JP6291976B2 - Sheet conveying apparatus and image recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet along a conveying path, and an image recording apparatus including the sheet conveying apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known an image recording apparatus in which a conveyance path is formed inside an apparatus housing and an image is recorded on a sheet that is guided and conveyed by the conveyance path. Some image recording apparatuses have a paper feed cassette that supports a plurality of sheets. In addition to the paper feed cassette, there is an image recording apparatus having a manual feed tray for guiding a sheet to a conveyance path (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  Such an image recording apparatus employs a configuration in which a part of the housing of the image recording apparatus is opened and closed for maintenance in the image recording apparatus and elimination of a paper jam. In an aspect in which the image recording apparatus is realized as a multifunction machine having a scanner function, a configuration in which a document cover of a flatbed scanner is opened and closed can be employed (Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-1329 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-224463

  If the manual feed tray is arranged so as to avoid the rotation range of the housing or the document cover so that the casing or document cover that is opened and closed in the image recording device does not collide with the manual feed tray, the image recording device becomes large. There is a risk.

  In general, there are multiple models (grades) of image recording devices, and the number of sheets that can be supported and the processing capacity differ depending on the model. As a result, the configuration and external dimensions of the case and document cover vary depending on the model. May be different. However, designing the exterior panel of the housing for each model increases the cost, which leads to a problem that the product price increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized device having a casing and a sheet support portion that change state.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost apparatus by sharing parts for each model.

  (1) A sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention includes a first casing having a sheet conveying path, a conveying section that conveys a sheet along the conveying path, and a first rotation with respect to the first casing. A second housing provided to be rotatable about an axis, a third housing provided to be rotatable about a second rotation axis relative to the first housing, and the first housing in the first housing. Two housings are provided so as to be pivotable on the first pivot axis side of the second casing or the second pivot axis side of the third casing, and the leading end side of the pivot is closer to the second casing or the third casing. The first state, the second state and the third state are changed, and at least in the third state, a sheet support unit that supports a sheet fed to the conveyance path, and the sheet support unit with the second state as a boundary, Energized toward the first state between the first state and the second state, and attached toward the third state between the second state and the third state. A biasing unit which comprises a. One of the second casing and the third casing is selectively provided in the first casing. When the seat support portion is in the first state, the seat support portion rotates with respect to the first contact member with which the second housing that rotates with respect to the first housing contacts, or with respect to the first housing. By selectively providing a second abutting member that abuts the moving third casing, the second casing or the third casing can be rotated between the first state and the second state. Follow and rotate.

  When the second housing or the third housing changes state between the contact state and the separated state, the second housing or the third housing comes into contact with the first contact member or the second contact member. The sheet support portion rotates between the first state and the second state. Since the urging portion urges the sheet support portion toward the first state with the second state as a boundary, the sheet support portion follows the state change of the second housing or the third housing. When the second housing or the third housing is in contact, the user rotates the second housing or the third housing from the first state to the third state side beyond the second state. Then, since the urging portion urges the sheet support portion toward the third state, the sheet support portion is held in the third state. Thereby, a sheet | seat support part can be arrange | positioned in the rotation range of a 2nd housing | casing or a 3rd housing | casing.

  Since the first abutting member or the second abutting member is selectively provided in the seat support portion corresponding to the second casing or the third casing provided in the first casing, Components other than the contact member or the second contact member can be shared.

  (2) When the first housing is placed on the placement surface, the first rotation shaft is positioned below the second rotation shaft in the vertical direction, and the first The first contact portion where the contact member can come into contact with the second housing is located below the second contact portion where the second contact member can come into contact with the second housing in the vertical direction. It may be.

  Accordingly, the contact position between the second housing and the first contact member and the contact position between the third housing and the second contact member are appropriately set, and the seat support portion is set to the second housing. And it can be made to follow smoothly rotation of the 3rd case.

  (3) The urging portion includes a cam that does not rotate with the seat support portion, a cam follower that rotates with the seat support portion, and an elastic member that urges the cam follower to the cam. The cam most elastically deforms the elastic member when the seat support is in the second state, and converts the urging force of the elastic member into a force for rotating the cam follower to the first state or the third state. Things.

  Thereby, the urging unit is realized with a simple configuration.

  (4) The urging portion includes a cam that rotates with the seat support portion, a cam follower that does not rotate with the seat support portion, and an elastic member that urges the cam follower to the cam. The cam most elastically deforms the elastic member when the seat support is in the second state, and converts the urging force of the elastic member into a force for rotating the cam follower to the first state or the third state. Things.

  Thereby, the urging unit is realized with a simple configuration.

  (5) The cam and the cam follower may be arranged to face each other in the vertical direction, and the cam surface of the cam may be displaced in the vertical direction.

  (6) In the seat support portion, a rotation angle between the first state and the second state may be larger than a rotation angle between the second state and the third state.

  As a result, the range in which the seat support follows the rotation of the second housing and the third housing is increased, so that the rotation range of the second housing and the third housing can be increased.

  (7) The second casing and the third casing are arranged above the first casing in the up-down direction, and the seat support portion is arranged in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. It may be arranged behind the body or the third housing, and the conveyance unit may convey the sheet supported by the sheet support unit forward in the front-rear direction.

  Since the second casing and the third casing are disposed above the first casing, the operation of the second casing and the third casing is easy. Further, the seat support portion is disposed behind the second housing or the third housing, and the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are also on the seat support portion side, that is, the second housing or the third housing. Therefore, when the second housing or the third housing is separated, the first housing can be accessed from the front of the second housing or the third housing. Further, the seat support section that rotates following the second housing and the third housing does not rotate from the front to the user side who operates the second housing or the third housing. Further, since the sheet is conveyed from the sheet support portion toward the front of the first casing, the user can access the sheet after conveyance from the front of the first casing.

  (8) The first casing may be provided with a flatbed scanner having a platen, and the second casing and the third casing may be document covers that cover the platen.

  Thus, in a configuration including a flat bed scanner that is used relatively frequently, the sheet support portion can be disposed in the rotation range of the document cover.

  (9) The seat support portion has a support surface for supporting the seat, the support surface stands up close to the side surface of the first housing in the first state, and the support surface is in the third state. It may fall down and incline from the first state in a direction away from the side surface of the first housing.

  Thereby, the sheet | seat support part of a 1st state can be reduced in size efficiently.

  (10) The seat support portion includes a fixed portion provided on the side wall of the first housing, and a movable portion that is rotatable with respect to the fixed portion. It may change to 1 state, 2nd state, and 3rd state.

  (11) The fixing unit may include a feeding unit that feeds the sheet supported by the sheet supporting unit to the conveyance path.

  Since the feeding unit does not rotate together with the movable unit, drive transmission to the feeding unit is stabilized.

  (12) The present invention may be understood as an image recording apparatus that includes the sheet conveying apparatus and a recording unit that records an image on a sheet in the conveying path.

  According to the present invention, a small-sized apparatus having a casing and a sheet support that change state is realized. In addition, a low-cost device is realized by sharing parts for each model.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 with the movable portion 69 standing. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 with the movable unit 69 lying down. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 with the movable portion 69 standing and the first side wall cover 86 removed. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the rear side of the multifunction machine 10 with the movable portion 69 removed. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 with the movable portion 69 standing. FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 in which the movable portion 69 is lying down. FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 in a state where the movable portion 69 is in a lying state and the rear cover 22 and the outer guide member 18 are opened. FIG. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 with the movable portion 69 removed. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the interlocking mechanism 101. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the structure of the interlocking mechanism 101 when the movable portion 69 is in the standing state. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the structure of the interlocking mechanism 101 when the movable portion 69 follows the document cover 17 and rotates toward the intermediate state. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the structure of the interlocking mechanism 101 when the movable portion 69 is in the lying down state. FIG. 14 is a side view of the multifunction machine 10 with the document cover 17 closed and the movable portion 69 standing. FIG. 15 is a side view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the document cover 17 is opened and the movable portion 69 follows. FIG. 15 is a side view of the multifunction machine 10 with the document cover 17 closed and the movable unit 69 lying down. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 with the document cover 132 closed and the movable portion 69 standing. FIG. 18 is a side view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the document cover 132 is opened and the movable portion 69 follows. FIG. 19 is a side view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the document cover 132 is closed and the movable portion 69 is in a lying state. FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the document cover 17 is closed and the movable unit 69 is erected in the modified example. FIG. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the document cover 17 is opened and the movable portion 69 follows in the modified example. FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the document cover 17 is closed and the movable portion 69 is in a lying state in a modified example.

