JP5601631B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a sheet.

  Conventionally, an image recording apparatus provided with a manual feed tray is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this conventional image recording apparatus, a sheet is supplied from a paper feed unit (paper cassette) located at the lower part, and is conveyed so as to make a U-turn from the lower side to the upper side in the first conveyance path (arc-shaped path). The Further, this image recording apparatus is provided with a manual feed tray (manual paper feed unit) on the back surface thereof. In addition to the route introduced from the paper feeding unit to the first conveyance path as described above, the user can manually feed sheets from the manual feed tray. In this case, the sheet is guided from the manual feed tray to the U-turn portion of the first transport path via the second transport path (manual feed path).

JP 2007-182316 A

  In the above prior art, a route in which the sheet is conveyed from the lower sheet feeding unit via the first conveyance path, or a route in which the sheet is conveyed from the manual feed tray via the second conveyance path and the U-turn portion of the first conveyance path. It is conveyed by. In such sheet conveyance, various conveyance inhibition requirements can be considered in practice. For example, since the user manually feeds paper from the manual feed tray, there is a possibility that the user mistakenly inserts a foreign object other than a sheet such as a clip or a staple of a stapler from the tray. In this case, the inserted foreign matter may enter the second conveyance path or the first conveyance path, and hinder the conveyance of the sheet.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of preventing occurrence of sheet conveyance obstruction.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first invention is an image recording apparatus comprising: a scanner unit that reads an image recorded on a document; and a printer unit that is provided below the scanner unit and records an image on a sheet. The printer unit includes a first conveyance path that conveys the sheet by making a U-turn from below to above on the back side of the image recording apparatus, and a U-turn of the first conveyance path from the back of the image recording apparatus. A second conveyance path leading to an upper portion; a sensor provided in the vicinity of a merging position of the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path; and a sensor for detecting the conveyed sheet; A tray provided at a position where the conveyance path is opened, a foreign substance collecting part that takes in and stores the foreign substance that has entered the second conveyance path, and protrudes to the left and right sides of the sensor in the vicinity of the merging position. Vignetting and having and a transport process structure with a protruding portion for positioning the sheet relative to the sensor.

  The image recording apparatus of the first invention of this application has a printer section. For example, the printer unit records an image on a sheet using an image of a document read by the scanner unit. At the time of image recording, a sheet is supplied from, for example, a sheet feeding unit positioned below the printer unit, and is conveyed so as to make a U-turn from the back side to the upper side in the first conveyance path.

  On the other hand, in the image recording apparatus of the first invention of the present application, a tray is provided on the back surface thereof. In addition to the route introduced from the paper feeding unit to the first conveyance path as described above, the user can manually feed sheets from the tray. In this case, the sheet is guided from the tray to the U-turn portion of the first conveyance path via the second conveyance path.

  As described above, the route in which the sheet is conveyed through the first conveyance path from the lower sheet feeding unit, or the route in which the sheet is conveyed through the U-turn portion of the second conveyance path and the first conveyance path, Be transported. In such sheet conveyance, various conveyance inhibition requirements can be considered in practice.

  For example, since the user feeds paper from the tray by hand, there is a possibility that the user mistakenly inserts a foreign object other than a sheet such as a clip or a staple of a stapler from the tray. In this case, the inserted foreign matter may enter the second conveyance path or the first conveyance path, and hinder the conveyance of the sheet. In the first invention of the present application, the foreign matter collecting section provided in the transport processing structure takes in and stores the foreign matter that has entered the second transport path. Thereby, the conveyance obstruction by the above foreign substances can be prevented.

  On the other hand, usually, in the conveyance path of the printer unit, means for detecting a sheet is provided for various controls. In the first invention of the present application, a sensor is provided in the vicinity of the merging position of the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path so as to correspond to either of the two routes described above. At the merge position, both the sheet conveyed by making a U-turn in the first conveyance path and the sheet merged from the second conveyance path are introduced, in other words, there are two directions of sheet introduction. In the first invention of the present application, the protrusions provided in the conveyance processing structure protrude to the left and right sides of the sensor to position the sheet. Thereby, the distance from the sensor to the sheet can be made constant, and the detection accuracy can be improved. As a result, the conveyance can be facilitated.

