JP5835417B2 - Tray and image recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tray on which a sheet can be placed, and an image recording apparatus including the tray.

  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 store sheets in a stacked state and can move forward and backward with respect to the image recording apparatus. In the tray, side guides for aligning the side edges in the width direction of the stacked sheets to prevent skew during feeding are often extended along the sheet conveying direction. Some trays can accommodate sheets of various sizes. The side guides provided in such a tray are configured to be slidable along the sheet width direction on the sheet placement surface of the tray in order to accommodate the storage of sheets of various sizes. Usually, an operation unit is attached to the side guide, and the side guide is slid when the user holds the operation unit from above.

  However, when the side guide is slid, the lower surface of the side guide is rubbed against the seating surface of the sheet, so that a frictional resistance is generated, and the side guide may not be smoothly moved. In order to prevent the above problem, in the paper feed tray described in Patent Document 1, ribs are formed on the bottom surface along the sliding direction of the side guides. Thereby, when the side guide is slid, the portion where the frictional resistance is generated is limited to the contact portion of the rib, and thus the generated frictional resistance can be suppressed low.

JP 2008-143630 A

  A moving mechanism for sliding the side guide is provided at a position where the side guide is supported by the tray, that is, a lower portion of the side guide. The moving mechanism and the operation unit may be formed at positions separated from each other in the sheet conveyance direction.

  When the operating portion is operated from the upper side when the side guide is slid, the tip end portion in the sliding direction of the side guide is pressed against the mounting surface or the rib. Further, when the moving mechanism and the operation unit are formed at positions separated in the sheet conveying direction, that is, in the side guide extending direction, the side guide is provided at the lower part by a force acting in the sliding direction. It will turn around the moving mechanism. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of the sliding direction of a side guide is further pressed against a mounting surface or a rib among the lower surfaces of a side guide. Then, a vertical effect is generated in the direction from the placement surface to the tip portion, that is, upward, and the frictional resistance between the side guide, the placement surface, and the rib increases. As a result, there is a possibility that the side guide cannot be slid even if a rib is provided on the mounting surface.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide means capable of smoothly moving a side guide for aligning the side edges of sheets stored in a tray along the width direction of the sheet. It is to provide.

(1) The present invention is a tray on which a sheet to be fed to an apparatus capable of conveying a sheet is placed. The tray is slidable along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction along the sheet feeding direction with respect to the bottom plate having a placement surface on which the sheets are stacked and placed, and the bottom plate. And a side guide attached to. The side guide extends along the placement surface and is supported by being in contact with the placement surface, and is erected in the stacking direction from the slide plate and extends along the first direction. And a side plate that comes into contact with the end portion of the sheet placed on the placement surface in the second direction, and an operation portion that is gripped to slide the side guide. The bottom plate is formed at a position different from the operation unit in the first direction and along the second direction, and guides the side guide in the second direction by contacting the slide plate. And a lower surface of the slide plate that is erected from the placement surface and extends in the second direction in the range where the operation portion is formed in the first direction, and that faces the placement surface. A first rib that abuts. An inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the first direction is formed on at least a part of the end portion in the second direction of the slide plate. One first end portion of the inclined portion in the first direction is located closer to the guide portion than the first rib in the first direction, and the other second end portion is in the first direction. In FIG. 5, the first rib is located on the opposite side of the guide portion.

  In the above configuration, since the first rib is provided on the mounting surface, the portion where the frictional resistance is generated when the side guide is slid is limited to the contact portion between the slide plate and the first rib. Therefore, the generated frictional resistance can be kept low.

  The above-described configuration also has the following effects. That is, when the operation unit is operated from the upper side, the side guide may rotate in a sliding direction around the guide unit. When the side guide rotates, the tip end portion in the sliding direction on the lower surface of the slide plate is pressed against the first rib erected from the placement surface.

  However, in the above-described configuration, an inclined portion is formed at the tip portion. Thus, when the side guide is rotated, the tip portion, that is, the inclined portion is not all pressed against the first rib at the same time, but the order from the first end portion to the second end portion or the second end portion. The first rib is pressed against the first rib in the order from the end to the first end. Specifically, at the initial stage where the side guide rotates, only a part of the inclined portion is pressed against the first rib, and thereafter, the range pressed against the first rib increases. Therefore, when the side guide is slid, the range where the frictional resistance is generated is reduced, and the side guide can be smoothly moved along the width direction of the sheet.

(2) The bottom plate further includes a second rib that is erected from the placement surface and extends along the second direction on the guide portion side of the first rib. The first end portion is located closer to the guide portion than the second rib in the first direction.

