JP5958154B2 - Sheet discharging apparatus and image recording apparatus provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet discharging apparatus and an image recording apparatus including the sheet discharging apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus having a configuration in which a sheet printed on an apparatus main body is discharged from the apparatus main body and stacked on a mounting surface of a paper discharge table. An end fence is erected on the downstream side of the paper discharge direction in the paper discharge direction. Then, the paper discharged from the apparatus main body is caused to collide with the end fence and dropped onto the placement surface.

JP 2002-274740 A

  By the way, considering the convenience of the user, it is preferable that the paper discharged from the apparatus main body is sorted. However, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the paper discharged from the main body of the apparatus collides with the end fence and is simply dropped on one placement surface, so that the paper cannot be sorted. .

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet discharging apparatus capable of sorting sheets and an image recording apparatus having the sheet discharging apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problems, a sheet discharge apparatus according to the present invention has a discharge port, a discharge mechanism for discharging a sheet from the discharge port in a discharge direction intersecting the vertical direction, and the discharge A stopper having a collision surface intersecting a horizontal plane for causing the sheet discharged from the outlet to collide, and a stacking surface on which sheets are stacked, respectively, vertically below the collision surface of the stopper and the discharge A plurality of discharge trays arranged in parallel with respect to the horizontal component direction of the discharge direction between the outlet and the stopper, and a horizontal dihedral angle that is a dihedral angle with the horizontal plane with respect to the collision surface of the stopper, and A stopper adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting at least one of stopper positions in the horizontal component direction with respect to the discharge port; a control mechanism for controlling the discharge mechanism and the stopper adjusting mechanism; The control means controls the discharge mechanism so that the sheet discharged from the discharge port directly collides with the collision surface of the stopper, and the horizontal dihedral angle and the stopper position are controlled. By adjusting at least one of the plurality of discharge trays, the stopper adjusting mechanism is controlled so that the sheet that has bounced off and collided with the collision surface is selectively stacked on the stacking surface of any one of the discharge trays. It is characterized by doing.

  According to the above configuration, by adjusting the stopper adjustment mechanism, the collision position where the sheet discharged from the discharge port collides with the collision surface of the stopper, and the sheet discharged from the discharge port and the collision surface At least one of the collision angles can be adjusted. As a result, it is possible to adjust the drop position of the sheet that has bounced off after colliding with the collision surface, so that the sheet can be selectively stacked on the stacking surface of any one of the plurality of discharge trays. As a result, the sheets can be sorted.

  Further, in the sheet discharge device of the present invention, each of the plurality of discharge trays is in contact with an end of the stacking surface on the discharge port side, and extends upward from at least the contact position, and is stacked on the stacking surface. A positioning portion for positioning an end portion of the sheet on the discharge port side, and in the two discharge trays adjacent to each other in the horizontal component direction, the stacking surface of the discharge tray on the discharge port side An end on the stopper side is positioned vertically above an end on the discharge port side of the stacking surface of the discharge tray on the stopper side, and an upper end of the positioning portion on the discharge tray on the stopper side It may be connected with. According to said structure, since the edge part by the side of the discharge port of a sheet | seat can be positioned by a positioning part, the organizedness of the sheet | seat stacked can be improved.

  In the sheet discharge device of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of discharge trays excluding the discharge tray farthest from the discharge port has a length of the stacking surface in the horizontal component direction. A short discharge tray shorter than the length of the sheets stacked on the stacking surface in the horizontal component direction, and the control means is arranged on the stopper side with respect to the short discharge tray before the short discharge tray. The stopper adjusting mechanism may be controlled so that sheets are stacked on the stacking surface of the adjacent discharge tray. According to said structure, since the length regarding the horizontal component direction of a sheet discharge apparatus can be shortened, a sheet discharge apparatus can be reduced in size. Further, the sheets stacked on the short discharge tray and the adjacent discharge tray on the stopper side prevent the sheets stacked on the short discharge tray from being bent or shifted to the adjacent discharge tray on the stopper side. be able to.

  Moreover, in the sheet discharge apparatus of the present invention, of the plurality of discharge trays, all the discharge trays other than the discharge tray farthest from the discharge port are the short discharge trays, and the control unit includes: The stopper adjusting mechanism may be controlled so that sheets are stacked in order from the stacking surface of the discharge tray away from the discharge port. According to the above configuration, the sheet discharge device can be further downsized.

  In the sheet discharge device of the present invention, an end of the stopper side of the stacking surface of the short discharge tray may be disposed on the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side. The uppermost sheet is positioned vertically above the end on the discharge port side and adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side so that the difference in the vertical direction is less than a predetermined value. And a stacking surface adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a vertical position of the stacking surface of the discharge tray. According to the above configuration, the sheets stacked on the stacking surface of the short discharge tray are bent regardless of the number of sheets stacked on the stacking surface of the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side. It is possible to prevent the slippage and the slippage to the adjacent discharge tray on the stopper side.

  Further, in the sheet discharge apparatus according to the present invention, the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side detects whether or not a sheet is stacked on the stacking surface of the discharge tray. And the control means is configured such that sheets are stacked on the stacking surface of the short discharge tray, and the sheet detection unit of the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side has the stacking surface The stopper adjusting mechanism may be controlled so as to be performed after detecting that sheets are stacked. According to said structure, a sheet | seat can be reliably sorted based on the detection result of a sheet | seat detection means.

  The image recording apparatus of the present invention is an image recording apparatus including any one of the above-described sheet discharge devices, wherein a print medium is attached to a sheet before being discharged from the discharge port by the discharge mechanism. A recording unit that records an image; and a printing medium amount calculating unit that calculates an amount of a printing medium attached to a sheet by the recording unit, wherein the control unit calculates the printing calculated by the printing medium amount calculating unit. The discharge mechanism is controlled so that a sheet having a larger amount of medium has a higher discharge speed to be discharged from the discharge port. According to the above configuration, the sheet can be accurately dropped onto the stacking surface of the discharge tray regardless of the amount of the print medium attached to the sheet.