  Hereinafter, the multifunction peripheral 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the advance from the starting point of the arrow to the ending point is expressed as the direction, and the traffic on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to a state where the multifunction device 10 (an example of the image recording apparatus of the present invention) is installed in a usable state (the state shown in FIG. 1), and an opening 13 is provided. The front-rear direction 8 is defined with the front side as the front side (front side), and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a printer unit 11 that records an image on a sheet such as a recording sheet by an inkjet recording method. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The printer unit 11 corresponds to an image recording apparatus.

  The printer unit 11 includes a housing 14 having an opening 13 formed on the front surface. Further, a feeding tray 20 and a discharge tray 21 on which recording papers of various sizes can be placed can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction 8 from the opening 13.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15 that feeds recording paper from the feeding tray 20, a recording unit 24 that records an image on the recording paper, a first transport roller pair 54, and a second pair. A conveyance roller pair 55 and the like are provided. The feeding unit 15 other than the recording unit 24, the first conveyance roller pair 54, the second conveyance roller pair 55, the feeding tray 20, the bypass tray 70, the manual feed tray 80, the first scanner unit 12 or the second scanner unit 130 ( The sheet conveying apparatus is configured as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a first scanner unit 12 is provided above the printer unit 11. The dimensions of the casing 16 of the first scanner unit 12 in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are the same as those of the casing 14 of the printer unit 11. Accordingly, the housing 14 of the printer unit 11 and the housing 16 of the first scanner unit 12 are integrally formed with the first scanner unit 12 facing upward to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape of the multifunction machine 10. The housing 14 and the housing 16 correspond to a first housing.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first scanner unit 12 is a flat bed scanner. An image sensor 34 capable of optically reading a document image is provided inside the housing 16. A platen glass 30 on which a document is placed is provided on the upper surface of the housing 16. The platen glass 30 is covered with a document cover 17. 1 and 5 show a state in which the platen glass 30 is covered with the document cover 17.

  The document cover 17 is connected to the rear surface side of the housing 16 and is rotatable about a rotation axis (corresponding to a first rotation axis) along the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the document cover 17 is kept in a state of covering the platen glass 30 by contacting the upper surface of the housing 16 (contact state). From the state shown in FIG. 1, when the front side of the document cover 17 is lifted upward, the document cover 17 is rotated to expose the platen glass 30 (separated state). The document cover 17 may be provided with an automatic document feeder (ADF) that picks up and conveys a plurality of documents for image reading one by one. The document cover 17 corresponds to the second housing.

  As shown in FIG. 17, a second scanner unit 130 is provided above the printer unit 11 in place of the first scanner unit 12. Whether the first scanner unit 12 or the second scanner unit 130 is provided in the printer unit 11 is determined by the specifications of the multifunction machine 10. For example, when the multifunction device 10 has a specification for a user who is relatively infrequently used, the first scanner unit 12 with a small number of documents that can be loaded into the ADF at a time is provided in the multifunction device 10. On the other hand, when the specification is for a user who is relatively frequently used, the multifunction device 10 is provided with the second scanner unit 130 having a large number of documents that can be loaded into the ADF at a time.

  The first scanner unit 12 employs a contact image sensor (CIS) as the image sensor 34, and the second scanner unit 130 employs a CCD having a mirror carriage instead of the image sensor 34. Note that the difference in specifications is not limited to the scanner unit. For example, depending on whether the first scanner unit 12 or the second scanner unit 130 is used, for example, the recording paper that can be loaded in the feeding tray 20 of the printer unit 11 is used. The number of sheets may be different.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the second scanner unit 130 is a flat bed scanner. Although not shown in the figure, a CCD having a mirror carriage is provided inside the casing 131 (corresponding to the first casing) as an image sensor capable of optically reading an image of a document. A platen glass on which a document is placed is provided on the upper surface of the housing 131. The platen glass is covered with a document cover 132. FIG. 17 shows a state in which the platen glass is covered with the document cover 132. In FIG. 17, the housing 14 is omitted.

  The document cover 132 is connected to the rear surface side of the housing 131 and can rotate around a rotation axis (corresponding to a second rotation axis) along the left-right direction 9. As indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 17, the first rotation shaft 133 of the document cover 17 is positioned below the vertical direction 7 with respect to the second rotation shaft 134 of the document cover 132. That is, the vertical dimension 7 of the casing 131 of the second scanner unit 130 is larger than the vertical dimension 7 of the casing 16 of the first scanner unit 12.

  The document cover 132 is maintained in a state of covering the platen glass by contacting the upper surface of the housing 131 (contact state). When the front side of the document cover 132 is lifted upward from the state shown in FIG. 17, the document cover 132 is rotated to expose the platen glass (separated state). The document cover 132 corresponds to the third housing.

[Printer 11]
Hereinafter, the detailed structure of the printer unit 11 will be described.

[Feeding tray 20]
The feeding tray 20 has an outer shape in which the lengths in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are longer than the length in the up-down direction 7, and has a box shape with the upper part opened. A discharge tray 21 is placed on the front side of the feeding tray 20. The feeding tray 20 can be loaded with recording papers of various sizes, such as A4 size according to Japanese Industrial Standards and L size used for photographic recording. The feeding tray 20 is accommodated in an internal space that communicates with the opening 13 of the housing 14. The feeding tray 20 can advance and retreat along the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the housing 14 through the opening 13.

[Feeding unit 15]
As shown in FIG. 5, the feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, a drive transmission mechanism 27, and a separation pad 23. The feeding unit 15 is provided above the feeding tray 20 and below the recording unit 24. The feed roller 25 is pivotally supported at the tip of the feed arm 26. The feeding arm 26 rotates in the direction of an arrow 29 about a shaft 28 provided at the base end. Thereby, the feeding roller 25 can be brought into contact with and separated from the bottom surface of the feeding tray 20. The feeding roller 25 can abut on a recording sheet placed on the feeding tray 20. A separation pad 23 is provided on the bottom surface of the feeding tray 20 at a position facing the feeding roller 25. The separation pad 23 is a member having a larger coefficient of friction than the bottom surface of the feeding tray 20 with respect to the recording paper.

  A driving force of a motor (not shown) is transmitted to the feeding roller 25 through a drive transmission mechanism 27. The drive transmission mechanism 27 transmits the rotation transmitted to the shaft 28 to the shaft of the feeding roller 25 by an endless belt. When the feeding roller 25 rotates while being in contact with the uppermost recording sheet among the recording sheets stacked on the bottom surface of the feeding tray 20, the recording sheet is fed to the conveyance path 65. The When the recording paper is fed to the transport path 65, the leading edge of the recording paper comes into contact with the separation member 35 provided on the rear side of the feed tray 20 in the front-rear direction 8, so that the lower recording paper is unified. The paper is held on the feeding tray 20 without being dragged by the uppermost recording paper. The lowermost recording sheet is not dragged when the recording sheet immediately above is fed due to the frictional force generated between the recording sheet and the separation pad 23.

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 5, the conveyance path 65 provided in the internal space of the casing 14 extends so as to make a U-turn upward from the rear side of the feed tray 20, and further on the rear side of the printer unit 11. It bends to the front side and extends almost straight to the discharge tray 21. The conveyance path 65 is roughly divided into a curved path 65A that makes a U-turn and a straight path 65B that is straight.

  The curved path 65 </ b> A is formed by the outer guide member 18, the inner guide member 19, and the guide member 31 that are opposed to each other with a space through which the sheet can pass. The straight path 65 </ b> B is formed by the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 that face each other with a space through which the sheet can pass, and the guide member 32 and the guide member 33.