  As described above, in the first invention of the present application, the conveyance processing structure causes a conveyance hindrance in the structure in which the sheet is conveyed by the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path due to the functions of the foreign matter collecting unit and the protruding portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as sheet jamming (so-called jam).

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, the conveyance processing structure further includes a concave portion that is positioned on both the left and right sides of the protruding portion to reduce sheet conveyance resistance in the vicinity of the merging position. To do.

  When the sheet is positioned with respect to the sensor as described above, if the contact area with the sheet is too large, the frictional force becomes excessive and the conveyance resistance increases, which may hinder the conveyance. In the second invention of the present application, the sheet is positioned by the protruding portion in the vicinity of the sensor at the protruding portion of the transport processing structure as described above, while the left and right sides of the protruding portion are recessed to make the sheet other than the protruding portion. Avoid contact with. Thus, the sheet conveyance resistance can be reduced, and conveyance obstruction can be prevented more reliably.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the conveyance processing structure includes a first wall surface portion constituting a wall surface on the back side of the image recording apparatus of the first conveyance path, and the second conveyance path. A second wall surface portion constituting a wall surface on the back side of the image recording apparatus, and the foreign material collecting portion opens the second wall surface portion and removes foreign material that has entered the second wall surface portion. It is comprised so that it may take in, The said protrusion part is provided so that it may protrude toward the said sensor from the edge part of the said 1st wall surface part or the said 2nd wall surface part.

  Accordingly, the first wall surface provided in the transport processing structure also serves as a sheet guiding function in the first transport path, and the second wall surface serves also as a sheet guiding function in the second transport path. As a result, it is possible not only to prevent the conveyance from being hindered but also to facilitate the conveyance.

  In a fourth aspect based on the third aspect, the transport processing structure is rotatable via a connecting portion that rotatably connects a lower end portion of the transport processing structure and a rear end portion of the printer unit. It is provided in.

  By rotating the transfer processing structure including the first wall surface portion and the second wall surface portion around the connecting portion as the rotation center, the first transfer path and the second transfer path can be exposed to the outside of the apparatus. As a result, even if a problem such as a sheet jam occurs in the first transport path or the second transport path, the user can easily and quickly resolve the problem by opening the transport processing structure. . As a result, the convenience for the user is improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent occurrence of sheet conveyance obstruction.

1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine with a jam processing cover open. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the internal structure of a printer part. It is an arrow view from the A direction in FIG. 2, and an arrow view from the B direction in FIG. 2 showing the detailed structure of the jam treatment cover. FIG. 6 is an arrow view from the direction C in FIG. 2 and a cross-sectional view of the jam treatment cover corresponding to FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a multifunction machine 10 that is the image recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 showing a state in which a jam processing cover (described later) is opened.

  In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the state where the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state shown in FIG. 1), and the side on which the operation panel 121 is provided is the front side (front side). A front-rear direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the multifunction machine 10 is thin with a large width (length in the left-right direction 9) and depth (length in the front-rear direction 8) with respect to height (length in the up-down direction 7). It is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a copy function. In relation to these various functions, an image reading unit 12 is provided in the upper part of the multifunction device 10, and a printer unit 11 (in this example, an ink jet recording system) is provided in the lower part of the multifunction device 10. The printer unit 11 includes a casing (housing) 14 having openings formed on the front surface and the back surface. Each component of the printer unit 11 is disposed in the casing 14. In the present embodiment, the multifunction device 10 having only a single-sided image recording function as a printer function will be described as an example. However, the multifunction device 10 may have a double-sided image recording function.

