JP6303821B2 - Feeding device and image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a feeding device that feeds a sheet supported by a support portion, and an image recording apparatus including the feeding device.

  Conventionally, a feeding device in which an inclined support unit supports a plurality of stacked sheets and the sheet is fed diagonally downward along the inclination of the support unit. Known (Patent Document 1). In this feeding device, a plurality of sheets supported by the support portion are fed in the feeding direction by a feeding roller. In order to prevent a plurality of sheets from being fed in an overlapped state, the support portion is configured with a cork or the like that easily generates a frictional force between the sheets at the position facing the feeding roller. A separation pad is provided.

JP 2001-106346 A

  The sheet has a recording sheet that generates a relatively large frictional force against the separation pad, such as glossy paper having a glossy surface, and a recording that generates a relatively small frictional force against the separation pad, such as plain paper. Papers with various friction coefficients such as paper are mixed. Further, the state in which the recording sheet bends along the surface of the separation pad varies depending on the difference in rigidity of the recording sheet (so-called recording sheet stiffness). For example, thick glossy paper is not easily bent, and thin plain paper is easily bent. Then, the various recording sheets supported by the support portion have different areas in contact with the separation pad having a certain size. As a result, when feeding sheets having various friction coefficients and rigidity, depending on the type of the sheet, there is a possibility of causing double feeding or feeding failure by the feeding roller, and for feeding the driving source. There is a risk of overloading.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide means capable of reducing the possibility of occurrence of double feeding or feeding failure for various sheets.

  (1) A feeding device according to the present invention includes a support unit having a support surface that supports a sheet, a feed roller that feeds the sheet supported by the support surface in a feeding direction, and the feed roller. An arm that rotatably supports the rotating shaft and supports the feeding roller so as to be able to contact and separate from the support portion, and a separation pad that protrudes from the support surface. At least two of the feeding rollers are spaced apart in the direction along the rotation axis, and the separation pad is divided between the two feeding rollers in the direction along the rotation axis. And disposed at a position not in contact with the feeding roller.

  Since the separation pad is in a position not in contact with the feeding roller, the sheet supported by the support unit is not sandwiched between the separation pad and the feeding roller and is not pressed against the separation pad. Excessive friction is unlikely to occur between the sheet and the sheet. Further, the sheet pressed against the support surface by the feeding roller abuts against the separation pad disposed between the two feeding rollers while being bent. On the other hand, since the separation pad is divided in the direction along the rotation axis, it is easy to adjust the area where the sheet and the separation pad contact in the direction along the rotation axis. Therefore, the contact area between the separation pad and the sheet can be adjusted while setting the distance between the feeding roller and the separation pad to a distance suitable for desired friction.

  (2) Preferably, it is disposed between the two feeding rollers, and at least a part of the first feeding position protrudes more to the support surface side than the feeding roller, and the feed surface with respect to the support surface. A rotating member that rotates between a second position retracted from the feeding roller is further provided, and the rotating member at the first position is in contact with the support portion between the divided separation pads. Touch.

  Thereby, since a rotation member and a separation pad do not contact, rotation of a rotation member becomes smooth. Further, the separation pad is not worn by contact with the rotating member.

  (3) Preferably, in a state where the rotating member at the first position is in contact with the support portion, the feeding roller is separated from the support surface from the upper surface of the separation pad.

  When the rotating member is in the first position, it is easy to insert the sheet between the feeding roller and the upper surface of the separation pad.

  (4) Preferably, a separation pad that protrudes from the support surface is further disposed on the support surface that is outside of the two feeding rollers in the direction along the rotation axis.

  Thereby, the contact area between the separation pad and the sheet can be increased without changing the distance between the feeding roller and the separation pad.

  (5) Preferably, the feeding roller and the separation pad are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction with respect to an upper surface of the sheet supported by the support surface.

  Thereby, the frictional force by the separation pad becomes uniform with respect to the center of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the feeding direction, and skewing in feeding is less likely to occur.

  (6) Preferably, the separation pad is divided into two.

  (7) The present invention may be understood as an image recording apparatus that includes the feeding device and a recording unit that records an image on a sheet fed by the feeding roller.

  (8) Preferably, the recording unit records an image on a surface facing the feeding roller in a state where the sheet is supported by the support unit.

  According to the present invention, it is easy to adjust the frictional force generated by the separation pad for various sheets, and the possibility of occurrence of double feeding or feeding failure can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 with the movable support 186 standing. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the bypass tray 71 with the movable support portion 186 lying down. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the rear side of the multifunction machine 10 with the movable support 186 removed. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 showing the pressing arm 73 in the approach state. 6 is an enlarged view of a rectangular frame portion indicated by a broken line in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the support members 189 and 192 when the movable support portion 186 is in a lying state. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the drive transmission mechanism 79. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the feeding roller 75, the feeding arm 76, and the rotating member 30. FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing the rotating member 30, and FIG. 10B is an exploded perspective view of the rotating member 30. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the feeding roller 75, the feeding arm 76, and the rotating member 30. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the bypass tray 71 when the rotating member 30 is in the first position, and FIG. 12B is a bypass tray 71 when the rotating member 30 is in the second position. FIG. FIG. 13A is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the rotating member 30 is in the first position, and FIG. 12B is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the rotating member 30 is in the second position. FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the feed roller 75, the separation pad 170, and the support member 189 when the rotating member 30 is in the first position. FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the feed roller 75, the separation pad 170, and the support member 189 when the rotating member 30 is in the second position. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the feeding roller 75 and the separation pad 170. FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the feeding roller 75, the separation pad 170, the support member 189, and the recording paper 200 when the rotating member 30 is in the second position. FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the feed roller 75, the separation pad 170, the support member 189, and the recording paper 201 when the rotating member 30 is in the second position. FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a feed roller 75, separation pads 170 and 181 and a support member 189 according to a modification. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating an arrangement of the feeding roller 75 and the separation pad 170 according to the modification.

  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 the state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state shown in FIG. 1), and the side on which the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front side). A front-rear direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction 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 includes a housing 14 having an opening 13 formed on the front surface. In addition, a feeding tray 20 and a discharge tray 21 that can accommodate recording sheets of various sizes can be inserted and removed from the opening 13 in the front-rear direction 8. The bottom surface of the housing 14 abuts on the placement surface on which the multifunction machine 10 is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15 that feeds a recording sheet from a feeding tray 20, a recording unit 24 that records an image on the recording sheet, a first transport roller pair 59, and a second pair. A conveyance roller pair 180 and the like are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a scanner unit 12 is provided above the printer unit 11. The dimensions of the casing 16 of the 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 casing 14 of the printer unit 11 and the casing 16 of the scanner unit 12 are integrated to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape of the multifunction machine 10. The scanner unit 12 is a flat bed scanner. In addition, since the structure of a flat bed scanner is well-known, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here. The scanner unit 12 may be provided with an automatic document feeder (ADF) that separates and conveys a plurality of documents one by one.

[Printer 11]
Hereinafter, the detailed structure of the printer unit 11 will be described. The printer unit 11 is an example of an image recording apparatus.

