JP5360426B2 - Tray and image recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means allowing easy operation of a tray by reducing looseness of a lid provided on an upper face, in the tray capable of being inserted/extracted in/from a device. <P>SOLUTION: This tray includes: a tray body 20 which has an opening 73 on an upper side and can store a sheet through the opening 73; a paper discharge tray 23 covering the opening 73; and links 130, in each of which a first end 128 side is turnably connected to the tray body 20 with a right-and-left direction 9 as an axis, in each of which a second end 129 side is turnably connected to a rear side of the paper discharge tray 23 with the right-and-left direction 9 as an axis, and each of which supports the paper discharge tray 23 in a closed state of covering the opening 73 and in an opened state of opening the opening 73. Each link 130 can turn to the tray body 20 between a first attitude when the paper discharge tray 23 is in the closed state, and a second attitude which is an attitude when the paper discharge tray 23 is in the opened state, and wherein the second end 129 is positioned on a rear side more than the first attitude. The tray also includes lock parts 100 each fixing the link 130 to the tray body 20 in the first attitude. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tray that can store sheets, and an image recording apparatus including the tray.

  Conventionally, there is an apparatus capable of conveying a sheet inside. An example of the apparatus is an image recording apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer. Some image recording apparatuses include a tray that can accommodate a sheet to be fed to a recording unit and can move forward and backward with respect to the image recording apparatus. Patent Document 1 discloses a paper feed tray having a sheet storage portion and a lid. An opening is provided on the upper side of the sheet accommodating portion, and the sheet is accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion through the opening. A paper discharge tray as a lid is disposed on the upper side of the sheet storage unit so as to cover an upstream area of the opening in the sheet storage direction of the sheet storage unit. Of the opening, the downstream area in the sheet feeding direction is opened because a roller pressed against the sheet is disposed to feed the sheet stored in the sheet storage unit into the apparatus. .

  In the paper feed tray, the paper discharge tray is rotatably connected to one end of the link. The other end of the link is rotatably connected to the paper feed tray. As a result, when the paper discharge tray is opened with respect to the paper feed tray, the paper discharge tray is positioned further upward from the paper feed tray via the link, and sheets can be easily accommodated in the tray.

JP 2009-083951 A

  However, when the lid and the tray are connected via a link, if the lid is opened and the link is further rotated from the state when the lid is closed, the lid is not attached to the tray. It becomes stable. Specifically, the link is pivotably connected to the lid and the tray at both ends thereof, and neither of them is fixed, so that the link is rotated in conjunction with the lid, that is, the lid is opened widely. In such a state, the link rattles against the lid and the tray. When the link rattles, the lid that is pivotally connected to the link also rattles with respect to the tray, which may be difficult to operate when the user opens the tray and lid and accommodates paper. is there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tray that can accommodate a sheet through an upper opening and is provided with a lid, and can be inserted into and removed from a device that can convey the sheet. An object of the present invention is to provide a means that can reduce the rattling and can easily operate the tray.

(1) The present invention is a tray for storing sheets fed to an apparatus capable of conveying sheets. The tray has an opening on the upper side, a tray body in which a sheet fed to the apparatus can be accommodated through the opening, and a lid that covers an area of the opening excluding the area on the downstream side in the feeding direction The first end side is pivotally connected to the tray body with the width direction along the sheet placement surface orthogonal to the feeding direction as an axis, and the second end side opposite to the first end is A link rotatably connected to the feeding direction downstream side of the lid with the width direction as an axis, and supporting the lid in a closed state covering the opening and an open state opening the opening . It said link includes a first position, can pivot and the second position in which the upper Symbol second end is positioned in the feeding direction downstream side than in the said first position, between the relative said tray member is there. The lid is changeable between the closed state and the open state in the first posture, and the link is in the open state in the second posture. The tray includes a lock portion that fixes the link to the tray body in the first posture.

  In the above-described configuration, the link can be fixed to the tray body in the first posture by the lock portion. Thereby, it can reduce that a link rattling with respect to a tray body in a 1st attitude | position. Then, it can reduce that the lid | cover connected with the link pivotably with respect to a tray body.

( 5 ) The link extends from the first end to the upstream side in the feeding direction, and is bent upward and extends to the second end.

  When a sheet is accommodated in the tray body from the upstream side in the feeding direction, the larger the space between the tray body and the lid when the lid is opened, the easier the sheet is accommodated. In order to enlarge the space between the tray body and the lid, it is conceivable to lengthen the link. When the link is lengthened, the height of the portion where the sheet is inserted into the tray body is increased in a state where the lid is opened. Thereby, even if the lid is arranged on the upstream side in the feeding direction, the sheet can be easily accommodated in the tray body. However, as the link becomes longer, the link strength is reduced and the possibility that the link is broken increases. Further, when the link becomes long, the shakiness of the link becomes large.

  Therefore, in the above configuration, the link is bent. Therefore, in the link, each length of the portion extending from the bent portion to both ends of the link can be made shorter than the length between both ends when the link is straight. Thereby, the fall of the intensity | strength of a link can be suppressed. When the lid is opened with respect to the tray body, when it extends upward from the first end to the bent portion, it extends to the tip side from the bent portion to the second end. That is, the lid connected to the second end is located downstream in the feeding direction. Thereby, when the lid is opened, the area of the part where the opening is opened can be increased, and the sheet can be easily accommodated. As described above, since the link is bent, the sheet can be easily accommodated in the tray body when the lid is opened without reducing the strength.

( 6 ) The link extends from the first end to the upstream side in the feeding direction, is curved upward, and extends to the second end.

  As described above, even when the link is curved, as in the case where the link in (2) is bent, a decrease in the strength of the link can be suppressed, and the sheet is a tray body. The space inserted into can be increased.