<Configuration of Image Reading Unit 12>
The image reading unit 12 is disposed on the upper portion of the printer unit 11 and includes an operation panel 121 disposed on the front side of the upper surface of the apparatus and a scanner unit 122 that reads an image recorded on a document. The scanner part 122 is rotatably provided via a first connecting part P1 that rotatably connects the rear end part of the scanner part 122 and the rear end part of the casing 14. The first connecting part P1 includes, for example, two hinge members 122C and 122C provided on both the left and right sides of the multifunction machine 10. The scanner unit 122 includes a concave portion 122B located between the two hinge members 122C and 122C and capable of penetrating a manual feed tray 20 described later at the rear end portion. The recess 122B forms an avoidance space (see FIG. 2) for the manual feed tray 20 at the rear end of the scanner unit 122.

  The above operation composed of various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit for operating the printer unit 11 and the scanner unit 122 on the front side of the upper surface of the multifunction machine 10 and on the upper surface of the front side of the scanner unit 122. A panel 121 is provided. The multifunction machine 10 operates in response to an instruction input from the operation panel 121. The various operation buttons include, for example, a start button for starting the operation of the printer unit 11 and the scanner unit 122, a stop button for stopping the operation and ending the setting, a FAX button for selecting a facsimile function, and a scanner. Mode selection buttons such as a scanner button for selecting a function, a copy button for selecting a copy function, a dial button for inputting the number of copies, a reading resolution by the scanner unit 122, and other various setting buttons And a plurality of input keys.

  The scanner unit 122 is configured as a flat bed scanner (FBS: Flat Bed Scanner) and an automatic document feeder (ADF: Automatic Document Feeder). In the present embodiment, the scanner unit 122 is an image recorded on a document. Since the configuration is arbitrary, the detailed description is omitted.

<Configuration of Printer Unit 11>
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. In FIG. 3 and FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 described above, the storage chamber is partitioned so as to continue from the front opening (not shown) of the printer unit 11 to the inside of the casing 14. In this example, the upper and lower two-stage sheet feeding cassettes 78 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) are mounted in the storage chamber. The paper feed cassette 78 is configured to be able to be inserted into and removed from the front opening 8 in the front-rear direction 8. The paper feed cassette 78 can hold recording paper of various sizes. In the present embodiment, the multi-function device 10 that can be mounted with the upper and lower two-stage paper feed cassettes 78 (however, the upper illustration is simplified) is described as an example. Two or more paper feed cassettes 78 may be mountable.

  A concave portion D is provided on the back surface 14 </ b> A of the printer unit 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recess D includes a right side surface 14AA, a left side surface 14AB, and a back surface 14AC. As shown in FIG. 3, an opening (hereinafter referred to as a back opening 13) formed in the back surface of the printer unit 11 is provided at the lower part of the back surface 14 </ b> AC of the recess.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the manual feed tray 20 is disposed in the recess D so as to be openable and closable. FIG. 1 shows a state where the manual feed tray 20 is closed, and FIG. 2 shows a state where the manual feed tray 20 is opened. The manual feed tray 20 can be loaded with recording sheets of various sizes when opened. The configuration of the manual feed tray 20 will be described in detail later.

  Next, the configuration of the printer unit 11 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, illustration of the front side (the right side of the paper) of the paper feed cassette 78 is omitted. In FIG. 3, in addition to the paper feed cassette 78, the printer unit 11 picks up recording paper from the paper feed cassette 78 and feeds (feeds) recording paper, and paper feed units 15, 15 '. And a recording section 24 of an ink jet recording system for forming an image on the recording paper by ejecting ink droplets onto the recording paper fed by '. These are provided in the casing 14. The recording unit 24 is not limited to the ink jet method, and an electrophotographic method, a thermal recording method, or the like can be applied.