[Feeding tray 20]
The feed tray 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has an outer shape in which the length in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 is longer than the length in the vertical direction 7, and has a box-like shape with an open upper surface. ing. A discharge tray 21 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the feeding tray 20. The feeding tray 20 can accommodate a recording sheet by supporting recording sheets of various sizes such as an A4 size according to Japanese Industrial Standards and an L plate used for photographic recording on a supporting surface. The feeding tray 20 is detachably mounted 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. 2, the feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, a drive transmission mechanism 27, and a separation pad 181. 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 so as to be rotatable. The feeding arm 26 rotates in the direction of an arrow 29 about a rotation shaft 28 provided at the base end. Thereby, the feed roller 25 can be brought into contact with and separated from the support surface of the feed tray 20. Therefore, when the recording paper is stored and the feeding tray 20 is mounted in the housing 14, the feeding roller 25 can contact the recording paper stored in the feeding tray 20. A separation pad 181 is provided at a position where the feeding roller 25 contacts the support surface of the feeding tray 20 when the feeding tray 20 that does not contain recording paper is mounted in the housing 14. The separation pad 181 is formed of a material having a friction coefficient larger than that of the support 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 drive shaft different from the rotation shaft 28 to the shaft of the feeding roller 25 by the endless belt. When the feeding roller 25 rotates while being in contact with the uppermost recording sheet among the recording sheets supported on the support surface of the feeding tray 20, the recording sheet is fed to the conveyance path 65. Is done. When the recording sheet is fed to the transport path 65, the leading end of the recording sheet comes into contact with the separation member 197 provided on the rear side of the feeding tray 20 in the front-rear direction 8. As a result, only the uppermost recording paper is separated from the lower recording paper and conveyed. Then, the lower recording paper than the uppermost recording paper is held while being accommodated in the feeding tray 20 without being dragged by the uppermost recording paper.

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 65 provided in the internal space of the housing 14 extends in a curved manner 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. After being bent from the front side to the front side, it extends almost straight toward the front side and reaches 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 defined by the outer guide member 18, the inner guide member 19, and the guide member 31 that face each other with a space through which the recording paper can pass. The straight path 65 </ b> B is defined by the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 that face each other with a space through which the recording paper can pass, and the guide member 34 and the guide member 33.

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

  The outer guide member 18 is a member that constitutes an outer guide surface when the recording sheet is conveyed along the curved path 65A. The inner guide member 19 is a member that forms an inner guide surface when the recording sheet is conveyed along 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 conveyance roller pair 59. The outer guide member 18 and the guide member 31 are members that define a bypass path 182 to be described later.

[Rear cover 22]
As shown in FIG. 2, 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 with respect to the housing 14 at both lower left and right ends. By rotating the rear cover 22 around the rotation axis along the lower left-right direction 9 so that the upper side is inclined backward, a part of a bypass path 182 to be described later is moved outward of the housing 14. Open (exposed).

  Similarly to the rear cover 22, the outer guide member 18 is also pivotally supported with respect to the housing 14 at both lower left and right ends. In a state where the rear cover 22 is pivoted so as to fall backward, the outer guide member 18 can also pivot around the pivot axis along the lower left-right direction 9 so that the upper side falls backward. It is. By rotating the outer guide member 18 so as to fall backward, at least a part of the curved path 65A is opened (exposed). As shown in FIG. 2, when the rear cover 22 is closed so as to be in an upright state, the outer guide member 18 is supported by the rear cover 22 from the rear and maintained in the upright state, and faces the inner guide member 19. To define a curved path 65A.

[First conveyance roller pair 59 and second conveyance roller pair 180]
As shown in FIG. 2, a first transport roller pair 59 is provided on the upstream side of the transport path 65 in the transport direction (frontward in the front-rear direction 8) with respect to the recording unit 24. The first transport roller pair 59 includes a first transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61. In the conveyance path 65, a second conveyance roller pair 180 is provided on the downstream side of the recording unit 24 in the conveyance direction. The second transport roller pair 180 includes a second transport roller 62 and a spur roller 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 59 and the second conveyance roller pair 180 are recorded 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 59 and the second conveyance roller pair 180. Transport the paper.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is provided between the first conveyance roller pair 59 and the second conveyance roller pair 180. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40 and a recording head 39. The carriage 40 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 provided on the rear side and the front side of the platen 42 so as to reciprocate in the left-right direction 9. The guide rail 44 is provided with a known belt mechanism. The carriage 40 is connected to an endless belt of a belt mechanism, and reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 along the guide rails 43 and 44 by the rotation of the endless belt. When the carriage 40 and the recording head 39 are opposed to the platen 42 with a space therebetween, the carriage 40, the recording head 39, and the platen 42 define a part of the straight path 65B.

  The recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 40. 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 40 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 182]
As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 184 is provided above the rear cover 22 on the rear surface of the housing 14. A bypass path 182 extending from the opening 184 to the first transport roller pair 59 is formed inside the housing 14. The bypass path 182 is a path that extends obliquely downward from the rear in the front-rear direction 8 to the front in the housing 14. The bypass path 182 is defined by the guide member 31, the outer guide member 18, and the rear cover 22. The guide member 31 is a member that constitutes the upper guide surface when the recording sheet is conveyed along the bypass path 182. The outer guide member 18 and the rear cover 22 are members that constitute a lower guide surface when the recording paper is conveyed along the bypass path 182. 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 182. By rotating the outer guide member 18 and the rear cover 22 so that the upper side is inclined backward, a part of the bypass path 182 is opened (exposed) to the outside of the housing 14 together with a part of the transport path 65. The

  A recording sheet accommodated in a bypass tray 71 described later is guided obliquely downward along a bypass path 182. The recording sheet is guided along the straight path 65 </ b> B of the conveyance path 65 and conveyed by the first conveyance roller pair 59. The recording sheet is further subjected to image recording by the recording unit 24 and discharged to the discharge tray 21. As described above, the recording sheet accommodated in the bypass tray 71 is conveyed along a substantially linear path (a path where the front surface and the back surface of the recording sheet are not reversed in the vertical direction 7).

[Feeding device 70]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding device 70. The feeding device 70 includes a bypass tray 71, a feeding roller 75, a feeding arm 76, a feeding motor (not shown), a drive transmission mechanism 79 (see FIG. 4), a pressing arm 73, and a separation piece. 72.

[Bypass tray 71]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a bypass tray 71 is provided on the rear surface side of the multifunction machine 10. The bypass tray 71 accommodates recording paper independently of the feeding tray 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a fixed support portion 185 that extends downward is provided on the rear surface side of the housing 16 of the scanner portion 12 so as to cover the opening 184 (see FIG. 2). The fixed support portion 185 constitutes a part of the downstream side of the bypass tray 71 in the conveyance direction. As shown in FIG. 3, a movable support portion 186 is provided on the upper side of the fixed support portion 185 so as to be rotatable with respect to the fixed support portion 185. A bypass tray 71 is configured by the fixed support portion 185 and the movable support portion 186 (an example of a support portion).

