JP6255857B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a recording medium having high rigidity such as a CD or a DVD.

  As recording media on which image recording is performed in the image recording apparatus, recording media with high rigidity such as CDs and DVDs have been proposed in addition to recording paper. Generally, when recording an image on a recording medium having high rigidity such as a CD or a DVD, the recording medium is set on a dedicated tray. The tray is inserted from the insertion port while being supported by a tray guide provided in the image recording apparatus, and is conveyed through the image recording apparatus. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer having a tray guide on the back side of the apparatus.

  In some image recording apparatuses, a pair of rollers provided to sandwich and convey a recording sheet are configured to be able to contact and separate from each other. In such an image recording apparatus, a pair of rollers are brought into contact with each other when the recording sheet is conveyed. On the other hand, when the tray is conveyed, the pair of rollers are separated from each other. As a result, the pair of rollers can sandwich and transport the tray that is thicker than the recording paper. Such contact / separation of the pair of rollers is executed, for example, by a user operating a roller contact / separation lever provided in the image recording apparatus.

JP 2004-17302 A

  However, in the case of the printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, the tray can be inserted into the apparatus while being supported by the tray guide regardless of the contact state of the pair of rollers. That is, even when the pair of rollers are in contact with each other, the tray is inserted into the apparatus. In this case, the pair of rollers can sandwich the recording sheet, but it is difficult to sandwich the tray. Nevertheless, if the tray is pushed into the pair of rollers, the recording medium supported by the tray may be damaged. Further, if the tray is inserted while the sheet is being conveyed, the sheet and the tray may come into contact with each other and become jammed in the apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is when a pair of rollers that can change between a state in which a sheet can be conveyed and a state in which a tray can be conveyed are in a state in which the tray can be conveyed. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide means capable of preventing the recording medium supported by the tray from being damaged and preventing collision between the tray and the sheet by allowing the tray to be inserted into the apparatus.

  (1) An image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a first roller and a second roller facing the first roller, and the first roller and the second roller are in contact with each other to sandwich the sheet. A first state in which the main transport path is transported, and a second state in which the first roller and the second roller are separated and a tray capable of supporting the recording medium is sandwiched to transport the main transport path. A variable roller pair, a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium or sheet supported by the tray conveyed on the main conveyance path, and a tray guide for supporting the tray so as to enter the main conveyance path And a lever portion movable between a first position where the roller pair is in the first state and a second position where the roller pair is in the second state. In the first position, the lever portion is located closer to the tray guide than the pair of rollers, and is located in a region where the tray exists when the tray is supported by the tray guide, and in the second position. Evacuated from the above area.

  According to this configuration, when the roller pair is in the first state in which the sheet can be conveyed, the lever portion is in the first position. The lever portion at the first position is located in a region where the tray exists when the tray is supported by the tray guide. Therefore, when the lever portion is in the first position, the tray cannot be supported by the tray guide. Therefore, when the roller pair is in the first state, that is, when the roller pair is not in the second state in which the tray can be transported, it is possible to prevent the tray from entering the main transport path.

  (2) The tray guides are arranged in a pair with a gap in the width direction orthogonal to the direction of entry of the tray into the main transport path, and support both ends of the tray in the width direction. The lever portion is disposed between the pair of tray guides in the width direction.

  According to this configuration, the tray guide does not get in the way when the lever portion is gripped and operated by the user.

  (3) The lever portion is disposed in the middle in the width direction of the device.

  According to this structure, since the lever part is arrange | positioned in the middle in the width direction of an apparatus, a lever part can be operated in the middle in the width direction of an apparatus. Therefore, the operation of the lever part becomes easy.

  (4) The pair of tray guides are disposed downstream of the roller pair in the sheet discharge direction, and support the tray so that the tray can enter the main conveyance path from the discharge direction downstream side of the roller pair. To do. The distance between the pair of tray guides is such a length that the pair of tray guides abuts a sheet having a size larger than a preset size and does not abut a sheet having a size smaller than the preset size.

  According to this configuration, a sheet having a size smaller than the set size does not contact the pair of tray guides. Thereby, it can prevent that the said sheet | seat is pushed down by contact | abutting with a pair of tray guide. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in conveyance accuracy due to a sheet having a size smaller than the set size being conveyed while being pressed down.

  (5) The recording unit is provided upstream of the pair of rollers in the discharge direction in the main conveyance path. The roller pair rotates forward so that a sheet image-recorded on one surface by the recording unit is transported in the discharge direction and discharged from the main transport path, and is rotated in reverse, so that the recording unit and the A sheet on which one image is recorded by the recording unit is conveyed to a branch conveyance path connected to the main conveyance path between the roller pair.

  When the sheet in the middle of being discharged from the main conveyance path contacts the tray guide, the sheet is pushed down by the tray guide. If the pressed sheet is conveyed to the branch conveyance path by the reversal of the roller pair, the conveyance accuracy may be deteriorated. In this configuration, since a sheet having a size smaller than the set size does not come into contact with the pair of tray guides, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the conveyance accuracy as described above for a sheet having a size smaller than the set size.

  (6) The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the discharge direction of the sheet, and supports the tray so that the tray can enter the main conveyance path from the downstream side of the discharge direction of the roller pair. It is. A discharge tray is further provided below the tray guide and supports a sheet discharged from the main conveyance path. The lever portion is retracted downward from the region at the second position.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to share the area where the sheets stacked on the discharge tray exist and the area where the tray guide exists at the second position. As a result, the image recording apparatus can be reduced in size.

  (7) The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the sheet discharge direction and supports the tray so that the tray can enter the main conveyance path from the discharge direction downstream side of the roller pair. It is. The lever portion is retracted upward from the region at the second position.

  According to this configuration, since the lever portion is retracted above the tray guide in a state where the lever portion is moved to the second position, it is not necessary to retract the lever portion below the tray guide. Therefore, a space can be provided below the lever portion. Then, the sheet jammed in the main conveyance path can be easily taken out through the space.

  (8) In the process of moving from the first position to the second position, the lever portion is located at a third position that places the roller pair in the second state and is located in the region.

  According to this configuration, the lever portion is moved in the order of the first position, the third position, and the second position, so that the roller pair can be surely set to the second state, and then the tray guide can support the tray. State.

  (9) The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the discharge direction of the sheet, and supports the tray so as to be able to enter the main transport path from the downstream side of the discharge direction of the roller pair. And an inclined portion inclined obliquely downward toward the downstream side in the discharge direction is provided at the upstream end portion in the discharge direction.

  According to this configuration, the sheet discharged from the main conveyance path can be guided downward by the inclined portion. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the sheet discharged from the main conveyance path from being caught by the tray guide.

  (10) The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the sheet discharge direction, and supports the tray so that the tray can enter the main conveyance path from the downstream side in the discharge direction of the roller pair. And is rotatable between a fourth position and a fifth position above the fourth position, with the axis provided at the upstream end in the discharge direction as a center, and the main transport path By rotating from the fourth position to the fifth position.

  According to this configuration, the tray guide that comes into contact with the sheet discharged from the main conveyance path rotates from the fourth position to the fifth position, so that the amount of pressing down of the sheet due to contact with the tray guide can be reduced. Can do. As a result, it is possible to reduce a decrease in conveyance accuracy due to the sheet being conveyed while being pushed down.

  (11) A biasing member that biases the tray guide toward the fourth position is further provided.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce variations in the rotation of the tray guide due to differences in sheet size and rigidity. Thereby, the dispersion | variation in the pressing amount of a sheet | seat can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce variations in the conveyance accuracy due to the sheet being conveyed while being pushed down.