  In the case where only the first rib is provided on the bottom plate, the slide plate in contact with the first rib becomes unstable because there is one fulcrum. Thereby, there exists a possibility that the lower surface of a slide plate may contact | abut to a mounting surface in places other than a 1st rib. However, in the above-described configuration, since the second rib is provided in addition to the first rib, the slide plate can be stabilized at two fulcrums. In addition, since the second rib extends on the guide portion side with respect to the first rib, the slide plate is in addition to the first rib, the second rib close to the guide portion serving as the center of the twist in the rotation direction. The stability will be further increased. In addition, since the ribs to be added are minimized, the range in which frictional resistance is generated when the side guide is slid can be reduced.

(3) One of the first rib and the second rib is formed higher than the other rib.

  When the slide plate is supported by the first rib and the second rib, the slide plate may be deformed into an arcuate shape with the first rib and the second rib as fulcrums. In this case, the lower surface of the slide plate may abut against the mounting surface between the first rib and the second rib. However, in the above-described configuration, there is a difference in height between the first rib and the second rib. Thereby, when the slide plate is deformed into an arcuate shape, the area where the lower surface of the slide plate abuts on the mounting surface can be made smaller than when there is no difference in height between the first rib and the second rib. it can.

(4) The side guides are formed as a pair separated in the second direction. The operation unit is provided on at least one of the pair of side guides. Each of the guide portions is provided at a different position in the first direction. The side guide includes a guided portion that extends along the second direction, contacts the guide portion, and is guided by the guide portion to move in the second direction. A rack is formed in the guided portion along the second direction. The tray is rotatably attached to the bottom plate, and further includes a pinion that can mesh with both of the racks. The pinion meshes with a rack formed on one of the pair of guide portions on the feeding direction side, and meshes with a rack formed on the other of the pair of guide portions on the opposite side to the feeding direction. ing. The first rib contacts the lower surfaces of both of the pair of slide plates.

  Thus, even in a tray having a pair of side guides and aligning the center in the width direction of the sheet with the center in the width direction of the tray, when the side guide is slid, the gap between the slide plate and the placement surface is reduced. The frictional resistance generated at the bottom can be kept low.

(5) The placement surface is provided with a display unit that indicates the position of the end of the sheet in each of the first directions for each size sheet that can be placed. The first rib is also used as the display unit. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a display part on the mounting surface separately from the first rib.

(6) The first rib extends along a third direction intersecting the placement direction with respect to the second direction. The angle difference between the acute angle side and the obtuse angle side of the intersecting angle formed by the first rib and the inclined portion is larger than the angle difference between the acute angle side and the obtuse angle side of the intersecting angle formed by the second direction and the inclined portion.

  In the above-described configuration, the angle on the acute angle side of the intersection angle between the first rib and the inclined portion is small. Thereby, when a side guide is slid, the frictional resistance produced between a 1st rib and an inclination part can be made small.

(7) The second rib extends along a fourth direction intersecting the placement direction with respect to the second direction. The angle difference between the acute angle side and the obtuse angle side of the intersecting angle formed by the second rib and the inclined portion is larger than the angle difference between the acute angle side and the obtuse angle side of the intersecting angle formed by the second direction and the inclined portion. Thereby, even in the case of the configuration including the second rib, the same effect as in the above (6) can be obtained.

(8) The side plate is erected from one end side in the second direction of the slide plate. The operation portion extends from the middle portion of the slide plate toward the one end side along the slide plate, and is erected along the side plate from the one end side, and has an end portion on the slide plate side. Elastic deformation is possible at the center. A lock portion that engages with the bottom plate and locks the slide of the side guide is formed at a position facing the bottom plate of the operation portion. The lock portion is formed so as to be separated from the bottom plate when the operation portion is elastically deformed. The inclined portion is formed on the other end side in the second direction of the slide plate.

  In the above-described configuration, the operation portion is formed with the lock portion that engages with the bottom plate, and the user operates the operation portion so that the lock portion is separated from the bottom plate in order to move the side guide. As a result, the other end side is pressed against the mounting surface or the rib with respect to the one end side of the slide plate on which the operation portion is formed. Therefore, the side guide can be smoothly moved by forming the inclined portion on the other end side.

(9) 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, since the inclined portion is formed in the portion where the slide plate abuts on the first rib, even if the side guide is rotated as the side guide slides, the inclined portion is in the initial stage. Only a portion is pressed against the first rib. Therefore, when the side guide is slid, the range in which the frictional resistance is generated is reduced. Thereby, since the generated frictional resistance can be kept low, the side guide can be moved smoothly along the second direction.

