ b> A and 19 </ b> B is pushed backward and pressed against the guide plate 43. Here, since the central portion of the guide plate 43 bulges forward, the leading end portion of the recording medium pressed against the guide plate 43 is upward while taking a curved posture in which the central portion is slightly higher. Guided. Then, the central portion of the leading end of the recording medium comes into contact with the tooth portion of the separating member 44 provided at the bulging end of the guide plate 43, and the uppermost layer is separated. In this way, the recording medium guided upward is sent to the upper side of the free passage 15 while abutting the supply auxiliary rollers 45 provided on both sides of the separation member 44 in the width direction at the upper end of the guide plate 43.

  The leading end portion of the recording medium fed upward from the guide plate 43 abuts near the upstream end portion of the outer guide surface 65 of the outer arc guide 13. Here, in the vicinity of the upstream end portion of the outer arc-shaped guide 13, the rib 66 </ b> A on the center side in the width direction among the plurality of ribs 66 has a projecting dimension toward the free passage 15 side, so that the guide The central portion in the width direction at the front end portion of the recording medium that has been bent by the plate 43 abuts on the rib 66A, and both end portions in the width direction are released backward. Accordingly, the contact between the leading end portion of the recording medium and the outer arc-shaped guide 13 prevents the central portion in the width direction of the recording medium from being lifted from the guide plate 43. Can keep in touch.

  Thus, the leading end portion of the recording medium fed into the free passage 15 is guided upward while being in sliding contact with the rib 66A on the center side of the outer guide surface 65. Subsequently, the central portion of the leading end portion of the recording medium comes into contact with the rib 70 of the resistance reducing portion 68. The central portion of the front end of the recording medium is guided to the downstream side while being in sliding contact with the rib 70 of the resistance reducing portion 68, and both end portions in the width direction are also in sliding contact with the rib 66 of the outer guide surface 65, and gradually recorded. The posture of the leading end of the medium is straightened, and the leading end of the recording medium is guided forward.

  As described above, since the resistance reducing portion 68 having a small frictional resistance against the recording medium is provided at the center in the width direction of the outer arc-shaped guide 13, the recording medium is smoothly guided downstream without being caught on the conveyance path. The If the entire outer arc guide is formed of a resin having a low frictional resistance against the recording medium, the molding accuracy may be difficult and the cost may increase. However, in this embodiment, a resin member having a low contact resistance is used in the central portion where the contact pressure of the recording medium is particularly large, thereby reducing the molding resistance and cost while reducing the frictional resistance against the recording medium. can do.

  When the leading end of the recording medium comes into contact with the detection piece 90 of the registration sensor 88 protruding into the free passage 15, the detection piece 90 is pressed by the recording medium and moved downward (see the interference position, two-dot chain line in FIG. 7). By being pushed in, it is detected that the leading edge of the recording medium has reached the position of the detection piece 90. Here, since the detection auxiliary ribs 72 project from the opening edge portions on both sides in the width direction of the detection unit receiving hole 71, the recording medium pressed by the urging force of the detection piece 90 is the detection piece 90. It is supported by the pair of auxiliary detection ribs 72 from the opposite side, so that the recording medium is prevented from being recessed inside the detection portion receiving hole 71. As a result, a sufficient amount of displacement between the interference position and the non-interference position of the detection piece 90 can be ensured, so that the accuracy of detection of the recording medium can be improved.

The leading end of the recording medium that has passed the contact position with the detection piece 90 exits from the free path 15 and reaches the recording medium insertion port 95 between the registration roller 93 and the driven roller 94. Here, since the vicinity of the downstream end portion of the outer guide surface 65 in the outer arc-shaped guide 13 is a flat surface, the leading end portion of the recording medium is directed toward the recording medium insertion port 95 accurately.
When the registration sensor 88 detects the leading edge of the recording medium, the registration roller 93 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 7) and rotates in the forward direction (clockwise in FIG. 7) after a predetermined time. It is controlled to be driven. When the leading end of the recording medium reaches the recording medium insertion port 95 between the rollers 93 and 94, the registration roller 93 is rotating in the reverse direction and cannot enter between the rollers 93 and 94. Here, the inclination of the recording medium is corrected.