  According to the present invention, the tray is moved to the main conveyance path in the apparatus only when the roller pair capable of changing the state between the first state in which the sheet can be conveyed and the second state in which the tray can be conveyed is in the second state. By making the insertion possible, it is possible to prevent the recording medium supported by the tray from being damaged and the collision between the tray and the sheet can be prevented.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 that is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a state where the lever portion 90 is in the first position, and FIG. The second position and the state where the media tray 110 is inserted are shown. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the periphery of the guide portion 95 of the lever portion 90. FIG. 3A shows the lever portion 90 in the first position, and FIG. 3B shows the lever portion. 90 shows a state of the second position. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the periphery of the moving mechanism 50. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the conveyance roller pair 59 and the guide portion 95 of the lever portion 90. FIG. 5A shows a state in which the pinch rollers 61A and 61B are in contact with the conveyance roller 60. (B) shows a state in which the pinch roller 61B is separated from the conveying roller 60, and (C) shows a state in which the pinch rollers 61A and 61B are separated from the conveying roller 60. Yes. 6A is a perspective view of the lever portion 90, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view in which the connection portion 94 and the guide portion 95 are disassembled in a portion B of FIG. 6A. FIG. 7 is a perspective view around the lever portion 90 and the platen 42. FIG. 8 is a plan view around the lever portion 90 and the platen 42. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 8. FIG. 9A shows the lever 90 in the first position, and FIG. 9B shows the lever 90 in the third position. It is shown. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8 in a state where the lever portion 90 is in the second position. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the periphery of the lever portion 90 and the platen 42 in the second modification. FIGS. 12A and 12B are XII-XII cross-sectional views in Modification 2. FIG. 12A shows a state where the lever portion 90 is in the first position, and FIG. 12B shows a state where the lever portion 90 is in the second position. It is shown.

  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 of 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).

[Overall structure of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, a multifunction machine 10 (an example of an image recording apparatus of the present invention) is generally formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped, and a printer unit 11 is provided at the lower part. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction device 10 has a function of recording images on both sides of the recording paper 12 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet method as a printing function. Note that the multifunction device 10 may record an image by an electrophotographic method other than the ink jet method. The multifunction machine 10 also has a recording medium (such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM) supported by a media tray 110 (an example of the tray of the present invention, see FIGS. It has a function of recording an image on a board surface of an example of a recording medium. This function will be described later.

[Feeding tray 20]
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer unit 11 has a housing 14 in which an opening 13 is formed in a front surface 75. A recess 80 that is recessed backward through the opening 13 is formed on the front surface of the housing 14. The feed tray 20 can be inserted into the lower portion of the recess 80 and can be removed from the lower portion of the recess 80 by moving in the front-rear direction 8. The feeding tray 20 is a box-shaped member whose upper side is opened. As shown in FIG. 2, the recording paper 12 is supported on the bottom plate 22 of the feeding tray 20. A discharge tray 21 is supported on the front side and the upper side of the feeding tray 20. The discharge tray 21 moves in the front-rear direction 8 together with the feeding tray 20. On the upper surface of the discharge tray 21, the recording paper 12 on which an image is recorded by a recording unit 24 described later and discharged to the recess 80 is supported.

[Feeding unit 16]
As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 16 is provided above the bottom plate 22 of the feeding tray 20 in a state of being inserted into the recess 80. The feeding unit 16 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a drive transmission mechanism 27. The feed roller 25 is pivotally supported at the tip of the feed arm 26. The feeding arm 26 is rotatable in the direction of an arrow 29 around a support shaft 28 provided at the base end. As a result, the feeding roller 25 can be brought into contact with and separated from the bottom plate 22 of the feeding tray 20 or the recording paper 12 supported by the feeding tray 20.

  The feed roller 25 is rotated by a driving force of a transport motor (not shown) transmitted by a drive transmission mechanism 27 in which a plurality of gears are engaged. Thereby, among the recording sheets 12 placed on the bottom plate 22 of the feeding tray 20, the uppermost recording sheet 12 that is in contact with the feeding roller 25 is fed to a conveyance path 65 described later. The feeding roller 25 may be rotated by applying a driving force from a motor provided separately from the conveying motor.

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance path 65 extends from the rear end of the feeding tray 20 inside the housing 14. The conveyance path 65 includes a bending portion 33 and a straight portion 34 (an example of the main conveyance path of the present invention). The curved portion 33 extends while being curved upward from the rear end portion of the feeding tray 20 and is connected to the linear portion 34 on the rear side of a pair of conveyance rollers 59 described later. The linear portion 34 extends in the front-rear direction 8 from an opening 134 provided on the back surface of the printer unit 11 to a pair of reverse rollers 45 described later.

  The bending portion 33 is formed by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that face each other with a predetermined interval. The straight line portion 34 is formed by the recording portion 24 and the platen 42 facing each other at a predetermined interval at a position where the recording portion 24 is disposed. The straight portion 34 is formed by the first upper guide member 17 and the outer guide member 18 behind the recording portion 24. The straight portion 34 is formed by a second upper guide member 35 and a first lower guide member 36 in front of the recording portion 24.

  The recording paper 12 supported on the feeding tray 20 is fed to the curved portion 33 by the feeding roller 25 and extends in the transport direction 15 indicated by the one-dot chain line arrow in FIG. 2 from the curved portion 33 to the linear portion 34. Conveyed along. The media tray 110 is inserted into the straight portion 34 from the opening 13 and is conveyed in the front-rear direction 8 along the straight portion 34.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is provided above the linear part 34. A platen 42 is provided below the recording unit 24 and at a position facing the recording unit 24. The platen 42 is a flat plate-like member in which the length in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 is longer than the length in the up-down direction 7.

  The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40 and a recording head 38. The carriage 40 is supported by two guide rails 56 and 57 arranged at an interval in the front-rear direction 8 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the left-right direction 9. The recording head 38 is mounted on the carriage 40. Ink is supplied to the recording head 38 from an ink cartridge (not shown). A nozzle 39 is formed on the lower surface of the recording head 38. When the carriage 40 moves in the left-right direction 9, the recording head 38 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 39 toward the platen 42. As a result, the image is recorded on the recording paper 12 conveyed in the conveying direction 15 and supported by the platen 42 or the recording medium supported by the media tray 110.

[Conveying roller pair 59, discharging roller pair 44, and reversing roller pair 45]
As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance roller pair 59 is disposed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction 15 with respect to the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 in the linear portion 34. A discharge roller pair 44 is disposed in the linear portion 34 on the downstream side in the transport direction 15 from the recording unit 24. A reversing roller pair 45 (an example of the roller pair of the present invention) is disposed downstream of the discharge roller pair 44 in the linear portion 34 in the transport direction 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the conveyance roller pair 59 includes a conveyance roller 60 disposed on the upper side of the linear portion 34 and a pinch roller disposed on the lower side of the linear portion 34 so as to face the conveyance roller 60. 61. The conveyance roller 60 is a columnar member extending in the left-right direction 9. A plurality of pinch rollers 61 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction 9. Each pinch roller 61 is one of the members constituting the moving mechanism 50 described later, and is rotatably supported by a support member 55 provided corresponding to each pinch roller 61. Each support member 55 is urged toward the transport roller 60 by an elastic member 66. Accordingly, each pinch roller 61 presses the transport roller 60 by being urged toward the transport roller 60 by the elastic member 66. In the present embodiment, two pinch rollers 61, ie, four, that is, eight, are provided, but the number of pinch rollers 61 is not limited to eight.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge roller pair 44 includes a discharge roller 62 disposed below the straight portion 34, and a spur 63 disposed above the straight portion 34 so as to face the discharge roller 62. ing. As shown in FIG. 4, the discharge roller 62 includes a shaft 64 that extends in the left-right direction 9 and a roller portion 58 that is attached to the shaft 64 with an interval in the left-right direction 9. A plurality of spurs 63 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction 9. Each spur 63 is provided at a position facing the roller portion 58. The discharge roller 62 is urged toward the spur 63 side by an elastic member (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of reversing rollers 45 is opposed to the reversing roller 67 (an example of the first roller of the present invention) disposed below the straight portion 34 and the reversing roller 67 above the straight portion 34. And a spur 68 (an example of the second roller of the present invention) arranged in the above manner. The reverse roller 67 includes a shaft 69 extending in the left-right direction 9 and a roller portion 70 attached so as to cover the shaft 69 with a space in the left-right direction 9. A plurality of spurs 68 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction 9. Each spur 63 is provided at a position facing the roller unit 70. The reverse roller 67 is urged toward the spur 68 by an elastic member (not shown).

  The conveyance roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 can sandwich the recording paper 12 or the media tray 110 as will be described later. On the other hand, the reversing roller pair 45 can hold the recording paper 12 as described later, but does not hold the media tray 110. Further, the transport roller 60, the discharge roller 62, and the reverse roller 67 are rotated in the forward direction when a forward drive force is transmitted from a transport motor (not shown), and are rotated in the reverse direction by a reverse drive force.