  The image recording apparatus of the present invention is an image recording apparatus including any one of the above-described sheet discharge devices, wherein a print medium is attached to a sheet before being discharged from the discharge port by the discharge mechanism. A recording unit that records an image; and a printing medium amount calculating unit that calculates an amount of a printing medium attached to a sheet by the recording unit, wherein the control unit calculates the printing calculated by the printing medium amount calculating unit. The discharge mechanism is controlled so that a sheet having a larger amount of medium has a higher discharge speed to be discharged from the discharge port. According to the above configuration, the sheet can be accurately dropped onto the stacking surface of the discharge tray regardless of the amount of the print medium attached to the sheet.

  According to the present invention, sheets can be sorted.

1 is a schematic side view illustrating an overall configuration of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an operation state diagram of the sheet discharging apparatus shown in FIG. It is an electrical block diagram of the controller shown in FIG. It is an operation | movement flowchart of the inkjet printer shown in FIG. It is an operation | movement condition diagram of the sheet discharge apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is an electrical block diagram of the controller in the inkjet printer which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is an operation | movement flowchart of the inkjet printer which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, an overall configuration of an image recording apparatus including a sheet discharging apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the image recording apparatus is an inkjet printer 1 that records an image by ejecting ink onto a sheet P. In the printer 1, an image is recorded by a recording unit 40 that records an image by attaching ink as a printing medium to the sheet P, a sheet feeding device 20 that feeds the sheet P to the recording unit 40, and the recording unit 40. A sheet discharge device 50 for discharging the sheet P is provided.

  The printer 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped casing 1a. In a space defined by the housing 1a, a conveyance path for conveying the sheet P is formed along a thick arrow shown in FIG.

  Housed in the housing 1 a are a recording unit 40, a paper feeding device 20, a later-described ejection mechanism 60 of the sheet ejection device 50, and a controller 100 that controls the operation of each unit of the printer 1. Further, a stopper 70, a plurality of discharge trays 80 (three discharge trays 80 in the present embodiment), and a stopper adjustment mechanism 90 constituting the sheet discharge device 50 are provided on the top plate of the housing 1a. .

  The recording unit 40 includes an inkjet head 10 (hereinafter, head 10), a transport mechanism 30, and a cartridge (not shown) that stores black ink supplied to the head 10. The cartridge is connected to the head 10 via a tube (not shown) and a pump (not shown).

  The head 10 is a line head that is positioned and fixed at a predetermined position, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the main scanning direction. The lower surface of the head 10 is a discharge surface 10a in which a large number of discharge ports are opened. During image recording, black ink is ejected from the ejection port. Further, the head is supported by the housing 1 a via the head holder 3. The head holder 3 holds the head 10 so that a predetermined gap suitable for recording is formed between the ejection surface 10a and the upper surface of a conveyance belt 33 described later. Here, the sub-scanning direction is a direction parallel to the conveyance direction of the sheet P by the conveyance mechanism 30, and is a direction parallel to the horizontal direction in FIG. The main scanning direction is a direction parallel to the horizontal plane and orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction in FIG.

  The transport mechanism 30 includes two belt rollers 31 and 32, a transport belt 33, a tension roller 34, a platen 35, a nip roller 36, and a peeling plate 37. The conveyor belt 33 is an endless belt wound between the rollers 31 and 32, and tension is applied by the tension roller 34. The outer peripheral surface of the transport belt 33 is a transport surface on which a silicon layer (weakly adhesive outer peripheral surface coating layer) is formed, and holds the sheet P. The platen 35 is disposed to face the head 10 and supports the upper loop of the conveyor belt 33 from the inside. The belt roller 32 is a driving roller and causes the transport belt 33 to travel. The belt roller 32 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 by a motor (not shown). The belt roller 31 is a driven roller and is rotated by the travel of the transport belt 33. The nip roller 36 presses the sheet P conveyed from the sheet feeding device 20 against the conveyance surface of the conveyance belt 33. The peeling plate 37 peels the conveyed sheet P from the conveyance belt 33 and guides it to the discharge mechanism 60.

  The paper feed device 20 includes a paper feed tray 23, a paper feed roller 24, two guides 26, and a feed roller pair 27. The paper feed tray 23 is a box that opens upward, and can accommodate sheets P. The two guides 26 connect the paper feed tray 23 and the transport mechanism 30. The paper feed roller 24 rotates under the control of the controller 100 and sends out the sheet P that is at the uppermost position of the paper feed tray 23. The feed roller pair 27 rotates under the control of the controller 100 and conveys the sheet P fed from the paper feed roller 24 to the transport mechanism 30.

  Next, the sheet discharging apparatus 50 will be described in detail. The sheet discharge device 50 includes a discharge mechanism 60, a stopper 70, three discharge trays 80 (80 a to 80 c), a stopper adjustment mechanism 90, and a sheet discharge control unit 150 that controls the operation of each part of the sheet discharge device 50 (FIG. 3). See). The sheet discharge control unit 150 is a functional unit of the controller 100 and corresponds to the control unit of the present invention.

  The discharge mechanism 60 includes a discharge port 61, three guides 62, and three pairs of feed rollers 63. The discharge port 61 is provided at one end of the top plate of the housing 1a in the sub-scanning direction. The three guides 62 connect the transport mechanism 30 and the discharge port 61. The three pairs of feed rollers 63 rotate under the control of the sheet discharge control unit 150, and discharge the sheet P transported from the transport mechanism 30 from the discharge port 61. The pair of feed rollers 63 located on the most downstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet P rotates the pair of rollers so that the discharge direction D of the sheet P discharged from the discharge mechanism 60 intersects the vertical direction. A straight line connecting the axes intersects the horizontal plane.