  When the registration roller 93 rotates in the forward direction at a predetermined timing, the leading end of the recording medium is caught between the rollers 93 and 94, and the recording medium is pulled forward. Here, when the recording medium is made of a material with relatively high flexibility (for example, thin printing paper, OHP sheet, etc.), when the leading end of the recording medium is pulled forward, an outer arc shape is formed. The recording medium that has been in the posture along the ribs 66 and 70 of the guide 13 is displaced toward the inner arcuate guide 14 side, for example, as indicated by P1 in FIG. When the registration roller 93 is rotated from this state, the recording medium P1 is sent to the downstream side by the supply auxiliary roller 86, and in the recording medium insertion port 95 while being in sliding contact with the rib 87 of the inner guide surface 85. Be drawn into.

  When the recording medium is made of a material with relatively low flexibility (for example, cardboard, postcard, etc.), when the leading end of the recording medium is pulled forward by the registration roller 93, the recording medium Is displaced to the inner arcuate guide 14 side, but does not reach the position along the inner guide surface 85. For example, as shown by P2 in FIG. 7, the position closer to the outer arcuate guide 13 than the case of the recording medium P1 described above. It is displaced to. That is, the recording medium P2 made of a material with low flexibility takes a posture in the free path 15 so as to be less bent than the recording medium P1 made of a material with high flexibility. When the registration roller 93 is rotated from this state, the recording medium P2 has a free posture in the free path 15 according to various conditions such as the tensile force from the registration roller 93 and the flexibility of the recording medium P2. The recording medium is inserted into the recording medium insertion port 95.

  Here, assuming that the recording medium is always conveyed in a constant posture (bending condition) on the conveyance path, a tensile force or an extrusion force is applied to the recording medium from a conveying means such as a registration roller and a supply roller. In such a case, the recording medium may be forcibly pulled or pushed and bent, and a load may be applied to the conveying means. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the free path 15 that allows displacement in the thickness direction of the recording medium is provided between the outer arc-shaped guide 13 and the inner arc-shaped guide 14, there is a degree of freedom in the posture of the recording medium. Therefore, the load on the conveying means can be reduced, and smooth conveyance can be performed without using a pinch roller or the like.

  Thus, when the recording medium that has passed through the recording medium insertion port 95 is fed onto the platen 96 by the rotation of the registration roller 93, a predetermined image is recorded on the recording medium on the platen 96 by the recording head 97. Then, the recording medium that has passed over the platen 96 is conveyed forward by the discharge roller 99 and discharged onto the upper surface of the overhanging portion 28 and the cover portion 33 of the supply tray 9. Since the supply tray 9 also serves as a discharge tray for receiving the recording medium discharged from the image recording means 11 as described above, the entire apparatus is compact. Further, since the cover portion 33 and the overhang portion 28 are inclined so that the rear side is lowered, the recording medium discharged onto the upper surface of the cover portion 33 and the overhang portion 28 is prevented from falling forward.

Further, when an image is recorded on a recording medium larger than the length dimension of the cover portion 33 and the overhang portion 28 such as A4 size, the cover portion 33 is drawn in advance by pulling the auxiliary support member 39 forward. The end of the recording medium hanging from the front end of the recording medium can be supported by the auxiliary support member 39, and the recording medium is prevented from falling forward. When the auxiliary support member 39 is not used, the auxiliary support member 39 can be stored in the support member storage hole 38 so that it does not get in the way.
Further, when the discharged recording medium is sized so as not to protrude from the front end of the cover portion 33, the end portion of the recording medium is moved from above and below using the notch portion 36 provided in the cover portion 33. By picking, the recording medium can be easily taken out without pulling out the supply tray 9 from the apparatus main body 3.