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. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray 22. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray 22 with the paper discharge tray 23 removed. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the paper feed tray 22 with the paper discharge tray 23 removed. FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing the side guide 77, the first rib 124, and the second rib 125. In FIG. 6A, the first rib 124 extends in the third direction, and the second rib 125 is the first rib. A state where the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 are extended in the left-right direction 9 is shown in FIG.

  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 shown in FIG. 1), and the side where 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 generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped, and includes a scanner unit 12 at the top and an ink jet recording type printer unit 11 at the bottom (an example of the apparatus of the present invention and an image as the apparatus). An example of a recording device) is provided. 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 tray 21 and the paper feed tray 22 in the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13. The printer unit 11 may be configured so that the trays 21 and 22 do not slide. For example, the trays 21 and 22 may be fixed to the printer unit 11. The trays 21 and 22 may be configured to be able to be pulled out from the printer unit 11 halfway, in other words, may be configured not to be completely removed from the printer unit 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recording paper 50 (an example of the sheet of the present invention) is placed on the paper feed trays 21 and 22. 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 the paper discharge tray 23.

  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 in detail 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 via the inclined plate 24. 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 through the inclined plate 34. .

  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. The paper feed tray 22 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 50 and conveyed on the platen 43 provided below the recording unit 40 and facing the recording unit 40. An image is recorded on the recording paper 50. The platen 43 is a member that supports the recording paper 50 that is transported along the transport 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 of the paper feed tray 22 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 backward into the opening 13 with the side on which the inclined plates 24 and 34 are provided as the leading ends (the state shown in 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 front-rear direction 8 in plan view. The paper feed tray 22 includes a first tray main body 71 and a paper discharge tray 23. The front-rear direction 8 corresponds to the first direction of the present invention.

[First tray body 71]
3 and 4, the first tray main body 71 has a bottom plate 75 (the present invention) having a placement surface 76 (corresponding to the placement surface of the present invention) on which the recording paper 50 is stacked and placed. 1), an inclined plate 24 (not shown in FIG. 3) erected from the rear end of the bottom plate 75, and the left and right direction 9 (corresponding to the second direction of the present invention) of the bottom plate 75. And provided side walls 81.

  The side wall 81 is provided so as to extend in the front-rear direction 8. The inclined plate 24 is a plate-like member that is long in the left-right direction 9 of the first tray body 71. The bottom plate 75 will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of side guides 77 and a rear guide 80 are mounted on the mounting surface 76 of the bottom plate 75. The pair of side guides 77 are provided apart from each other from the center in the left-right direction 9 of the bottom plate 75 to the right side and the left side. The side guide 77 is configured to be slidable in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the bottom plate 75, and the rear guide 80 is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the bottom plate 75. When the side guide 77 is slid in the left-right direction 9 in a state where the recording paper 50 is stored in the paper feed tray 22, the side guide 77 contacts the side edge of the recording paper 50 in the left-right direction 9. Further, when the rear guide 80 is slid in the front-rear direction 8 in a state where the recording paper 50 is stored in the paper feed tray 22, the rear guide 80 contacts the front end of the recording paper 50. Thereby, the side edge and the front edge of the recording paper 50 are regulated at positions corresponding to the size.

  In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the side guides 77 are a pair will be described. However, the side guides 77 may be one instead of a pair. In this case, one side edge of the recording paper 50 is brought into contact with the side guide 77, and the other side edge of the recording paper 50 is brought into contact with the side wall 81, so that the side edge of the recording paper 50 corresponds to the size. Regulated by position. Further, the side guide 77 will be described in detail later.

[Discharge Tray 23]
As shown in FIG. 3, the paper discharge tray 23 has a second tray body 95. The second tray body 95 is generally formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction 9 in plan view. The second tray body 95 is connected to the first tray body 71 via a link 130. The link 130 protrudes upward from the first side wall 81, and a 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 tray body 71 in the front-rear direction 8. On both sides of the rear end of the second tray main body 95, shafts 91 that protrude outward in the left-right direction 9 are provided. The shaft 91 is inserted through the support hole 138. As a result, the second tray body 95 is rotatably supported by the link 130 and is rotated about the shaft 91 in the direction of the arrow 140 in FIG.

  In a state where the paper discharge tray 23 is laid down with respect to the first tray main body 71 (the state shown in FIG. 3), a portion of the upper surface of the first tray main body 71 that is in front of the link 130 is covered by the paper discharge tray 23. . The paper discharge tray 23 may be configured to cover the entire top surface of the first tray body 71. Further, when the paper discharge tray 23 is rotated upward with respect to the first tray main body 71, the upper surface of the first tray main body 71 is opened.