( 2 ) The lock portion is formed by an engagement portion formed on the link and an engaged portion formed on the tray body, and the engagement portion includes the first end and the second end. It is provided at a position between the ends. When the lock portion is disposed between the first end and the second end, the lock portion can be easily formed. (3) A tray for storing sheets fed to a device capable of transporting sheets, the tray having an opening on the upper side, and a sheet fed to the device can be accommodated inside through the opening A body, a lid that covers a region of the opening excluding a region on the downstream side in the feeding direction, and a first end side perpendicular to the feeding direction and having the width direction along the sheet placement surface as an axis. The second end side opposite to the first end is rotatably connected to the feeding direction downstream side of the lid with the width direction as an axis, and the lid is connected to the body. A link that supports a closed state that covers the opening and an open state that opens the opening, the link including a first posture that is a posture when the lid is in the closed state; This is the posture when in the open state and when the second end is in the first posture. A lock portion that is rotatable relative to the tray body between the second posture positioned on the downstream side in the feeding direction and that fixes the link to the tray body in the first posture; The portion is formed by an engaging portion formed on the link and an engaged portion formed on the tray body, and the engaging portion is between the first end and the second end. It may be provided at a position.

( 4 ) A guiding portion for guiding the other is formed on one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion. With this configuration, the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be smoothly engaged.

( 7 ) The tray body includes a first stopper that comes into contact with an end of the link in the width direction and stops the movement of the link in the width direction.

  Since the link is not fixed to either the tray body or the lid, the link is easy to rattle. The link may rattle not only in the rotating direction but also in all directions. In the above-described configuration, since the tray body includes the first stopper, the movement of the link in the width direction is stopped. That is, rattling in the link width direction can be prevented.

( 8 ) The tray body abuts when the link is rotated by a predetermined amount in a state where the link is in the second posture, and the link body rotates toward the downstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the tray body. A second stopper for stopping the movement is provided.

  If the link can be rotated more than necessary, the user may have difficulty operating the lid. Further, the second end side of the rotated link may collide with the tray body and the link may be damaged. However, in the above-described configuration, since the rotation of the tray body is stopped at a predetermined position by the second stopper, the operability of the lid can be improved and the breakage of the link can be prevented.

( 9 ) The tray body slides so as to be capable of accommodating sheets, and to extend in the feeding direction upstream with respect to the first housing part and to contract toward the downstream in the feeding direction, The second housing portion is capable of housing a sheet in cooperation with the first housing portion in a state of being extended with respect to the first housing portion. The lid slides so as to be able to expand and contract with respect to the first lid portion, a first lid portion that covers an area of the opening located above the first accommodation portion, and the second accommodation portion among the openings. And a second lid portion that covers a region located on the upper side of the second housing portion in a state of being extended with respect to the first housing portion. The first lid portion includes a first abutting portion that abuts on the link from the upstream side in the contraction direction and regulates the rotation of the first lid portion in a state in which the second lid portion can contract. .

  When the link is in contact with the first contact portion, the rotation of the link is stopped by the first contact portion. Further, when the second lid portion is contractible with respect to the first lid portion, the first contact portion provided on the first lid portion is in contact with the upstream surface of the link in the contraction direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lid from being accidentally rotated in an unnecessary direction with respect to the link during the contraction.

( 10 ) In the process of turning from the open state to the closed state, the lid abuts on the link from the upstream side in the turning direction from the second posture to the first posture of the link, A second abutting portion that rotates the link to the first posture in conjunction with the rotation is provided.

  In the above-described configuration, when the lid and the second contact portion come into contact with each other in the turning process from the open state to the closed state, the link rotates following the rotation of the lid. That is, since the posture of the link can be automatically changed to the first posture simply by rotating the lid, the operability of the tray can be improved.

( 11 ) The lid includes an operation unit that is operated to unlock the lock unit and rotate the link.

  The user has an operation portion formed on the lid, and by operating the operation portion, the user can unlock the link at a position far from the rotation shaft of the link and easily rotate the link. That is, the operability of the tray can be improved by providing the operation unit.

( 12 ) The present invention can also be understood as an image recording apparatus including the tray and a recording unit that records an image on a sheet fed from the tray.

  In the present invention, the link can be fixed to the tray in the first posture by the lock portion. Thereby, it can reduce that a link rattling with respect to a tray in a 1st attitude | position. Then, it can reduce that the lid | cover connected with the link so that rotation is possible with respect to a tray, and can operate a tray easily.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. 3A and 3B show the paper feed tray 22 in which the link 130 is in the first posture and the paper discharge tray 23 is closed. FIG. 3A is a perspective view, and FIG. 3B is a vertical cross-sectional view. Has been. 4A and 4B show the paper feed tray 22 in which the link 130 is in the first posture and the paper discharge tray 23 is in an open state. FIG. 4A is a perspective view, and FIG. 4B is a longitudinal sectional view. Has been. 5A and 5B show the paper feed tray 22 in which the link 130 is in the second posture and the paper discharge tray 23 is in an open state. FIG. 5A is a perspective view, and FIG. 5B is a vertical cross-sectional view. Has been. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray 22 as viewed from the front and obliquely above. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the paper feed tray 22 in the process in which the paper discharge tray 23 shifts from the open state to the closed state. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the paper feed tray 22 in a state where the second storage portion 72 is extended with respect to the first storage portion 71. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the paper feed tray 22 in the second modification. FIG. 9A shows a state where the link 130 is in the first posture, and FIG. 9B shows a state where the link 130 is in the second posture. A state is shown. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the link 130 in the second modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to a state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state in FIG. 1), and the side in which the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front side). 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front side (front side). For the paper feed trays 21 and 22, the vertical direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are defined with reference to the state where the multi-function peripheral 10 is mounted (the state shown in FIG. 1).

[Schematic configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is provided with a scanner unit 12 at the top and an ink jet recording type printer unit 11 (an example of the apparatus of the present invention and an example of an image recording apparatus as the apparatus) at the bottom. ing. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The presence or absence of functions other than the print function is arbitrary.