  The recording sheet fed to the transport path 65 by the feed roller 25 of the feed tray 20 is guided by the curved path 65A and reversed in the transport direction from below to above, and is guided by the straight path 65B to the transport direction. Is conveyed from the rear to the front without being inverted.

  The outer guide member 18 is a member constituting an outer guide surface in the curved path 65A. The inner guide member 19 is a member constituting an inner guide surface in the curved path 65A. In addition, each guide surface may be comprised by one surface, and may be comprised as a group of the front end surface of a some rib.

  The guide member 31 is disposed above the inner guide member 19 immediately upstream (rear side) of the first conveying roller pair 54. The outer guide member 18 and the guide member 31 are members that define a bypass path 66 described later.

[Rear cover 22]
The rear cover 22 is a member that supports the outer guide member 18 and constitutes a part of the rear surface of the housing 14. The rear cover 22 is pivotally supported by the housing 14 at the lower left and right ends. As shown in FIG. 8, the rear cover 22 outwardly moves the transport path 65 and a bypass path 66 described later, with the upper side lying backwards around the rotation axis along the lower left-right direction 9. Can be opened.

  Similarly to the rear cover 22, the outer guide member 18 is also pivotally supported by the housing 14 at the lower left and right ends. In a state where the rear cover 22 is opened, the outer guide member 18 can also be opened so that the upper side of the outer guide member 18 is tilted backward about the rotation axis along the lower left-right direction 9. When the outer guide member 18 is opened, the curved path 65A is opened. As shown in FIG. 5, when the rear cover 22 is raised and closed, the outer guide member 18 is supported by the rear cover 22 from the rear and maintained in the raised state, and faces the inner guide member 19 in a curved path. 65A is specified.

[First Conveying Roller Pair 54 and Second Conveying Roller Pair 55]
As shown in FIG. 5, a first transport roller pair 54 is provided on the upstream side of the transport path 65 upstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction (frontward in the front-rear direction 8). The first transport roller pair 54 includes a first transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61. In the conveyance path 65, a second conveyance roller pair 55 is provided on the downstream side of the recording unit 24 in the conveyance direction. The second transport roller pair 55 includes a second transport roller 62 and a spur 63. The first transport roller 60 and the second transport roller 62 are rotated by the rotation of a motor (not shown). The first conveyance roller pair 54 and the second conveyance roller pair 55 perform recording by rotating the first conveyance roller 60 and the second conveyance roller 62 in a state where the recording paper is sandwiched between the respective rollers constituting the first conveyance roller pair 54 and the second conveyance roller pair 55. Transport the paper. The first conveyance roller pair 54 and the second conveyance roller pair 55 correspond to a conveyance unit.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 5, the recording unit 24 is provided above the straight path 65 </ b> B so as to face the platen 42 between the first conveyance roller pair 54 and the second conveyance roller pair 55. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 41 and a recording head 39. The carriage 41 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 provided on the rear side and the front side of the platen 42. The guide rail 44 is provided with a known belt mechanism. The carriage 41 is connected to an endless belt of the belt mechanism, and moves in the left-right direction 9 along the guide rails 43 and 44 by the rotation of the endless belt.

  The recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 41. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. Ink is supplied to the recording head 39 from an ink cartridge (not shown). The recording head 39 selectively ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles as fine ink droplets. When the carriage 41 moves in the left-right direction 9, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles onto the recording paper supported on the platen 42. The ejected ink droplets adhere to the recording paper on the platen 42, whereby an image is recorded on the recording paper.

[Bypass path 66]
An opening 64 is provided above the rear cover 22 on the rear surface of the housing 14, and a bypass path 66 extending from the opening 64 to the first conveying roller pair 54 is formed inside the housing 14. The bypass path 66 is a path extending obliquely downward from the rear in the front-rear direction 8 to the front. The upper guide surface of the bypass path 66 is formed by the guide member 31, and the lower guide surface is formed by the outer guide member 18 and the rear cover 22. Both the curved path 65 </ b> A and the straight path 65 </ b> B of the transport path 65 are disposed below the bypass path 66. The outer guide member 18 and the rear cover 22 are rotated so that the upper side is inclined backward, thereby opening the bypass path 66 together with the transport path 65.

  A recording sheet placed on a bypass tray 70 and a manual feed tray 80, which will be described later, is guided obliquely downward through the bypass path 66, enters the straight path 65B of the transport path 65, and is transported by the first transport roller pair 54. An image is recorded by the recording unit 24 and is discharged to the discharge tray 21. In this manner, the recording paper placed on the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 is conveyed along a substantially linear path.

[Bypass tray 70 and manual feed tray 80]
A bypass tray 70 and a manual feed tray 80 are provided on the rear surface side of the multifunction machine 10. The bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 support recording paper independently of the feeding tray 20. The bypass tray 70 is arranged side by side in the up-down direction 7 on the rear surface side of the multifunction machine 10 with the manual feed tray 80 positioned upward. The bypass tray 70 corresponds to the sheet support portion.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a fixing portion 68 extending downward to cover the opening 64 is formed on the rear surface side of the housing 16 of the first scanner portion 12. The fixing portion 68 constitutes a part of the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80. On the upper side of the fixed portion 68, a movable portion 69 is rotatably provided. The fixed portion 68 and the movable portion 69 constitute a bypass tray 70 and a manual feed tray 80. A fixing unit 68 is similarly provided on the rear surface side of the casing 131 of the second scanner unit 130 to configure the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80. The second side wall cover 140 is the same except that the second side wall cover 140 is different. Because of the configuration, the detailed configuration of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 will be described here by taking an example in which the fixing unit 68 is provided in the housing 16 of the first scanner unit 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, a slit-shaped opening 67 extending in the left-right direction 9 is formed on the upper surface of the fixed portion 68. A passage is formed from the opening 67 toward the bypass passage 66. A support member 82 that forms a support surface 81 of the manual feed tray 80 is provided below the passage. The support surface 81 is inclined so that the lower end is directed forward with respect to the placement surface on which the multifunction machine 10 is placed. A guide member 83 facing the support surface 81 is provided on the upper side of the passage. The passage defined by the support member 82 and the guide member 83 extends obliquely downward from the opening 67 and is connected to the bypass path 66. The lower end of the support member 82 forms part of the upper guide surface of the bypass path 66. The support surface 81 corresponds to the support surface. In the present embodiment, the placement surface on which the multifunction machine 10 is placed is a surface that extends along the left-right direction 9 and the front-rear direction 8.

  A separation piece 72 is provided below the support member 82 in the fixed portion 68. The separation piece 72 is positioned at the same height as the lower edge of the opening 64 in the up-down direction 7. The separation piece 72 extends obliquely downward from the lower end periphery of the opening 64. The upper surface of the separation piece 72 is a surface with which the leading end of the recording paper supported by the bypass tray 70 abuts. A plurality of teeth 73 are arranged along the front-rear direction 8 on the upper surface of the separation piece 72 and project upward from the upper surface. The tips of the plurality of recording sheets supported by the bypass tray 70 are curled by the teeth 73.

  A support member 75 that forms a support surface 74 of the bypass tray 70 is provided above the separation piece 72 so as to be spaced rearward from the opening 64. The support surface 74 is inclined with respect to the placement surface on which the multifunction machine 10 is placed. The support surface 74 is substantially parallel to the support surface 81 of the manual feed tray 80. The support surface 74 corresponds to the support surface.

  A bearing portion 71 that rotatably supports the drive shaft 77 of the feed roller 76 is provided on the upper end side of the support member 82 and on the side opposite to the support surface 81. The drive shaft 77 supported by the bearing portion 71 is rotated by being transmitted from a motor (not shown) via a drive transmission portion 79 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a drive transmission unit 79 including a plurality of pinion gears is provided on the right side of the fixing unit 68 in the left-right direction 9. The drive transmission unit 79 is driven and transmitted from a motor (not shown) provided in the housing 14 of the printer unit 11. The drive shaft 77 (see FIGS. 6 to 9) extends along the left-right direction 9, and one end of the drive shaft 77 meshes with a pinion gear constituting the drive transmission unit 79. The other end of the drive shaft 77 extends to the center in the left-right direction 9 at the fixed portion 68.