[Side guide 77]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pair of side guides 77 are extended from a position close to the inclined plate 24 in the front-rear direction 8 to slightly forward from the center, and are erected upward from the placement surface 76. Has been. Each of the pair of side guides 77 includes a slide plate 101 (an example of the slide plate of the present invention) and a side plate 102 (an example of the side plate of the present invention). Includes an operation unit 103 (an example of the operation unit of the present invention).

  The slide plate 101 extends along a plane formed by the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9, and the lower surface thereof is supported by the placement surface 76 by contacting the placement surface 76. The slide plate 101 is generally formed in a rectangular shape whose length in the front-rear direction 8 is longer than that in the left-right direction 9.

  In this embodiment, the side plate 102 is erected from the outer end portion of the slide plate 101. That is, the side plate 102 is erected from the right end of the slide plate 101 provided on the right side guide 77 of the pair of side guides 77, and from the left end of the slide plate 101 provided on the left side guide 77. It is erected. Note that the side plate 102 may be erected from, for example, the center portion in the left-right direction 9 of the slide plate 101 or the inner end portion of the slide plate 101 other than the outer end portion of the slide plate 101.

  Further, the side plate 102 is erected upward from the upper surface of the slide plate 101. That is, the side plate 102 is erected along the stacking direction (vertical direction 7) of the recording paper 50 stacked on the placement surface 76. The side plate 102 extends in the front-rear direction 8. The side plate 102 is generally formed in a rectangular shape whose length in the front-rear direction 8 is longer than that in the vertical direction 7.

[Operation Unit 103] As shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 103 is formed on the slide plate 101 constituting the right side guide 77 of the pair of side guides 77 in the present embodiment. The position of the operation unit 103 in the front-rear direction 8 is a position close to the front end of the slide plate 101. That is, the operation unit 103 is provided in a position away from the rail 105 and the rail grooves 121 and 122 described later in the front-rear direction 8.

  The reason is as follows. In recent years, the paper feed trays 21 and 22 provided in the printer unit 11 of the image recording apparatus such as the multifunction machine 10 are configured to be able to accommodate recording paper 50 from a small size to a large size. Therefore, when the small-size recording paper 50 is stored in the paper feed trays 21 and 22, the rear guide 80 needs to be slid to the downstream side in the recording paper 50 feeding direction (from the front side to the rear side). . As a result, the rail 105 and the rail grooves 121 and 122 need to be disposed further downstream in the feeding direction of the recording paper 50 than the slidable range of the rear guide 80. On the other hand, the operation unit 103 is often provided on the front side of the printer unit 11 to which the paper feed trays 21 and 22 are mounted from the viewpoint of improving operability. In many cases, the front side is the upstream side in the feeding direction of the recording paper 50. As a result, in this embodiment, the rail 105 and the rail grooves 121 and 122 and the operation unit 103 are formed at positions separated in the front-rear direction 8. Therefore, the above-described problem of the present invention (the side guide 77 is rotated about the rail 105 provided in the lower part by the force acting in the sliding direction) is likely to occur.

  The operation portion 103 extends along the slide plate 101 from the vicinity 113 (corresponding to the middle portion of the present invention) of the slide plate 101 in the left-right direction 9 toward the right end 114 (corresponding to one end of the present invention). The plate 101 is bent at the right end 114 and extends substantially along the side plate 102. Specifically, the operation unit 103 extends from the right end 114 of the slide plate 101 generally upward (to be precise, slightly upward diagonally to the right).

  The operation unit 103 is integrally attached to the slide plate 101 near the center 113 in the left-right direction 9 of the slide plate 101. However, a gap is provided between the operation unit 103 and the slide plate 101 and the side plate 102 except for the vicinity of the center 113. Thereby, the operation part 103 can be elastically deformed around the center 113, that is, the end on the slide plate 101 side.

  In addition, a lock portion (an example of the lock portion of the present invention, not shown) facing the bottom plate 75 is provided on the lower surface of the portion extending along the slide plate 101 in the operation portion 103. The lock portions are, for example, protrusions protruding downward from the lower surface, and are formed side by side along the front-rear direction 8 from the lower surface of the operation portion 103. Since a first rib 124 to be described later is formed at a portion directly below the operation unit 103, a gap is formed between the two protrusions. A plurality of concave portions 104 provided at regular intervals along the left-right direction 9 are provided in two rows in the front-rear direction 8 at a portion of the placement surface 76 that faces the lock portion. The protrusions of the operation unit 103 extend from the lower surface of the operation unit 103 longer than the distance between the slide plate 101 and the bottom plate 75 so that the protrusions of the operation unit 103 can engage with the plurality of recesses 104 formed in the bottom plate 75.