  The stopper 70 is a rectangular flat plate member, and is provided at the other end of the top plate of the housing 1 a in the sub-scanning direction so as to face the discharge port 61. One end of the stopper 70 is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 70a provided on the top plate of the housing 1a and extending in the main scanning direction. The stopper 70 has a collision surface 71 for causing the sheet P discharged from the discharge port 61 by the discharge mechanism 60 to collide. The collision surface 71 intersects the horizontal plane and intersects the vertical plane including the main scanning direction. The leading edge of the sheet P discharged from the discharge port 61 collides with the collision surface 71. As a result, the sheet P is bounced off by the collision surface 71 and falls between the discharge port 61 and the stopper 70.

  The three discharge trays 80 are arranged in parallel with respect to the horizontal component direction E in the discharge direction D below the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70. Each discharge tray 80 includes a stacking surface 81 on which the sheets P are stacked, and a positioning unit 82 for positioning an end of the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 81 on the discharge port 61 side. The loading surface 81 is an inclined surface that inclines vertically upward from the discharge port 61 toward the stopper 70. The positioning portion 82 is in contact with the end portion on the discharge port 61 side of the stacking surface 81 and extends upward from the contacted position. The sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 81 are moved to the positioning unit 82 due to the inclination of the stacking surface 81.

  Further, in the two discharge trays 80 adjacent to each other in the horizontal component direction E, the end of the stacking surface 81 on the discharge tray 80 on the discharge port 61 side on the stopper 70 side is the discharge of the stacking surface 81 on the discharge tray 80 on the stopper 70 side. It is positioned vertically above the end on the outlet 61 side and is connected to the upper end of the positioning portion 82 in the discharge tray 80 on the stopper 70 side.

  A sheet detection sensor 85 is provided in each positioning portion 82 of each discharge tray 80. The sheet detection sensor 85 detects the number of sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80 and outputs the detection result to the sheet discharge control unit 150.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the discharge tray 80 a farthest from the discharge port 61 has a length related to the horizontal component direction E of the stacking surface 81 related to the horizontal component direction E of the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 81. This is a long discharge tray longer than the length. On the other hand, the other two discharge trays 80 b and 80 c are short discharge trays whose length in the horizontal component direction E of the stacking surface 81 is shorter than the length in the horizontal component direction E of the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 81. is there. In these two discharge trays 80 b and 80 c, a part of the sheet P stacked on the stacking surface 81 protrudes from the stacking surface 81.

  As described above, the stacking surface 81 of each discharge tray 80 is inclined, and all the discharge trays 80b and 80c other than the discharge tray 80a farthest from the discharge port 61 are short discharge trays. The length of the discharge tray 80 in the horizontal component direction E can be shortened. As a result, the sheet discharge device 50 can be made compact, and the printer 1 can also be miniaturized. Further, since the sheet P stacked on the stacking surface 81 of each discharge tray 80 can be positioned at the end of the sheet P on the discharge port 61 side by the positioning unit 82, the order of the stacked sheets P is improved. be able to.

  The stopper adjustment mechanism 90 drives a motor (not shown) attached to the rotation shaft 70a under the control of the sheet discharge control unit 150 to rotate the stopper 70 around the rotation shaft 70a, thereby stopping the stopper. With respect to the collision surface 71 of 70, the horizontal dihedral angle α, which is a dihedral angle with the horizontal plane, and the stopper position with respect to the horizontal component direction E with respect to the discharge port 61 are adjusted. In the following description, the horizontal dihedral angle α is zero in the direction opposite to the horizontal component direction E and positive in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. The sheet discharge control unit 150 detects the rotation angle of the stopper 70 with an encoder attached to the motor, and controls the motor based on the rotation angle.

  Here, when the sheet P discharged from the discharge port 61 by the discharge mechanism 60 collides with the collision surface 71 and bounces back, the sheet P drops in a direction opposite to the horizontal component direction E when the sheet P drops to a certain vertical position. Think about the position. It is assumed that the sheet P bounced off from the collision surface 71 falls between the stopper 70 and the discharge port 61.

  When the angle of the horizontal dihedral angle α with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70 is fixed, the closer the stopper position is to the discharge port 61, the more the horizontal component direction E with which the discharged sheet P collides with the collision surface 71. Since the collision position approaches, the fall position in the direction opposite to the horizontal component direction E of the sheet P that has collided and bounced off the collision surface 71 approaches the discharge port 61.

  On the other hand, when the collision position in the horizontal component direction E where the sheet P collides against the collision surface 71 is fixed, the sheet P bounced off from the collision surface 71 according to the entry angle of the sheet P entering the collision position. There is a horizontal dihedral angle α (hereinafter, referred to as a maximum horizontal dihedral angle) at which the position of the drop is closest to the discharge port 61. When the horizontal dihedral angle α is made larger than the maximum horizontal dihedral angle, the dropping position of the sheet P bounced off from the collision surface 71 approaches the stopper 70 side. Further, when the horizontal dihedral angle α is made smaller than the maximum horizontal dihedral angle, similarly, the dropping position of the sheet P bounced off from the collision surface 71 approaches the stopper 70 side.