  When the conveyance roller 60 rotates forward in a state where the recording paper 12 or the media tray 110 is held between the conveyance roller pair 59, the recording paper 12 or the media tray 110 causes the conveyance roller pair 59 to move the linear portion 34 in the conveyance direction. 15, that is, the paper is conveyed forward and the conveyance roller 60 is reversed, the recording paper 12 or the media tray 110 is conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 59 in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction 15, that is, backward.

  Further, when the discharge roller 62 rotates forward in a state where the recording paper 12 or the media tray 110 is sandwiched between the discharge roller pair 44, the recording paper 12 or the media tray 110 causes the linear roller 34 to be moved by the discharge roller pair 44. When transported in the transport direction 15, that is, forward, and the discharge roller 62 reverses, the recording paper 12 or the media tray 110 is transported by the discharge roller pair 44 in the direction opposite to the transport direction 15, that is, in the backward direction. The

  Further, when the reversing roller 67 rotates forward in a state where the recording paper 12 is sandwiched between the reversing roller pair 45, the reversing roller 67 causes the reversing roller pair 45 to move the linear portion 34 in the conveying direction 15, that is, forward (mainly). When the recording paper 12 is conveyed to the discharge tray 21 from the linear portion 34 and reversed by the reverse roller 67, the recording paper 12 is reversed by the reverse roller pair 45 so that the linear portion 34 is opposite to the conveyance direction 15. It is conveyed in the direction, that is, backward.

[Route switching unit 41]
As shown in FIG. 2, the path switching unit 41 is provided between the discharge roller pair 44 and the reverse roller pair 45 in the linear portion 34. The path switching unit 41 includes auxiliary rollers 47 and 48, a flap 49, and a shaft 87. The path switching unit 41 is attached to the second upper guide member 35.

  The flap 49 extends substantially from the shaft 87 in the transport direction 15 and is rotatably supported by the shaft 87. Spur-shaped auxiliary rollers 47 and 48 are rotatably supported by the flap 49. The flap 49 is rotated so that the recording paper 12 can be guided from the recording unit 24 to the reversing roller pair 45 through the discharge roller pair 44 and the leading end is discharged. In a guiding state (state indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2) in which the recording paper 12 transported in the direction opposite to the transport direction 15, that is, in the rearward direction, can be guided to a branch transport path 71 described later. Change.

  The flap 49 is in the guiding state by its own weight in the standby state. When the flap 49 is lifted in contact with the leading edge of the recording paper 12 on which the image is recorded on the surface by the recording unit 24 and conveyed through the linear portion 34, the flap 49 is rotated to a discharge state. When the rear end of the recording paper 12 conveyed by the reversing roller 67 rotated in the forward direction passes through the auxiliary roller 47, the flap 49 rotates from the ejected state to the guided state by its own weight. As a result, the trailing edge of the conveyed recording paper 12 moves downward. As a result, the rear end of the recording sheet 12 being conveyed is directed to a branch conveyance path 71 described later.

  In this state, when the reverse rotation of the reverse roller 67 is continued, the reverse roller pair 45 transports the recording paper 12 in the transport direction 15 (forward) and discharges it to the discharge tray 21. On the other hand, when the reverse roller 67 is switched from normal rotation to reverse rotation, the reverse roller pair 45 conveys the recording paper 12 in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction 15 and guides it to the branch conveyance path 71. Note that the flap 49 may be rotated by a method other than the method described above. For example, the flap 49 may be rotated by being applied with a driving force from a flap rotation motor (not shown).

[Branch conveyance path 71]
As shown in FIG. 2, the branch conveyance path 71 is a path that passes through the lower side of the straight portion 34 and the upper side of the feeding roller 25. The branch conveyance path 71 is branched from the straight portion 34 at the first connection position 101 downstream of the discharge roller pair 44 in the conveyance direction 15 and upstream of the reversing roller pair 45 in the conveyance direction 15. Is a path that joins the bending portion 33 at the second connection position 102 on the upstream side in the transport direction 15. That is, the branch conveyance path 71 is connected to the conveyance path 65 at the first connection position 101 and the second connection position 102. The branch conveyance path 71 is partitioned by a third upper guide member 103 and a second lower guide member 104 that face each other with a predetermined interval therebetween.

  The reversing roller pair 45 rotates the reversing roller 67 in the reverse direction, so that the recording paper 12 is conveyed in the branch conveyance path 71 from the first connection position 101 to the second connection position 102 (see a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). Transport in the direction indicated by.

  The recording paper 12 on which the image is recorded on the surface by the recording unit 24 is guided to the branch conveyance path 71 by the reverse roller pair 45 and the path switching unit 41 as described above. The recording sheet 12 conveyed in the conveyance direction 106 on the branch conveyance path 71 is conveyed again in the conveyance direction 15 through the curved portion 33 via the second connection position 102. Thereafter, the recording paper 12 reaches below the recording unit 24. At this time, the back surface of the recording paper 12 faces the recording unit 24. The recording unit 24 performs image recording on the back surface of the recording paper 12. Thereafter, the recording paper 12 on which images are recorded on both sides is conveyed in the conveying direction 15 by the discharge roller pair 44 and the reverse roller pair 45, discharged to the concave portion 80, and supported by the discharge tray 21.

[Changes in states of the conveyance roller pair 59, the discharge roller pair 44, and the platen 42]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the printer unit 11 is provided with a moving mechanism 50. The moving mechanism 50 includes the above-described support member 55, a convex portion 52 that protrudes downward from both left and right end portions of the support member 55, and a shaft that extends in the left-right direction 9 and is inserted into the hole 53. 54 and a lever portion 90 to be described later. Both left and right end portions of the shaft 54 are inserted into openings 91 (see FIG. 3) provided in the lever portion 90.

  The convex portion 52 includes a convex portion 52 </ b> A provided on the shaft 51 </ b> A of the pinch roller 61 </ b> A provided on the left and right ends of the plurality of pinch rollers 61 and a shaft 51 </ b> B of the pinch roller 61 </ b> B provided on the center side in the left-right direction 9. It is comprised with the convex part 52B provided in this.

  Here, the pinch rollers 61A are arranged on both sides of a support area (not shown) in which the recording medium provided in the center of the media tray 110 inserted in the multifunction machine 10 is supported in the left-right direction 9, that is, the support area. It is provided at a position corresponding to the right side and the left side. On the other hand, the pinch roller 61B is provided at a position corresponding to the support region in the left-right direction 9.

  Moreover, the upper end of the inner peripheral surface constituting the hole 53A provided in the convex portion 52A is the same height as the upper end of the inner peripheral surface constituting the hole 53B provided in the convex portion 52B. On the other hand, the lower end of the inner peripheral surface constituting the hole 53A is a position lower than the lower end of the inner peripheral surface constituting the hole 53B. That is, the hole 53A is larger than the hole 53B.

  Both left and right end portions of the shaft 64 of the discharge roller 62 are inserted into openings 92 (see FIG. 3) provided in the lever portion 90. Further, both left and right end portions of the shaft 69 of the reversing roller 67 are inserted into openings 89 (see FIG. 3) provided in the lever portion 90.

  As will be described later, the conveyance roller pair 59 is in a first state in which the pinch roller 61 is in contact with the conveyance roller 60 and the linear sheet 34 is conveyed while sandwiching the recording paper 12 as the shaft 54 moves up and down (see FIG. 5 (A)), and the pinch roller 61 is separated from the conveyance roller 60, and the state changes to the second state (see FIG. 5C) in which the linear tray 34 is conveyed while sandwiching the media tray 110.

  The discharge roller pair 44 is in a first state in which the spur 63 is in contact with the discharge roller 62 and the recording paper 12 is sandwiched and conveyed by the linear portion 34 as the shaft 64 of the discharge roller 62 moves up and down (see FIG. 2 and a second state (state indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2) in which the discharge roller 62 is separated from the spur 63 and sandwiches the media tray 110 and conveys the linear portion 34. To do.

  The reversing roller pair 45 is in a first state in which the shaft 69 of the reversing roller 67 moves up and down so that the spur 68 is in contact with the reversing roller 67 and holds the recording paper 12 and conveys the linear portion 34 (see FIG. 2 and a second state (state indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2) in which the discharge roller 62 is separated from the spur 68 and retracted below the lower surface of the media tray 110. .

  As will be described later, the vertical movement of the shaft 54, the shaft 64, and the shaft 69 is executed when the lever portion 90 moves in the front-rear direction 8.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, protrusions 43 projecting outward are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the platen 42. The protrusion 43 is inserted through an opening 130 provided in the lever portion 90. As will be described later, the platen 42 moves between the recording unit 24 and the first state (see FIG. 3A) having a distance D1 between the platen 42 and the recording unit 24 as the protrusion 43 moves up and down. The state changes to a second state (see FIG. 3B) having a distance D2 larger than the distance D1.