  Next, a procedure for attaching / detaching the outer arc-shaped guide 13 to / from the apparatus main body 3 at the time of jam (paper jam) processing or the like will be described. In order to remove the outer arc-shaped guide 13, first, the left and right release operation portions 82 and the gripping portion 83 provided on the outer surface (rear surface) of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 are simultaneously picked from the guide mounting holes 63 with fingers. Is pressed against the gripping portion 83 side. Then, since the lock part 80 is bent inward in the width direction and the engagement with the locked part 81 is released, the release operation part 82 and the grip part 83 are pulled rearward while picking them as they are. As a result, the engagement of the positioning engagement portion 76 with the shaft support portion 93A of the registration roller 93 is released, and the guide projection 79 is separated from the guide groove 77 by further pulling the outer arc-shaped guide 13 from this state, so The guide 13 can be removed to the outside. When the outer arcuate guide 13 is removed from the apparatus main body 3 in this way, one side of the free passage 15 is opened. Since the free path 15 is not provided with a member such as a pinch roller for tightly sandwiching the recording medium, it is possible to easily remove the jammed recording medium.

  When the removed outer arc-shaped guide 13 is mounted on the apparatus main body 3 again, the left and right release operation parts 82 and the gripping part 83 are simultaneously picked with fingers, and the release operation part 82 is pressed against the gripping part 83 side while The guide 13 is inserted into the guide mounting hole 63 from the rear. Then, since the guide projection 79 engages in the guide groove 77 and the outer arc guide 13 is guided, the outer arc guide 13 is prevented from being inclined. When the outer arcuate guide 13 approaches the normal mounting position, the shaft support portion 93A of the registration roller 93 slightly deforms the pair of both engaging claws 76A of each positioning engaging portion 76 outwardly while deforming between the two engaging claws 76A. It enters into a fitting state. When the finger is released from the release operation portion 82 and the grip portion 83, the release operation portion 82 is restored and deformed, and the lock portion 80 is engaged with the locked portion 81, so that the outer arcuate guide 13 is in the proper mounting position. Locked to.

In this manner, by grasping the release operation part 82 at the same time as the grip part 83, the engagement release operation of the lock part 80 and the attachment and detachment of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 can be performed at the same time.
Further, since the positioning engagement portion 76 of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 can be fitted to the rotation shaft of the registration roller 93, the positioning accuracy of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 with respect to the registration roller 93 can be increased. Accordingly, the leading end of the recording medium can be accurately guided to a position where it is bitten by the registration roller 93.

    As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the free path 15 that allows displacement in the thickness direction of the recording medium is provided between the outer arc guide 13 and the inner arc guide 14, There is a degree of freedom in posture, and smooth conveyance is possible without using a pinch roller or the like. Therefore, the structure of the device 1 is simplified, and the size and cost can be reduced.

  Further, since the outer arc-shaped guide 13 is detachable from the outer side of the casing 2 of the image recording apparatus 1, the jam processing can be easily performed.

  Further, when the outer arcuate guide 13 is attached, the guide protrusion 79 can be engaged with the guide groove 77 of the outer arcuate guide 13 to guide the outer arcuate guide 13 to the proper attachment position, so that the attaching operation is smooth. It can be carried out.

  Further, since the positioning engagement portion 76 of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 can be fitted to the rotation shaft of the registration roller 93, the positioning accuracy of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 with respect to the registration roller 93 can be increased. Accordingly, the leading end of the recording medium is accurately guided to the recording medium insertion port 95.

  Further, since the release operation portion 82 of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 is picked at the same time as the gripping portion 83, the engagement release operation of the lock portion 80 and the attachment / detachment of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 can be performed at the same time.

  Further, since the outer surface side end portion (rear end portion) of the outer arc-shaped guide 13 is in a position substantially coincident with the rear surface of the casing 2, the turn position on the recording medium conveyance path is close to one end surface of the casing 2, and accordingly. The casing 2 can be downsized.

  Further, by providing a plurality of ribs 66 on the outer guide surface 65 of the outer arc guide 13, the frictional resistance against the recording medium is reduced, and the recording medium can be smoothly conveyed.

  In addition, among the plurality of ribs 66, the central rib 66A mainly contacts the recording medium and guides the recording medium, and the end-side rib 66 does not contact the recording medium so much. Can be conveyed.