  The drive shaft 77 is provided with an arm 78 that rotatably supports the feed roller 76 on the other end side. The arm 78 extends downward from the drive shaft 77 toward the support surface 74 of the support member 75. The arm 78 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction 9 in the fixed portion 68. The arm 78 is rotatable around the drive shaft 77.

  A feeding roller 76 is provided on the rotating tip side of the arm 78. The feed roller 76 is connected to the drive shaft 77 by an endless belt (not shown). The rotation of the drive shaft 77 is transmitted to the feeding roller 76 by the endless belt, and the feeding roller 76 rotates. The feeding roller 76 rotates while being in contact with the uppermost recording sheet among the recording sheets supported by the support surface 74 of the bypass tray 70, so that the recording sheet is fed to the bypass path 66. The The lower recording sheet is pinched by the teeth 73 of the separation piece 72 and is held on the bypass tray 70 without being dragged by the uppermost recording sheet. As described above, the feeding unit including the feeding roller 76, the drive shaft 77, and the arm 78 is disposed outside the housing 14 and in a space defined by the support surfaces 74 and 81.

  A reinforcing member 84 is provided on the upper end side of the support member 82 and on the support surface 81 side. On the upper end side of the support member 82, a recess 85 that forms a step with the support surface 81 is provided. A reinforcing member 84 is provided in the recess 85. The reinforcing member 84 is a member obtained by bending a metal plate, and is for reinforcing the rigidity of the support member 82. The reinforcing member 84 extends in the left-right direction 9 of the support member 82 along the support surface 81, and both ends thereof reach the vicinity of both ends of the support member 82. The left-right direction 9 in which the reinforcing member 84 is extended is orthogonal to the direction in which the recording paper is conveyed in the manual feed tray 80.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the movable portion 69 is rotatably connected to the upper side of the fixed portion 68. The movable part 69 is tilted with respect to the up-down direction 7 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 and the upright state (first state) standing along the up-down direction 7 as shown in FIGS. It can be rotated between the lying state (third state). The standing state is a state for reducing the space for the movable portion 69 on the rear surface side of the housing 14 when the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are not used. The rear surface of the movable portion 69 in the standing state is substantially parallel to the rear surface of the housing 14. In the lying state, the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 can be used as a single inclined plane of the support surfaces 74 and 81 by tilting the movable portion 69 obliquely upward toward the outside of the housing 14. It is a state. Whether the movable portion 69 is in a standing state or a lying state can be arbitrarily selected by a user operation.

  A pair of first side wall covers 86 having a symmetrical shape with respect to the left-right direction 9 are provided on both sides of the movable portion 69 in the left-right direction 9. The first side wall cover 86 covers both sides of the movable portion 69 in the left-right direction 9. The first side wall cover 86 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the upper surface, the front surface, and the rear surface thereof are flat surfaces that are substantially flush with the front surface and the rear surface of the tray cover 94 and the movable portion 69 in a lying state, respectively. A front surface of the first side wall cover 86, that is, a surface facing the document cover 17 in the front-rear direction 8 is a first contact surface 87 (corresponding to a first contact portion). The first abutting surface 87 is a surface that abuts when the document cover 17 is opened with respect to the housing 16 as will be described later.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 17, in the specification in which the second scanner unit 130 is provided in the multifunction machine 10, the left and right direction 9 is replaced with the first side wall cover 86 on both sides of the movable unit 69 in the left and right direction 9. A pair of second side wall covers 140 having symmetrical shapes are provided. The second side wall cover 140 covers both sides of the movable portion 69 in the left-right direction 9. The second side wall cover 140 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and has a protruding portion 141 protruding from the upper surface thereof. The projecting portion 141 projects upward from the tray cover 94 in a lying state. The front surface of the projecting portion 141, that is, the surface facing the document cover 132 in the front-rear direction 8 is a second contact surface 142 (corresponding to a second contact portion). The second abutment surface 142 is a surface that abuts when the document cover 132 is opened with respect to the housing 131, as will be described later.

  The upper end of the second contact surface 142 in the vertical direction 7 is located above the upper end of the first contact surface 87 in the vertical direction 7. That is, the second contact surface 142 is the front surface of the projecting portion 141, and the projecting portion 141 projects upward from the tray cover 94, so the first contact surface 87 whose upper end is substantially the same height as the tray cover 94. It can be said that it is located higher. As described above, in the comparison between the first contact surface 87 and the second contact surface 142, the position in the up-down direction 7 is above the upper end position of the first contact surface 87 and the second contact surface. Comparison can be made with reference to the position of the upper end of 142.

  The position of the upper end of the second contact surface 142 is set as follows. As shown in FIG. 18, a force F applied when the document cover 132 that is opened with respect to the housing 131 comes into contact with the upper end of the second contact surface 142 is a component F <b> 1 directed toward the rotation axis of the movable portion 69. And the component F2 along the tangential direction, and the component F2 acts as a force for rotating the movable portion 69 in the standing state to the lying down state. Therefore, the position of the upper end of the second contact surface 142 is set so that the component F2 is sufficiently large as a force for rotating the movable portion 69.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a support member 88 is provided across the first side wall cover 86 of the movable portion 69. In the lying state, the support surface 90 that is the upper surface of the support member 88 is flush with the support surface 74. That is, in the bypass tray 70, the surface formed by the support surface 74 and the support surface 90 supports the recording paper. Further, in the standing state, the support surface 90 is orthogonal to the placement surface of the multifunction machine 10, that is, along the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the length L1 along the conveyance direction of the support surface 90 of the movable portion 69 is longer than the length L2 along the conveyance direction of the support surface 74 of the fixed portion 68 (L1> L2). . The total length of the length L1 and the length L2 is set according to the size of the recording paper that can be supported by the bypass tray 70.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a support member 89 is provided across the first side wall cover 86 of the movable portion 69. The lower end side of the support member 89 is rotatably supported by the fixed portion 68 and is rotated independently of the movable portion 69. The state of the support member 89 changes between an upright state in which the support surface 90 is vertical along the vertical direction 7 and a lying state in which the support surface 90 is inclined with respect to the placement surface. In the lying state, the support member 89 is supported by the auxiliary member 120 provided on the fixing portion 68 in the left-right direction 9.

  In the lying state, the support surface 91 which is the upper surface of the support member 89 forms a support surface that supports the recording sheet together with the support surface 81. That is, in the manual feed tray 80, the surface formed by the support surface 81 and the support surface 91 supports the recording paper. Further, in the standing state, the support surface 91 is orthogonal to the placement surface of the multifunction machine 10, that is, along the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the length L3 along the transport direction of the support surface 91 of the support member 89 is shorter than the length L4 along the transport direction of the support surface 81 of the fixed portion 68 (L3 <L4). . The total length of the length L3 and the length L4 is set according to the size of the recording paper that can be supported by the manual feed tray 80.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the support member 88 is provided with a side guide 92. The side guides 92 are spaced apart in the left-right direction 9 to form a pair and protrude upward from the support surface 90. The side guide 92 has a guide surface extending along the conveyance direction of the bypass tray 70, and the guide surface guides the edge of the recording paper supported by the support surface 90 in the conveyance direction. The distance at which the pair of side guides 92 are separated along the left-right direction 9 is variable. Thereby, the side guide 92 can guide the edge of the recording paper of various sizes supported by the support surface 90.

  A side guide 93 is provided on the support member 89. The side guides 93 are spaced apart in the left-right direction 9 to form a pair, and protrude from the support surface 91 upward. The side guide 93 has a guide surface extending along the conveyance direction of the manual feed tray 80, and guides the edge of the recording paper supported on the support surface 91 in the conveyance direction by the guide surface. The distance at which the pair of side guides 93 are separated along the left-right direction 9 is variable. Thereby, the side guide 93 can guide the edge of the recording paper of various sizes supported by the support surface 91.