  An opening 13 is formed on the front side of the printer unit 11. The printer unit 11 includes paper feed trays 21 and 22 (an example of the tray of the present invention) and a recording unit 40 (an example of the recording unit of the present invention, see FIG. 2). The printer unit 11 can insert and remove the paper feed trays 21 and 22 in the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13. The printer unit 11 may be configured such that the paper feed trays 21 and 22 do not slide in the front-rear direction 8. For example, the paper feed trays 21 and 22 may be fixed to the printer unit 11. The paper feed trays 21 and 22 may be configured to be able to be pulled out from the printer unit 11 halfway.

  Recording paper 50 (an example of the sheet of the present invention) is stored in the paper feed trays 21 and 22 (see FIG. 2). In the printer unit 11, the recording paper 50 is selectively supplied from the paper feed tray 21 or the paper feed tray 22 into the printer unit 11. The supplied recording paper 50 is discharged onto the upper surface 23 of the paper feed tray 22 after an image is recorded by the recording unit 40. The upper surface 23 functions as a paper discharge tray 23 (an example of the lid of the present invention).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper feed tray 21 and the paper feed tray 22 are arranged in two upper and lower stages with the paper feed tray 22 as the upper side. By providing the two paper feed trays 21 and 22, it is possible to hold the recording paper 50 having a different size and paper type. The paper feed trays 21 and 22 will be described later.

[Conveyance paths 17, 18, 19 and supply units 28, 38]
As shown in FIG. 2, a curved conveyance path 18 is provided above the inclined plate 24 of the paper feed tray 22. When the paper feed tray 22 is attached to the printer unit 11, the inclined plate 24 is disposed below the conveyance path 18, and the first supply unit 28 is disposed above the paper feed tray 22. The first supply unit 28 includes a paper feed roller 25, an arm 26, and a shaft 27. The paper feed roller 25 is rotatably provided on the tip side of the arm 26. The arm 26 is rotatably provided on a shaft 27 supported by the casing of the printer unit 11. The arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the paper feed tray 22 by its own weight or by receiving an elastic force from a spring or the like. The first supply unit 28 picks up the recording paper 50 from the paper feed tray 22 and feeds it to the transport path 18. The second supply unit 38 has the same configuration as the first supply unit 28. That is, the second supply unit 38 includes a paper feed roller 35, an arm 36, and a shaft 37, and picks up the recording paper 50 from the paper feed tray 21 and feeds it to the transport path 17.

  A conveyance path 19 that is continuous with the conveyance path 17 and the conveyance path 18 is provided inside the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 19 is a path along which the recording paper 50 conveyed along the conveyance path 17 or the conveyance path 18 is conveyed, and is directed from the position where the conveyance path 17 and the conveyance path 18 merge toward the front side of the multifunction machine 10. Thus, it extends to above the paper discharge tray 23.

[Recording unit 40]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 40 includes a carriage 41 that mounts a recording head 42 and reciprocates in the main scanning direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2). The recording head 42 is supplied with inks of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) from an ink cartridge (not shown). The recording head 42 ejects each ink as a minute ink droplet from a nozzle provided on the lower surface thereof. As the carriage 41 reciprocates in the main scanning direction, the recording head 42 is scanned with respect to the recording paper, and recording is carried on a platen 43 provided below the recording unit 40 and facing the recording unit 40. An image is recorded on the paper. The platen 43 is a member that supports a recording sheet conveyed along the conveyance path 19.

[Conveying roller pair 59 and discharging roller pair 64]
As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance roller pair 59 is provided on the upstream side of the recording unit 40 in the conveyance direction 6 of the recording paper 50. The conveyance roller pair 59 includes a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61. The transport roller 60 is disposed on the upper side of the transport path 19 and rotates upon receiving a driving force from a transport motor (not shown). The pinch roller 61 is rotatably disposed below the conveyance roller 60 with the conveyance path 19 interposed therebetween, and is urged toward the conveyance roller 60 by a spring.

  A discharge roller pair 64 is provided downstream of the recording unit 40 in the conveyance direction 6 of the recording paper 50. The discharge roller pair 64 includes a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63. The paper discharge roller 62 is disposed below the transport path 19 and rotates upon receiving a driving force from the transport motor. The spur 63 is rotatably disposed above the paper discharge roller 62 with the conveyance path 19 interposed therebetween, and is urged toward the paper discharge roller 62 by a spring.

  The recording paper 50 fed from the paper feed tray 21 or the paper feed tray 22 by the first supply unit 28 or the second supply unit 38 from the front side to the rear side (corresponding to the feeding direction of the present invention) The pair 59 is guided to the recording unit 40, and an image is recorded by the recording unit 40. Thereafter, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 23 by the discharge roller pair 64.

[Paper Feed Tray 21, 22]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper feed trays 21 and 22 are disposed below the recording unit 40 when mounted on the printer unit 11. The paper feed trays 21 and 22 are attached to the printer unit 11 by being inserted rearward into the opening 13 with the side on which the inclined plate 24 is provided as the leading end (state of FIGS. 1 and 2). As a result, the recording paper 50 accommodated in the paper feed trays 21 and 22 can be supplied to the conveyance paths 17 and 18 of the printer unit 11. The paper feed trays 21 and 22 are taken out from the printer unit 11 by being drawn forward from the opening 13 from the rear end opposite to the front end. As a result, the recording paper 50 can be replenished to the paper feed trays 21 and 22. The paper feed tray 21 and the paper feed tray 22 have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following, the configuration of the paper feed tray 22 will be described, and the description of the configuration of the paper feed tray 21 will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed tray 22 is generally formed in a rectangular dish shape that is long in the insertion / removal direction (the front-rear direction 8 in this embodiment) in plan view. The paper feed tray 22 includes a tray main body 20 (a tray body according to the present invention) including a first accommodating portion 71 (an example of a first accommodating portion according to the present invention) and a second accommodating portion 72 (an example of a second accommodating portion according to the present invention). And a paper discharge tray 23 (an example of the lid of the present invention).