  As shown in FIG. 4, a slit-shaped opening 187 extending along the left-right direction 9 is formed on the upper surface of the fixed support portion 185. In the bypass tray 71, a passage extending from the opening 187 to the bypass path 182 (see FIG. 2) is formed. As shown in FIG. 3, the fixed support portion 185 is provided with a support member 189 having a support surface 188 (an example of a support surface). The support surface 188 extends obliquely downward to the bypass path 182 (see FIG. 2). The lower end of the support member 189 forms a part of a guide surface that guides the recording paper conveyed along the bypass path 182.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a separation piece 72 is provided below the support member 189 in the fixed support portion 185. The separation piece 72 is positioned at a height substantially equal to the opening 184 in the vertical direction 7. The upper surface of the separation piece 72 is a surface with which the leading edge of the recording paper supported by the bypass tray 71 comes into contact. As shown in FIG. 2, the separation piece 72 has a plurality of teeth arranged along the front-rear direction 8 on the upper surface thereof. By the teeth of the separation piece 72, the leading ends of a plurality of recording sheets supported by the bypass tray 71 are scratched. In FIG. 3, the separation piece 72 is omitted.

  On the upper end side of the support member 189 and above the support surface 188, as shown in FIG. 3, a reinforcing member 183 that rotatably supports the rotation shaft 66 of the feeding arm 76 (see FIG. 6) is provided. It has been. When the driving force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 66 of the feeding arm 76 supported by the reinforcing member 183 from a feeding motor (not shown) via the drive transmission mechanism 79, the feeding roller 75 rotates.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a drive transmission mechanism 79 including a plurality of pinion gears is provided on the right side of the fixed support portion 185 in the left-right direction 9. A driving force is transmitted to the drive transmission mechanism 79 from a feeding motor (not shown) provided in the housing 14 of the printer unit 11. The rotation shaft 66 extends along the left-right direction 9, and one end thereof meshes with a pinion gear constituting the drive transmission mechanism 79. The other end of the rotation shaft 66 extends to the center in the left-right direction 9 of the fixed support portion 185.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a feed arm 76 is rotatably supported on the rotation shaft 66. That is, the proximal end side of the feeding arm 76 is rotatable around the rotation shaft 66. A pair of feed rollers 75 are rotatably supported so as to sandwich the rotation tip of the feed arm 76. The feeding arm 76 extends downward from the rotating shaft 66 toward the support surface 188 of the support member 189. The feeding arm 76 is disposed at the center of the fixed support portion 185 in the left-right direction 9. The two feeding rollers 75 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the left-right direction 9 in the fixed support portion 185.

  The rotation of the rotation shaft 66 is transmitted to the pair of feeding rollers 75 by the second drive transmission unit 36 (see FIG. 8) including the rotation shaft 66, and the feeding roller 75 rotates. The pair of feeding rollers 75 rotate while being in contact with the uppermost recording paper among the recording papers supported by the support surface 188, so that the uppermost recording paper moves along the bypass path 182. Then, it is fed in the feeding direction 87. The recording sheet below the uppermost recording sheet is rolled up by the separating piece 72 and held on the bypass tray 71 without being dragged by the uppermost recording sheet. As a result, only the uppermost recording sheet is separated from the other recording sheets, and is fed along the bypass path 182 in the feeding direction 87. As described above, the feeding unit including the feeding roller 75, the rotation shaft 66, and the feeding arm 76 is disposed in the space outside the housing 14 and above the support surface 188.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the movable support portion 186 is provided on the upper side of the fixed support portion 185 so as to be rotatable with respect to the fixed support portion 185. The movable support portion 186 is rotatable between a standing state standing along the vertical direction 7 as shown in FIG. 1 and a lying state inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 as shown in FIG. is there.

  The standing state is a state for reducing the space for the movable support portion 186 on the rear surface side of the housing 14 and is a state in which the bypass tray 71 is not used. The rear surface of the movable support portion 186 in the standing state is substantially parallel to the rear surface of the housing 14. As for the movable support part 186 in the standing state, the rotation tip is located almost immediately above the rotation base end. In the standing state, the support surface 188 and the support surface 193 are arranged to intersect each other.

  The lying down state is a state in which the inclined support surfaces 188 and 193 are substantially formed as one plane by inclining the movable support portion 186 obliquely upward toward the outside of the housing 14. It is in a usable state. The movable support portion 186 in the lying state is inclined such that the rotation tip is located above the rotation base end, and the rotation tip is further away from the rear surface of the housing 14 than the rotation base end. . Whether the movable support portion 186 is in the standing state or the lying state can be selected by a user's arbitrary operation.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, side walls 190 and 191 are provided on both sides of the movable support portion 186 in the left-right direction 9. The side walls 190 and 191 cover portions of both sides of the fixed support portion 185 in the left-right direction 9 respectively. The drive transmission mechanism 79 provided on the right side of the fixed support portion 185 in the left-right direction 9 is covered with the side wall 190 of the movable support portion 186.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a support member 192 is provided across the side walls 190 and 191 of the movable support portion 186. In the lying state, the support surface 193 provided on the upper surface of the support member 192 is substantially flush with the support surface 188. That is, in the bypass tray 71, the support surface 188 of the support member 189 and the support surface 193 of the support member 192 support the recording paper. In the standing state, the support surface 193 is in a state orthogonal to the placement surface of the multifunction machine 10, that is, along the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9. 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. Here, “substantially one plane (same plane)” is a plane on which the supported recording paper does not bend or curve even if there is a slight difference between the two planes. That is, it refers to a flat surface that supports the recording paper so that stable separation performance is exhibited by the separation piece 72 described above.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the support member 192 is provided with a pair of side guides 194. The pair of side guides 194 are spaced apart in the left-right direction 9 and protrude upward from the support surface 193. The side guide 194 has a guide surface 195 that extends along the conveyance direction of the bypass tray 71. When the recording paper on the support surface 193 is transported, the edge of the recording paper along the transport direction is guided by the guide surface 195.

  The side guide 194 has a support surface 196 along the support surface 193 of the support member 192. That is, the side guide 194 has an L shape in which the guide surface 195 and the support surface 196 are orthogonal to each other. Although the support surface 196 is slightly different from the support surface 193, the support surface 196 is substantially the same plane and supports the recording sheet together with the support surfaces 188 and 193. The distance at which the pair of side guides 194 are separated along the left-right direction 9 is variable, and moves to a position symmetrical with respect to the center of the support surface 193 in the left-right direction 9. As a result, the edges of the recording sheets of various sizes supported by the support surfaces 193 and 196 are guided by the guide surface 195 of the side guide 194, and the center of the recording sheet supported by the support surface 193 in the left-right direction 9 The center of the support surface 193 in the left-right direction 9 can be made to coincide. That is, recording sheets of various sizes can be arranged on the support surface 193 with the center in the left-right direction 9 as a reference.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, two concave portions 46 are provided on the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71. The other end 50 of a pressing arm 73 described later is inserted into the recess 46. The two concave portions 46 are provided at the same position in the feeding direction 87. The two recesses 46 are provided on the right and left sides of the pair of feed rollers 75 in the left-right direction 9. That is, the two concave portions 46 are provided so as to sandwich the pair of feeding rollers 75.

  As shown in FIG. 6, each recess 46 includes a first inclined surface 47 and a second inclined surface 48. The first inclined surface 47 constitutes the upstream side 87 of each recess 46 in the feeding direction. The first inclined surface 47 is inclined so as to be separated from the support surface 188 toward the downstream side in the feeding direction 87. The inclination angle of the first inclined surface 47 is substantially the same as the inclination angle when the presser arm 73 described later is in the approaching state.