  A tray cover 94 is provided at the upper end of the support member 88. The tray cover 94 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the support member 88. The tray cover 94 is a flat plate-shaped member that can seal the openings on the upper end sides of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the tray cover 94 can be rotated to a position that covers the opening on the upper end side of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 in the movable portion 69 in the standing state. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the tray cover 94 can be rotated to a position where the opening on the upper end side of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 is opened in the movable portion 69 in the lying state. In this position, the inner surface of the tray cover 94 extends obliquely upward in parallel with the support surface 90 of the bypass tray 70, and can support the upper end side of the recording paper protruding from the support surface 90.

[Interlocking mechanism 101]
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the fixed portion 68 and the movable portion 69 are provided with an interlocking mechanism 101. The interlocking mechanism 101 urges the movable unit 69 toward the standing state between the standing state and the intermediate state with the intermediate state (second state) between the standing state and the lying state as a boundary. During the fall state, it is energized toward the fall state. The interlocking mechanism 101 corresponds to an urging unit.

  The interlocking mechanism 101 is provided with a pair near the first side wall cover 86 of the movable portion 69. Since the pair of interlocking mechanisms 101 has a line-symmetric configuration in the left-right direction 9, only the configuration of one of the interlocking mechanisms 101 will be described below.

  The interlocking mechanism 101 includes a cam 102 provided on the fixed portion 68, a cam follower 103 provided on the movable portion 69, and a coil spring 104 that biases the cam follower 103 toward the cam 102. The coil spring 104 corresponds to an elastic member. The coil spring 104 is provided between the spring seat 108 provided on the movable portion 69 and the cam follower 103 so as to extend and contract along the left-right direction 9. The cam follower 103 and the coil spring 104 move with the rotation of the movable portion 69 relative to the fixed portion 68.

  The cam 102 has a convex shape in which the width protruding toward the movable portion 69 varies along the trajectory of the movable portion 69. Inclined surfaces 105 and 106 are provided at the projecting tip of the cam 102. The inclined surfaces 105 and 106 are both surfaces along the vertical direction 7.

  The inclined surface 105 is located on the front side in the front-rear direction 8, and the front end is a plane farther from the spring seat 108 in the left-right direction 9 than the rear end. That is, the inclined surface 105 is a flat surface inclined so that the rear side protrudes toward the spring seat 108 in the left-right direction 9. The inclined surface 106 is located behind the front-rear direction 8 and is continuous with the inclined surface 105, and the front end is a plane closer to the spring seat 108 in the left-right direction 9 than the rear end. That is, the inclined surface 106 is a flat surface inclined so that the rear side is separated from the spring seat 108 in the left-right direction 9.

  The length of the inclined surface 105 along the front-rear direction 8 is longer than the length of the inclined surface 106 along the front-rear direction 8. In other words, the angle at which the inclined surface 105 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction 8 is smaller than the angle at which the inclined surface 106 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction 8. Therefore, the inclined surface 105 is inclined more gently than the inclined surface 106 with respect to the cam follower 103.

  The boundary between the inclined surface 105 and the inclined surface 106 forms a convex ridgeline 109. A state where the cam follower 103 is positioned (abuts) on the ridge line 109 is an intermediate state of the movable portion 69. Accordingly, in the rotation range of the movable portion 69, the rotation angle between the standing state and the intermediate state is larger than the rotation angle between the intermediate state and the lying state.

  The cam follower 103 is movable along the inclined surfaces 105 and 106 of the cam 102. The cam follower 103 includes a roller 107 that contacts the inclined surfaces 105 and 106. Although not shown in detail in each drawing, the axis of the roller 107 is orthogonal to the turning locus of the movable portion 69, and the roller 107 moves the inclined surfaces 105 and 106 along with the rotation of the movable portion 69. Move while rotating.

  The coil spring 104 is compressed between the spring seat 108 and the cam follower 103, and the cam follower 103 is urged toward the cam 102 by the restoring force. Due to the movement of the cam follower 103 along the cam 102, the coil spring 104 can be further compressed between the spring seat 108 and the cam follower 103.

  The coil spring 104 is compressed most when the roller 107 is on (contacts) the ridgeline 109, that is, when the movable portion 69 is in an intermediate state. When the roller 107 is in contact with the inclined surface 105, the urging force of the coil spring 104 is the force that moves the roller 107 forward along the inclination, that is, the force that rotates the movable portion 69 from the intermediate state toward the standing state. It becomes. When the roller 107 is in contact with the inclined surface 106, the biasing force of the coil spring 104 is a force that moves the roller 107 rearward along the inclination, that is, the movable portion 69 is rotated from the intermediate state toward the lying down state. It becomes power. That is, the movable portion 69 is selectively energized and rotated toward the standing state or the lying state with the intermediate state as a boundary.

[Interlocking of Document Cover 17 or Document Cover 132 with Movable Unit 69]
As shown in FIG. 14, when the document cover 17 is opened from the state where the document cover 17 is closed in the first scanner unit 12 as shown in FIG. 69 abuts against the first side wall cover 86. That is, the rear surface of the document cover 17 moves rearward from the closed state as it rotates in the opening direction. Since the movable portion 69 in the standing state is in contact with or close to the rear surface of the document cover 17 in the closed state, when the rear surface of the document cover 17 moves rearward, the first side wall cover 86 of the movable portion 69 is moved to the first side. The movable portion 69 in contact with the contact surface 87 is pushed down toward the lying down state.

  As the movable portion 69 rotates, the roller 107 of the cam follower 103 moves from the front end side of the inclined surface 105 toward the rear end side, that is, toward the inclined surface 106. Along with this movement, the cam follower 103 moves to the inside in the left-right direction 9, that is, to the center side in the left-right direction 9 of the movable portion 69 against the biasing force of the coil spring 104. In the state where the document cover 17 is completely opened as shown in FIG. 15, the roller 107 is in front of the ridge line 109 and is in contact with the inclined surface 105 as shown in FIG. 12. That is, the movable part 69 is not rotated to the intermediate state. Therefore, in a state where the document cover 17 is fully opened, the movable portion 69 is urged to the upright state by the urging force of the coil spring 104 and is maintained in contact with the rear surface side of the document cover 17.

  When the document cover 17 is closed from the fully opened state, the movable portion 69 urged to the standing state follows the document cover 17 and returns to the standing state. In this way, as the document cover 17 is opened and closed, the movable portion 69 rotates following the document cover 17 between the standing state and the intermediate state.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the movable portion 69 is rotated from the standing state to the overlying state by the user in the state where the document cover 17 is closed, the cam follower is moved as shown in FIG. A roller 107 of 103 is in contact with the inclined surface 106 behind the ridgeline 109. Therefore, the movable portion 69 is biased to the fallen state by the biasing force of the coil spring 104 and is maintained in the fallen state.

  In addition, when the movable portion 69 is rotated from the lying down state to the standing state by the user in the state where the document cover 17 is closed, the roller 107 of the cam follower 103 is moved as shown in FIG. It comes in front of the ridgeline 109 and comes into contact with the inclined surface 105. Therefore, the movable portion 69 is biased to the upright state by the biasing force of the coil spring 104 and is maintained in the upright state.

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 17, when the document cover 132 is opened as shown in FIG. 18 from the state in which the document cover 132 is closed in the second scanner unit 130, the rear side of the document cover 132 is raised. The movable portion 69 abuts on the second side wall cover 140. That is, the rear surface of the document cover 132 moves rearward from the closed state as it rotates in the opening direction. Since the movable portion 69 in the standing state is in contact with or close to the rear surface of the document cover 132 in the closed state, when the rear surface of the document cover 132 moves rearward, the second side wall cover 140 of the movable portion 69 is moved to the second side. The movable portion 69 in contact with the contact surface 142 is pushed down toward the lying down state.

  As described above, the second rotation shaft 134 of the document cover 132 is positioned above the first rotation shaft 133 of the document cover 17, but the second contact surface 142 is higher than the first contact surface 87. Therefore, as in the case of the document cover 17, the movable portion 69 moves from the standing state to the lying state in conjunction with the opening of the document cover 132.