  When the recording paper 12 is conveyed through the linear portion 34, the platen 42 is changed to the first state and supports the recording paper 12. On the other hand, when the media tray 110 is transported through the straight portion 34, the platen 42 is changed to the second state. Thereby, the platen 42 is positioned below the media tray 110 to be conveyed. As a result, the conveyed media tray 110 does not contact the platen 42.

  As described above, the conveyance roller pair 59, the discharge roller pair 44, the reverse roller pair 45, and the platen 42 are changed to the first state when an image is recorded on the recording paper 12, and the recording medium supported by the media tray 110. When the image is recorded, the state is changed to the second state. This state change is performed by the user moving a lever portion 90 described later.

[Media Tray 110]
As described above, the multifunction machine 10 has a function of recording an image on the surface of a recording medium. When an image is recorded on the recording medium, the recording medium is supported by the media tray 110. The media tray 110 is a thin plate-shaped resin plate, and has the above-described support region in the center portion in the left-right direction 9 on the upper surface. The support region is a circular recess recessed downward from the upper surface. The size and shape of the support area are substantially the same as the recording medium to be placed. A recording medium is supported in the support area.

  As shown in FIGS. 1B and 2, the media tray 110 is inserted backward from the opening 13 in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction 15, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow 73 (an example of the entry direction of the present invention). Then, the straight portion 34 is entered. The media tray 110 inserted into the straight portion 34 is sandwiched between the transport roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 in the second state, and is transported in the front-rear direction 8 through the straight portion 34. The recording unit 24 ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium placed on the media tray 110 that passes immediately below, in the same manner as the recording paper 12. Thereby, an image is recorded on the recording medium.

[Tray Guide 111]
A tray guide 111 shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 8 is fixed to the printer unit 11 and supports the media tray 110 so as to be able to enter the linear portion 34.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the tray guide 111 is attached to a top surface 77 (see FIG. 1B) that forms the upper side of the recess 80. That is, the tray guide 111 is provided above the discharge tray 21 supported by the feeding tray 20 inserted in the lower portion of the recess 80.

  Further, the tray guide 111 is attached to two places of the recess 80 (the right side and the left side of the recess 80). The concave portion 80 attached to the right side and the concave portion 80 attached to the left side are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction 9 (an example of the width direction of the present invention). That is, the tray guides 111 are arranged in a pair with a space in the left-right direction 9 orthogonal to the direction of the arrow 73.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of tray guides 111 is disposed in front of the reversing roller pair 45.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the pair of tray guides 111 includes a front guide 112 disposed on the front side of the recess 80 and a rear guide 113 disposed on the back side of the recess 80. ing.

  The front guide 112 is a thin plate-shaped first side member 114 that expands in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8, and a first side member 114 that extends from the top of the first side member 114 to the inside in the left-right direction 9 (on the opposite side of the tray guide 111). A first upper member 115 and a first lower member 116 extending from the lower portion of the first side member 114 to the inside in the left-right direction 9 (on the side of the opposing tray guide 111). The first upper member 115 is attached to the top surface 77 (see FIG. 1B).

  The rear guide 113 extends from the top of the second side member 117 to the inner side in the left-right direction 9 (on the opposite side of the tray guide 111) from the thin plate-shaped second side member 117 extending in the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. A second upper member 118 and a second lower member 119 extending from the lower portion of the second side member 117 to the inside in the left-right direction 9 (on the side of the opposing tray guide 111) are provided. The second upper member 118 is attached to the top surface 77 (see FIG. 1B).

  A gap is provided between the first side member 114 and the second side member 117 and the inner side wall 81 constituting the left and right ends of the recess 80. A lever portion 90 to be described later is disposed in this gap.

  The positions of the upper surfaces of the first lower member 116 and the second lower member 119 in the vertical direction 7 are substantially the same as the positions of the upper ends of the pinch roller 61 and the discharge roller 62 in the second state in the vertical direction 7. Further, the positions of the lower ends of the first upper member 115 and the second upper member 118 in the vertical direction 7 are substantially the same as or higher than the positions of the lower ends of the transport roller 60 and the spurs 63 and 68 in the vertical direction 7. .

  In addition, the distance in the vertical direction 7 between the first upper member 115 and the first lower member 116 and the distance in the vertical direction 7 between the second upper member 118 and the second lower member 119 are the same as those of the media tray 110. It is substantially the same as the thickness (the length in the vertical direction 7 when the media tray 110 is inserted into the linear portion 34) or larger than the thickness. As described above, the media tray 110 can be inserted backward from between the first upper member 115 and the first lower member 116 and can enter the linear portion 34.

  The media tray 110 is inserted backward from between the first upper member 115 and the first lower member 116 while being supported on the upper surface of the first lower member 116. Here, since the inclined surface 120 inclined obliquely downward and rearward is provided on the front side of the first upper member 115, the above insertion can be performed smoothly. When the media tray 110 is further inserted backward, the media tray 110 is inserted between the second upper member 118 and the second lower member 119. Accordingly, the media tray 110 is supported on the upper surface of the second lower member 119 in addition to the upper surface of the first lower member 116. That is, the pair of tray guides 111 support the both end sides of the media tray 110 in the left-right direction 9 by the first lower member 116 and the second lower member 119.

  Thereafter, when the media tray 110 is further inserted backward, the media tray 110 enters the linear portion 34 without being sandwiched between the pair of reverse rollers 45 in the second state. That is, the pair of tray guides 111 support the media tray 110 so that the media tray 110 can enter the linear portion 34 from the front side of the reverse roller pair 45.

  In the pair of tray guides 111, the distance in the left-right direction 9 between the left end of the right tray guide 111 and the right end of the left tray guide 111 is in contact with the recording paper 12 having a preset size or more, and The length does not contact the recording paper 12 having a size smaller than the set size. For example, the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment is configured to be able to record an image on three types of recording paper 12 of letter size, B5 size larger than the letter size, and A4 size larger than the B5 size. The distance between the pair of tray guides 111 in the left-right direction 9 is a length that makes contact with the B5 size and A4 size recording paper 12 and does not make contact with the letter size recording paper 12. That is, the set size described above in this case is the B5 size.

  As a result, the letter size recording paper 12 which is thicker than the B5 size or A4 size recording paper 12 does not come into contact with the tray guide 111 when discharged. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the thick letter-size recording paper 12 from coming into contact with the tray guide 111 and being pushed down. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the conveyance accuracy due to the conveyance of the letter-size recording paper 12 while being pressed down. On the other hand, even if the recording paper 12 of B5 size or A4 size comes into contact with the tray guide 111, since the recording paper 12 is thin, the above-described decrease in transport accuracy hardly occurs.

  The set size is not limited to the B5 size, but may be an A4 size. In this case, the pair of tray guides 111 is in contact with the A4 size recording paper 12 and is not in contact with the letter size or B5 size recording paper 12. Further, the multi-function device 10 may be configured to be able to record an image on the recording paper 12 other than the above three sizes. For example, the multifunction machine 10 may be configured to record an image on a recording sheet 12 having an A3 size larger than the A4 size in addition to the letter size, B5 size, and A4 size. In this case, if the set size is A4 size, the pair of tray guides 111 is in contact with the A4 size and A3 size recording paper 12 and is not in contact with the letter size and B5 size recording paper 12. Further, the multifunction machine 10 may be configured to be able to record images only on the B5 size and A4 size recording sheets 12. In this case, if the set size is A4 size, the pair of tray guides 111 is in contact with the A4 size recording paper 12 and is not in contact with the B5 size recording paper 12.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the lower surface of the second side member 117 of the rear guide 113 of the tray guide 111 is inclined to the front end while inclining forward and obliquely downward from the rear end. An example). That is, the rear end portion of the tray guide 111 is provided with an inclined surface 121 that is inclined obliquely forward and downward. In the present embodiment, the tray guide 111 includes the inclined surface 121, but the tray guide 111 may not include the inclined surface 121.

[Lever 90]
In the printer unit 11, a lever unit 90 shown in FIG. The lever portion 90 is between a first position, which is the position shown in FIG. 3A, and a second position, which is a position in front of the first position and shown in FIG. 3B. It is movable.