[First container 71]
As shown in FIG. 3, the first accommodating portion 71 includes a main body bottom plate 75 on which the recording paper 50 is placed, an inclined plate 24 erected from the rear end of the main body bottom plate 75, and the left-right direction of the main body bottom plate 75. 9 (corresponding to the width direction of the present invention). The upper surface of the first accommodating portion 71 is open. In other words, the 1st accommodating part 71 has the opening 73 (refer FIG. 4) on the upper surface. The recording paper 50 is accommodated in the paper feed tray 22 through the opening 73. In other words, the recording paper 50 is placed on the main body bottom plate 75.

  The inclined plate 24 is a plate-like member that is long in the left-right direction 9 of the first housing portion 71. When the leading end of the recording paper 50 accommodated in the paper feed tray 22 contacts the inclined plate 24, the leading end is guided along the inclined plate 24 to the conveyance path 18 obliquely upward (see FIG. 2). The first side wall 81 is provided so as to extend in the front-rear direction 8.

  As shown in FIG. 4, side end guides 111 are arranged in the front-rear direction 8 inside the first side wall 81. The side end guide 111 has an inverted U-shaped cross section. The second side wall 98 of the second accommodating portion 72 is inserted into the side end guide 111. Thereby, the direction of the slide with respect to the 1st accommodating part 71 of the 2nd accommodating part 72 mentioned later is controlled by the front-back direction 8. FIG.

[Second storage portion 72]
As shown in FIG. 8, the second storage portion 72 includes an extended bottom plate 82 on which the recording paper 50 is placed, a front plate 83 erected from the front end of the extended bottom plate 82, and the left-right direction 9 of the extended bottom plate 82. And a pair of second side walls 98 extending in the front-rear direction 8. In FIG. 8, the extended bottom plate 82 is on the left side (the lower side of the drawing in FIG. 8) from the second side wall 98 and is not visible in FIG. 8, so the instruction line is indicated by a broken line.

  The second storage part 72 is configured to be extendable and contractable with respect to the first storage part 71 by sliding with respect to the first storage part 71. As described above, the sliding direction of the second storage unit 72 is regulated to the front-rear direction 8, that is, the feeding direction of the recording paper 50. When the large-size recording paper 50 is stored in the paper feed tray 22, the second storage unit 72 is slid to a position extended with respect to the first storage unit 71 (see FIG. 8). Thereby, the loading surface of the recording paper 50 is extended, and the second storage unit 72 can store the large size recording paper 50 in cooperation with the first storage unit 71. On the other hand, when the recording paper 50 of a small size is stored in the paper supply tray 22, the second storage unit 72 is slid to a contracted position (see FIG. 3B) with respect to the first storage unit 71. . Thereby, the mounting surface of the recording paper 50 is contracted.

[Discharge Tray 23]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the paper discharge tray 23 includes a first lid portion 95 (an example of the first lid portion of the present invention) and a second lid portion 96 (an example of the second lid portion of the present invention). Have

  The first lid portion 95 is generally formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction 9 in plan view. As shown in FIG. 3, the second lid 96 is provided so as to cover the first lid 95. A rail (not shown) is formed on the upper surface of the first lid portion 95 along the front-rear direction 8, and a rail groove (not shown) is formed at a position facing the rail on the lower surface of the second lid portion 96. Has been. By fitting the rail and the rail groove, the second lid portion 96 is slid forward with respect to the first lid portion 95 and extended from the state shown in FIG. 3 to the state shown in FIG. Moreover, the 2nd cover part 96 is slid back with respect to the 1st cover part 95, and is shrunk from the state shown by FIG. 8 to the state shown by FIG. That is, the second lid portion 96 can be expanded and contracted with respect to the first lid portion.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first lid portion 95 is connected to the first accommodating portion 71 via a link 130 described later. The link 130 protrudes upward from the first side wall 81, and a first support hole 138 is provided in the vicinity of the protruding end. In the present embodiment, the link 130 protrudes from the approximate center of the first accommodating portion 71 in the front-rear direction 8. On both sides of the rear end of the first lid portion 95, shafts 91 that protrude outward in the left-right direction 9 are provided. The shaft 91 is inserted through the first support hole 138. Accordingly, the first lid portion 95 is rotatably connected by the link 130 and is rotated about the shaft 91 in the direction of the arrow 140 in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, first concave portions 92 are provided on the front end of the lower surface of the second lid portion 96 and on both sides in the left-right direction 9. The first concave portion 92 is formed in a position and shape corresponding to the first convex portion 74 provided on the upper surface of the second side wall 98 of the second accommodating portion 72. The paper discharge tray 23 is laid down with respect to the tray body 20 and is changed from the state shown in FIG. 4 to the state shown in FIG. 3, whereby the first convex portion 74 is accommodated in the first concave portion 92. In this state, the second lid portion 96 is supported by the second side wall 98. Accordingly, in the state shown in FIG. 3, when the second storage portion 72 is slid with respect to the first storage portion 71, the second lid portion 96 is moved relative to the first lid portion 95 in conjunction with this. It slides and it will be in the state shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in a state where the paper discharge tray 23 is laid down with respect to the tray body 20, an area on the front side of the link 130 in the opening 73 (see FIG. 4) that is the upper surface of the tray body 20 is , And is covered by a paper discharge tray 23. That is, the paper discharge tray 23 covers the area of the opening 73 excluding the area downstream of the recording paper 50 in the feeding direction. In other words, the paper discharge tray 23 covers a part of the upper surface of the tray body 20. This state corresponds to the closed state of the present invention. The paper discharge tray 23 may be configured to cover the entire top surface of the tray body 20.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the second storage portion 72 is extended with respect to the first storage portion 71, and the paper discharge tray 23 is laid down with respect to the first storage portion 71 and the second storage portion 72. In the state, the region on the front side of the link 130 in the upper surface of the first housing portion 71 is covered with the first lid portion 95. In addition, the region of the upper surface of the second accommodating portion 72 is covered with the second lid portion 96. This state also corresponds to the closed state of the present invention.