  From the above, with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70, by adjusting at least one of the stopper position and the horizontal dihedral angle α, the opposite of the horizontal component direction E of the sheet P that collides with the collision surface 71 and bounces back. It can be seen that the fall position with respect to the direction can be adjusted. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the sheet P that has collided with the collision surface 71 and bounced by adjusting both the stopper position and the horizontal dihedral angle α with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70 is related to the horizontal component direction E. The paper is selectively dropped and stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the three discharge trays 80 arranged in parallel. Specifically, the stopper adjusting mechanism 90 rotates the stopper 70 around the rotation shaft 70a under the control of the sheet discharge control unit 150, so that the stopper 70 is moved to the first rotation position, the second rotation position. Are selectively moved to the rotation position and the third rotation position.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2A, the first rotation position is such that the horizontal dihedral angle α is the maximum horizontal dihedral angle (90 degrees in the present embodiment) with respect to the collision surface 71, and The stopper position is the position closest to the discharge port 61. When the stopper 70 is disposed at the first rotation position, the sheet P that has collided with the collision surface 71 and bounced is stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80c closest to the discharge port 61. As shown in FIG. 2B, the second rotation position is such that the horizontal dihedral angle α is greater than the maximum horizontal dihedral angle with respect to the collision surface 71 and the stopper position is the first rotation position. It is a position farther from the outlet 61 than at the time of. When the stopper 70 is disposed at the second rotation position, the sheet P that has collided and bounced off the collision surface 71 is stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the middle discharge tray 80b. As shown in FIG. 2 (c), the third rotation position means that the horizontal dihedral angle α is larger than that in the second rotation position with respect to the collision surface 71, and the stopper position is the second position. It is a position farther from the outlet 61 than at the rotational position. When the stopper 70 is disposed at the third rotation position, the sheet P that has collided with the collision surface 71 and bounced is stacked on the discharge tray 80 a that is farthest from the discharge port 61. Note that the rotation positions of the first rotation position, the second rotation position, and the third rotation position are the sheet P in which the amount of attached ink is less than a predetermined amount (described later), This is a rotational position where the sheet P can be dropped and stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the corresponding discharge tray 80 when discharged from the discharge port 61 at a normal discharge speed (described later).

  Next, the controller 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The controller 100 stores a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a program executed by the CPU and a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores data used for these programs in a rewritable manner, and temporarily stores data when the program is executed. RAM (Random Access Memory). Each functional unit constituting the controller 100 is constructed by cooperation of these hardware and software in the ROM. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller 100 includes a receiving unit 142, an image data storage unit 143, an image recording control unit 144, a print medium amount calculation unit 145, and a sheet discharge control unit 150 as functional units.

  The receiving unit 142 receives a print command transmitted from an external device (such as a PC connected to the printer 1). The image data storage unit 143 stores image data relating to an image to be recorded on the sheet P.

  The image recording control unit 144 performs image recording for recording an image on the sheet P based on the print command received by the receiving unit 142. Specifically, the image recording control unit 144 feeds the sheet P from the sheet feed tray 23, and the sheet feed roller 24, the feed roller pair 27, and the like so that the fed sheet P passes directly below the discharge surface 10a. The transport mechanism 30 is controlled. In addition, the image recording control unit 144 discharges the sheet P, which is stored in the image data storage unit 143, on the sheet P, which is recorded immediately below the sheet P by the conveyance mechanism 30. The head 10 is controlled so that ink is ejected from the outlet. This ink ejection operation is performed at a timing synchronized with the conveyance of the sheet P based on the detection signal from the paper sensor 41. Note that during continuous image recording in which images are recorded on a plurality of sheets P, the distance between the sheets P and the conveyance speed of the sheets P continuously conveyed by the paper feed roller 24, the feed roller pair 27, and the conveyance mechanism 30 are as follows. Has been kept constant.

  The print medium amount calculation unit 145 calculates the amount of ink attached to the sheet P for each sheet P when the image recording control unit 144 records an image. In the present embodiment, the print medium amount calculation unit 145 calculates the amount of ink ejected from the ejection port when recording an image on the sheet P from the image data stored in the image data storage unit 143, and calculates the calculated amount. The amount of ink is defined as the amount of ink attached to the sheet P. As a modified example, after the image recording on the sheet P is completed and before the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61, the amount is attached to the sheet P by a detection unit such as a sensor. Also good.

  The sheet discharge control unit 150 selectively stacks the sheet P on which the image is recorded by the image recording control unit 144 on the stacking surface 81 of any one of the three discharge trays 80a to 80c. In addition, it controls the feed roller pair 63 and the stopper adjustment mechanism 90, and includes a tray information storage unit 160, a discharge tray determination unit 161, a stopper adjustment unit 162, a discharge speed determination unit 163, and a conveyance control unit 164. ing.

  The tray information storage unit 160 determines whether each discharge tray 80 is a discharge tray (hereinafter, stackable discharge tray) on which the sheets P can be stacked on the stacking surface 81 or stacks the sheets P on the stacking surface 81. Is stored for each discharge tray 80, indicating whether the discharge tray cannot be discharged (hereinafter referred to as a stackable discharge tray). Here, the stackable discharge tray is a discharge tray in which the number of sheets P stacked on the discharge tray 80 does not reach the maximum stackable number of sheets that can be stacked on the discharge tray 80, and the receiving unit 142 This is a discharge tray on which sheets P are not stacked when a print command is received. Further, the non-stackable discharge tray is a discharge tray in which the number of sheets P stacked on the discharge tray 80 has reached the maximum stackable number that can be stacked on the discharge tray 80 or the receiving unit 142 issues a print command. It is a discharge tray on which sheets P are already stacked when received.

  The discharge tray determination unit 161 determines a discharge tray 80 as a stacking destination on which the sheet P on which an image is recorded by the image recording control unit 144 is stacked among the three discharge trays 80a to 80c. Here, as described above, since the discharge tray 80b is a short discharge tray, when the sheets P are stacked on the discharge tray 80b before the discharge tray 80a, the sheets stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80b. There is a possibility that P may be bent or be displaced to the discharge tray 80a. Accordingly, the discharge tray determination unit 161 determines the discharge tray 80a as the stack tray discharge tray 80 before the discharge tray 80b. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the sheet P stacked on the discharge tray 80b bends or falls on the discharge tray 80a due to the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80a. Similarly, the discharge tray determination unit 161 determines the discharge tray 80b as the stack destination discharge tray 80 before the discharge tray 80c, which is a short discharge tray. In other words, in the present embodiment, the discharge tray determination unit 161 determines the discharge tray 80 as the stacking destination in order from the discharge tray 80 far from the discharge port 61.

  Further, the discharge tray determination unit 161 reaches the maximum number of stacked sheets P based on the detection result of the sheet detection sensor 85 formed on the positioning unit 82 of the discharge tray 80. Judge whether or not. If it is determined that the maximum number of stacked sheets has been reached, the tray information storage unit 160 stores tray information that sets the discharge tray 80 as a non-stackable discharge tray. Then, the discharge tray determination unit 161 refers to the tray information stored in the tray information storage unit 160 and determines the stackable discharge tray farthest from the discharge port 61 as the stack destination discharge tray 80.