  In addition, since the resistance reducing portion 68 having a small frictional resistance against the recording medium is provided at the central portion in the width direction of the outer arc-shaped guide 13, the recording medium is smoothly guided downstream without being caught on the conveyance path. If the entire outer arc guide is formed of a resin having a low frictional resistance against the recording medium, the molding accuracy may be difficult and the cost may increase. However, according to the present embodiment, a resin member having a low contact resistance is used in the central portion where the contact pressure of the recording medium is particularly large, thereby reducing the frictional resistance against the recording medium and reducing the molding accuracy and cost. Can be avoided.

  In addition, since the rotatable auxiliary supply roller 86 is provided at the upstream end of the inner arc guide 14 in the recording medium conveyance direction, the recording medium is smoothly conveyed without being caught by the edge.

  Further, by providing a guide plate on the supply tray 9, the leading end side of the recording medium pushed out by the supply means 16 is guided upward, and the recording medium is smoothly fed to the free path 15 side.

  Further, since the separation member 44 is provided at the center bulging end of the guide plate 43, the recording medium pressed against the guide plate 43 is reliably brought into contact with the separation member 44 and separated.

  Further, since the auxiliary supply rollers 45 are provided on both sides of the separation member 44, the recording medium separated by the separation member 44 contacts the supply auxiliary roller 45 and is smoothly conveyed.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above embodiment, the supply tray is detachable from the apparatus main body. However, the present invention can also be applied to a supply tray that cannot be removed from the apparatus main body.
(2) The image recording apparatus of the above embodiment can be used by supplying a recording medium from outside the apparatus main body. That is, with the outer arc guide removed from the guide mounting hole, the second recording medium stacking section on which the recording medium is stacked and the conveying means for sending out the recording medium in the recording medium stacking section outside the apparatus main body The recording medium from the second recording medium stacking section can be supplied to the image recording means in the apparatus main body through the guide mounting hole by the conveying means, and an image can be recorded.

1 is a perspective view of an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Cross section of image recording device Top view of supply tray Perspective view of supply tray and supply means Perspective view of supply means (A)-(E) Side view which shows operation | movement of supply tray and supply means. Partial enlarged sectional view of the image recording apparatus Rear perspective view of outer arc guide Front perspective view of outer arc guide Side view of outer arc guide The perspective view which shows a part of image recording device of the state which removed the outer arc-shaped guide The perspective view which shows a part of image recording device of the state which attached the outer arc-shaped guide

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image recording apparatus 2 ... Casing (casing)
9: Supply tray (recording medium stacking section)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Image recording means 13 ... Outer arc guide 14 ... Inner arc guide 15 ... Free passage 16 ... Supply means 43 ... Guide plate 44 ... Separation member 45 ... Supply auxiliary roller 66, 66A ... Rib 68 ... Resistance reduction part 76 ... Positioner Joint part 77 ... Guide groove 79 ... Guide protrusion 80 ... Lock part 81 ... Locked part 82 ... Release operation part 83 ... Grip part 86 ... Supply auxiliary roller 93 ... Registration roller (conveyance roller)

Claims (11)