  The lock portion is engaged with the recess 104 in a state where the lock portion is not gripped by the user. Thereby, the slide along the left-right direction 9 of the side guide 77 is locked. On the other hand, when a portion extending substantially upward in the operation unit 103 is gripped by the user and rotated leftward, the portion extending along the slide plate 101 in the operation unit 103 is elastically deformed upward. As a result, the lock portion is separated from the bottom plate 75, and the engagement between the lock portion and the recess 104 is released. Therefore, the side guide 77 can move along the left-right direction 9.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the operation unit 103 is provided on the right side guide 77 of the pair of side guides 77 is described, but the operation unit 103 is provided on the left side guide 77. Alternatively, they may be provided on the side guides 77 on both sides.

[Rack 107 and pinion 108]
As shown in FIG. 4, a rail 105 extending in the left-right direction 9 is provided integrally with the slide plate 101 on the lower surface of the slide plate 101 of the right side guide 77, and is attached to the slide plate 101 of the left side guide 77. A rail 106 extending in the left-right direction 9 is provided integrally with the slide plate 101. The rails 105 and 106 are examples of the guided portion of the present invention.

  The rails 105 and 106 are in sliding contact with rail grooves 121 and 122 (an example of the guide portion of the present invention) described later provided on the bottom plate 75. As a result, the rails 105 and 106 can slide in the left-right direction 9 along the rail grooves 121 and 122. That is, the side guide 77 can slide in the left-right direction 9 along the rail grooves 121, 122. The rails 105 and 106 are formed so as to be one step lower than the slide plate 101, and slide into the rail grooves 121 and 122.

  In the present embodiment, the rail 105 provided on the right side guide 77 is disposed in front of the rail 106 provided on the left side guide 77. The positional relationship of the rails 105 and 106 in the front-rear direction 8 is not limited to this.

  On the rear side surface of the rail 105 and the front side surface of the rail 106, teeth, that is, racks 107 and 108 (an example of the rack of the present invention) are formed along the left-right direction 9. A pinion 109 (an example of the pinion of the present invention) is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate 75. The position of the pinion 109 in the front-rear direction 8 is the rear side of the rail 105 and the front side of the rail 106.

  Further, side walls (not shown) constituting the side surfaces of the rail grooves 121 and 122 (surfaces extending in the left-right direction 9 and the up-down direction 7) are not provided at least at positions where the pinions 109 are attached. Accordingly, the racks 107 and 108 are engaged with the pinion 109 at the position. In other words, the pinion 109 meshes with the rack 107 on the front side and meshes with the rack 108 on the rear side.

  Since the rack 107 and the pinion 108 are configured as described above, when one of the side guides 77 is slid in the left-right direction 9 of the first tray body 71, the other of the side guides 77 is interlocked with this. Slide in the opposite direction. As a result, the center position of the recording paper 50 in the left-right direction 9 substantially coincides with the center of the paper feed tray 22 in the left-right direction 9.

[Bottom plate 75]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rail grooves 121 and 122, the display unit 123 (an example of the display unit of the present invention), the first rib 124 (an example of the first rib of the present invention), and the second described above. A rib 125 (an example of the second rib of the present invention) is formed on the bottom plate 75. Further, the above-described pinion 109 is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate 75.

  The rail grooves 121 and 122 are formed along the left-right direction 9. The rail groove 121 is formed on the right side of the central portion of the bottom plate 75 in the left-right direction 9, and the rail groove 122 is formed on the left side of the central portion. In the present embodiment, the rail groove 121 formed on the right side of the central portion is disposed on the front side of the rail groove 122 formed on the left side of the central portion. The positional relationship of the rail grooves 121 and 122 in the front-rear direction 8 is not limited to this. Moreover, the groove shape of the rail grooves 121 and 122 is a shape facing the rails 105 and 106. As described above, the rail 105 is engaged with the rail groove 121, and the rail 106 is engaged with the rail groove 122. Yes. Accordingly, the rails 105 and 106 are slid along the rail grooves 121 and 122, and the side guide 77 is guided in the left-right direction 9.

[First Rib 124 and Second Rib 125]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 are erected upward from the mounting surface 76 of the bottom plate 75, and have a narrow plate shape extending along the left-right direction 9. It is a member. The upper surfaces of the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 are in contact with the lower surface of the slide plate 101.