  As the movable portion 69 rotates, the roller 107 of the cam follower 103 moves from the front end side of the inclined surface 105 toward the rear end side, that is, toward the inclined surface 106. With this movement, the cam follower 103 moves against the biasing force of the coil spring 104 toward the inside in the left-right direction 9, that is, toward the center of the movable portion 69 in the left-right direction 9. In the state where the document cover 17 is completely opened as shown in FIG. 15, the roller 107 is in front of the ridge line 109 and is in contact with the inclined surface 105 as shown in FIG. 12. That is, the movable part 69 is not rotated to the intermediate state. Therefore, in a state where the document cover 17 is fully opened, the movable portion 69 is urged to the upright state by the urging force of the coil spring 104 and is maintained in contact with the rear surface side of the document cover 17.

  When the document cover 17 is closed from the fully opened state, the movable portion 69 urged to the standing state follows the document cover 17 and returns to the standing state. In this way, as the document cover 17 is opened and closed, the movable portion 69 rotates following the document cover 17 between the standing state and the intermediate state.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the movable portion 69 is rotated from the standing state to the overlying state by the user in the state where the document cover 17 is closed, the cam follower is moved as shown in FIG. A roller 107 of 103 is in contact with the inclined surface 106 behind the ridgeline 109. Therefore, the movable portion 69 is biased to the fallen state by the biasing force of the coil spring 104 and is maintained in the fallen state.

  In addition, when the movable portion 69 is rotated from the lying down state to the standing state by the user in the state where the document cover 17 is closed, the roller 107 of the cam follower 103 is moved as shown in FIG. It comes in front of the ridgeline 109 and comes into contact with the inclined surface 105. Therefore, the movable portion 69 is biased to the upright state by the biasing force of the coil spring 104 and is maintained in the upright state.

[Operation of Printer Unit 11]
Hereinafter, the operation of the printer unit 11 when the feeding tray 20, the bypass tray 70, and the manual feed tray 80 are used will be described. Note that, regardless of whether the multifunction machine 10 is provided with the first scanner unit 12 or the second scanner unit 130, the printer unit is an operation other than the interlocking of the document cover 17 or the document cover 132 and the movable unit 69 described above. Since the operation of the printer unit 11 is the same, the operation of the printer unit 11 will be described below by taking the use of the first scanner unit 12 as an example.

  When the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are not used, the movable portion 69 is raised as shown in FIGS. Thereby, since the projection area of the movable part 69 becomes small, the space on the rear surface side of the multifunction machine 10 can be reduced. Further, the tray cover 94 is rotated to a position where the upper end openings of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are closed. If there is sufficient space on the rear side of the multifunction machine 10, the movable portion 69 may remain in a lying state even when the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are not used.

  When the feeding tray 20 is used, a recording sheet having a desired size is set on the feeding tray 20. Specifically, a plurality of recording sheets are stacked and supported on the feeding tray 20. The feeding tray 20 that supports the recording paper is inserted into the housing 14 through the opening 13. In this state, the feeding roller 25 contacts the uppermost recording sheet among the plurality of recording sheets placed on the feeding tray 20. The printer unit 11 determines to feed the recording paper from the feed tray 20 based on user input, print data, and the like.

  When receiving an instruction to start printing, the printer unit 11 drives a motor (not shown) to rotate the feeding roller 25, the first transport roller pair 54, and the second transport roller pair 55 at a predetermined timing. In response to the rotation of the feed roller 25, the uppermost recording sheet is fed from the feed tray 20 to the transport path 65. The recording sheet reaches the first conveyance roller pair 54 while being guided by the curved path 65 </ b> A of the conveyance path 65. Ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 39 onto the recording paper that is sandwiched between the first conveying roller pair 54 and conveyed to the recording unit 24, and a desired image is recorded. The recording paper on which image recording has been completed is discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the second conveying roller pair 55.

  When the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are used, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the movable portion 69 is brought into a lying state. As a result, the support surfaces 74 and 90 form one flat surface in the bypass tray 70, and the support surfaces 81 and 91 together form a support surface of the recording paper in the manual feed tray 80. The tray cover 94 is rotated to a position where the upper end side openings of the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are opened.

  When the bypass tray 70 is used, a recording sheet of a desired size is set on the bypass tray 70. Specifically, the recording sheets are supported on the support surfaces 74 and 90 of the bypass tray 70 in a state where a plurality of recording sheets are stacked. In this state, the feeding roller 76 of the bypass tray 70 contacts the uppermost recording sheet among the plurality of recording sheets supported by the support surfaces 74 and 90. Further, the lower ends of a plurality of recording sheets are in contact with the separation piece 72. The printer unit 11 determines to feed recording paper from the bypass tray 70 based on user input, print data, and the like.

  When an instruction to start printing is received, the printer unit 11 drives a motor (not shown) to rotate the feeding roller 76, the first transport roller pair 54, and the second transport roller pair 55 at a predetermined timing. In response to the rotation of the feed roller 76, the uppermost recording sheet is fed from the bypass tray 70 to the bypass path 66. The recording sheet enters the straight path 65 </ b> B of the transport path 65 from the bypass path 66 and reaches the first transport roller pair 54. During this time, the outer guide member 18, the rear cover 22, and the guide member 31 that form the bypass path 66 and the straight path 65 </ b> B guide the recording sheet toward the first conveying roller pair 54. Ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 39 onto the recording paper that is sandwiched between the first conveying roller pair 54 and conveyed to the recording unit 24, and a desired image is recorded. The recording paper on which image recording has been completed is discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the second conveying roller pair 55.

  When the manual feed tray 80 is used, a recording sheet of a desired size is set on the manual feed tray 80. Specifically, one sheet of recording paper is placed on the support surfaces 81 and 91 of the manual feed tray 80, and along the support surfaces 81 and 91, the feeding roller 76 and the first transport roller pair 54 of the bypass tray 70. Inserted between. Specifically, the leading end of the recording sheet is inserted from the bypass path 66 to the transport path 65 until it contacts the first transport roller pair 54. The support surfaces 81 and 91 of the manual feed tray 80 support the recording sheet from below in a state where the recording sheet is inserted until the leading end of the recording sheet contacts the first conveying roller pair 54. The printer unit 11 determines to feed recording paper from the manual feed tray 80 based on user input, print data, and the like. Further, the printer unit 11 is configured to manually feed the recording paper based on the fact that the sensor 56 disposed upstream in the transport direction of the first transport roller pair 54 detects the recording paper by inserting the recording paper set in the manual feed tray 80. It may be determined that the recording paper is fed from the tray 80.

  When receiving an instruction to start printing, the printer unit 11 drives a motor (not shown) to rotate the first transport roller pair 54 and the second transport roller pair 55 at a predetermined timing. As the first transport roller 60 rotates, the recording paper set on the manual feed tray 80 is sandwiched between the first transport roller pair 54, and the recording head 39 with respect to the recording paper transported to the recording unit 24. Ink droplets are ejected from the ink to record a desired image. The recording paper on which image recording has been completed is discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the second conveying roller pair 55.

[Effects of Embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, the movable unit 69 rotates between the standing state and the intermediate state following the document cover 17 that is opened and closed, and therefore the document cover 17 or the document cover 132 that changes state and the movable unit 69. A small-sized multifunction machine 10 having the bypass tray 70 configured by the above is realized.

  Further, the first side wall cover 86 or the second side wall cover 140 is provided on the bypass tray 70 in accordance with whether the first scanner unit 12 or the second scanner unit 130 is provided in the multifunction machine 10. Since it is selectively provided, parts other than the first side wall cover 86 and the second side wall cover 140 can be shared in the bypass tray 70. As a result, a low-cost device is realized by sharing parts for each specification of the multifunction machine 10.

  The first rotation shaft 133 of the document cover 17 is located below the second rotation shaft 134 of the document cover 132 in the vertical direction 7, and the first contact surface 87 of the first side wall cover 86 is the second side wall. Since it is located below the second contact surface 142 of the cover 140 in the vertical direction 7, the contact position between the document cover 17 and the first sidewall cover 86 and the contact position between the document cover 132 and the second sidewall cover 140 are appropriate. Thus, the movable portion 69 of the bypass tray 70 can smoothly follow the rotation of the document cover 17 and the document cover 132.