  Further, in the state in which the paper discharge tray 23 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 144 from the state shown in FIG. 3 or the state in which the paper discharge tray 23 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 144 from the state shown in FIG. An opening 73 (see FIG. 4), which is the upper surface of the main body 20 (the first housing portion 71 and the second housing portion 72), is opened. This state corresponds to the open posture of the present invention.

[Link 130]
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, 7, and 8, the link 130 is a rod-like member that is a substantially L-shaped member that is bent substantially vertically at a substantially center.

  The link 130 is arranged inside the first side wall 81, that is, on the left side of the first side wall 81 erected from the right end of the main body bottom plate 75 and on the right side of the first side wall 81 erected from the left end of the main body bottom plate 75. The At this time, the link 130 is arranged so that it looks like an inverted L shape when viewed from the left side, and looks like an L shape when viewed from the right side. In addition, in FIGS. 3-5, since the link 130 is seen from the left side to the right side, it looks like an inverted L shape. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the link 130 extends from the first end 128 (corresponding to the first end of the present invention) to the front side and is bent upward at the central portion 127 to be second end 129. (Corresponding to the second end of the present invention). The link 130 is formed so as to be on the center side in the left-right direction 9 at the bent position. That is, the length in the left-right direction 9 of the discharge tray 23 at the portion supported by the link 130 is formed shorter than the tray main body 20, and the link 130 is bent not only on the upper side but also on the left and right sides. .

  In the state where the link 130 is disposed as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and FIG. 7, a shaft 131 protruding outward, that is, a shaft 131 extending in the left-right direction 9 is provided at the first end 128 of the link 130. . In addition, a second support hole 139 is provided in the middle of the first side wall 81 in the front-rear direction 8 slightly rearward and in the vicinity of the upper end in the up-down direction 7. The shaft 130 is inserted into the second support hole 139, whereby the link 130 is rotatably connected, that is, supported by the first side wall 81 inside the first side wall 81.

  On the other hand, as described above, the first support hole 138 is provided near the protruding end of the link 130, that is, at the second end 129. Then, when the shaft 91 extending in the left-right direction 9 is inserted into the first support hole 138, the first lid portion 95 is connected by the link 130 so as to be rotatable in the closed state and the open state, that is, Supported.

[Lock unit 100]
As shown in FIG. 3, the link 130 is fixed to the first accommodating portion 71 in the posture shown in FIG. 3 (corresponding to the first posture of the present invention) by the lock portion 100 described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, a central portion 127 of the link 130 is provided with a protrusion 132 (an example of an engaging portion of the present invention) that protrudes outward, that is, extends in the left-right direction 9. In the first side wall 81, a hole 141 (an example of an engaged portion of the present invention) is provided in front of the second support hole 139. The distance from the second support hole 139 formed in the first side wall 81 to the hole 141 is the same as the distance from the shaft 131 formed in the link 130 to the protrusion 132. Further, the shape of the hole 141 is a shape opposite to the shape of the protrusion 132. Further, the tip of the protrusion 132 is formed so as to be located outside in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the inner surface of the first side wall 81. As described above, when the link 130 is in the posture shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 132 and the hole 141 are fitted, and the link 130 is fixed to the first side wall 81 of the first housing portion 71.

  In the present embodiment, the protrusion 132 is thicker as it is closer to the link 130, and is thinner as it is separated from the link 130 and approaches the protrusion. That is, the protrusion 132 has a tapered shape, and two rectangular surfaces are formed from the link 130, and each surface joins at the protruding end side. Accordingly, when viewed from the front-rear direction 8, a triangle is formed by one side and the side wall of each of the two inclined surfaces. The two rectangular surfaces of the protrusion 132 form an inclined surface (an example of the guiding portion of the present invention) toward the protruding end side. Since the side surface of the protrusion 132 is an inclined surface, the protrusion 132 is easily fitted into the hole 141. In addition, the guide part of this invention is not restricted to such a structure, For example, the side surface of the hole 141 may form the inclined surface. Further, the inclined surfaces may not have the same shape. Moreover, it may be an inclined surface according to the trajectory of rotation about the shaft 131 of the link 130.

[Third side wall 84]
As shown in FIG. 6, the tray main body 20 has a third side wall 84 (the first side wall 81 on the right side of the first side wall 81 on the left side and the left side of the first side wall 81 on the right side. 1 example of a stopper). The third side wall 84 is disposed in parallel to the first side wall 81 with a predetermined distance from the first side wall 81. Here, the predetermined interval is substantially the same as the width of the link 130 in the left-right direction 9.

  When the link 130 is in the posture shown in FIG. 3 (see FIG. 3), the link 130 is sandwiched between the first side wall 81 and the third side wall 84 as shown in FIG. Specifically, at least the first end 128 to the central portion 127 of the link 130 is sandwiched between the first side wall 81 and the third side wall 84. Accordingly, both side surfaces of the link 130 in the left-right direction 9 are in contact with the first side wall 81 and the third side wall 84.

[First contact surface 99]
As shown in FIG. 8, the first lid 95 is on the front side (upstream side in the direction in which the second lid 96 is contracted) with respect to the surface 133 that is the front side of the link 130 in the state shown in FIG. 3. The first contact surface 99 (an example of the first contact portion of the present invention) is provided. Here, the first contact surface 99 can contact the surface 133 in a state where the second lid portion 96 can be expanded and contracted with respect to the first lid portion 95. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the second cover 96 is contracted and expandable with respect to the first cover 95 as shown in FIG. 3, or as shown in FIG. The second lid portion 96 extends with respect to the first lid portion 95 and can be contracted.