  Further, when the receiving unit 142 receives the print command, the discharge tray determining unit 161 determines whether there is a discharge tray 80 on which the sheets P are stacked based on the detection result of the sheet detection sensor 85. . If there is a discharge tray 80 on which sheets P are stacked, the tray information storage unit 160 stores tray information that sets the discharge tray 80 as a non-stackable discharge tray. Then, the discharge tray determination unit 161 refers to the tray information stored in the tray information storage unit 160 and determines the stackable discharge tray farthest from the discharge port 61 as the stack destination discharge tray 80. As a result, the sheets P on which images have been recorded based on different print commands can be stacked on the stacking surfaces 81 of the separate discharge trays 80, so that the sorting of the sheets is improved.

  Further, when the discharge tray determination unit 161 determines that all the discharge trays 80 have become unloadable discharge trays with reference to the tray information stored in the tray information storage unit 160, the discharge tray 80 is notified to the user. A notification screen that prompts the user to remove the sheet P from the touch panel 170 is displayed on the touch panel 170.

  The stopper adjustment unit 162 adjusts the stopper position and the horizontal dihedral angle α with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70, so that the sheet P is selectively placed on the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80 determined by the discharge tray determination unit 161. The stopper adjusting mechanism 90 is controlled so as to be loaded.

  The discharge speed determination unit 163 determines a discharge speed for discharging the sheet P from the discharge port 61 for each sheet P. Here, when the discharge speed at which the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61 is constant, the weight of the sheet P with a larger amount of attached ink becomes heavier, so the drop position in the direction opposite to the horizontal component direction E is The stopper 70 is approached. For this reason, when the amount of ink attached to the sheet P is large, the sheet P may not be accurately dropped onto the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the discharge speed determination unit 163 discharges the sheet P with the amount of attached ink less than a predetermined amount from the discharge port 61 based on the calculation result by the print medium amount calculation unit 145. Is the normal discharge speed, and the discharge speed of discharging the sheet P from the discharge port 61 is a high speed discharge speed faster than the normal discharge speed. The normal discharge speed and the high-speed discharge speed are both set to discharge speeds at which the sheet P discharged from the discharge port 61 directly collides with the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70. In the present embodiment, the normal discharge speed is set to be the same as the transport speed of the sheet P transported by the paper feed roller 24, the feed roller pair 27, and the transport mechanism 30.

  The conveyance control unit 164 controls the feed roller pair 63 so that the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61 at the discharge speed determined by the discharge speed determination unit 163.

  Next, the operation of the printer 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the stopper 70 is arrange | positioned in the 3rd rotation position in the state at the time of the start of the operation | movement flow shown in FIG. Further, all of the tray information related to each discharge tray 80 stored in the tray information storage unit 160 indicates that the discharge tray 80 is a stackable discharge tray.

  First, when the receiving unit 142 receives a print command from an external device (A1), the discharge tray determining unit 161 records an image in the image recording related to the previous print command based on the detection result of the sheet detection sensor 85. It is determined whether or not there is a discharge tray 80 on which sheets P are stacked (A2). When it is determined that there is no discharge tray 80 on which the sheets P are stacked (A2: NO), the discharge tray determination unit 161 determines that all the discharge trays 80 are stackable discharge trays, and the most from the discharge port 61. The remote discharge tray 80a is determined as the stack tray 80, and the process proceeds to step A6.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step A2 that there is a discharge tray 80 on which sheets P are stacked (A2: YES), the discharge tray determination unit 161 sets the discharge tray 80 on which sheets P are stacked. Then, the tray information for the unloadable discharge tray is stored in the tray information storage unit 160 (A3). Next, the discharge tray determination unit 161 refers to the tray information and determines whether all the discharge trays 80 are stackable discharge trays (A4). When it is determined that all the discharge trays 80 are not unloadable discharge trays and there are discharge trays 80 that are stackable discharge trays (A4: NO), the discharge tray determination unit 161 stores the information in the tray information storage unit 160. With reference to the tray information, the stackable discharge tray farthest from the discharge port 61 is determined as the discharge tray 80 of the stacking destination. The stopper adjusting unit 162 adjusts the stopper position and the horizontal dihedral angle α with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70, whereby the sheets P are selectively stacked on the determined stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80. Thus, the stopper adjustment mechanism 90 is controlled (A5).

  Next, based on the print command received by the receiving unit 142, the image recording control unit 144 performs image recording on one sheet P, so that the paper feed roller 24, the feed roller pair 27, the transport mechanism 30, Then, the head 10 is controlled (A6). Next, the conveyance control unit 164 determines whether or not the discharge speed determined by the discharge speed determination unit 163 is a high-speed discharge speed (A7). When it is determined that the discharge speed is the high speed discharge speed (A7: YES), the conveyance control unit 164 has a predetermined amount or more of ink attached to the sheet P on which the image is recorded in the process of step A6. Then, the feed roller pair 63 is controlled so that the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61 at a high discharge speed (A8). When the process of step A8 ends, the process proceeds to step A10.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step A7 that the discharge speed determined by the discharge speed determination unit 163 is the normal discharge speed (A7: YES), the transport control unit 164 performs the process in step A6. Assuming that less than a predetermined amount of ink is attached to the recorded sheet P, the feed roller pair 63 is controlled so that the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61 at a normal discharge speed (A9). When the process of step A9 is completed, the process proceeds to step A10.