  As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the lever portion 90 includes a grip portion 93 that is gripped by the user, and extends rearward from the left and right end portions of the grip portion 93. A pair of connecting portions 94 that connect the portion 95 and a pair of guide portions 95 that are connected to the rear end portion of the connecting portion 94 are provided.

  The grip portion 93 is a member extending in the left-right direction 9. An opening 96 is provided in the center portion of the grip portion 93 in the left-right direction 9. The user can grip the grip portion 93 by putting a finger into the opening 96. The central portion of the grip portion 93 in the left-right direction 9, that is, the portion where the opening 96 is provided, is disposed between the pair of tray guides 111 in the left-right direction 9. In the present embodiment, the center portion of the grip portion 93 in the left-right direction 9 is located in the middle of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9.

  The connecting portion 94 is a flat plate-like member that is long in the front-rear direction 8. One of the pair of connecting portions 94 extends in the front-rear direction 8 near the right end and near the upper end of the recess 80. The other of the pair of connecting portions 94 extends in the front-rear direction 8 near the left end and near the upper end of the recess 80. The connecting portion 94 is disposed between the first side member 114 and the second side member 117 and the inner side wall 81 of the recess 80 in the left-right direction 9.

  The connecting portion 94 and the grip portion 93 are connected in a gap between the front guide 112 and the rear guide 113 in the front-rear direction 8. Further, the gap is longer than the moving distance between the first position and the second position of the lever portion 90. This prevents the grip portion 93 from coming into contact with the front guide 112 or the rear guide 113 due to the movement of the lever portion 90.

  Each of the right side surface of the right connection portion 94 and the left side surface of the left connection portion 94 is provided with two protrusions protruding outward in the left-right direction 9. The protrusions are a front protrusion 122 provided on the front side of the connection portion 94 and a rear protrusion 123 provided on the rear side of the connection portion 94.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, a front long hole 124 is provided at a position facing the front protrusion 122 on the inner wall 81 that constitutes the left and right ends of the recess 80, and the rear protrusion 123 on the inner wall 81. A rear long hole 125 is provided at a position opposite to. A front protrusion 122 is inserted through the front long hole 124, and a rear protrusion 123 is inserted through the rear long hole 125. Thereby, the connecting portion 94 is supported by the inner wall 81.

  The rear projection 123 inserted through the rear elongated hole 125 is inserted into a guide groove 138 (see FIG. 6) provided at a front end portion of a guide portion 95 described later.

  The front long hole 124 includes a first long hole 126 extending substantially in the vertical direction 7 along the rotation path of the front protrusion 122 when the connecting portion 94 rotates about the rear protrusion 123, and a first long hole. A second elongated hole 127 extending backward from the upper end of 126 is formed continuously. The rear elongated hole 125 extends substantially obliquely downward from the rear to the front. The front end portion of the rear long hole 125 is higher than the lower end portion of the first long hole 126 and is lower than the upper end portion of the first long hole 126. Further, the second elongated hole 127 and the rear end portion of the rear elongated hole 125 are at the same position in the vertical direction 7.

  Accordingly, the connecting portion 94 can move in the front-rear direction 8 by moving the front protrusion 122 along the second long hole 127 and moving the rear protrusion 123 along the rear long hole 125. The connecting portion 94 is movable in the vertical direction 7 by moving the front protrusion 122 along the first long hole 126 and moving the rear protrusion 123 along the rear long hole 125. As described above, the connecting portion 94 is supported by the inner wall 81 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8 and the vertical direction 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the guide portion 95 extends from the front of the reverse roller pair 45 to the rear of the transport roller pair 59 in the front-rear direction 8. Further, the guide portions 95 are arranged in a pair on the right side of the right end of the linear portion 34 and on the left side of the left end of the linear portion 34. The guide unit 95 is supported by a frame (not shown) of the printer unit 11.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a guide groove 138 extending in the vertical direction 7 is formed at the front end portion of the guide portion 95. In the guide groove 138, a rear protrusion 123 that passes through the rear elongated hole 125 is inserted. Accordingly, when the connecting portion 94 moves along the front-rear direction 8, the rear projection 123 presses the side surface of the guide groove 138, so that the guide portion 95 also moves along the front-rear direction 8 together with the connecting portion 94. . Further, when the rear projection 123 moves along the guide groove 138, when the connecting portion 94 moves along the vertical direction 7, the guide portion 95 does not move. That is, the connecting portion 94 moves integrally with the guide portion 95 in the front-rear direction 8, but moves independently of the guide portion 95 in the up-down direction 7.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the guide portion 95 is provided with openings 91, 92, and 89 and two openings 130. The opening 91 is connected to the inclined surface 97 whose front side is higher than the rear side, the horizontal surface 98A connected to the front end of the inclined surface 97 and extending in the front-rear direction 8, and the rear end of the inclined surface 97. 8 and a horizontal plane 98 </ b> B extending to 8.

  In addition, the opening 92 is connected to the inclined surface 99 whose front side is higher than the rear side, the horizontal surface 100A connected to the front end of the inclined surface 99 and extending in the front-rear direction 8, and the rear end of the inclined surface 99. And a horizontal plane 100 </ b> B extending in the front-rear direction 8.

  The opening 89 is connected to the inclined surface 85 whose front side is higher than the rear side, the horizontal surface 86A extending in the front-rear direction 8 connected to the front end of the inclined surface 85, and the rear end of the inclined surface 85. And a horizontal plane 86 </ b> B extending in the front-rear direction 8. Here, the horizontal plane 86B is located below the horizontal plane 100B.

  Further, the opening 130 is connected to the inclined surface 131 whose front side is higher than the rear side, the horizontal surface 132A extending in the front-rear direction 8 connected to the front end of the inclined surface 131, and the rear end of the inclined surface 131. And a horizontal surface 132 </ b> B extending in the front-rear direction 8.

[Movement of lever 90]
Hereinafter, the state change of the conveyance roller pair 59 accompanying the movement of the lever unit 90 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 5A, when the lever portion 90 is located at the first position, the shaft 54 is located below the horizontal plane 98A in the opening 91. At this time, the pinch roller 61 is in contact with the conveying roller 60 by the urging force of the elastic member 66 (see FIG. 4). That is, the conveyance roller pair 59 is in the first state.

  When the user grips the grip portion 93 and pulls the lever portion 90 forward, the lever portion 90 moves forward from the first position. As a result, the shaft 54 contacts the inclined surface 97. When the lever portion 90 moves further forward, the shaft 54 moves relative to the inclined surface 97 while sliding. As a result, the shaft 54 is guided by the inclined surface 97 and moves downward.

  Then, the shaft 54 comes into contact with the lower end of the inner peripheral surface constituting the hole 53B of the convex portion 52B and pushes the lower end. Thereby, the support member 55 integrally formed with the convex portion 52B and the pinch roller 61B supported by the support member 55 move downward. As a result, the pinch roller 61B is separated from the transport roller 60. On the other hand, at this time, the support member 55 integrally formed with the convex portion 52A and the pinch roller 61A supported by the support member 55 do not move.

  When the lever 90 moves further forward in a state where the pinch roller 61B is separated from the conveying roller 60, the shaft 54 moves further downward. Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the shaft 54 abuts against the lower end of the inner peripheral surface constituting the hole 53A of the convex portion 52A and pushes the lower end. Thereby, the support member 55 integrally formed with the convex portion 52A and the pinch roller 61A supported by the support member 55 move downward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5C, the pinch roller 61 </ b> A is separated from the conveyance roller 60. That is, the transport roller pair 59 is in the second state.

  Thereafter, when the lever portion 90 moves further forward, the shaft 54 comes into contact with the horizontal plane 98B by the urging force of the elastic member 66 as shown in FIG. At this time, the lever part 90 has reached the second position. That is, when the lever portion 90 is in the second position, the transport roller pair 59 is in the second state.

  In FIG. 5C, the distance D3 between the pinch roller 61B and the conveying roller 60 is larger than the distance D4 between the pinch roller 61A and the conveying roller 60. This is because the pinch roller 61B starts to move downward before the pinch roller 61A. That is, the moving mechanism 50 moves the pinch roller 61A, which is a part of the plurality of pinch rollers 61, by a distance D4 downward in the direction away from the transport roller 60, and other than the pinch rollers 61A of the plurality of pinch rollers 61. The pinch roller 61B is moved downward by a distance D3 to change the state of the conveying roller pair 59 from the first state to the second state.