<Conveyance path 65>
Inside the printer unit 11, a conveyance path 65 is formed from the paper feed cassette 78 and the manual feed tray 20 through the recording unit 24 to a paper discharge holding unit (not shown). The conveyance path 65 includes a curved path 65 </ b> A as a first conveyance path formed between the leading end (rear end portion) of the paper feed cassette 78 and the recording unit 24, and the leading end (front end of the manual feed tray 20). Part) to a junction 36 with the curved path 65A, a transport path 65B as a second transport path, and a paper discharge path 65C formed between the recording part 24 and the paper discharge holding part. It has. The paper discharge holding unit may be configured integrally with the paper feed cassette 78 or may be fixed to the frame of the printer unit 11 or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the curved path 65 </ b> A is a curved path extending from the vicinity of the upper end of the separation inclined plate 22 provided in the paper feed cassette 78 to the recording unit 24. The recording paper is conveyed backward from the paper feed cassette 78. The recording sheet is U-turned from the lower side to the upper side by the curved path 65A on the back side of the apparatus. Thereafter, the recording sheet is conveyed forward. The curved path 65A is defined by an outer guide portion 18 and an inner guide portion 19 that are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval. In addition, the outer side guide part 18 functions as the 1st wall surface part which comprises the wall surface of the multifunction machine 10 back side of the curved path 65A. In addition, the outer side guide part 18 and the inner side guide part 19, and also the 1st lower side guide part 80 mentioned later, the 1st upper side guide part 81, the 2nd lower side guide part (not shown), and the 3rd upper side guide part ( All of them extend in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3 (the horizontal direction 9 in FIG. 1).

  The conveyance path 65B is a path that extends from the back opening 13 of the printer unit 11 to the junction 36 with the curved path 65A (substantially linear in this example). The recording sheet is inserted by the user of the multifunction machine 10 forward from the back opening 13 while being carried on the manual feed tray 20. The recording sheet is inserted into the nip position 60A between the first conveyance roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 via the conveyance path 65B.

  The conveyance path 65B is partitioned by a first lower guide portion 80 and a first upper guide portion 81 that are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval. The first lower guide portion 80 functions as a second wall surface portion constituting the wall surface on the back side of the multifunction machine 10 in the transport path 65B. Here, the transport direction refers to the direction in which the recording paper transports the transport path 65 (the direction indicated by the two-dot chain line with an arrow in FIG. 3). The recording paper inserted from the manual feed tray 20 is guided to the nip position 60 </ b> A via the junction 36.

<Recording unit 24>
As shown in FIG. 3, the recording unit 24 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 78. The recording unit 24 is configured to reciprocate along a guide rail (not shown) extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface (main scanning direction) in FIG. A platen 42 is provided below the recording unit 24. The platen 42 supports the recording paper horizontally when image recording is performed by the recording unit 24. In a reciprocating movement process in the main scanning direction, the recording unit 24 discharges ink supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) as fine ink droplets from a nozzle 39 onto a recording sheet conveyed on the platen 42. Thereby, an image is recorded on the recording paper.

  A first transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 are provided between the end of the curved path 65 </ b> A and the recording unit 24. These are paired. The pinch roller 61 is disposed below the first transport roller 60 and is pressed against the roller surface of the first transport roller 60 by an elastic member such as a spring (not shown). The first conveyance roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 nipping the recording sheet conveyed through the curved path 65A and the conveyance path 65B and feeding it onto the platen 42.

  A second transport roller 62 and a spur roller 63 are provided between the recording unit 24 and the start end of the paper discharge path 65C. These are paired. The spur roller 63 is disposed above the second transport roller 62 and is pressed against the roller surface of the second transport roller 62 by its own weight or a spring. The second conveying roller 62 and the spur roller 63 pinch the recorded recording sheet and further convey it to the downstream side (discharge holding section side).

  The first conveyance roller 60 and the second conveyance roller 62 are rotated by a rotational driving force transmitted from a conveyance motor (not shown) via a drive transmission mechanism. The first transport roller 60 and the second transport roller 62 are intermittently driven during image recording. Therefore, image recording is performed while the recording sheet is sent with a predetermined line feed width.