  In the process of step A10, the image recording control unit 144 determines whether or not all image recording on the sheet P based on the print command received by the receiving unit 142 has been completed. If it is determined that all image recording has been completed (A10: YES), this processing operation ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the image recording has not been completed (A10: NO), the discharge tray determination unit 161 determines the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80 as the stack destination based on the detection result of the sheet detection sensor 85. It is determined whether or not the number of sheets P stacked on the sheet reaches the maximum number of stacked sheets (A11). If it is determined that the maximum number of stacked sheets has not been reached (A11: NO), the process proceeds to step A6 in order to continue image recording on the sheet P. On the other hand, when it is determined that the maximum number of stacked sheets has been reached (A11: NO), the discharge tray determining unit 161 stores in the tray information storage unit 160 tray information that sets the discharge tray 80 as a stacking destination as a non-stackable discharge tray. (A12), the process returns to step A4.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step A4 that all the discharge trays 80 are unloadable discharge trays (A4: NO), the discharge tray determination unit 161 removes the sheet P from the discharge tray 80 to the user. Is displayed on the touch panel 170 (A13). At this time, when the conveyance of the sheet P based on the print command and the discharge of the ink to the sheet P are being performed, the image recording control unit 144 causes the sheet feeding roller 24, The feed roller pair 27, the transport mechanism 30, and the head 10 are controlled.

  Next, when the discharge tray determining unit 161 determines that all the sheets P stacked on at least one discharge tray 80 among the discharge trays 80 are removed by the user based on the detection result of the sheet detection sensor 85. Then, the tray information relating to the discharge tray 80 from which the sheet P has been removed is changed from a stackable discharge tray to a stackable discharge tray (A14), and the process returns to step A4. The operation of the printer 1 according to this embodiment has been described above.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by adjusting the stopper adjusting mechanism 90, the sheet P discharged from the discharge port 61 collides with the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70, and is discharged from the discharge port 61. The collision angle between the formed sheet P and the collision surface 71 can be adjusted. Thereby, since the position of the fall of the sheet P that collides with the collision surface 71 and can be adjusted can be adjusted, the sheet P is selectively stacked on the stacking surface 81 of any one of the plurality of discharge trays 80. Can be made. As a result, the sheets can be sorted.

  Further, the sheets P are stacked on the stacking surfaces 81 of the discharge trays 80b and 80c, which are short discharge trays. The sheet detection sensors 85 of the discharge trays 80a and 80b adjacent to the discharge trays on the stopper 70 side are stacked. Since this is performed after it is detected that the sheets P are stacked on the sheet 81, the possibility that the sheets P stacked on the short discharge tray will be shifted to the adjacent discharge tray 80 on the stopper 70 side can be reduced. The sheets P can be reliably sorted.

  In addition, for the sheet P in which the amount of attached ink is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the discharge speed of discharging from the discharge port 61 is increased, so that the discharge is performed regardless of the amount of ink attached to the sheet P. The sheet P can be accurately dropped onto the stacking surface 81 of the tray 80.

  As a modified example, in the above-described embodiment, the discharge speed discharged from the discharge port 61 of the sheet P is set to two stages of a normal discharge speed and a high-speed discharge speed. Alternatively, the sheet P may be set so that the discharge speed becomes faster as the sheet P has a larger amount of ink. In this case, the sheet P can be accurately dropped by the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is that, in the second embodiment, the discharge speed at which the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61 is made constant regardless of the amount of ink attached to the sheet P. It is a point. In the second embodiment, when the amount of ink adhering to the sheet P is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, the stopper adjustment mechanism 190 adjusts the stopper position with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70, so that the sheet P is specified. It is accurately dropped onto the loading surface 81 of the discharge tray 80. In the second embodiment, a stacking surface adjustment mechanism that can adjust the vertical position of the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180 farthest from the discharge port 61 is provided. Below, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the location same as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and the description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the discharge tray 180 farthest from the discharge port 61 is a long discharge tray, and a stacking plate 181 that can move in the vertical direction with respect to the top plate of the housing 1a, the housing A positioning part 182 extending upward from the top plate of the body 1a and a sheet detection sensor 85 are provided. The upper surface of the stacking plate 181 is a stacking surface 183 on which the sheets P are stacked. Further, the end of the stacking plate 181 on the discharge port 61 side is in contact with the positioning portion 182. When the stacking plate 181 is moved in the vertical direction, the end on the discharge port 61 side of the stacking plate 181 moves in the vertical direction while being in contact with the positioning portion 182.

  Between the stacking plate 181 and the top plate of the housing 1a, a spring 200 as a stacking surface adjusting mechanism is disposed. The spring 200 urges the stacking plate 181 upward. When the sheet P is not stacked, the vertical position of the end of the stacking surface 183 on the discharge port 61 side is vertically lower than the end of the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80b on the stopper 70 side. The difference in the vertical downward direction is set to be less than a predetermined value. Further, the spring constant of the spring 200 is the amount of the spring 200 corresponding to the total thickness of the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 183 depending on the weight of the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 183. Is set so that the stacking plate 181 is moved vertically downward accordingly. With the above configuration, regardless of the number of sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180, the end of the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80b on the stopper 70 side is stacked on the stacking surface 183. Further, the uppermost sheet P of the uppermost sheets P is positioned vertically above the end on the discharge port 61 side, and the difference in the vertical direction can be less than a predetermined value. As a result, regardless of the number of sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180 adjacent on the stopper 70 side with respect to the discharge tray 80b which is a short discharge tray, the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80b is not affected. It is possible to prevent the stacked sheets P from being bent or being displaced to the discharge tray 180.

  Further, the stopper adjusting mechanism 190 in the present embodiment includes, in addition to the constituent members of the stopper adjusting mechanism 90 in the first embodiment described above, a guide hole 191 extending in the sub-scanning direction, and a rotation shaft 70a as a guide hole. It further has an axis moving device (not shown) that moves along 191. The shaft moving device includes, for example, a servo motor, a ball screw that is rotated by the servo motor, and a nut portion that changes the rotation of the ball screw into horizontal movement. The stopper adjustment mechanism 190 adjusts the horizontal dihedral angle α and the stopper position with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70 by rotating the stopper 70 about the rotation shaft 70 a under the control of the sheet discharge control unit 150. At the same time, by controlling the shaft moving device, the rotation shaft 70a is moved to the first position far from the discharge port 61 (see FIG. 5A) and the second position close to the discharge port 61 (FIG. 5B). ))) To selectively move. When the rotation shaft 70a is arranged at the second position, the stopper 70 comes closer to the discharge port 61 as compared with the case where the rotation shaft 70a is arranged at the first position. The stopper position with respect to the discharge port 61 is approached. That is, in this embodiment, the stopper adjusting mechanism 190 moves the rotation shaft 70a in the sub-scanning direction in addition to the rotation of the stopper 70 about the rotation shaft 70a with respect to the stopper position with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70. It is possible to adjust by.