  The first rib 124 extends in the left-right direction 9 below the operation unit 103 provided in the right side guide 77. Specifically, it extends in the left-right direction 9 between the front end and the rear end in the front-rear direction 8 of the operation unit 103. As shown in FIG. 5, the formation range extends from the position of the side wall 81 in the left-right direction 9 to the position where the rail for guiding the rear guide 80 is formed. Since the operation portion 103 has protrusions as lock portions, two rows of recesses 104 that engage with the protrusions are formed in the bottom plate 75, and the first ribs 124 are arranged before and after the two rows of recesses 104. It is formed at an intermediate position in the direction 8. The first rib 124 has a standing height from the bottom plate 75 of about 0.5 mm and a length in the front-rear direction 8 of about 1 mm.

  In the front-rear direction 8, the second rib 125 is provided behind the first rib 124, that is, on the side where the rail grooves 121 and 122 are provided, with a predetermined distance from the first rib 124. The length of the second rib 125 in the vertical direction 7 is longer than the length of the first rib 124 in the vertical direction 7. That is, the second rib 125 is formed higher than the first rib 124. The standing height of the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 is set such that the end side of the side guide 77 guided by the rails 105 and 106 does not warp. In other words, the standing height of the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 is set to such a height that the side guide 77 can contact the first rib 124 and the second rib 125.

  In the present embodiment, the first rib 124 is provided below the right side guide 77, and the second rib 125 is provided below the left and right side guides 77, but the first rib 124 is The second rib 125 may be provided below the side guide 77 on either the left or right side. Moreover, the 1st rib 124 may be formed higher than the 2nd rib 125, and the 1st rib 124 and the 2nd rib 125 may be formed in the same height.

[Display unit 123]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the display unit 123 is a mark drawn by a groove or the like on the placement surface 76 of the bottom plate 75 and indicates the front end of the recording paper 50 placed on the placement surface 76. . In the present embodiment, the display unit 123 is configured by a line in the left-right direction 9 indicating the front end of the recording paper 50 and a triangle mark indicating the line, and is drawn at four places (123A to 123D) on the placement surface 76. It is. The display portion 123 drawn on the front side indicates the front end of the larger recording paper 50. By aligning the rear guide 80 with the line, the front end of the recording paper 50 is regulated.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the display part 123B of the display part 123 is comprised only with the triangle mark, and does not have the line of the left-right direction 9. Instead, the second rib 125 serves as a line in the left-right direction 9 of the display unit 123B. That is, the second rib 125 also serves as a line in the left-right direction 9 of the display unit 123B. In addition, the position of the second rib 125 in the front-rear direction 8 is shifted to the front side or the rear side of FIG. You may also use the line. Moreover, when the 1st rib 124 is provided under the left side guide 77, the 1st rib 124 may serve as the line of the left-right direction 9 in any one of the display parts 123A-123D. .

[Inclined part 110]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the slide plate 101 is generally formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction 8. Therefore, the end portion of the slide plate 101 in the left-right direction 9 extends substantially along the front-rear direction 8. However, at least a part of the left end of the right slide plate 101 and the right end of the left slide plate 101 are more outward (the right side in the case of the right slide plate 101, In the case of the slide plate 101 of FIG. An end portion in the left-right direction 9 of the inclined slide plate 101 constitutes an inclined portion 110 (an example of the inclined portion of the present invention). The left end of the right slide plate 101 corresponds to the other end of the present invention.

  In the front-rear direction 8, the rear end 111 (corresponding to the first end of the present invention) of the inclined portion 110 of the slide plate 101 is behind the second rib 125, in other words, more than the first rib 124 and the second rib 125. The rail grooves 121 and 122 side. On the other hand, the front end 112 (corresponding to the second end of the present invention) of the inclined portion 110 of the slide plate 101 is in front of the first rib 124. That is, the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 are in contact with the inclined portion 110. In the present embodiment, the inclined portion 110 is inclined so as to intersect with the direction along the front-rear direction 8 with a shift of about 5 degrees.

  Note that the inclined portion 110 of the slide plate 101 may be inclined so as to be inward as it is closer to the front side. The inclined portion 110 of the slide plate 101 may be formed at the right end of the right slide plate 101 instead of or in addition to the left end of the right slide plate 101. Further, the inclined portion 110 of the slide plate 101 may be formed at the left end of the left slide plate 101 instead of or in addition to the right end of the left slide plate 101.