  Further, since the interlocking mechanism 101 includes a cam 102 provided in the fixed portion 68, a cam follower 103 provided in the movable portion 69, and a coil spring 104 that urges the cam follower 103 toward the cam 102, it is simple. The interlocking mechanism 101 is realized by a simple configuration.

  Further, the movable portion 69 has a range in which the movable portion 69 can follow the document cover 17 because the rotational angle between the standing state and the intermediate state is larger than the rotational angle between the intermediate state and the lying down state. growing. Thereby, the rotation range of the document cover 17 can be enlarged.

  Further, since the document cover 17 is disposed above the housings 14 and 16, the operation of the document cover 17 is easy. Further, since the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are arranged behind the document cover 17 and the rotation axis of the document cover 17 is also behind, when the document cover 17 is opened, the housing 16 is viewed from the front of the document cover 17. That is, the platen glass 30 can be accessed. Further, the movable portion 69 that rotates following the document cover 17 does not rotate from the front to the user side who operates the document cover 17. Further, since the recording paper is transported from the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 toward the front of the housing 14, the user can access the transported recording paper from the front of the housing 14.

  Further, in a configuration including a flatbed scanner that is used relatively frequently, such as the multifunction machine 10, the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 can be disposed in the rotation range of the document cover 17.

  Further, the movable portion 69 stands up with the support surfaces 74, 81, 90, 91 approaching the rear surface of the housing 14 in the standing state, and the support surfaces 74, 81, 90, 91 stand up from the rear surface of the housing 14 in the lying state. Since it tilts in a direction away from the standing state, the movable portion 69 in the standing state can be efficiently downsized.

  Further, since the fixing unit 68 is provided with a feeding roller 76 that feeds the recording sheet supported by the bypass tray 70 to the bypass path 66, an arm 78, and a drive transmission unit 79, Drive transmission is stable.

[Modification]
Hereinafter, modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described. In the modification, an interlocking mechanism 110 is provided instead of the interlocking mechanism 101 of the above-described embodiment. Therefore, in the following, the configuration of the interlocking mechanism 110 will be mainly described, and other description will be omitted. In addition, the member shown with the same referential mark as embodiment mentioned above in the modification is the structure similar to the member demonstrated in embodiment mentioned above. The configuration of the interlocking mechanism 110 is the same regardless of whether the first scanner unit 12 or the second scanner unit 130 is provided in the multifunction machine 10, and hence the specification in which the first scanner unit 12 is provided. As an example, the interlocking mechanism 110 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, the fixed portion 68 and the movable portion 69 are provided with an interlocking mechanism 110. The interlocking mechanism 110 urges the movable portion 69 toward the standing state between the standing state and the intermediate state with the intermediate state (second state) between the standing state and the lying state as a boundary. During the fall state, it is energized toward the fall state. The interlocking mechanism 110 corresponds to an urging unit.

  The interlocking mechanism 110 is provided with a pair near the first side wall cover 86 of the movable portion 69. Since the pair of interlocking mechanisms 110 have a line-symmetric configuration in the left-right direction 9, only the configuration of one of the interlocking mechanisms 110 will be described below.

  The interlocking mechanism 110 includes a cam 111 provided in the movable portion 69, a cam follower 112 provided in the fixed portion 68, and a coil spring 113 that biases the cam follower 112 toward the cam 111. The coil spring 113 corresponds to an elastic member. The coil spring 113 is provided between the spring seat 114 provided on the fixed portion 68 and the cam follower 112 so as to extend and contract along the vertical direction 7. As the movable portion 69 rotates with respect to the fixed portion 68, the cam 111 moves.

  The cam 111 extends in the front-rear direction 8 in the movable portion 69, and the position with respect to the fixed portion 68 is displaced in the front-rear direction 8. The lower surface of the cam 111 in the vertical direction 7 functions as a cam surface. The first cam surface 115, the second cam surface 116, and the third cam surface 117 are arranged in this order from the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 of the cam surface.

  As shown in FIG. 20, when the movable portion 69 is in the standing state, the first cam surface 115 is located behind the front-rear direction 8 in the movable portion 69, and the front end is above the rear end in the vertical direction 7. The plane is far from the spring seat 114. That is, the first cam surface 115 is a flat surface whose front end is inclined so as to move away from the spring seat 114 in the vertical direction 7.

  The second cam surface 116 is located at the center in the front-rear direction 8 in the movable portion 69, and the front end is a plane closer to the spring seat 114 than the rear end in the vertical direction 7. In other words, the second cam surface 116 is a flat surface whose front end is inclined so as to approach the spring seat 114 in the vertical direction 7. The front end of the first cam surface 115 and the rear end of the second cam surface 116 are continuous, and a boundary between them forms an upward convex ridge line 118. In the first cam surface 115 and the second cam surface 116, the ridge line 118 is located farthest from the spring seat 114.

  The third cam surface 117 is located on the front side in the front-rear direction 8 in the movable portion 69, and the front end is a plane farther from the spring seat 114 than the rear end. In the third cam surface 117, when the movable portion 69 is in the standing state, the front end and the rear end are substantially in the same position in the vertical direction 7, but when the movable portion 69 is in a lying state (see FIG. 19), the front end is The plane is inclined so as to move away from the spring seat 114 in the direction 7. The front end of the second cam surface 116 and the rear end of the third cam surface 117 are continuous, and these boundaries form a ridge line 119 that protrudes downward in the vertical direction 7. In the second cam surface 116 and the third cam surface 117, the ridge line 119 is located closest to the spring seat 114. A state in which the cam follower 112 is positioned on the ridge line 119 is an intermediate state of the movable portion 69. The front end of the third cam surface 117 extends to the inner wall of the movable portion 69.

  The cam follower 112 is movable along the first cam surface 115, the second cam surface 116, and the third cam surface 117 of the cam 111. The upper end of the cam follower 112 is rounded into a dome shape.

  The coil spring 113 is compressed between the spring seat 114 and the cam follower 112, and the cam follower 112 is urged toward the cam 111 by the restoring force. The coil spring 113 can be further compressed between the spring seat 114 and the cam follower 112 by the movement of the cam follower 112 along the cam 111.

  The coil spring 113 extends most when the upper end of the cam follower 112 is in contact with the first cam surface 115 and the second cam surface 116 and is at a position facing the ridge line 118. The coil spring 113 is compressed most when the upper end of the cam follower 112 is in contact with the ridge line 119. When the upper end of the cam follower 112 is in contact with the second cam surface 116, the urging force of the coil spring 113 is a force that rotates the movable portion 69 from the intermediate state toward the standing state. When the upper end of the cam follower 112 is in contact with the third cam surface 117, the urging force of the coil spring 113 is a force that rotates the movable portion 69 from the intermediate state toward the lying down state. That is, the movable portion 69 is selectively biased to the standing state or the lying state with the intermediate state as a boundary and rotates.

  Although omitted in FIGS. 20 to 22, as shown in FIG. 2, a support member 89 is provided across the first side wall cover 86 of the movable portion 69. The lower end side of the support member 89 is rotatably supported by the fixed portion 68 and is rotated independently of the movable portion 69. The state of the support member 89 changes between an upright state in which the support surface 90 is vertical along the vertical direction 7 and a lying state in which the support surface 90 is inclined with respect to the placement surface. In the lying state, the support member 89 is supported by the auxiliary member 120 provided on the fixing portion 68 in the left-right direction 9. A side guide 93 is provided on the support surface 91 side of the support member 89.

[Interlocking between Document Cover 17 and Movable Unit 69]
As shown in FIG. 20, when the original cover 17 is opened as shown in FIG. 21 from the state in which the original cover 17 is closed in the first scanner unit 12, the movable part whose rear side on the original cover 17 stands up. 69 abuts. That is, the rear surface of the document cover 17 moves rearward from the closed state as it rotates in the opening direction. Since the movable portion 69 in the standing state is in contact with or close to the rear surface of the document cover 17 in the closed state, when the rear surface of the document cover 17 moves rearward, the movable portion 69 is in contact with the movable portion 69 and is in the standing state. 69 is pushed down toward the lying state.