  Next, the sheet discharge control unit 150 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the sheet discharge control unit 150 according to the present embodiment includes a rotation axis adjustment unit 165 instead of the discharge speed determination unit 163 of the first embodiment described above. For each sheet P on which an image is recorded by the image recording control unit 144, the rotation axis adjustment unit 165 determines the arrangement position of the rotation shaft 70a when the sheet P collides with the collision surface 71 as the first position and The position of the second position is determined, and the shaft moving device of the stopper adjusting mechanism 190 is controlled based on the determination. Specifically, the rotation axis adjustment unit 165 sets the rotation axis 70a to the first position for the sheet P in which the amount of attached ink is less than a predetermined amount based on the calculation result by the print medium amount calculation unit 145. For the sheet P in which the amount of attached ink is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, it is determined that the rotation shaft 70a is disposed at the second position.

  In the present embodiment, the conveyance control unit 164 discharges the sheet P at the discharge port 61 at the same discharge speed as the conveyance speed of the sheet P conveyed by the paper feed roller 24, the feed roller pair 27, and the conveyance mechanism 30. The feed roller pair 63 is controlled so as to be discharged.

  Next, the operation of the printer 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The state at the start of the operation flow shown in FIG. 7 is the same as the state at the start of the operation flow shown in FIG.

  First, the process of step B1-B6 similar to the process of step A1-A6 in the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment is performed. When the process of step B6 is completed, the rotation axis adjustment unit 165 determines whether the amount of ink attached to the sheet P by the process of step B6 is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount based on the calculation result by the print medium amount calculation unit 145. (B7). When it is determined that the amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount (B7: YES), the rotation shaft 70a is disposed at the first position so that the stopper position with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70 is brought closer to the discharge port 61. The stopper adjustment mechanism 190 is controlled (B8). Thereafter, the conveyance control unit 164 controls the feed roller pair 63 so that the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61, and then the process proceeds to step B10.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the amount of ink adhering to the sheet P is less than the predetermined amount (B7: NO), the stopper adjustment mechanism 190 is controlled so that the rotation shaft 70a is disposed at the second position. (B9). Thereafter, the conveyance control unit 164 controls the feed roller pair 63 so that the sheet P is discharged from the discharge port 61, and then the process proceeds to step B10. Since the process of step B10-step B14 is substantially the same as the process of step A10-step A14 in the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by adjusting the vertical position of the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180 with the spring 200, the end on the stopper 70 side of the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80b that is a short discharge tray is Among the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 183, the uppermost sheet P is positioned vertically above the end portion on the discharge port 61 side, and the difference in the vertical direction can be less than a predetermined value. As a result, regardless of the number of sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180, the sheets P stacked on the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80b bend or fall on the discharge tray 180. Can be prevented.

  In addition, for the sheet P in which the amount of attached ink is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the rotation shaft 70 a is disposed at the first position, and the stopper position related to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70 is brought close to the discharge port 61. Therefore, the sheet can be accurately dropped on the stacking surface 81 of the specific discharge tray 80 regardless of the amount of ink attached to the sheet P.

  As a modification, in the above-described embodiment, the rotation shaft 70a can be selectively moved between the first position and the second position, but the position of three or more is selectively used. The stopper position with respect to the collision surface 71 may be set closer to the discharge port 61 as the amount of ink attached to the sheet P increases. In this case, the sheet P can be accurately dropped by the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the stopper adjusting mechanism 190 selectively stacks the sheet P on the stacking surfaces 81 and 183 of the specific discharge tray 80 for the sheet P in which the amount of attached ink is a predetermined amount or more. As described above, the stopper position related to the collision surface 71 is adjusted, but the flight distance of the sheet P in the direction opposite to the horizontal component direction E after the horizontal dihedral angle α related to the collision surface 71 bounces back to the collision surface 71. It may be configured to adjust the angle so as to be longer. That is, the stopper adjusting mechanism 190 may be configured to adjust the horizontal dihedral angle α so as to approach the maximum horizontal dihedral angle for the sheet P in which the amount of attached ink is a predetermined amount or more. Even in this case, the sheet can be accurately dropped onto the stacking surfaces 81 and 183 of the specific discharge tray 80 regardless of the amount of ink attached to the sheet P. As another modified example, the stopper adjusting mechanism 190 causes the collision of the sheet P with the adhered ink amount to be accurately dropped on the stacking surface 81 of the specific discharge tray 80 for the sheet P having a predetermined amount or more. You may be comprised so that both the stopper position regarding the surface 71 and horizontal dihedral angle (alpha) may be adjusted.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as long as they are described in the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the stopper adjusting mechanisms 90 and 190 are capable of adjusting both the horizontal dihedral angle α and the stopper position with respect to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70, but only one of them is adjusted. May be enabled. Thus, even when only one of the horizontal dihedral angle α related to the collision surface 71 of the stopper 70 and the stopper position is adjusted, the horizontal component direction of the sheet P that collides with the collision surface 71 and bounces as described above. Since the drop position in the direction opposite to E can be adjusted, the sheets P can be selectively stacked on the stacking surfaces 81 and 183 of the specific discharge tray 80.