  The second inclined surface 48 constitutes the downstream side 87 in the feeding direction of each recess 46. The second inclined surface 48 is continuous with the downstream end of the first inclined surface 47 in the feeding direction 87, and is inclined so as to approach the support surface 188 toward the downstream side in the feeding direction 87.

  The shape of the recess 46 is not limited to the shape defined by the first inclined surface 47 and the second inclined surface 48 as described above on the condition that the other end 50 of the pressing arm 73 can be inserted. For example, the recess 46 may be recessed in a rectangular shape.

[Feeding roller 75 and feeding arm 76]
As shown in FIG. 6, the feeding roller 75 is disposed in front of the bypass tray 71. The feed roller 75 can contact the support surface 188 of the support member 189. A rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75 extends in the left-right direction 9. Two feeding rollers 75 are provided in the left-right direction 9 with a space therebetween, but the number of feeding rollers 75 may be three or more.

  The feeding arm 76 extends from one end toward the upstream side in the feeding direction 87 and away from the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71. The pair of feed rollers 75 are rotatably supported at the rotation tip of the feed arm 76. The rotation shaft 66 is inserted into a hole provided in the upstream end portion of the feeding arm 76 in the feeding direction 87, that is, the base end portion of the feeding arm 76. As a result, the feeding arm 76 rotates around the rotation shaft 66. As a result, the pair of feeding rollers 75 can contact and separate, that is, contact with and separate from the support surface 188 of the support member 189 or the recording paper supported by the support surface 188. Note that the rotation shaft 66 is rotatably supported by the reinforcing member 183 as described above. Further, the rotation shaft 66 and the rotation shaft 83 are parallel.

  The feeding arm 76 and the rotation shaft 66 are connected by a torsion spring (not shown). Thereby, the feeding arm 76 is urged toward the support surface 188 of the fixed support portion 185 by the torsion spring. The configuration for biasing the feeding arm 76 is not limited to the configuration using the torsion spring. For example, a coil spring having one end connected to the feed arm 76 and the other end connected to the frame of the printer unit 11 may be disposed in front of the feed arm 76.

[Lower guide member 97]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lower guide member 97 is provided on the downstream side 87 in the feeding direction of the support member 189 of the bypass tray 71. The upper surface 69 of the lower guide member 97 is inclined with respect to the support surface 188. The upper surface 69 of the lower guide member 97 is positioned at a height substantially equal to the opening 184 (see FIG. 2) in the vertical direction 7.

  When feeding of the recording sheet in the feeding direction 87 is started by the feeding roller 75, the lower guide member 97 guides the leading end of the recording sheet that has come into contact along the upper surface 69. A separation piece 72 having a plurality of teeth protruding upward from the upper surface 69 and arranged along the front-rear direction 8 is provided at the center of the upper surface 69 of the lower guide member 97 in the left-right direction 9. By these teeth, the leading ends of a plurality of recording papers supported by the bypass tray 71 are curled. Even when the leading ends of the plurality of recording sheets are guided along the upper surface 69 by the feeding roller 75, the separation piece 72 is in contact with the feeding roller 75 among the plurality of recording sheets. The uppermost recording sheet is separated from other recording sheets. As a result, the feeding roller 75 feeds only the uppermost recording sheet toward the bypass path 182.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a pair of recesses 86 extending along the front-rear direction 8 are provided on the upper surface 69 of the lower guide member 97. The concave portions 86 are respectively provided on the right and left sides of the separation piece 72 in the left-right direction 9. In other words, the separation piece 72 is disposed substantially at the center in the left-right direction 9 of the pair of recesses 86. A moving member 164 described later is disposed in the recess 86.

[Drive transmission mechanism 79]
The printer unit 11 is provided with a motor (not shown) that rotates forward and backward. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a drive transmission mechanism 79 formed by engaging a plurality of gears is provided in the printer unit 11. The rotational driving force generated by the forward and reverse rotation of the motor is transmitted to the feeding roller 75 and the moving member 164 via the drive transmission mechanism 79.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the drive transmission mechanism 79 includes a first drive transmission unit 35, a second drive transmission unit 36, a third drive transmission unit 37, and an intermediate gear 146.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first drive transmission portion 35 is disposed on the right side in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the bypass tray 71 (see FIG. 5) and the lower guide member 97. The first drive transmission unit 35 includes four gears 147B, 147C, 147D, and 147E shown in FIG. 5, and one gear not shown in FIG. The three gears 147B, 147C, and 147D constitute a gear train that meshes with each other. Note that one gear (not shown in FIG. 5) arranged at one end of the gear train meshes with the gear 147B, and a single gear not shown in FIG. Driving force is transmitted.

  The gears 147D and 147E are disposed at the other end of the gear train. The gears 147D and 147E are arranged side by side in the thrust direction and rotate integrally around the same rotation axis. The gear 147D meshes with the gear 147C. The gear 147E meshes with the intermediate gear 146. As described above, the first drive transmission unit 35 transmits the rotational driving force from the motor (not shown) to the intermediate gear 146.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the second drive transmission unit 36 includes five gears 148 </ b> A to 148 </ b> E, a roller gear 149, and a rotation shaft 66. The gears 148A and 148B mesh with each other. The rotation shaft 66 extends along the left-right direction 9 from the right side of the bypass tray 71 and the lower guide member 97 to the substantially central portion of the bypass tray 71 and the lower guide member 97 in the left-right direction 9. Yes. The gear 148A meshes with the intermediate gear 146. The gear 148 </ b> B is connected to the right end portion of the rotating shaft 66, can rotate integrally with the rotating shaft 66, and can rotate independently of the rotating shaft 66.

  The gears 148C to 148E constitute a gear train meshed with each other. A gear 148 </ b> C disposed at one end of the gear train is attached to the left end portion of the rotation shaft 66 and rotates integrally with the rotation shaft 66. A gear 148E arranged at the other end of the gear train meshes with the roller gear 149. The gears 148D and 148E are rotatably supported by the feeding arm 76. That is, the second drive transmission unit 36 includes a gear train supported by the feeding arm 76 and meshed with each other. The roller gear 149 is attached to the rotating shaft 83 of the feeding roller 75 between the pair of feeding rollers 75, and can rotate integrally with the rotating shaft 83 around the rotating shaft 83.