[Change in posture of link 130 from first posture to second posture]
Hereinafter, a change in the posture of the link 130 accompanying opening and closing of the paper discharge tray 23 will be described. In the following description, the case where the second storage portion 72 is contracted with respect to the first storage portion 71 will be described. However, the second storage portion 72 is extended with respect to the first storage portion 71. Even so, the link 130 changes its posture in the same manner as in the contracted state.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the paper discharge tray 23 covers a part of the upper surface of the tray main body 20 in a state where the paper discharge tray 23 is laid down with respect to the tray main body 20. In this state, the 1st convex part 74 (refer FIG. 4) is accommodated in the 1st recessed part 92 (refer FIG. 4). Thereby, the paper discharge tray 23 is supported by the tray body 20. Further, the rear end portion of the paper discharge tray 23 is connected to the link 130. That is, the paper discharge tray 23 is supported in the closed state by the link 130 and the tray main body 20.

  Further, when the paper discharge tray 23 is in the closed state, the link 130 is fixed by the lock unit 100 in an inverted L-shape when viewed from the left side. The posture of the link 130, that is, the posture shown in FIG. 3, corresponds to the first posture of the present invention.

  In this state, when the paper discharge tray 23 is rotated by the user about the shaft 91 in the direction of the arrow 144, the state shown in FIG. That is, as a result of the paper discharge tray 23 being rotated rearward so that the upper surface and the lower surface are reversed, the opening 73 of the tray body 20 is opened. That is, the paper discharge tray 23 is changed from the closed state to the opened state.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the paper discharge tray 23 is opened, a surface 97 (an example of the operation unit of the present invention) that expands in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9 is visible from the front of the paper feed tray 22. It becomes a state. When the paper discharge tray 23 is closed, the surface 97 is located on the rear side of the paper discharge tray 23, so that it cannot be seen from the front of the paper feed tray 22.

  As shown in black in FIG. 4, the surface 97 is provided at both ends of the paper discharge tray 23 in the left-right direction 9. Here, when the user pushes the surface 97 backward, a backward force is applied to the paper discharge tray 23. As a result, a backward force is also applied to the link 130 connected to the paper discharge tray 23. This backward force causes the link 130 to rotate about the shaft 131, so that a force acts on the link 130 or the first side wall 81 so that the fitting between the projection 132 and the hole 141 is released. That is, a force acts in a direction in which the link 130 and the first side wall 81 are separated in the left-right direction 9. Then, when the link 130 or the first side wall 81 is deformed or moved, the fitting between the protrusion 132 (see FIG. 5) and the hole 141 (see FIG. 5) is released. That is, the state in which the link 130 is fixed to the first housing portion 71 is released.

  Then, while the projection 132 slides on the inner side surface of the first side wall 81, the link 130 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 142 in FIG. As a result, the link 130 assumes the posture shown in FIG. That is, in the link 130, the other end is positioned behind the one end. Further, when the link 130 is in the posture shown in FIG. 5, the paper discharge tray 23 is kept open. The posture of the link 130, that is, the posture shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the second posture of the present invention. As described above, the link 130 can be rotated from the first posture to the second posture with respect to the first housing portion 71. Note that the position of the second end 129 when the link 130 is in the second posture is the rear side of the position of the second end 129 when the link 130 is in the first posture, that is, the position of the recording paper 50. It is the downstream side in the feed direction.

  In the present embodiment, the link 130 cannot further rotate in the direction of the arrow 142 (see FIG. 4) from the second posture. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in the first side wall 81, to the inside (the left side of the right first side wall 81 and the right side of the left first side wall 81) behind the portion connected to the link 130. A protruding stop member 85 (an example of the second stopper of the present invention) is provided. Accordingly, when the link 130 is rotated to the second posture, the rear surface comes into contact with the restraining member 85. Therefore, the link 130 is not further rotated in the direction of the arrow 142.

[Change in posture of link 130 from second posture to first posture]
In the state shown in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the opened paper discharge tray 23 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 143. That is, it is assumed that the paper discharge tray 23 is rotated so as to shift from the open state to the closed state. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, in the rotation process, the first contact surface 99 contacts the surface 133 from the upstream side in the direction of the arrow 143, in other words, from the upstream side in the rotation direction. It becomes a state. In this state, when the paper discharge tray 23 further rotates in the direction of the arrow 143, the first contact surface 99 presses the surface 133. In other words, pressure is applied in the direction from the first contact surface 99 to the surface 133 (the direction of the arrow 144 in FIG. 7). Then, the link 130 is also rotated in the direction of the arrow 143 about the shaft 131 by the pressure. That is, the link 130 starts changing its posture from the second posture to the first posture. Thereafter, the link 130 rotates following the rotation of the discharge tray 23, and when the discharge tray 23 is closed, the link 130 is also in the first posture (see FIG. 3). The protrusion 132 of the link 130 protrudes outward in the left-right direction 9 from the inner surface of the first side wall 81. Therefore, when the paper discharge tray 23 or the link 130 is pushed so that the link 130 assumes the first posture, a force acts in a direction in which the link 130 and the first side wall 81 are separated in the left-right direction 9. As a result, when the link 130 or the first side wall 81 is deformed or moved, the projection 132 changes its posture so as to fit into the hole 141 while sliding on the inner side surface of the first side wall 81. From the above, the first contact surface 99 is an example of the second contact portion of the present invention. In addition, since the 1st side wall 81 and the link 130 are formed with resin, they can deform | transform.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the first contact surface 99 is an example of both the first contact portion and the second contact portion has been described, but the surface corresponding to the first contact portion and the second contact surface A surface corresponding to the contact portion may be provided separately.