<Feeding unit 15>
The feeding unit 15 is for conveying the recording paper stored in the paper feeding cassette 78 toward the curved path 65A. The paper feeding roller 25, the paper feeding arm 26, and a drive transmission mechanism (not shown). ). The paper feed roller 25 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 78. The paper feed roller 25 picks up the recording paper stored in the paper feed cassette 78 and feeds it to the curved path 65 </ b> A, and is rotatably supported at the tip of the paper feed arm 26. The paper feed roller 25 is rotationally driven when the rotational force of a paper feed motor (not shown) is transmitted through the drive transmission mechanism. The drive transmission mechanism is pivotally supported by the paper feed arm 26 and is composed of a plurality of gears arranged in a straight line substantially along the extending direction of the paper feed arm 26. The paper feed roller 25 rotates around the base shaft 28 as a rotation center axis and can be pressed against the upper surface of the recording paper stored in the paper feed cassette 78. The feeding unit 15 'has the same structure as the feeding unit 15 and includes a paper feeding roller 25', a paper feeding arm 26 ', a drive transmission mechanism, and a base shaft 28'.

<Seat sensor 110>
As shown in FIG. 3, the curved path 65 </ b> A is a sheet for detecting the leading end position of a recording sheet conveyed through the curved path 65 </ b> A or a recording sheet inserted from the manual feed tray 20 via the conveyance path 65 </ b> B. A sensor 110 is provided. The sheet sensor 110 includes a contact switch that can be tilted about the rotating shaft 110a. Such a tiltable contact switch is advantageous for preventing the leading edge of the recording paper from dropping before the protrusions 14D and 14D because the recording paper moves over the top. Instead of the sheet sensor 110, for example, a photo interrupter having a rotating body having a detector, a light emitting element (for example, a light emitting diode), and a light receiving element (for example, a phototransistor) that receives light emitted from the light emitting element. An optical sensor such as the above may be used.

  Here, as a feature of the present embodiment, the outer guide portion 18 and the lower guide portion 80 are integrally provided in a jam processing cover 14B as a transport processing structure as shown in FIGS. Yes. As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, the lower guide portion 80 is constituted by end portions of a large number of ribs 80 a. The jam processing cover 14B includes a third connecting portion P3 (corresponding to a connecting portion described in each claim) that rotatably connects the lower end portion of the jam processing cover 14B and the rear end portion of the casing (housing) 14. And is provided so as to be rotatable around the axis k3 of the third connecting portion P3.

  4A is a view from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2 showing the detailed structure of the jam handling cover 14B, and FIG. 4B is a view from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5A is a view as viewed from the direction C in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the jam handling cover 14B corresponding to FIG. 5A.

  In FIGS. 4 and 5 and FIGS. 1 to 3 described above, a foreign matter collecting portion 14C is formed in a box shape inside the jam processing cover 14B. The foreign matter collecting unit 14C takes in and stores foreign matter other than the sheet, such as a clip / stapler needle, which has entered the conveyance path 65B. The foreign matter collecting unit 14 </ b> C opens to the first lower guide unit 80 and takes in foreign matter that has entered along the first lower guide unit 80.

  In the jam processing cover 14B, two projecting portions 14D and 14D are provided so as to project from the end of the outer guide portion 18 or the first lower guide portion 80 toward the sheet sensor 110. That is, the projecting portion 14D is provided in a bifurcated shape so as to project and sandwich the sheet sensor 110 disposed on the left and right sides of the sheet sensor 110 in the vicinity of the junction 36, and positions the sheet with respect to the sheet sensor 110. In other words, the protrusion 14D protrudes to the left and right sides of the sheet sensor 110 to position the sheet, thereby preventing interference of the sheet with the sheet sensor 110 and preventing conveyance. Further, recessed portions 14E and 14E are formed at the left and right side positions of the protrusions 14D and 14D, respectively, for reducing the sheet contact area in the vicinity of the junction 36 and reducing the conveyance resistance due to friction.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, in this example, the outer guide portion 18 is constituted by end portions of a plurality of ribs 18a.

  The paper discharge path 65C is partitioned by the second lower guide portion and the third upper guide portion provided on the downstream side of the recording portion 24. The paper discharge path 65C guides to the downstream side while supporting the lower surface of the image-recorded recording paper conveyed by the second conveying roller 62. The third upper guide portion is disposed above the second lower guide portion. The third upper guide portion and the second lower guide portion are arranged to face each other with a predetermined interval through which the recording paper can pass.