  As described above, the second drive transmission unit 36 transmits the rotational driving force from the intermediate gear 146 to the feeding roller 75. The feeding roller 75 to which the forward rotational driving force is transmitted from the motor via the second drive transmission unit 36 feeds the recording paper supported by the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71 in the feeding direction 87. Rotate to.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the roller gear 149 includes a recess 54 that extends along the left-right direction 9 that is the axial direction of the roller gear 149. The recess 54 is defined by the inner surface 55 and the bottom surface 110 of the roller gear 149. A compression coil spring 114 to be described later is disposed in the recess 54. An opening 56 is formed on the surface of the roller gear 149 that faces the bottom surface 110. An opening 57 having a smaller diameter than the opening 56 is formed on the bottom surface 110 of the roller gear 149. The rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75 passes through the roller gear 149 through the openings 56 and 57.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a key 173 protruding in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 66 is provided at the right end portion of the rotation shaft 66. Further, a through-hole through which the rotation shaft 66 can be inserted is provided at the center of the gear 148B. A substantially fan-shaped key groove 174 that can be fitted to the key 173 is provided at a position corresponding to the key 173 in the through hole. In the circumferential direction of the gear 148B, the length of the arc of the key groove 174 is designed to be longer than the circumferential length of the key 173. As a result, if the key groove 174 is not in contact with the key 173 when the gear 148B is rotated, the gear 148B rotates idly with respect to the rotation shaft 66. Therefore, the rotation shaft 66 does not move until the key groove 174 contacts the key 173. Does not rotate. In other words, if the key 173 is not in contact with the key groove 174 when the rotation shaft 66 is rotated, the rotation shaft 66 is idle with respect to the gear 148B, so that the gear 148B is kept until the key 173 contacts the key groove 174. Does not rotate. On the other hand, if the key groove 174 is in contact with the key 173 and the key groove 174 presses the key 173 when the gear 148B rotates, the rotation shaft 66 rotates integrally with the gear 148B. In other words, if the key 173 is in contact with the key groove 174 and the key 173 presses the key groove 174 when the rotation shaft 66 rotates, the gear 148B rotates integrally with the rotation shaft 66. As described above, the second drive transmission portion 36 has a so-called play in the circumferential direction of the gear 148 </ b> B in the key 173 and the key groove 174.

  Contrary to the above, a key groove 174 may be provided on the rotation shaft 66, and a key 173 may be provided on the gear 148B. Further, the key 173 and the key groove 174 may be provided at a place other than the rotation shaft 66 and the gear 148B in the drive transmission mechanism 79. For example, the key 173 may be provided on the shaft 85 of the gear 148D, the key groove 174 may be provided on the gear 148D, the key 173 may be provided on the shaft 141 of the gear 147C, and the key groove 174 may be provided on the gear 147C. It may be. In these cases, the key groove 174 may be provided on each shaft, and the key 173 may be provided on each gear.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the third drive transmission unit 37 includes two gears 177 </ b> A and 177 </ b> B, a protrusion 151, and a rotation shaft 150 of the protrusion 151. The rotation shaft 150 extends along the left-right direction 9 from the right side of the bypass tray 71 and the lower guide member 97 to the substantially central portion in the left-right direction 9 of the bypass tray 71 and the lower guide member 97. Yes.

  The gears 177A and 177B constitute a gear train meshed with each other. A gear 177A arranged at one end of the gear train meshes with the intermediate gear 146. A gear 177B disposed at the other end of the gear train is connected to the right end of the rotating shaft 150 via a torque limiter 127 described later. Thus, the gear 177B can rotate integrally with the rotation shaft 150 and can rotate independently of the rotation shaft 150. As shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion 151 protrudes toward the moving member 164. The moving member 164 moves by being pushed by the protrusion 151. As described above, the third drive transmission unit 37 transmits the rotational driving force from the intermediate gear 146 to the moving member 164.

  The number of gears of the drive transmission mechanism 79 is not limited to the number shown in FIG. Further, at least a part of the drive transmission mechanism 79 may be configured by other than a gear. For example, an endless belt may be stretched between two shafts, and the rotation of one shaft may be transmitted to the other shaft.

[Rotating member 30]
As shown in FIG. 7, the rotating member 30 rotates the feeding arm 76 in the directions of arrows 67 and 68 by rotating in the directions of arrows 105 and 106, and as a result, the feeding roller 75 is moved. This is a member for making contact with and separating from the recording paper supported by the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the rotating member 30 is provided at one end of the feeding arm 76. As shown in FIG. 10, the rotating member 30 includes a rotating body 91, a roller 92, and a clamping member 93.

  The rotating body 91 includes a pair of side plates 94, a connection plate 95 that connects a part of the pair of side plates 94, and a protruding portion 96 that protrudes from the connection plate 95. The material of the rotating body 91 is a resin such as POM (polyacetal or polyoxymethylene).

  As shown in FIG. 9, the right side plate 94 is disposed between the right side plate 111 of the feeding arm 76 and the roller gear 149. The left side plate 94 is disposed between the left side plate 111 of the feeding arm 76 and the roller gear 149. Here, feeding rollers 75 are arranged on the right side of the right side plate 111 and on the left side of the left side plate 111, respectively. That is, the left side plate 94 in the left-right direction is disposed between the roller gear 149 and the left feeding roller 75, and the right side plate 94 in the left-right direction 9 is disposed between the roller gear 149 and the right feeding roller 75. Has been placed. Further, the left side plate 111 in the left-right direction 9 is disposed between the left side plate 94 and the left feeding roller 75, and the right side plate 111 in the left-right direction 9 is composed of the right side plate 94 and the right feeding roller. 75.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, an opening 100 is provided at the center of each of the pair of side plates 94. A rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75 is inserted through each opening 100. With this configuration, the rotating body 91 including the pair of side plates 94, the connection plate 95, and the protruding portion 96 can be rotated about the rotation shaft 83 of the feeding roller 75.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the protruding portion 96 protrudes from the connection plate 95 in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface of the roller gear 149. In other words, the protruding portion 96 protrudes from the connection plate 95 toward the radially outer side of the roller gear 149.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the roller 92 is provided at the protruding portion 96, that is, the rotating tip of the rotating member 30. The roller 92 is rotatably supported by the protrusion 96 with the rotation shaft 92A (see FIG. 10B) as the center of rotation. The rotation shaft 92 </ b> A extends in the same direction (left-right direction 9) as the rotation shaft 83 of the feeding roller 75. In a state where the roller 92 is supported by the protruding portion 96, a part of the peripheral surface of the roller 92 protrudes outward in the radial direction of the roller gear 149 from the protruding portion 96.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the roller 92 is disposed at an intermediate position equidistant from each of the pair of feed rollers 75 in the left-right direction 9. In other words, the distance L1 between the roller 92 and the right feeding roller 75 in the left-right direction 9 is equal to the distance L2 between the roller 92 and the left feeding roller 75 in the left-right direction 9.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the clamping member 93 includes a pair of side plates 101 and a connection plate 102 that connects the pair of side plates 101 to each other. The material of the clamping member 93 is a metal such as SECC (electrogalvanized steel sheet).

  As shown in FIG. 9, the right side plate 101 is disposed between the right side plate 94 of the rotating body 91 and the right side plate 111 of the feeding arm 76. Although not visible because it is in a hidden position in FIG. 9, the left side plate 101 is disposed between the left side plate 94 of the rotating body 91 and the left side plate 111 of the feeding arm 76. That is, the pair of side plates 101 of the clamping member 93 is disposed outside the pair of side plates 94 of the rotating body 91 in the left-right direction 9. That is, the holding member 93 holds the pair of side plates 94 of the rotating body 91.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, an opening 103A is provided at the center of the left side plate 101, and an opening 103B is provided at the center of the right side plate 101. The rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75 is inserted through the openings 103A and 103B, respectively. Here, the opening 103A of the left side plate 101 has a circular shape, but the radius of a part of the opening 103B of the right side plate 101 is larger than the radius other than the part. That is, the opening 103B has a shape in which a part of each of two circular openings having radii of different lengths is combined with the same center. Then, the rib 104 provided on the right side plate 94 of the rotating body 91 is fitted into the opening portion having a large radius in the opening 103B (see FIG. 10A). With this configuration, the pair of side plates 101 can rotate integrally with the rotating body 91 around the rotation shaft 83 of the feeding roller 75. Therefore, the rotating body 91 and the clamping member 93 rotate integrally around the rotation shaft 83 of the feeding roller 75. That is, the rotation member 30 rotates about the rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75.