[Effect of the embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, the link 130 can be fixed to the tray body 20 in the first posture by the lock unit 100. Thereby, it can reduce that the link 130 rattles with respect to the 1st accommodating part 71 in a 1st attitude | position. Then, rattling of the discharge tray 23 that is pivotally connected to the link 130 with respect to the tray body 20 can be reduced, and the operation of the paper feed tray 22 can be easily performed.

  When the recording paper 50 is accommodated in the tray body 20 from the front side, the connection portion between the paper discharge tray 23 and the link 130 is closer to the rear side of the paper feed tray 22 when the paper discharge tray 23 is opened. It is easy to accommodate the recording paper 50. However, conversely, the connection portion between the paper discharge tray 23 and the link 130 may be on the front side of the paper feed tray 22. Hereinafter, the example is explained in full detail.

  In recent years, there has been a demand for an increase in the maximum number of recording sheets 50 that can be stored in the paper feed tray 22, and as the maximum number increases, the height of the paper feed tray 22 increases. In addition, a paper feed roller 25 that is pressed against the recording paper 50 is disposed in an area on the rear side of the paper feed tray 22 in the opened upper surface of the paper feed tray 22. Here, the arm 26 to which the paper feed roller 25 is rotatably attached extends obliquely upward from the paper feed roller 25 toward the front side at a predetermined angle with respect to the main body bottom plate 75, and It is rotatably attached to a frame of the printer unit 11 provided above. Here, it is not preferable to change the predetermined angle because the pressure of the paper supply roller 22 against the recording paper 50 is preferably maintained constant. Therefore, as described above, when the height of the paper feed tray 22 increases, it is necessary to lengthen the arm 26. That is, the arm 26 is further extended toward the front side. Thus, the paper discharge tray 23 needs to be arranged on the front side in order to avoid contact with the arm 26. As a result, the connection portion between the paper discharge tray 23 and the link 130 becomes the front side. In such a case, when the small-size recording paper 50 is stored in the paper feed tray 22, the recording paper 50 is stored on the basis of the downstream side in the feeding direction (that is, the rear side of the printer 11). Therefore, it becomes difficult to accommodate the recording paper 50.

  In order to solve such a problem, it is conceivable to lengthen the link 130. When the link 130 is lengthened, the height of the portion where the recording paper 50 is inserted into the tray main body 20 is increased in the opened state of the paper discharge tray 23. This makes it easier to store the recording paper 50 in the tray body 20 even when the paper discharge tray 23 is disposed on the front side. However, when the link 130 becomes longer, the strength of the link 130 decreases and the possibility that the link 130 is damaged increases. Moreover, if the link 130 becomes long, the shakiness of the link 130 will become large.

  Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the link 130 is bent. Therefore, in the link 130, the lengths of the portions extending from the bent portion (the central portion 127) to both ends (the first end 128 and the second end 129) of the link 130 are determined between the both ends when the link 130 is straight. Can be shorter than Thereby, the fall of the intensity | strength of the link 130 can be suppressed. Further, when the link 130 is bent, as shown in FIG. 5, when the discharge tray 23 is opened, when the link 130 extends upward from the first end 128 to the central portion 127, From the central portion 127 to the second end 129, the state extends to the rear side. That is, the paper discharge tray 23 connected to the second end 129 is located on the rear side. Thereby, when the paper discharge tray 23 is opened, the area of the open portion of the upper surface of the tray main body 20 is increased, and the recording paper 50 can be easily accommodated. As described above, the link 130 is bent, so that the recording paper 50 can be easily accommodated in the tray body 20 when the discharge tray 23 is opened without lowering the strength.

  In the above-described embodiment, since the lock part 100 is disposed between the first end 128 and the second end 129, the lock part 100 can be easily formed.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, since the protrusion 132 is provided with the inclined surface, the protrusion 132 and the hole 141 can be smoothly engaged.

  In the above-described embodiment, since the tray body 20 includes the third side wall 84, the movement of the link 130 in the left-right direction 9 is inhibited. That is, rattling of the link 130 in the left-right direction 9 can be prevented.

  If the link 130 can be rotated more than necessary, the user may have difficulty operating the paper discharge tray 23. Further, the second end 129 side of the rotated link 130 may collide with the tray body 20 and the link 130 may be damaged. However, in the above-described embodiment, the rotation of the tray main body 20 is stopped in the second posture by the restraining member 85 and is not further rotated in the direction of the arrow 142, so that the operability of the discharge tray 23 is improved. Further, it is possible to prevent the link 130 from being damaged.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the link 130 is in contact with the first contact surface 99, the rotation of the link 130 is stopped by the first contact surface 99. Further, when the second lid portion 96 is contractible with respect to the first lid portion 95, the first contact surface 99 provided on the first lid portion 95 is in contact with the surface 133 of the link 130. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the paper discharge tray 23 from being accidentally rotated in an unnecessary direction with respect to the link 130 during the contraction.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the first contact surface 99 of the paper discharge tray 23 contacts the surface 133 of the link 130 when the paper discharge tray 23 rotates from the open state to the closed state, The link 130 rotates following the rotation of the paper discharge tray 23. In other words, the link 130 can be automatically changed from the second posture to the first posture simply by rotating the paper discharge tray 23, so that the operability of the tray 130 can be improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the surface 97 is formed on the paper discharge tray 23. Therefore, the user can release the lock of the link 130 at a position far from the shaft 131 of the link 130 and easily rotate it by pushing the surface 97. That is, by providing the surface 97, the operability of the paper feed tray 22 can be improved.

[Modification 1 of Embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the link 130 is a bent substantially L-shaped member has been described. However, the link 130 may be curved instead of bent as shown by a broken line in FIG. Good.

  Even in the case where the link 130 is curved, as in the case where the link 130 in the above-described embodiment is bent, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the strength of the link 130, and the recording paper 50 is the tray main body. The space inserted into 20 can be increased.