  Here, the distance D3 is larger than the thickness of the media tray 110 (the length in the up-down direction 7 in a state where the media tray 110 is inserted). On the other hand, the distance D4 is smaller than the thickness of the media tray 110. As a result, the media tray 110 inserted into the multifunction machine 10 is sandwiched between the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61A, but is not sandwiched between the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61B.

  Hereinafter, the state change of the discharge roller pair 44 accompanying the movement of the lever portion 90 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the lever portion 90 is located at the first position, the shaft 64 of the discharge roller 62 is located below the horizontal plane 100 </ b> A in the opening 92. At this time, the discharge roller 62 is in contact with the spur 63 by an urging force of an elastic member (not shown). That is, the discharge roller pair 44 is in the first state.

  When the user grips the grip portion 93 and pulls the lever portion 90 forward, the lever portion 90 moves forward from the first position. As a result, the shaft 64 contacts the inclined surface 99. When the lever portion 90 moves further forward, the shaft 64 moves relative to the inclined surface 99 while sliding. As a result, the shaft 64 moves downward. That is, the discharge roller 62 moves downward. As a result, the discharge roller 62 is guided by the inclined surface 99 and moves downward, and is separated from the spur 63. That is, the discharge roller pair 44 is in the second state.

  Thereafter, when the lever portion 90 moves further forward, the shaft 64 comes into contact with the horizontal surface 100B by the urging force of the elastic member, as shown in FIG. 3B. At this time, the lever part 90 has reached the second position. That is, when the lever portion 90 is in the second position, the discharge roller pair 44 is in the second state.

  Hereinafter, the state change of the reverse roller pair 45 accompanying the movement of the lever portion 90 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the lever portion 90 is located at the first position, the shaft 69 of the reversing roller 67 is located below the horizontal plane 86 </ b> A at the opening 89. At this time, the reverse roller 67 is in contact with the spur 68 by the urging force of an elastic member (not shown). That is, the reverse roller pair 45 is in the first state.

  When the user grips the grip portion 93 and pulls the lever portion 90 forward, the lever portion 90 moves forward from the first position. As a result, the shaft 69 contacts the inclined surface 85. When the lever portion 90 moves further forward, the shaft 69 moves relative to the inclined surface 85 while sliding. As a result, the shaft 69 moves downward. That is, the reverse roller 67 moves downward. As a result, the reverse roller 67 is guided by the inclined surface 85 and moves downward, and is separated from the spur 68. That is, the reverse roller pair 45 is in the second state.

  Thereafter, when the lever portion 90 moves further forward, as shown in FIG. 3B, the shaft 69 is in contact with the horizontal plane 86B by the biasing force of the elastic member. At this time, the lever part 90 has reached the second position. That is, when the lever portion 90 is in the second position, the reversing roller pair 45 is in the second state. As described above, since the horizontal plane 86B is positioned below the horizontal plane 100B, the reverse roller 67 when the reverse roller pair 45 is in the second state is positioned below the discharge roller 62.

  Hereinafter, the state change of the platen 42 accompanying the movement of the lever portion 90 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the lever portion 90 is located at the first position, the projection 43 of the platen 42 is located below the horizontal surface 132A in the opening 130. At this time, the platen 42 is in the first state.

  When the user grips the grip portion 93 and pulls the lever portion 90 forward, the lever portion 90 moves forward from the first position. Thereby, the protrusion 43 contacts the inclined surface 131. When the lever portion 90 moves further forward, the protrusion 43 moves relative to the inclined surface 131 while sliding. As a result, the protrusion 43 moves downward. That is, the platen 42 moves downward and enters the second state.

  Thereafter, when the lever portion 90 moves further forward, as shown in FIG. 3B, the protrusion 43 comes into contact with the horizontal surface 132B by the biasing force of the elastic member. At this time, the lever part 90 has reached the second position. That is, when the lever portion 90 is in the second position, the platen 42 is in the second state.

  When the lever portion 90 moves from the second position to the first position, an operation opposite to that described above is performed. That is, when the shaft 54 is separated from the horizontal plane 98 </ b> B and slides on the inclined surface 97, the pinch roller 61 moves upward and comes into contact with the transport roller 60. Further, when the shaft 64 is separated from the horizontal plane 100B and slides on the inclined surface 99, the discharge roller 62 moves upward and comes into contact with the spur 63. Further, when the shaft 69 is separated from the horizontal plane 86B and slides on the inclined surface 85, the reversing roller 67 moves upward and comes into contact with the spur 68. Further, the projection 43 moves away from the horizontal surface 132B and slides on the inclined surface 131, whereby the platen 42 moves upward.

  As described above, the lever unit 90 is configured to move the transport roller pair 59, the discharge roller pair 44, the reverse roller pair 45, and the platen 42 to the first position, and the transport roller pair 59, the discharge roller pair 44, the reverse roller pair. 45 and the second position where the platen 42 is in the second state.

  Next, the state change of the connection part 94 accompanying the movement of the lever part 90 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9A, when the lever portion 90 is located at the first position, the front protrusion 122 of the connecting portion 94 is located at the rear end portion of the second long hole 127, and The rear projection 123 of the connecting portion 94 is located at the rear end of the rear long hole 125. At this time, the roller pairs 59, 44, 45 and the platen 42 are in the first state.

  Further, when the lever portion 90 is located at the first position, the grip portion 93 is located between the pair of tray guides 111 in the left-right direction 9. The grip 93 is positioned between the first upper member 115 and the first lower member 116 in the up-down direction 7. The front end of the grip portion 93 protrudes forward from the multifunction machine 10. That is, the front end of the grip portion 93 is positioned in front of the front guide 112. Further, the rear end of the grip portion 93 is located behind the front guide 112 and ahead of the rear guide 113. That is, when the lever portion 90 is in the first position, the grip portion 93 is on the tray guide 111 side, that is, on the front side with respect to the reverse roller pair 45 and when the media tray 110 is supported by the tray guide 111, the media tray 110. Is located in the area where there is.

  Note that the position of the grip portion 93 is not limited to the above-described position as long as it is in front of the reversing roller pair 45 and located in the region. For example, the grip 93 may not protrude forward from the multifunction machine 10 or may be provided behind the rear guide 113. Moreover, the lever part 90 does not necessarily need to be located in the whole area | region of the said area | region, and should just be located in at least one part of the said area | region.

  When the user grips the grip portion 93 and pulls the lever portion 90 forward, the front protrusion 122 moves from the rear end portion of the second elongated hole 127 to the front end portion, and the rear protrusion 123 moves to the rear elongated hole 125. Move from the rear end to the front end. Thereby, the lever part 90 moves to the 3rd position shown by FIG.9 (B) from a 1st position. The connecting portion 94 and the gripping portion 93 move together, and the guide portion 95 moves when pulled by the connecting portion 94. Further, when the rear protrusion 123 moves from the rear end portion of the rear elongated hole 125 to the front end portion, it slides downward relative to the guide portion 95 by moving downward along the guide groove 138.

  In the state shown in FIG. 9B, that is, in the state where the lever portion 90 is in the third position, the rear projection 123 moves obliquely downward and forward along the rear long hole 125 on the rear side of the connecting portion 94. The lever portion 90 is positioned below the first position, but the front side of the connecting portion 94 is moved downward along the second elongated hole 127 but the front protrusion 122 is moved downward. Therefore, the same height as when the lever 90 is in the first position is maintained. Therefore, the grip part 93 attached to the front side of the connection part 94 maintains the same height as when the lever part 90 is in the first position. Accordingly, the grip 93 is located in a region where the media tray 110 is present when the media tray 110 is supported by the tray guide 111 when the lever portion 90 is in the third position.

  On the other hand, in the state where the lever portion 90 is in the third position, the connecting portion 94 has the rear projection 123 moved forward along the rear elongated hole 125 and the front projection 122 moved forward along the second elongated hole 127. By moving, the lever portion 90 is positioned in front of the first position. Therefore, the guide part 95 that is moved by being pulled by the connection part 94 is also positioned forward than when the lever part 90 is in the first position. Accordingly, the roller pairs 59, 44, 45 and the platen 42 change from the first state to the second state when the lever portion 90 moves from the first position to the third position.