  A rotating body 91 of the rotating member 30 is connected to a roller gear 149 via a torque limiter 32 described later. Here, as described above, the rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75 passes through the roller gear 149, and the roller gear 149 and the feed roller 75 can rotate integrally around the rotation shaft 83 as a center of rotation. . That is, the rotating member 30 is connected to the feeding roller 75 via the torque limiter 32 and the roller gear 149. The rotating member 30 is given a rotational driving force of the motor from the roller gear 149 of the second drive transmission unit 36 via the torque limiter 32. Thereby, the rotation member 30 rotates in the directions of arrows 105 and 106 (see FIG. 7).

  As shown in FIG. 10B, projections 109 projecting radially outward of the feeding roller 75 are provided on the peripheral surfaces of the pair of side plates 94 of the rotating body 91. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, a pair of side plates 111 of the feeding arm 76 is provided with a first restricting portion 107 and a second restricting portion 108. The first restricting portion 107 and the second restricting portion 108 restrict the rotation of the rotating body 91 by contacting the protrusion 109. In the present embodiment, the first restricting portion 107 and the second restricting portion 108 are ribs that protrude from one of the pair of side plates 111 toward the other. In addition, the 1st control part 107 and the 2nd control part 108 will not be restricted to a rib, if the rotation of the rotary body 91 can be controlled by contact | abutting to the rotary body 91. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, the protrusion 109 is brought into contact with the first restricting portion 107 from the upstream side in the direction of the arrow 106. In a state where the protrusion 109 and the first restricting portion 107 are in contact with each other, the protruding portion 96 and the roller 92 of the rotating member 30 protrude from the feeding roller 75 toward the support surface 188 side of the bypass tray 71. The position of the rotating member 30 in the state shown in FIG. 13A is hereinafter referred to as a first position. That is, the 1st control part 107 controls rotation of the rotation member 30 in a 1st position.

  As described above, the feeding arm 76 is biased toward the support surface 188 side of the bypass tray 71 by the torsion spring. Therefore, when the rotating member 30 is in the first position, the roller 92 is in contact with the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71 or the recording paper supported by the support surface 188. On the other hand, the feed roller 75 is separated from the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71 or the recording paper supported by the support surface 188 by being lifted by the rotating member 30.

  As shown in FIG. 13B, the protrusion 109 is brought into contact with the second restricting portion 108 from the upstream side in the direction of the arrow 105. In a state where the protrusion 109 and the second restricting portion 108 are in contact with each other, the protruding portion 96 and the roller 92 of the rotating member 30 are retracted from the support roller 188 of the bypass tray 71 with respect to the feeding roller 75. The position of the rotating member 30 in the state shown in FIG. 13B is hereinafter referred to as a second position. That is, the second restricting unit 108 restricts the rotation of the rotating member 30 at the second position.

  When the rotating member 30 is in the second position, the roller 92 is separated from the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71. On the other hand, the feed roller 75 is supported by the support surface 188 or the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71 because the feed arm 76 is urged toward the support surface 188 side of the bypass tray 71 by the torsion spring. It is in contact with the paper.

  As described above, the rotation member 30 is rotatable only in a range between the first position and the second position by being restricted by the first restriction portion 107 and the second restriction portion 108.

[Torque limiter 32]
The torque limiter 32 transmits a rotational driving force from the second drive transmission unit 36 to the rotational member 30. Further, the torque limiter 32 has a rotational driving force applied from the second drive transmission unit 36 to the rotating member 30 when the rotation of the rotating member 30 is restricted by the first restricting portion 107 or the second restricting portion 108. The transmission is cut off.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the torque limiter 32 includes a friction member 113 and a compression coil spring 114.

  The friction member 113 is a cylindrical member having a small thickness. The shape of the friction member 113 is arbitrary. The friction member 113 is disposed between the roller gear 149 and the right side plate 94 of the rotating body 91. That is, the torque limiter 32 including the friction member 113 is provided between the second drive transmission unit 36 including the roller gear 149 and the rotating member 30. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, one surface of the friction member 113 is in contact with the bottom surface 110 of the roller gear 149. The back surface of one surface of the friction member 113 is in contact with the right side plate 94. The friction member 113 is made of a material having a higher friction coefficient than the roller gear 149 and the side plate 94, for example, a felt cloth. As described above, the friction member 113 transmits the rotational driving force from the roller gear 149 to the side plate 94, that is, from the second drive transmission unit 36 to the rotating member 30.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, an opening 115 is provided at the center of the friction member 113. A rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75 is inserted through the opening 115.

  The friction member 113 may be disposed between the roller gear 149 and the left side plate 94. Two friction members 113 are provided, one friction member 113 is disposed between the roller gear 149 and the right side plate 94, and the other friction member 113 is disposed between the roller gear 149 and the left side plate 94. It may be arranged.

  The compression coil spring 114 is disposed in the recess 54 of the roller gear 149. One end of the compression coil spring 114 is in contact with the bottom surface 110 of the roller gear 149 (the inner surface in the recess 54). The other end of the compression coil spring 114 is in contact with the left side plate 94 of the rotating body 91. The rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75 is inserted through the central portion of the compression coil spring 114.

  The arrangement of the roller gear 149 may be reversed left and right. In this case, the bottom surface 110 is located on the left side of the roller gear 149. Therefore, one end of the compression coil spring 114 abuts on the right side plate 94 of the rotating body 91 and the other end of the compression coil spring 114 abuts on the bottom surface 110 (the inner surface in the recess 54). As described above, the compression coil spring 114 is disposed between the one side plate 94 and the roller gear 149.

  The compression coil spring 114 disposed in the concave portion 54 of the roller gear 149 applies a force to the right and left in the left-right direction 9 in an attempt to return to the natural length. The bottom surface 110 of the roller gear 149 is pressed against the friction member 113 by the force applied to the right. That is, the compression coil spring 114 biases the roller gear 149 toward the friction member 113 side.

  In the state shown in FIG. 12 (A) and FIG. 13 (A), feeding is performed by applying a normal rotational driving force from the motor via the first drive transmission unit 35 and the second drive transmission unit 36. When the roller 75 rotates in the direction of the arrow 125 (see FIG. 7), the rotational driving force is transmitted to the rotating member 30 via the torque limiter 32. Thereby, the rotating member 30 is moved from the first position (the position of the rotating member 30 in the state shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A) to the second position (FIG. 12B and FIG. It turns in the direction of the arrow 105 toward the position of the turning member 30 in the state shown in FIG. That is, the rotating member 30 rotates integrally with the rotating feeding roller 75.

  When the protrusion 109 of the rotating member 30 comes into contact with the second restricting portion 108, that is, when the rotating member 30 reaches the second position (see FIGS. 12B and 13B), the rotating member 30. Is stopped. Thereby, only the feed roller 75 among the feed roller 75 and the rotating member 30 continues to rotate in the direction of the arrow 125 against the frictional force by the friction member 113. That is, transmission of the rotational driving force to the rotational member 30 is cut by the torque limiter 32.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 12 (B) and 13 (B), a reverse rotational driving force is applied from the motor via the first drive transmission unit 35 and the second drive transmission unit 36, thereby supplying the reverse rotation. When the feed roller 75 rotates in the direction of the arrow 126 (see FIG. 7), the rotational driving force is transmitted to the rotating member 30 via the friction member 113 of the torque limiter 32. Thereby, the rotation member 30 rotates in the direction of the arrow 106 from the second position toward the first position. That is, the rotating member 30 rotates integrally with the rotating feeding roller 75.