  As the movable portion 69 rotates, the upper end of the cam follower 112 moves from a position facing the ridge line 118 toward the front end side of the second cam surface 116, that is, the ridge line 119. With this movement, the cam follower 112 moves downward in the vertical direction 7 against the biasing force of the coil spring 113. As shown in FIG. 21, in the state where the document cover 17 is fully opened, the upper end of the cam follower 112 is behind the ridge line 119 and is in contact with the second cam surface 116. That is, the movable part 69 is not rotated to the intermediate state. Therefore, in a state where the document cover 17 is completely opened, the movable portion 69 is urged toward the standing state by the urging force of the coil spring 113 and is maintained in contact with the rear surface side of the document cover 17. The

  The document cover 17 in the fully opened state comes into contact with a side guide 93 provided on the support member 88 in a lying state. Therefore, the document cover 17 does not come into contact with the sheet set on the manual feed tray 80. The document cover 17 in the fully opened state is supported by the fixing portion 68 via the side guide 93 and the auxiliary member 120.

  When the document cover 17 is closed from the fully opened state, the movable portion 69 urged toward the standing state follows the document cover 17 and returns to the standing state. In this way, as the document cover 17 is opened and closed, the movable portion 69 rotates following the document cover 17 between the standing state and the near side reaching the intermediate state.

  As shown in FIG. 22, when the movable portion 69 is rotated from the standing state to the overlying state by the user in the state where the document cover 17 is closed, the upper end of the cam follower 112 is moved from the ridge line 119. It becomes the front and comes into contact with the third cam surface 117. Therefore, the movable portion 69 is biased toward the lying down state by the biasing force of the coil spring 113 and is maintained in the lying down state.

  In addition, when the movable portion 69 is rotated from the lying down state to the standing state by the user while the document cover 17 is closed, as shown in FIG. 17, the upper end of the cam follower 112 is The second cam surface 116 comes into contact with the second cam surface 116 at the rear of 118. Therefore, the movable portion 69 is biased to the upright state by the biasing force of the coil spring 113 and is maintained in the upright state.

  Although the detailed description using the drawings is omitted, similarly, the second side wall cover 140 of the movable portion 69 in which the rear surface side of the document cover 132 is erected by the opening and closing of the document cover 132 in the second scanner unit 130. The movable portion 69 is rotated by following the opening and closing of the document cover 132 by contacting the contact surface 142.

  In the above-described embodiment, the document cover 17 or the document cover 132 that is rotatably provided on the housing 16 contacts the movable portion 69, and the movable portion 69 follows the opening and closing of the document cover 17 or the document cover 132. In the embodiment in which the first scanner unit 12 and the second scanner unit 130 are not provided, and the image recording apparatus is configured by only the printer unit 11, for example, The casing 16 arranged as an upper cover on the upper side is configured to be rotatable so that the upper side of the casing 14 can be opened for the purpose of clearing paper jams, maintenance, and the like. Dimensions may vary depending on specifications. In such an embodiment, the movable portion 69 is arranged in the rotation range of the housing 16, and the movable portion 69 follows the rotation of the housing 16.

  Further, the configuration of the interlocking mechanism is not limited to the present embodiment. As long as the interlocking mechanism is a mechanism that imparts an urging force in a direction in which the movable part moves toward either the standing state or the lying state in accordance with the movement of the movable part, a configuration other than the present embodiment may be employed. .

  In the present embodiment, the bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 are constituted by the fixed portion 68 and the movable portion 69. However, the movable portion 69 is directly supported by the housing 16 so as to be rotatable. The bypass tray 70 and the manual feed tray 80 may be configured by only the portion 69.

10 Multifunction machine (sheet transport device)
11 Printer section (image recording device)
12 First scanner unit (flatbed scanner)
14,16 housing (first housing)
17 Document cover (second housing)
24 recording unit 30 platen 54 first conveying roller pair (conveying unit)
55 Second transport roller pair (transport section)
65 Conveyance path 68 Fixed part 69 Movable part 70 Bypass tray (sheet support part)
74, 81, 90, 91 Support surface 76 Feed roller (feed section)
77 Drive shaft (feeding section)
78 Arm (feeding section)
79 Drive transmission part (feeding part)
86 1st side wall cover (1st contact member)
87 1st contact surface (1st contact part)
93 Side guide 94 Tray cover 101, 110 Interlocking mechanism (biasing part)
102, 111 Cam 103, 112 Cam follower 104, 113 Coil spring (elastic member)
130 Second scanner unit (flatbed scanner)
131 housing (first housing)
132 Document cover (third housing)
133 1st rotating shaft 134 2nd rotating shaft 140 2nd side wall cover (2nd contact member)
142 2nd contact surface (2nd contact part)

Claims (12)

A first housing having a sheet conveyance path;
A transport unit that transports the sheet along the transport path;
A second housing provided to be rotatable about a first rotation axis with respect to the first housing;
A third housing provided to be rotatable around a second rotation axis with respect to the first housing;
In the first casing, the second casing is rotatably provided on the first rotating shaft side of the second casing or the second rotating shaft side of the third casing, and the rotating tip side is provided on the second casing or the second casing. A sheet support section that changes to the first state, the second state, and the third state in order from the third housing, and supports a sheet fed to the conveyance path at least in the third state;
The seat support portion is biased toward the first state between the first state and the second state with the second state as a boundary, and is biased toward the third state between the second state and the third state. An urging section to
One of the second housing and the third housing is selectively provided in the first housing,
When the seat support portion is in the first state, the seat support portion rotates with respect to the first contact member with which the second housing that rotates with respect to the first housing contacts, or with respect to the first housing. By selectively providing a second abutting member that abuts the moving third casing, the second casing or the third casing can be rotated between the first state and the second state. A sheet conveying apparatus that follows and rotates. When the first housing is placed on the placement surface, the first rotation shaft is located below the second rotation shaft in the vertical direction,
The first abutting portion where the first abutting member can abut on the second housing is below the second abutting portion where the second abutting member can abut on the second housing in the vertical direction. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, which is positioned.   The biasing portion includes a cam that does not rotate with the seat support portion, a cam follower that rotates with the seat support portion, and an elastic member that biases the cam follower toward the cam. When the seat support is in the second state, the elastic member is most elastically deformed, and the urging force of the elastic member is converted into a force for rotating the cam follower to the first state or the third state. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.   The biasing portion includes a cam that rotates together with the seat support portion, a cam follower that does not rotate together with the seat support portion, and an elastic member that biases the cam follower toward the cam. When the seat support is in the second state, the elastic member is most elastically deformed, and the urging force of the elastic member is converted into a force for rotating the cam follower to the first state or the third state. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The cam and the cam follower are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a cam surface of the cam is displaced in a vertical direction.   6. The seat support portion according to claim 1, wherein a rotation angle between the first state and the second state is larger than a rotation angle between the second state and the third state. The sheet conveying apparatus according to the description. The second casing and the third casing are disposed above the first casing in the vertical direction,
The seat support portion is disposed behind the second housing or the third housing in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the up-down direction,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the conveying unit conveys a sheet supported by the sheet supporting unit toward the front in the front-rear direction. A flat bed scanner having a platen is provided in the first housing,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second casing and the third casing are document covers that cover the platen.   The seat support portion has a support surface for supporting the seat. The support surface stands up close to the side surface of the first housing in the first state, and the support surface is the first surface in the third state. The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus is inclined to fall from the first state in a direction away from a side surface of the housing.   The seat support portion includes a fixed portion provided on a side wall of the first housing, and a movable portion that is rotatable with respect to the fixed portion. The movable portion is in a first state, The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus changes to a second state and a third state.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the fixing unit includes a feeding unit that feeds the sheet supported by the sheet supporting unit to the conveyance path. An image recording apparatus comprising: the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1; and a recording unit that records an image on a sheet in the conveying path.

Images