Transported in a predetermined transport direction from a recording medium stacking section having a bottom plate capable of stacking and holding a sheet-shaped recording medium and a guide plate provided at one end of the bottom plate and guiding the leading end side of the recording medium upward An image recording apparatus comprising image recording means for recording an image on a recording medium to be recorded,
The image recording means and the recording medium stacking portion arranged in the vertical direction are connected in a U-turn shape, and the image recording means is connected to the recording medium stacking portion from the downstream end in the transport direction of the recording medium stacking portion. An outer arc guide for guiding the recording medium to the recording medium insertion port;
An inner arcuate guide which is arranged at a distance from the outer arcuate guide and which forms a free passage between the outer arcuate guide and guides the recording medium while allowing displacement in the thickness direction thereof;
The guide plate is curved so that the central portion in the width direction bulges to the near side than the others, and a separating member attached to overlap the bulging end;
Supply means for separating one recording medium from the recording medium loaded in the recording medium stacking section in cooperation with the separation member and sending it to the free path;
With
On the surface of the outer arc guide facing the inner arc guide, a plurality of ribs along the transport direction of the recording medium are provided so as to protrude side by side at a predetermined interval in the width direction. In the vicinity of the side end portion, the central portion in the width direction curves and protrudes toward the free passage side, so that the rib on the central side in the width direction among the plurality of ribs goes to the free passage compared to other ribs. The overhanging dimension of the image recording apparatus is characterized by being large . The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outer arcuate guide is detachably attached from an outer side of a housing of the image recording apparatus. The guide according to claim 2, wherein the casing is provided with a guide protrusion that engages with a guide groove formed in the outer arc guide and guides the outer arc guide to a proper mounting position. Image recording device. 3. The recording medium insertion port of the image recording means is provided with a conveyance roller, and the outer arcuate guide is provided with a positioning engagement portion that is fitted to a rotation shaft of the conveyance roller. Or the image recording apparatus according to 3; The outer arc-shaped guide can be elastically engaged with a gripping portion when the outer arc-shaped guide is attached and detached, and a locked portion provided in the housing in a state where the outer arc-shaped guide is attached at a normal position. 5. A lock part and a release operation part that displaces the lock part in a direction of releasing the engagement with the locked part by picking simultaneously with the grip part are provided. An image recording apparatus according to any one of the above. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an outer surface side end portion of the outer arc-shaped guide is provided at a position substantially coinciding with one side surface of the housing. The outer arc-shaped guide is made of a synthetic resin material, and a synthetic resin material having a frictional resistance against the recording medium smaller than that of the synthetic resin material constituting the other portion is provided at the center portion in the width direction on the surface facing the inner arc-shaped guide. the image recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the resistance reducing portion made of a resin material is provided 6. The inner arcuate guide, an image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the rotatable feed auxiliary roller is provided on the upstream side end portion in the transport direction of the recording medium . The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the rotatable feed auxiliary roller is provided on both sides in the width direction of the separating member. An image recording apparatus comprising image recording means for recording an image on a recording medium transported in a predetermined transport direction from a recording medium stacking section capable of stacking and holding sheet-shaped recording media,
  The image recording means and the recording medium stacking portion arranged in the vertical direction are connected in a U-turn shape, and the image recording means is connected to the recording medium stacking portion from the downstream end in the transport direction of the recording medium stacking portion. An outer arc guide for guiding the recording medium to the recording medium insertion port;
  An inner arcuate guide which is arranged at a distance from the outer arcuate guide and which forms a free passage between the outer arcuate guide and guides the recording medium while allowing displacement in the thickness direction thereof;
  Supply means for separating one recording medium from the recording medium loaded in the recording medium stacking section and feeding it to the free path;
  With
  The outer arc-shaped guide is detachably attached from the outside of the housing of the image recording apparatus,
  In addition, a conveyance roller is provided in a recording medium insertion port of the image recording means, and a positioning engagement portion that is fitted to a rotation shaft of the conveyance roller is provided in the outer arc guide. Image recording device. An image recording apparatus comprising image recording means for recording an image on a recording medium transported in a predetermined transport direction from a recording medium stacking section capable of stacking and holding sheet-shaped recording media,
  The image recording means and the recording medium stacking portion, which are arranged in the vertical direction, are connected in a U-turn shape, and from the downstream end in the transport direction of the recording medium stacking portion, An outer arc guide for guiding the recording medium to the recording medium insertion port;
  An inner arcuate guide which is arranged at a distance from the outer arcuate guide and which forms a free passage between the outer arcuate guide and guides the recording medium while allowing displacement in the thickness direction thereof;
  Supply means for separating one recording medium from the recording medium loaded in the recording medium stacking section and feeding it to the free path;
  With
  The outer arc-shaped guide is detachably attached from the outside of the housing of the image recording apparatus,
  In addition, the outer arc guide is elastically engaged with a grip portion when the outer arc guide is attached and detached, and a locked portion provided in the housing in a state where the outer arc guide is attached at a normal position. The image according to claim 1, further comprising: a lock portion that can be moved, and a release operation portion that displaces the lock portion in a direction of releasing the engagement with the locked portion by simultaneously holding the grip portion. Recording device.

Images