  In the state shown in FIG. 9B, when the user grips the grip portion 93 and moves it downward, the front protrusion 122 moves from the upper end portion of the first long hole 126 (the front end portion of the second long hole 127) to the lower end. Move to the department. On the other hand, the rear protrusion 123 does not move. That is, the connecting portion 94 rotates downward about the rear protrusion 123. Accordingly, the lever portion 90 moves from the third position to the second position shown in FIG. That is, the lever portion 90 is located at the third position in the process of moving from the first position to the second position.

  In the state shown in FIG. 10, that is, in the state where the lever portion 90 is in the second position, the rear projection 123 has not moved on the rear side of the connecting portion 94. Is maintained. That is, on the rear side of the connecting portion 94, the lever portion 90 is positioned below the first position, as in the case where the lever portion 90 is in the third position. On the other hand, in the state where the lever portion 90 is in the second position, the front portion of the connecting portion 94 moves downward along the first long hole 126 so that the lever portion 90 moves to the first position and the second position. It is located below than at the time. Therefore, the grip portion 93 attached to the front side of the connection portion 94 is positioned below the lever portion 90 when the lever portion 90 is in the first position and the second position.

  That is, the grip 93 is retracted downward from the region where the media tray 110 exists when the media tray 110 is supported by the tray guide 111 when the lever portion 90 is in the second position. Thereby, when the lever portion 90 is in the second position, the tray guide 111 can support the media tray 110.

  Since the lever portion does not move in the front-rear direction 8 in the process of moving from the second position to the third position, each of the roller pairs 59, 44, 45 and the platen 42 maintains the second state.

  The lever portion 90 at the third position does not contact the media tray 110 supported by the tray guide 111. That is, the lever portion 90 at the third position does not function as a support for the media tray 110. Note that the lever portion 90 in the third position may abut the media tray 110 supported by the tray guide 111 on the assumption that the media guide 110 is supported only by the tray guide 111.

  Moreover, the structure of the lever part 90 demonstrated above is an example of embodiment. That is, the lever portion 90 can change the state of each roller pair 59, 44, 45 and the platen 42 by moving, and is located in the region at the first position and can be retracted from the region at the second position. Then, it is not restricted to the structure mentioned above. For example, instead of the openings 91, 92, 130 provided in the lever portion 90, it protrudes in the left-right direction 9 from the guide portion 95, extends in the same direction as the openings 91, 92, 130, and has shafts 64, 69 and shafts 54 and a rib capable of supporting the protrusion 43 may be provided.

[Operation of Media Tray 110]
Hereinafter, a procedure for inserting the media tray 110 into the multifunction machine 10 and recording an image on a recording medium placed on the media tray 110 will be described.

  Normally, the lever portion 90 is located at the first position in order to maintain a state in which the multifunction device 10 can record an image on the recording paper 12. When the lever portion 90 is in the first position, the roller pairs 59, 44, 45 and the platen 42 are in the first state, so that the roller pairs 59, 44, 45 can transport the recording paper 12, and the platen 42 Maintains a distance for the recording unit 24 to appropriately record an image by the recording unit 24.

  When the lever portion 90 is moved from the first position to the third position by the user's operation, the roller pairs 59, 44, 45 and the platen 42 change from the first state to the second state. That is, each roller pair 59, 44, 45 and the platen 42 move from the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2 to the position indicated by the broken line. As a result, the transport roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 are in a state in which the media tray 110 can be sandwiched and transported along the linear portion 34. In addition, the platen 42 and the reverse roller 67 move downward, and retreat to the position where the linear portion 34 does not come into contact with the conveyed media tray 110.

  On the other hand, even when the lever 90 moves to the third position, the grip 93 is present in the area where the media tray 110 exists when the media tray 110 is supported by the tray guide 111. Cannot support the media tray 110.

  Next, when the lever portion 90 is moved from the third position to the second position by a user operation, the grip portion 93 is retracted downward from the region. As a result, the tray guide 111 can support the media tray 110.

  Next, the user inserts the media tray 110 on which the recording medium is placed backward toward the straight portion 34 while being supported by the tray guide 111. The media tray 110 is inserted to a position where at least the front end (rear end) is sandwiched between the discharge roller pair 44. Note that the media tray 110 may be inserted further to the back, for example, to a position where the leading end is sandwiched between the transport roller pair 59.

  Next, the user selects an image recording function by operating an operation panel 133 (see FIG. 1) provided at the upper front of the multifunction machine 10. As a result, the reverse driving force is transmitted from the conveyance motor to the conveyance roller 60 and the discharge roller 62. Then, the media tray 110 is conveyed backward through the linear portion 34 by the discharge roller pair 44.

  The media tray 110 is transported to a position where the supported recording medium is behind the recording unit 24. At this time, the leading end of the media tray 110 protrudes from an opening 134 provided on the back surface of the printer unit 11. The media tray 110 may not protrude from the back surface of the printer unit 11. This can be realized by configuring the length in the front-rear direction 8 behind the recording unit 24 of the printer unit 11 to be longer than that of the present embodiment.

  In this state, the driving force transmitted from the conveyance motor to the conveyance roller 60 and the discharge roller 62 is switched from reverse rotation to normal rotation. Accordingly, the media tray 110 is conveyed forward, and the recording medium placed on the media tray 110 passes below the recording unit 24. At this time, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 38 to the recording medium being conveyed. As a result, an image is recorded on the surface of the recording medium. Thereafter, the media tray 110 is discharged from the opening 13 to the outside of the multifunction machine 10.

  In the present embodiment, the recording unit 24 records an image on the recording medium in the process in which the media tray 110 is transported forward. However, the recording unit 24 records an image on the recording medium in the process in which the media tray 110 is transported backward. It may be recorded.

[Effect of the embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, when the reversing roller pair 45 is in the first state in which the recording paper 12 can be conveyed, the lever portion 90 is in the first position. The lever portion 90 at the first position is located in an area where the media tray 110 exists when the media tray 110 is supported by the tray guide 111. Therefore, the media tray 110 cannot be supported by the tray guide 111 when the lever portion 90 is in the first position. Therefore, when the reverse roller pair 45 is in the first state, that is, when the reverse roller pair 45 is not in the second state in which the media tray 110 can be transported, the media tray 110 is prevented from entering the linear portion 34. can do. It is possible to prevent the media tray 110 and the reversing roller pair 45 from being damaged and the media tray 110 and the recording paper 12 from colliding with each other.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the lever portion 90 is disposed between the pair of tray guides 111, the tray guide 111 becomes an obstacle when the lever portion 90 is gripped and operated by the user. There is no.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the lever portion 90 is disposed between the pair of tray guides 111, the lever portion 90 can be operated at the center in the left-right direction 9. Therefore, operation of the lever part 90 becomes easy.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the recording paper 12 having a size (letter size) smaller than the set size (B5 size) does not contact the pair of tray guides 111. As a result, the recording paper 12 can be prevented from being pushed down by contact with the pair of tray guides 111. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in conveyance accuracy due to the recording paper 12 having a size smaller than the set size being conveyed while being pressed down.

  Further, when the recording paper 12 being discharged from the linear portion 34 comes into contact with the tray guide 111, the recording paper 12 is pushed down by the tray guide 111. If the recording sheet 12 in the pressed down state is conveyed to the branch conveyance path 71 by the reversal of the reversing roller pair 45, the conveyance accuracy may be deteriorated. In the present embodiment, since the recording paper 12 having a size smaller than the set size does not contact the pair of tray guides 111, the above-described deterioration in the conveyance accuracy can be prevented for the recording paper 12 having a size smaller than the set size.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the lever portion 90 is retracted downward from the region at the second position, the region where the recording paper 12 loaded on the discharge tray 21 exists and the tray guide 111 are located at the second position. You can share existing areas. As a result, the multifunction device 10 can be reduced in size.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the lever portion 90 is moved in the order of the first position, the third position, and the second position, so that the reversing roller pair 45 is surely set to the second state, and then the tray guide 111 is moved. The state can be a state in which the media tray 110 can be supported.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the recording paper 12 discharged from the linear portion 34 can be guided downward by the inclined surface 121. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recording paper 12 discharged from the linear portion 34 from being caught by the tray guide 111.

[Modification 1]
In the above-described embodiment, the lever unit 90 passes through the third position in the process of moving from the first position to the second position, but from the first position to the second position without passing through the third position. You may move.

[Modification 2]
In the above-described embodiment, the lever portion 90 is retracted downward from the region where the media tray 110 exists when the media tray 110 is supported by the tray guide 111 in the second position. However, the retraction of the lever portion 90 is not limited to the downward direction.