  In the above-described embodiment, only the discharge tray 80 farthest from the discharge port 61 is the long discharge tray. However, the other discharge trays 80 may be long discharge trays. In this case, if the sheet P is stacked on the stacking surface of the discharge tray 80 adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper 70 side before the short discharge tray, the discharge tray far from the discharge port 61 is used. The sheets P may not be stacked in order from the 80 stacking surfaces 81. Further, the number of discharge trays is not limited to three, and may be two or more.

  In the above-described embodiment, the stacking surface adjustment mechanism includes the spring 200. However, the mechanism is not particularly limited as long as the vertical position of the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180 can be adjusted. Absent. For example, the vertical position of the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180 may be adjusted under the control of the sheet discharge control unit 150 by a lifting device using a rack and pinion. In the above-described embodiment, only the vertical position of the stacking surface 183 of the discharge tray 180 farthest from the discharge port 61 can be adjusted by the stacking surface adjustment mechanism. The vertical position with respect to the stacking surface 81 of another adjacent discharge tray 80 may be adjustable. At this time, the two short discharge trays are adjacent to each other, and the vertical position of the two discharge trays 80 adjacent to each other on the stopper 70 side can be adjusted by the stacking surface adjusting mechanism. In the case where the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80 on the discharge port 61 side is moved in the vertical direction, the stacking surface 81 of the discharge tray 80 on the stopper 70 side is also moved by that amount. It is preferable to move in the vertical direction.

  Further, as long as the plurality of discharge trays 80 are arranged in parallel with respect to the horizontal component direction E, the shape thereof is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, each of the plurality of discharge trays may have a box shape that opens upward.

  The present invention can also be applied to a serial ink jet printer. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a printer, and can be applied to a facsimile machine, a copier, and the like, and can also be applied to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a sheet P using a printing medium other than ink.

1 Inkjet printer (image recording device)
60 Discharge mechanism 61 Discharge port 70 Stopper 71 Colliding surface 80, 180 Discharge tray 90, 190 Stopper adjustment mechanism 150 Sheet discharge control unit (control means)

Claims (8)

A discharge mechanism having a discharge port for discharging the sheet from the discharge port in a discharge direction intersecting the vertical direction;
A stopper having a collision surface intersecting with a horizontal plane for colliding the sheet discharged from the discharge port;
A plurality of discharges each having a stacking surface on which sheets are stacked, arranged vertically below the collision surface of the stopper and parallel to the horizontal component direction of the discharge direction between the discharge port and the stopper A tray,
A stopper adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting at least one of a horizontal dihedral angle that is a dihedral angle with the horizontal plane and a stopper position with respect to the horizontal component direction with respect to the discharge port, with respect to the collision surface of the stopper;
Control means for controlling the discharge mechanism and the stopper adjustment mechanism,
The control means controls the discharge mechanism so that the sheet discharged from the discharge port directly collides with the collision surface of the stopper, and adjusts at least one of the horizontal dihedral angle and the stopper position. By doing so, the stopper adjusting mechanism is controlled so that the sheet that collides with the collision surface and bounces is selectively stacked on the stacking surface of any one of the plurality of discharge trays. Sheet discharge device. Each of the plurality of discharge trays is in contact with an end portion on the discharge port side of the stacking surface and extends upward from at least the position where the stack is placed, and has an end portion on the discharge port side of the sheets stacked on the stacking surface. It has a positioning part for positioning,
In the two discharge trays adjacent to each other in the horizontal component direction, the stopper side end of the stacking surface of the discharge tray on the discharge port side is the discharge port on the stacking surface of the discharge tray on the stopper side. The sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet discharging apparatus is positioned vertically above a side end portion and is connected to an upper end of the positioning portion in the discharge tray on the stopper side. Among the plurality of discharge trays, at least one discharge tray excluding the discharge tray farthest from the discharge port has a length in the horizontal component direction of the stacking surface of the sheets stacked on the stacking surface. A short discharge tray shorter than the length in the horizontal component direction,
The control means controls the stopper adjusting mechanism so that sheets are stacked on the stacking surface of the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side before the short discharge tray. The sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 2. Of the plurality of discharge trays, all the discharge trays other than the discharge tray that is farthest from the discharge port are the short discharge trays,
The sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the stopper adjusting mechanism so that sheets are stacked in order from the stacking surface of the discharge tray separated from the discharge port.   The discharge port side of the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side, the end portion on the stopper side of the stacking surface of the short discharge tray The vertical direction of the stacking surface of the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side so that the difference with respect to the vertical direction is less than a predetermined value. The sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a stacking surface adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a position. The discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side includes sheet detection means for detecting whether or not a sheet is stacked on the stacking surface of the discharge tray.
The control unit is configured such that sheets are stacked on the stacking surface of the discharge tray adjacent to the short discharge tray on the stopper side when the sheets are stacked on the stacking surface of the short discharge tray. The sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the stopper adjusting mechanism is controlled so as to be performed after detecting the presence of the sheet. An image recording apparatus comprising the sheet discharge apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A recording unit that records an image by attaching a print medium to a sheet before being discharged from the discharge port by the discharge mechanism;
Printing medium amount calculating means for calculating the amount of printing medium attached to the sheet by the recording unit,
When the control unit selectively stacks the sheets on the stacking surface of the specific discharge tray, the position of the stopper is higher for a sheet having a larger amount of the print medium calculated by the print medium amount calculation unit. The state of approaching the discharge port and the horizontal dihedral angle are set to an angle that increases the flight distance of the sheet in the direction opposite to the horizontal component direction after colliding with and colliding with the collision surface. An image recording apparatus that controls the stopper adjusting mechanism so as to collide with the collision surface in at least one of the states. An image recording apparatus comprising the sheet discharge apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A recording unit that records an image by attaching a print medium to a sheet before being discharged from the discharge port by the discharge mechanism;
Printing medium amount calculating means for calculating the amount of printing medium attached to the sheet by the recording unit,
The control unit controls the discharge mechanism so that a sheet having a larger amount of the print medium calculated by the print medium amount calculation unit has a higher discharge speed to be discharged from the discharge port. Recording device.

Images