[Modification 2 of the embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the lock portion 100 is provided in the central portion 127 where the link 130 is bent has been described. However, the location where the lock portion 100 is provided is the first end 128 of the link 130 and the second portion. As long as it is between the two ends 129 (including the first end 128 and the second end 129), it is not limited to the central portion 127 where the link 130 is bent. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a protrusion 132 that is an example of an engaging portion of the lock portion 100 is also used as the shaft 131, and as illustrated in FIG. 9, The hole 141 as an example may be used also as the second support hole 139.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, the shaft 131 includes a second convex portion 134 that can be elastically deformed at one location on the outer periphery. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the second support hole 139 includes a second recess 135 at at least one location on the inner periphery. In the modification 2, the 2nd recessed part 135 is provided in two places (2nd recessed part 135A and 2nd recessed part 135B). The second concave portion 135 can be fitted to the second convex portion 134. The link 130 is locked by the fitting.

  The second convex portion 134 is fitted with the second concave portion 135A in the state shown in FIG. 9A, that is, in the state corresponding to the state shown in FIG. 3 in the above-described embodiment. When the link 130 is changed in posture from the first posture to the second posture, the shaft 131 rotates. At this time, the fitting of the second convex portion 134 and the second concave portion 135A is released by the force by which the shaft 131 rotates. And the 2nd convex part 134 slides along the inner periphery of the 2nd support hole 139, and transfers to the state fitted with the 2nd recessed part 135B from the state fitted with the 2nd recessed part 135A (FIG. 9 (B)). The second convex portion 134 is elastically deformed so as to contract toward the center of the shaft 131 while sliding along the inner peripheral surface between the second concave portion 135A and the second concave portion 135B. For this reason, the said sliding is possible.

10: MFP 11: printer unit 22: paper feed tray 23: paper discharge tray 40: recording unit 71: first storage unit 72: second storage unit 84: third side wall 85: stop member 95: first lid unit 96 : Second lid portion 97: surface 99: first contact surface 100: lock portion 130: link 132: protrusion 141: hole

Claims (12)

A tray for storing sheets fed to a device capable of conveying sheets,
A tray body having an opening on the upper side and capable of accommodating a sheet fed to the apparatus inside through the opening;
A lid that covers a region of the opening excluding the region on the downstream side in the feeding direction;
A first end is orthogonally connected to the feeding direction and is pivotally connected to the tray body with a width direction along the sheet placement surface as an axis, and a second end opposite to the first end is A link that is pivotally connected to the feeding direction downstream side of the lid with the width direction as an axis, and that supports the lid in a closed state covering the opening and an open state opening the opening. Prepared,
It said link includes a first position, can pivot and the second position in which the upper Symbol second end is positioned in the feeding direction downstream side than in the said first position, between the relative said tray member Yes,
The lid is changeable between the closed state and the open state in the first posture, and the link is in the open state in the second posture,
A tray having a lock portion for fixing the link to the tray body in the first posture. The lock portion is formed by an engagement portion formed on the link and an engaged portion formed on the tray body, and the engagement portion is formed between the first end and the second end. tray according to claim 1 is provided in a position between.   A tray for storing sheets fed to a device capable of conveying sheets,
  A tray body having an opening on the upper side and capable of accommodating a sheet fed to the apparatus inside through the opening;
  A lid that covers a region of the opening excluding the region on the downstream side in the feeding direction;
  A first end is orthogonally connected to the feeding direction and is pivotally connected to the tray body with a width direction along the sheet placement surface as an axis, and a second end opposite to the first end is A link that is pivotally connected to the feeding direction downstream side of the lid with the width direction as an axis, and that supports the lid in a closed state covering the opening and an open state opening the opening. Prepared,
  The link is a first posture that is a posture when the lid is in the closed state, a posture when the lid is in the open state, and the supply is more than when the second end is in the first posture. It is rotatable with respect to the tray body between the second posture located on the downstream side in the feeding direction,
  A lock portion for fixing the link to the tray body in the first posture;
  The lock portion is formed by an engagement portion formed on the link and an engaged portion formed on the tray body, and the engagement portion is formed between the first end and the second end. A tray provided between the two. The tray according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein a guiding portion for guiding the other is formed in one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the link extends from the first end to the upstream side in the feeding direction and is bent upward to extend to the second end. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the link extends from the first end to the upstream side in the feeding direction and is curved upward to extend to the second end. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tray body includes a first stopper that comes into contact with an end portion of the link in the width direction and stops movement of the link in the width direction. The tray body comes into contact when the link rotates a predetermined amount in a state where the link is in the second posture, and the rotation of the link toward the downstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the tray body is restrained. The tray according to claim 1, further comprising a second stopper. The tray body is
A first accommodating portion capable of accommodating a sheet;
It slides so that it can extend toward the upstream side in the feeding direction and contract toward the downstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the first housing part, and cooperates with the first housing part in a state of being stretched with respect to the first housing part. And a second accommodating portion capable of accommodating a sheet by working,
The lid is
A first lid that covers a region of the opening located above the first housing portion;
The first cover part is slidably extended with respect to the first cover part, and the second cover part covers a region located on the upper side of the second container part with the second container part extended with respect to the first container part. And 2 lid parts,
The first lid portion includes a first abutting portion that abuts on the link from the upstream side in the contraction direction and regulates the rotation of the first lid portion in a state in which the second lid portion can contract. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . In the process of rotating from the open state to the closed state, the lid abuts on the link from the upstream side in the rotational direction from the second posture to the first posture of the link, and the lid is rotated. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a second contact portion that interlocks and rotates the link to the first posture. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the lid includes an operation unit that is operated to release the lock portion and rotate the link. An image recording apparatus comprising: the tray according to claim 1; and a recording unit that records an image on a sheet fed from the tray.

Images