[Effect of the embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, since the first rib 124 is provided on the mounting surface 76, when the side guide 77 is slid, the portion where the frictional resistance is generated is between the slide plate 101 and the first rib 124. Since it is limited to the contact portion, the generated frictional resistance can be kept low.

  In the above-described embodiment, the following effects are also achieved. When the right side guide 77 formed with the operation portion 103 is slid leftward, when the operation portion 103 is operated from the upper side, the operation portion 103 side of the side guide 77 is slid about the rail groove 121. That is, there is a risk of turning leftward. When the operation portion 103 side of the side guide 77 rotates in the sliding direction, the sliding-direction tip portion of the lower surface of the slide plate 101 is pressed against the first rib 124 erected from the placement surface 76. However, in the above-described embodiment, the inclined portion 110 is formed at the tip portion. As a result, when the side guide 77 rotates, the front end portion, that is, the inclined portion 110 is not all pressed against the first rib 124 at the same time, but the order from the rear end 111 to the front end 112 or the front end 112. To the rear end 111 in this order. Specifically, at the initial stage when the side guide 77 rotates, only a part of the inclined portion 110 is pressed against the first rib 124, and then the range in which the side guide 77 is pressed against the first rib 124 increases. Therefore, when the side guide 77 is slid, the range in which frictional resistance is generated is reduced, and the recording paper 50 can be smoothly moved along the width direction (left-right direction 9).

  In the above-described embodiment, the following effects are also achieved. When only the first rib 124 is provided on the bottom plate 75, the slide plate 101 in contact with the first rib 124 becomes unstable because there is one fulcrum. As a result, the lower surface of the slide plate 101 may come into contact with the placement surface 76 at a place other than the first rib 124. However, in the above-described embodiment, since the second rib 125 is provided in addition to the first rib 124, the slide plate 101 can be stably supported by two fulcrums. In addition, the second rib 125 extends in the left-right direction 9 on the rail grooves 121 and 122 side (rear side) from the first rib 124. Therefore, in addition to the first rib 124, the slide plate 101 is supported by the second rib 125 near the rail grooves 121 and 122, which are the centers of twisting in the rotation direction, and the stability is further increased. Moreover, since the rib to be added is suppressed to the minimum only by the second rib 125, the range in which the frictional resistance is generated when the side guide 77 is slid can be reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the following effects are also achieved. When the slide plate 101 is supported by the first rib 124 and the second rib 125, the slide plate 101 may be deformed into an arcuate shape with the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 as fulcrums. In this case, the lower surface of the slide plate 101 may be in contact with the placement surface 76 between the first rib 124 and the second rib 125. However, in the above-described embodiment, the heights of the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 are different. As a result, when the slide plate 101 is deformed into an arcuate shape, the area where the lower surface of the slide plate 101 abuts on the placement surface 76 is made smaller than when there is no difference in the height of the first rib 124 and the second rib 125. Can be small.

  Further, as in the above-described embodiment, the configuration includes the pair of side guides 77 and aligns the center of the recording paper 50 in the width direction (left-right direction 9) with the center of the sheet feed tray 22 in the width direction (left-right direction 9). In the sheet feeding tray 22 as well, the frictional resistance generated between the slide plate 101 and the placement surface 76 when the side guide 77 is slid can be suppressed to a low level.

  Further, since the second rib 125 is also used as the display unit 123, it is not necessary to form the display unit 123 on the placement surface 76 separately from the first rib 124 and the second rib 125. In the present embodiment, the first rib 124 is not used as the display unit 123. However, even if the first rib 124 is used as the display unit 123, the same effect as that of the second rib 125 is obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, a lock portion that engages with the bottom plate 75 is formed on the lower surface of the operation portion 103, and the user moves the side guide 77 to move the lock portion away from the bottom plate 75. The operation unit 103 is operated as described above. As a result, the left end side of the slide plate 101 on which the operation unit 103 is formed is pressed against the mounting surface 76 and the ribs 124 and 125 with respect to the right end 114 side. Therefore, the side guide can be smoothly moved by forming the inclined portion 110 on the left end side.

  The first rib 124 may be formed in the region where the operation unit 103 is formed in the front-rear direction 8, not in the middle position of the region where the operation unit 103 is formed as in the present embodiment.

[Modification of Embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 are extended along the left-right direction 9 has been described, but the extending direction of the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 is the left-right direction. The direction is not limited to 9.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, in the modified example, the extending direction of the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 that are in contact with the right side guide 77 is the right side with respect to the left-right direction 9. The further away from the guide 77, the more inclined in the rear direction (corresponding to the third direction and the fourth direction of the present invention). Accordingly, the angle difference between the acute angle side θ2 and the obtuse angle side θ1 of the intersecting angle formed by the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 and the inclined portion 110 in the case of the modified example (see FIG. 6A). Is the acute angle side θ4 and the obtuse angle side of the intersection angle formed by the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 (left-right direction 9) and the inclined portion 110 in the case of the above-described embodiment (see FIG. 6B). It is larger than the angle difference with the angle θ3.