<Bypass tray 20 and sheet guide 21>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the manual feed tray 20 has a substantially flat plate shape, and is provided at a position where the conveyance path 65 </ b> B is opened on the back surface of the multifunction machine 10, that is, on the rear side of the back surface 14 </ b> AC. ing. The manual feed tray 20 can place one sheet of recording paper of various sizes including A4 size. The manual feed tray 20 is provided around a shaft center of the second connection portion P2 via a second connection portion P2 (see FIG. 1) that rotatably connects the lower end portion of the manual feed tray 20 and the rear end portion of the casing 14. It is provided so that rotation is possible. Note that the second connecting portion P2 includes, for example, a right rotation shaft (not shown) extending from the right side surface of the mounting plate 201 to the right side at the base end portion (lower end portion) of the manual feed tray 20 and a loading tray 20. A left rotation shaft 201A (see FIG. 3) extending leftward from the left side surface of the mounting plate 201 is provided. The right rotation shaft is inserted into a hole provided at a position facing the right rotation shaft in the right side surface 14AA (see FIG. 1). The left rotation shaft 201A is inserted into a hole provided at a position facing the left rotation shaft on the left side surface 14AB. That is, the manual feed tray 20 has a base end portion supported by the right rotation shaft and the left rotation shaft 201A, and is configured to be rotatable about the right rotation shaft and the left rotation shaft 201A. ing.

  As described above, the manual feed tray 20 can be rotated as indicated by a broken arrow in FIG. By rotating, the manual feed tray 20 takes a closed position (first position indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3) and an open position (second position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 3) with respect to the printer unit 11. . That is, when the manual feed tray 20 is in the second posture, the manual feed tray 20 is inclined obliquely upward from the back surface 14A to the rear side. Further, the manual feed tray 20 stands up along the back surface 14A when taking the first posture. The surface on which the recording paper is placed on the placement plate 201 faces the back surface 14AC.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, between the manual feed tray 20 and the back surface 14AC, a contact plate with which the recording paper is brought into contact and the both ends of the contact plate in the left-right direction 9 are erected. A sheet guide 21 having a side plate and an end on the upper side of the contact plate is provided. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the right side surface 14AA is provided with a U-shaped rail groove 213 extending in the vertical direction 7 in the vicinity of the back surface 14AC. The upper right shaft 211 </ b> A of the sheet guide 21 is inserted into the rail groove 213. As a result, the seat guide 21 is supported by the rail groove 213 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction 7.

  At both ends in the left-right direction 8 between the front end (upper end) and the base end (lower end) of the manual feed tray 20 (for example, between the front end and the base end). The projecting shaft support 204 is erected. The shaft support portion 204 is provided with holes or holes in the left-right direction 9 at positions facing the lower right shaft 211 </ b> B and the lower left shaft of the seat guide 21. The lower right shaft 211B and the lower left shaft are inserted into holes or holes provided in the shaft support portion 204. That is, the seat guide 21 is pivotally supported by the pivotal support portion 204 so as to be rotatable about the lower right shaft 211B and the lower left shaft as central axes.

  When the manual feed tray 20 shifts from the second posture to the first posture, the manual feed tray 20 rotates about the right rotation shaft and the left rotation shaft 201A as the rotation center axis. Then, the shaft support unit 204 moves forward. Accordingly, the seat guide 21 rotates with the lower right shaft 211B and the lower left shaft as the central axes, and the upper right shaft 211A and the upper left shaft of the seat guide 21 slide to the upper portion of the rail groove 213. Accordingly, when the manual feed tray 20 is in the first posture, the sheet guide 21 takes a posture of standing along the back surface 14A between the manual feed tray 20 and the back surface 14AC (the first line indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3). 3 postures). A surface of the abutting plate 211 on which the recording paper abuts faces the mounting plate 201.