  When the protrusion 109 of the rotating member 30 comes into contact with the first restricting portion 107, that is, when the rotating member 30 reaches the first position (see FIGS. 12A and 13A), the rotating member 30. Is stopped. As a result, only the feed roller 75 of the feed roller 75 and the rotation member 30 continues to rotate in the direction of the arrow 126 against the frictional force of the friction member 113. That is, transmission of the rotational driving force to the rotational member 30 is cut by the torque limiter 32.

[Rib 133]
As shown in FIG. 13, the rotating member 30 includes a rib 133 protruding from the pair of side plates 94. As shown in FIG. 13A, when the rotating member 30 is in the first position, the most upstream portion of the rib 133 in the feeding direction 87 is defined as a portion 134. When the rotating member 30 is in the first position, the rib 133 extends from the portion 134 toward a position 135 where the feeding roller 75 and the support surface 188 of the bypass tray 71 abut. Further, when the rotating member 30 is in the first position, the portion 134 is located farthest from the support surface 188 as compared to other portions of the rib 133 (portions extending from the portion 134 toward the feeding direction 87). is there. Thus, in the state shown in FIG. 13A, the leading end of the recording paper inserted from the upstream side in the feeding direction 87 (the right side of the paper surface in FIG. 13A) toward the position 135 is the feeding roller. 75 abuts against the rib 133 without abutting. Then, the leading end of the recording sheet is guided along the rib 133 and guided toward the position 135.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13B, when the rotating member 30 is in the second position, the rib 133 protrudes further downstream in the feeding direction 87 than the feeding roller 75. Note that the rotating member 30 may not include the rib 133.

[Presser arm 73]
As shown in FIG. 6, similarly to the feeding arm 76, the pressing arm 73 extends from the one end 49 toward the downstream side in the feeding direction 87 and toward the support surface 188 of the support member 189. That is, the one end 49 of the pressing arm 73 is further upstream from the other end 50 in the feeding direction 87 and away from the support surface 188. The holding arm 73 rotates about the rotation shaft 66. As a result, the front end side of the pressing arm 73 can be brought into contact with and separated from the support surface 188 or the recording paper supported by the support surface 188. One pressing arm 73 is provided on each of the right and left sides of the feeding roller 75.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the other end 50 of the pressing arm 73 can enter the recess 46. The state of the pressing arm 73 at this time is the approaching state. On the other hand, the other end 50 of the pressing arm 73 can be retracted from the recessed portion 46 by rotating the pressing arm 73 in the direction of the arrow 68 from the approach state. When the user inserts the recording sheet into the bypass tray 71 along the feeding direction 87, the other end 50 of the pressing arm 73 is retracted from the recess 46 and contacts the recording sheet. The state of the pressing arm 73 at this time is a contact state. The pressing arm 73 is urged toward the approaching state by the torsion spring 52.

[Support members 189 and 192 and separation pad 170]
As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, on the support surface 188 of the support member 189, there are two separation pads 170 at a position between the two feed rollers 75 and not in contact with each feed roller 75. Is provided. The two separation pads 170 are independent in the direction along the rotation shaft 83 of the feeding roller 75 (the horizontal direction 9 in FIGS. 14 and 15). In other words, the two separation pads 170 are divided in the direction along the rotation shaft 83 of the feed roller 75. The two separation pads 170 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center position in the left-right direction 9 of the two feeding rollers 75, that is, the position where the roller 92 of the rotating member 30 is in contact with the support surface 188 in FIG. ing. Each separation pad 170 is formed of a material having a friction coefficient larger than that of the support surface 188 with respect to the recording paper. The separation pad 170 has a rectangular flat plate shape with a substantially uniform thickness.

  On the support surface 188 of the support member 189, recesses 171 are formed between the two feed rollers 75 and at two locations that are symmetrical with respect to the center position of the two feed rollers 75 in the left-right direction 9. . Each separation pad 170 is inserted into each recess 171, and the separation pad 170 is bonded to the bottom surface 173 of the recess 171. The depth at which the recess 171 is recessed from the support surface 188 is slightly shorter than the thickness of the separation pad 170. Therefore, the upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170 inserted into the recess 171 is positioned slightly above the support surface 188 when the movable support portion 186 is in a lying state. In other words, the separation pad 170 slightly protrudes from the support surface 188.

  The roller 92 of the rotating member 30 can come into contact with the support surface 188 between the two separation pads 170. As shown in FIG. 14, when the rotation member 30 is in the first position, the roller 92 contacts the support surface 188. As a result, the feed roller 75 and the support surface 188 are separated from each other, and the feed roller 75 is separated from the support surface 188 from the upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170. As shown in FIG. 15, when the rotating member 30 is in the second position, the roller 92 is separated from the support surface 188, and the two feed rollers 75 are supported outward in the left-right direction 9 from the separation pad 170. The recording sheet is supported by the surface 188 or the support surface 188. In other words, the two separation pads 170 are arranged between the two feeding rollers 75 in contact with the support surface 188 of the support member 189 or the recording paper supported by the support surface 188. In the recording sheet fed from the bypass tray 71, the surface on which the feeding roller 75 abuts (opposes), that is, the upper surface is the surface on which an image is recorded by the recording unit 24.

  The recording paper loaded in the bypass tray 71 is held in a state of being in contact with the support surface 188 by the pressing arm 73 and the feeding roller 75. Hereinafter, the contact state between the separation pad 170 and the recording paper 200 will be described by taking as an example a state in which one recording paper 200 or the recording paper 201 is supported on the support surface 188. Note that the recording paper 200 is glossy paper or thick paper having high rigidity (so-called stiffness), and the recording paper 201 is plain paper having low rigidity.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the recording paper 200 supported by the support surface 188 is held in a state of being in contact with the support surface 188 by the pressing arm 73 and the feeding roller 75. 17 and 18, the pressing arm 73 is omitted. Between the two feeding rollers 75, the recording paper 200 contacts the separation pad 170 protruding from the support surface 188. Since the upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170 is above the support surface 188, the recording paper 200 is sandwiched between the feed roller 75 and the support surface 188 immediately below the feed roller 75, and the two feeds The space between the rollers 75 is curved upward by the separation pad 170.

  Since the recording paper 200 has high rigidity, the recording paper 200 is curved above the separation pad 170 in a state of being separated from the upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170. Therefore, the recording paper 200 abuts on the edge of the upper surface 172 of each separation pad 170 on the feeding roller 75 side.

  As shown in FIG. 18, in a state where the recording paper 201 is supported on the bypass tray 71, the recording paper 201 supported on the support surface 188 contacts the support surface 188 by the pressing arm 73 and the feeding roller 75. Is held in the state. Between the two feeding rollers 75, the recording paper 201 of the separation pad 170 protruding from the support surface 188 contacts. Since the recording sheet 201 has low rigidity, the recording sheet 201 is sandwiched between the feeding roller 75 and the support surface 188 immediately below the feeding roller 75, and the upper surface of the separation pad 170 between the two feeding rollers 75. 172 in contact.