  Note that the extending direction when the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 are in contact with the left side guide 77 is the rearward direction as the distance from the left side guide 77 is greater than the left and right direction 9. It may be inclined. FIG. 6B shows the case where the third direction and the fourth direction are the same direction, but the third direction and the fourth direction are not necessarily the same direction and are different from each other. It may be a direction.

  In the modified example, the acute angle of the intersection angle between the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 and the inclined portion 110 is small. Thereby, when the side guide 77 is slid, the frictional resistance produced between the 1st rib 124 and the 2nd rib 125, and the inclination part 110 can be made small.

  In addition, the standing height of the first rib 124 from the bottom plate 75 and the standing height of the second rib 125 from the bottom plate 75 may be set to be the same. May vary. In other words, the first rib 124 and the second rib 125 may be lower at the center in the left-right direction 9 and higher toward the end. Further, the side cross section may have a triangular shape or an arc shape so as not to be caught when the recording paper 50 is accommodated. Further, the second rib 125 may not be formed, and only the first rib 124 may be formed on the bottom plate 75.

10: MFP 11: Printer unit 21: Paper feed tray 22: Paper feed tray 75: Bottom plate 40: Recording unit 77: Side guide 101: Slide plate 102: Side plate 103: Operation unit 105: Rail 110: Inclined unit 121: Rail Groove 122: Rail groove 124: First rib 125: Second rib

Claims (11)

A tray on which a sheet to be fed to a device capable of conveying the sheet is placed;
A bottom plate having a mounting surface on which sheets are stacked and mounted;
A side guide that is slidably mounted along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction along the sheet feeding direction with respect to the bottom plate;
Includes a slidable rear guide, the along the upper Symbol first direction,
The side guide is
A slide plate extending along the placement surface and having a lower surface facing the placement surface;
A side plate that is erected from the slide plate in the stacking direction and extends along the first direction, and that contacts the end portion of the sheet placed on the placement surface in the second direction;
An operation unit gripped to slide the side guide,
The bottom plate
A guide portion that is formed along the second direction at a position different from the operation portion in the first direction, and that guides the side guide in the second direction;
A rib standing from the placement surface and extending in the second direction,
An inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the first direction is formed on at least a part of the end portion in the second direction of the slide plate,
One first end portion of the inclined portion in the first direction is located closer to the guide portion than the rib in the first direction, and the other second end portion is located in the first direction in the first direction. A tray located on the opposite side of the guide from the rib. The side plate is erected from one end side in the second direction of the slide plate,
A lock portion that engages with the bottom plate and locks the slide of the side guide is formed at a position facing the bottom plate of the operation unit,
The lock part is formed so as to be separated from the bottom plate by gripping the operation part,
The tray according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion is formed on the other end side in the second direction of the slide plate. Upper Symbol locking portion is provided two sides of the gap in the first direction,
The aforementioned bottom plate, a portion that may be opposed to the locking portion, a engageable with the locking portion, a plurality provided recess along the second direction, provided two rows Oite to the first direction are together and tray of claim 2, the two rows are provided so as to sandwich the gap in the first direction.   The tray according to claim 3, wherein the rib is formed at a position different from the plurality of recesses in the first direction.   The tray according to claim 4, wherein the rib is formed at a position different from the gap in the first direction. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the rib is formed at a position different from the operation portion in the first direction. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the rib is formed in a range where the operation portion is formed in the first direction. The side guides are formed as a pair separated in the second direction,
The operation unit is provided on at least one of the pair of side guides,
The side guide includes a guided portion that extends along the second direction and is guided by the guide portion to move in the second direction, and the guided portion extends along the second direction. Rack is formed,
It is rotatably attached to the bottom plate, further comprising a pinion that can mesh with both of the racks,
The pinion meshes with a rack formed on one of the pair of guided portions on the feeding direction side, and a rack formed on the other of the pair of guided portions on the opposite side to the feeding direction. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , which is meshed. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the slide plate is formed such that a length in the first direction is longer than a length in the second direction. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein a cross section of the rib perpendicular to the second direction has an arc shape. Image recording apparatus comprising: a tray according, and a recording unit for recording an image on a sheet fed from the tray to any of claims 1 to 10.

Images