  The manual feed tray 20 in the first posture and the sheet guide 21 in the third posture are arranged so that a predetermined interval is provided in the front-rear direction 8. This prevents a width adjustment guide 22, which will be described later, standing on the placement plate 201 from abutting on the sheet guide 21.

  When the manual feed tray 20 shifts from the first posture to the second posture, the manual feed tray 20 rotates about the right rotation shaft and the left rotation shaft 201A as the rotation center axis. Then, the shaft support part 204 moves backward. As a result, the seat guide 21 rotates about the lower right shaft 211B and the lower left shaft as the central axes, and the upper right shaft 211A and the upper left shaft of the seat guide 21 slide to the lower part of the rail groove 213. Thus, when the manual feed tray 20 is in the second posture, the sheet guide 21 takes a posture of tilting from the back surface 14AC to the placement plate 201 (fourth posture shown by a solid line in FIG. 3).

  As described above, the manual feed tray 20 is configured such that the sheet guide 21 is in the third posture when the manual feed tray 20 is in the first posture, and is in the fourth posture when the manual feed tray 20 is in the second posture. The posture is changed in conjunction with.

<Width adjustment guide 22>
As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of recording sheets to be inserted into the multifunction machine 10 along the direction in which the recording sheet is inserted is disposed on the recording sheet mounting surface of the mounting plate 201. The width adjustment guide 22 is erected.

  The width adjustment guide 22 includes a portion longer than the gap on the rear side from the position where the gap is formed in the second posture and a portion shorter than the gap on the front side than the position where the gap is formed in the second posture. .

  The width adjustment guide 22 is supported so as to be slidable in the left-right direction 9 on the recording paper placement surface of the placement plate 201. Specifically, the width adjustment guide 22 slides between a position corresponding to the maximum size of the recording paper that can be inserted into the multifunction machine 10 and a position corresponding to the minimum size.

  When the width adjustment guide 22 is slid to a position that matches the size of the recording paper placed on the placement plate 201, the pair of width adjustment guides 22 abut on the ends of the recording paper. Specifically, the left side surface of the right width adjustment guide 22 contacts the right end of the recording sheet, and the right side surface of the left width adjustment guide 22 contacts the left end of the recording sheet.

<Effect of embodiment>
As described above, in the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the printer unit 11 records an image on a sheet using an image of a document read by the scanner unit 122. At the time of image recording, the sheet is supplied from the paper feed cassette 78 and conveyed so as to make a U-turn from the back side to the top side on the curved path 65A. On the other hand, a manual feed tray 20 is provided on the rear surface of the multifunction machine 10. In addition to the route introduced from the sheet feeding unit to the curved path 65A as described above, the user can manually feed sheets from the manual feed tray 20. In this case, the sheet is guided from the manual feed tray 20 to the U-turn portion of the curved path 65A through the conveyance path 65B.

  As described above, the sheet is conveyed from the lower sheet feeding cassette 78 through the curved path 65A, or from the manual feed tray 20 through the conveyance path 65B and the U-turn portion of the curved path 65A. Be transported. In such sheet conveyance, various conveyance inhibition requirements can be considered in practice.

  For example, since the user manually feeds paper from the manual feed tray 20, the user may accidentally insert a foreign object other than a sheet such as a clip or a staple of a stapler from the manual feed tray 20. In this case, the inserted foreign matter may enter the conveyance path 65B or the curved path 65A, and hinder the conveyance of the sheet. In the present embodiment, the foreign matter collecting unit 14C provided in the jam handling cover 14B takes in and stores the foreign matter that has entered the transport path 65B. Thereby, the conveyance obstruction by the above foreign substances can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet sensor 110 is provided in the vicinity of the junction 36 of the curved path 65A and the conveyance path 65B so as to correspond to either of the two routes described above. A sheet that is conveyed by making a U-turn through the curved path 65A and a sheet that is merged from the conveyance path 65B are introduced to the junction point 36. In other words, there are two introduction directions of the sheet. At this time, in the present embodiment, the protruding portions 14D and 14D provided in the jam processing cover 14 protrude to the left and right sides of the sheet sensor 110 to position the sheet. Thereby, the distance from the sheet sensor 110 to the sheet can be made constant, and the detection accuracy can be improved. As a result, the conveyance can be facilitated.