  Since the separation pad 170 is not in contact with the feeding roller 75, the recording paper 200, 201 supported by the support surface 188 is sandwiched between the separation pad 170 and the feeding roller 75 and separated. It is not pressed by. Therefore, excessive friction is unlikely to occur between the separation pad 170 and the recording sheets 200 and 201.

  The recording paper 200 and 201 pressed against the support surface 188 by the feeding roller 75 abuts against the separation pad 170 disposed between the two feeding rollers 75 while being bent. Although there is a difference in rigidity (so-called waist) of the recording paper 200 and 201 by adjusting the separation distance between the feeding roller 75 and the separation pad 170, the upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170 on the feeding roller 75 side is different. Since the pressure with which the recording paper 200 contacts in the vicinity of the edge can be adjusted to some extent, it is easy to adjust the frictional force of the separation pad 170 acting on the recording paper 200 and 201 to a desired range.

  On the other hand, the recording paper 200 having high rigidity does not contact the entire upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170, but the recording paper 201 having low rigidity can contact the entire upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170. Since the separation pad 170 is divided into two in the left-right direction 9 along the rotation shaft 150 of the feeding roller 75, the area in which the recording paper 201 and the separation pad 170 contact in the left-right direction 9 can be adjusted. Easy. That is, if the distance between the two separation pads 170 is widened to shorten the dimension in the left-right direction 9 of each separation pad 170, the area where the recording paper 201 and the separation pad 170 are in contact between the two feeding rollers 75 is increased. On the other hand, if the distance between the two separation pads 170 is narrowed and the dimension of each separation pad 170 in the left-right direction 9 is lengthened, the recording paper 201 and the separation pad 170 are disposed between the two feeding rollers 75. The area in contact with can be increased. Therefore, the contact area between the separation pad 170 and the recording paper 201 is adjusted between the two feeding rollers 75 while setting the distance between the feeding roller 75 and the separation pad 170 to a distance suitable for desired friction. be able to.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
As described above, according to the feeding device 70, it is easy to adjust the frictional force generated by the separation pad 170 on various recording papers 200 and 201 having different surface friction coefficients and rigidity, such as plain paper and glossy paper. It is possible to reduce the possibility of occurrence of double feeding or feeding failure of recording paper.

  Further, since the roller 92 of the rotation member 30 at the first position contacts the support surface 188 between the two separation pads 170 and does not contact the separation pad 170, the rotation of the rotation member 30 is smooth. Become. Further, the separation pad 170 is not worn by contact with the rotating member 30 or sliding of the roller 92 of the rotating member 30.

  In the state where the roller 92 of the rotating member 30 at the first position is in contact with the support surface 188, the feed roller 75 is separated from the support surface 188 from the upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170. And a recording sheet can be easily inserted between the upper surface 172 of the separation pad 170.

  Further, since the two feeding rollers 75 and the two separation pads 170 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the left-right direction 9 with respect to the upper surface of the recording paper supported by the support surface 188, The frictional force by the separation pad 170 is uniform with respect to the center of the direction, and the skew of the recording paper is hardly generated during feeding.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the separation pad 170 is provided only between the two feed rollers 75 on the support surface 188 of the support member 189, but outside the two feed rollers 75 in the left-right direction 9. Further, a separation pad 175 may be further provided on the support surface 188. In other words, two feeding rollers 75 may be disposed between the two separation pads 175, and further, two separation pads 170 may be disposed between the two feeding rollers 75. As shown in FIG. 19, a recess 177 is provided on the support surface 188 on the outer side of the two feeding rollers 75 in the left-right direction 9 and at a position where the feeding roller 75 is not in contact, and is separated into the respective recesses 177. A pad 175 is fitted. Like the separation pad 170, the separation pad 175 is formed of a material having a friction coefficient larger than that of the support surface 188 with respect to the recording paper, and has a rectangular flat plate shape with a substantially uniform thickness. Further, the upper surface of the separation pad 175 is located slightly above the support surface 188.

  The recording paper 201 pressed against the support surface 188 by the feed roller 75 abuts against the separation pad 175 arranged outside the two feed rollers 75 while being bent. Accordingly, the contact area between the separation pads 170 and 175 and the recording paper 201 can be increased without changing the distance between the two separation pads 170 or the distance between the feeding roller 75 and the separation pad 170. .

  In the embodiment described above, the number of separation pads 170 is two, but the number of separation pads 170 may be three or more. Further, if the separation pad 170 is divided in the direction (left-right direction 9) along the rotation shaft 83 of the feeding roller 75, the separation pad 170 is upstream or downstream of the feeding direction 87 from the rotation shaft 83. May be continuous. Therefore, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 20, one U-shaped separation pad 170 may be divided between the two feeding rollers 75 and arranged in the left-right direction 9. Even with such a U-shaped separation pad 170, it is easy to adjust the separation performance of the various recording papers 200 and 201, and further, the rotation operation of the rotation member 30 having the rollers 92 is smooth. It can be carried out.

  In the above-described embodiment, the feeding device 70 is a device that feeds the recording paper supported by the bypass tray 71, but the feeding device 70 is a recording paper supported by the feeding tray 20. It may be a device for feeding.

  In the above-described embodiment, the feeding device 70 is provided in the printer unit 11. However, the device including the feeding device 70 is not limited to the printer unit 11. For example, the feeding device 70 may be provided in the scanner unit 12. In this case, the feeding device 70 feeds a sheet whose image is read by the scanner unit 12 into the scanner unit 12.

11 Printer section (image recording device)
24 recording unit 30 rotating member 66 rotating shaft 70 feeding device 75 feeding roller 76 feeding arm 189 supporting member (supporting unit)
188 Support surface 170, 175 Separation pad 172 Upper surface

Claims (7)

A support portion having a support surface for supporting the sheet;
A feeding roller for feeding the sheet supported by the support surface in the feeding direction;
An arm that rotatably supports the rotation shaft of the feed roller and supports the feed roller so as to be able to contact and separate from the support portion;
A separation pad protruding from the support surface;
A rotating member ,
At least two of the feeding rollers are spaced apart in a direction along the rotation axis;
The separation pad is divided between the two feeding rollers in a direction along the rotation axis, and is disposed at a position not in contact with the feeding roller .
The rotating member is disposed between the two feeding rollers, and at least a part of the rotating member protrudes toward the support surface with respect to the feeding roller, and the feed surface with respect to the support surface. Rotate between the second position retracted from the feed roller,
The feeding device in which the rotation member at the first position contacts the support portion between the divided separation pads . 2. The feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding roller is separated from the support surface from an upper surface of the separation pad in a state where the rotating member at the first position is in contact with the support portion. 3. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein a separation pad protruding from the support surface is further disposed on the support surface that is located outside the two feed rollers in a direction along the rotation axis. The feed roller and the separation pad may be any of claims 1-3, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the direction of the center perpendicular to the feeding direction to the top surface of the sheet supported by said support surface The feeding device described in 1. The feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the separation pad is divided into two. A feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ;
An image recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit that records an image on a sheet fed by the feeding roller. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the recording unit records an image on a surface facing the feeding roller in a state where the sheet is supported by the support unit.

Images