  For example, the lever portion 90 may be retracted upward from the region at the second position. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, elongated holes 128 and 129 are provided at positions facing the protrusions 122 and 123 on the inner wall 81 constituting the left and right ends of the recess 80. The long holes 128 and 129 have a rear side extending horizontally, a front side extending horizontally above the rear side, and an inclination between the rear side and the front side.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, when the lever portion 90 is in the first position, the front projection 122 is located at the rear end of the long hole 128, and the rear projection 123 is the rear end of the long hole 129. Is located. When the lever portion 90 moves from the first position to the second position, the front protrusion 122 moves from the rear end portion of the long hole 128 to the front end portion, and the rear protrusion 123 moves from the rear end portion of the long hole 129 to the front end portion. Move (see FIG. 12B). Here, since the front end portions of the long holes 128 and 129 are positioned higher than the rear end portion, the lever portion 90 at the second position is positioned higher than the lever portion 90 at the first position. From the above, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the lever portion 90 is retracted upward from the region at the second position.

  According to the second modification, according to the present configuration, the lever portion 90 is retracted above the tray guide 111 in a state where the lever portion 90 is moved to the second position. Therefore, the lever portion 90 needs to be retracted below the tray guide 111. There is no. Therefore, a space can be provided below the lever portion 90. Then, the recording paper 12 jammed in the linear portion 34 can be easily taken out through the space.

[Modification 3]
The tray guide 111 may be configured to be rotatable about an axis provided at the rear end. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the rear guide 113 of the tray guide 111 is centered on a shaft 135 provided at the rear end, and is in the fourth position shown by a solid line in FIG. , And in FIG. 9 (A), it may be rotatable between a fifth position whose front end is above the fourth position.

  In this case, the rear guide 113 maintains the fourth position by its own weight in the standby state. Note that the rear guide 113 of the fourth position is restricted from rotating downward from the fourth position by a stopper (not shown). When the rear guide 113 comes into contact with the recording paper 12 discharged from the linear portion 34 to the concave portion 80, the rear guide 113 rotates upward from the fourth position to the fifth position by being pressed by the recording paper 12.

  According to the third modification, the tray guide 111 in contact with the recording paper 12 discharged from the linear portion 34 rotates from the fourth position to the fifth position, so that the recording paper 12 contacts the tray guide 111. It is possible to reduce the push-down amount due to. As a result, it is possible to reduce a decrease in conveyance accuracy due to the recording sheet 12 being conveyed while being pressed down.

[Modification 4]
In the third modification, the tray guide 111 (rear side guide 113) maintains the fourth position by its own weight, but the tray guide 111 (rear side guide 113) is moved downward (by a biasing member 136 such as a coil spring). The fourth position may be maintained by being biased toward the fourth position side). For example, the urging member 136 has one end connected to the upper surface of the rear guide 113 and the other end connected to the frame 137 of the printer unit 11.

  According to the fourth modification, the urging member 136 that urges the rear guide 113 downward can reduce variations in the rotation of the rear guide 113 due to differences in the size and rigidity of the recording paper 12. As a result, it is possible to reduce the variation in the pressing amount of the recording paper 12. As a result, it is possible to reduce variations in the conveyance accuracy due to the recording sheet 12 being conveyed while being pressed down.

[Modification 5]
In the above-described embodiment, the reversing roller pair 45 does not sandwich the media tray 110 in the second state, but the reversing roller pair 45 is also a medium in the second state, like the transport roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44. The tray 110 may be sandwiched. In this case, when the media tray 110 is inserted backwards toward the straight portion 34 while being supported by the tray guide 111, at least the front end portion (rear end portion) of the media tray 110 is sandwiched between the reverse roller pair 45. It only has to be inserted to the position.

[Modification 6]
In the above-described embodiment, in the conveyance roller pair 59, the conveyance roller 60 is provided on the upper side and the pinch roller 61 is provided on the lower side, but the pinch roller 61 may be provided on the upper side and the conveyance roller 60 may be provided on the lower side. . In this case, the state of the conveying roller pair 59 changes as the upper pinch roller 61 moves. Further, in the present embodiment, in the discharge roller pair 44 and the reverse roller pair 45, the lower discharge roller 62 and the reverse roller 67 move to change the state of the discharge roller pair 44 and the reverse roller pair 45. As the spurs 63 and 68 move, the discharge roller pair 44 and the reverse roller pair 45 may change their states.

[Modification 7]
In the above-described embodiment, the multifunction device 10 has a function of recording images on both sides of the recording paper 12 (see FIG. 2), but the multifunction device 10 records images on only one side of the recording paper 12. It may be a thing. In this case, since the multifunction machine 10 does not have the reverse roller pair 45, the discharge roller pair 44 is an example of the roller pair of the present invention, the discharge roller 62 is an example of the first roller of the present invention, and the spur 63 is the present invention. This is an example of the second roller.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... MFP 12 ... Recording paper 24 ... Recording part 34 ... Linear part 45 ... Reverse roller pair 67 ... Reverse roller 68 ... Spur 90 ... Lever part 110 ..Media tray 111 ... Tray guide

Claims (11)

A first state having a first roller and a second roller facing the first roller, wherein the first roller and the second roller are in contact with each other, sandwiching the sheet and transporting the main transport path; and A pair of rollers capable of changing the state to a second state in which the first roller and the second roller are separated and sandwich the tray capable of supporting the recording medium and transport the main transport path;
A recording unit that records an image on a recording medium or sheet supported by the tray that is transported through the main transport path;
A tray guide that supports the tray so as to be able to enter the main transport path in the approach direction, and is disposed on the upstream side in the approach direction from the roller pair ; and
A lever portion movable between a first position where the roller pair is in the first state and a second position where the roller pair is in the second state;
The lever portion is located upstream of the pair of rollers in the entry direction in the first position, and is located in a region where the tray is present when the tray is supported by the tray guide, An image recording apparatus retracted from the area at the position. The tray guide is placed in a pair at an interval in the width direction perpendicular to the upper KiSusumu entrance facing the tray, which supports the opposite ends of the width direction of the tray,
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lever portion is disposed between the pair of tray guides in the width direction.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lever portion is disposed in the middle in the width direction of the apparatus. The pair of tray guides are disposed downstream of the roller pair in the sheet discharge direction, and support the tray so that the tray can enter the main conveyance path from the downstream side in the discharge direction of the roller pair. Yes,
The distance between the pair of tray guides is a length in which the pair of tray guides abuts a sheet having a size larger than a preset size and does not abut a sheet having a size smaller than the preset size. 4. The image recording apparatus according to 3. The recording unit is provided on the upstream side in the discharge direction from the roller pair in the main conveyance path,
The roller pair is
By rotating forward, the sheet having the image recorded on one side by the recording unit is conveyed in the discharge direction and discharged from the main conveyance path,
5. The sheet according to claim 4, wherein the sheet on which the image is recorded on one side by the recording unit is conveyed to a branch conveyance path connected to the main conveyance path between the recording unit and the roller pair by reverse rotation. Image recording device. The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the discharge direction of the sheet, and supports the tray so as to be able to enter the main conveyance path from the downstream side of the discharge direction of the roller pair.
Provided below the tray guide, further comprising a discharge tray for supporting a sheet discharged from the main conveyance path;
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lever portion is retracted downward from the region at the second position. The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the discharge direction of the sheet, and supports the tray so as to be able to enter the main conveyance path from the downstream side of the discharge direction of the roller pair.
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lever portion is retracted upward from the region at the second position.   8. The lever according to claim 1, wherein the lever portion is located at a third position in which the roller pair is in the second state and located in the region in the process of moving from the first position to the second position. The image recording apparatus described.   The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the discharge direction of the sheet, and supports the tray so as to be able to enter the main conveyance path from the downstream side of the discharge direction of the roller pair. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inclined portion that is inclined obliquely downward toward the downstream side in the discharge direction at an upstream end portion in the discharge direction.   The tray guide is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the discharge direction of the sheet, and supports the tray so as to be able to enter the main conveyance path from the downstream side of the discharge direction of the roller pair. It is rotatable between a fourth position and a fifth position that is above the fourth position around an axis provided at the upstream end in the discharge direction, and is discharged from the main transport path. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image recording apparatus is rotated from the fourth position to the fifth position by contacting the sheet.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a biasing member that biases the tray guide toward the fourth position.

Images