  As described above, in the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the conveyance failure is caused in the structure in which the sheet is conveyed by the curved path 65A and the conveyance path 65B by the functions of the foreign matter collecting section 14C and the protrusion 14D of the jam processing cover 14B. Can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent problems such as sheet jamming (so-called jam).

  In the present embodiment, in particular, the jam handling cover 14B is provided with recesses 14E and 14E for reducing sheet conveyance resistance in the vicinity of the merging point 36, which are located on both left and right sides of the protrusions 14D and 14D. That is, when the sheet is positioned with respect to the sheet sensor 110 as described above, if the contact area with the sheet is too large, the frictional force becomes excessive, leading to an increase in conveyance resistance, which may hinder conveyance. In the present embodiment, as described above, the protrusions 14D and 14D of the jam treatment cover 14B perform positioning of the sheet in the vicinity of the sheet sensor 110, while the left and right sides of the protrusions 14D and 14D are the recesses 14E. Thus, contact with the sheet other than the protrusion 14D is avoided. Thus, the sheet conveyance resistance can be reduced, and conveyance obstruction can be prevented more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, the outer guide portion 18 of the jam processing cover 14B also functions as a sheet guide function in the curved path 65A, and the first lower guide section 80 also functions as a sheet guide function in the transport path 65B. Thereby, conveyance obstruction can be prevented and conveyance can be facilitated.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, the jam handling cover 14B is rotatably provided via the third connecting portion P3. As a result, the jam processing cover 14B provided with the outer guide portion 18 and the first lower guide portion 80 is rotated around the third connecting portion P3, so that the curved path 65A and the conveyance path 65B are moved to the outside of the apparatus. Can be exposed. As a result, even if a problem such as a sheet jam occurs in the curved path 65A or the conveyance path 65B, the user can easily and quickly resolve the problem by opening the jam processing cover 14B. As a result, user convenience is improved.

  In addition, although not illustrated one by one, the present invention is implemented with various modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

10 Multifunction machine (image recording device)
11 Printer 14B Jam Processing Cover (Conveying Processing Structure)
14C Foreign matter collecting portion 14D Protruding portion 14E Concavity 20 Manual feed tray 36 Junction point 65A Curved path (first transport path)
65B transport path (second transport path)
110 Sheet sensor 122 Scanner unit

Claims (4)

An image recording apparatus having a printer unit for recording an image on a sheet,
The printer unit is
A first conveying path that conveys the sheet by making a U-turn from below to above on the back side of the image recording apparatus;
A second transport path leading from the rear of the image recording apparatus to the first conveying path,
A sensor that is provided near the merging position of the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path and detects the sheet being conveyed;
A tray that is provided on a back surface of the image recording apparatus and supports a sheet guided to the second conveyance path;
The foreign substance collecting portion in which the second storing captures foreign matter that has entered the conveyance path, positioning unit for positioning the sheet relative to the sensor provided at the left and right sides of the sensor at the merging position vicinity and, provided in the foreign object collecting unit A conveyance processing structure including a plurality of ribs for guiding a sheet guided along the second conveyance path ;
An image recording apparatus comprising: The image recording apparatus according to claim 1,
The transport processing structure is
The image recording apparatus further comprising a recess for reducing the conveyance resistance of the sheet in addition the joining position near located on the left and right sides of the positioning unit. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The transport processing structure is
A first guide portion for guiding a sheet guided to the first conveyance path;
A second guide portion for guiding a sheet guided to the second conveyance path;
With
The foreign matter collecting unit
The second guide part is configured to open and take in foreign matter that has entered along the second guide part,
The positioning part is
An image recording apparatus provided at an end portion of the first guide portion or the second guide portion. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3.
The transport processing structure is
An image recording apparatus, wherein the image processing apparatus is rotatably provided via a connecting portion that rotatably connects a lower end portion of the conveyance processing structure and a rear end portion of the printer portion.

Images