JP6361760B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a sheet, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus capable of recording an image on both sides of a sheet.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image recording apparatus that can record images on both sides of a sheet is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a double-sided image forming apparatus as an example of this type of image recording apparatus. In the double-sided image forming apparatus, the sheet fed from the sheet supply unit is conveyed by a conveying roller to an image forming unit composed of a photosensitive drum or the like. An image is recorded on the surface of the sheet in the image forming means. The sheet with the image recorded on the surface is switched back by the discharge roller on the downstream side of the image forming means. The switched-back sheet passes through a sheet refeed conveyance path provided below the image forming unit and reaches the conveyance roller again. In the same manner as when the image is formed on the front surface of the sheet, the image is recorded on the back surface by the image forming means. Thereafter, the sheet on which images are recorded on both sides is discharged to a discharge tray by a discharge roller.

  The sheet refeed conveyance path is provided above a tray for storing sheets, and is provided at an end of the arm provided between the arm so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction around a predetermined rotation axis. And a sheet supply roller that feeds out the sheets stored in the tray by rotating.

JP 2002-362766 A

  In such a configuration, when the tray is inserted into and removed from the double-sided image recording apparatus, if the arm and the sheet supply roller hit the side plate of the tray, the tray cannot be properly inserted or removed. In order to solve such a problem, the double-sided image recording apparatus may be configured such that the arm and the sheet supply roller are retracted above the tray when the tray is inserted and removed.

  However, when the double-sided image recording apparatus is configured as described above, a space for retracting the arm and the sheet supply roller is required inside the double-sided image recording apparatus. As a result, the double-sided image recording apparatus becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can reduce the size of an image recording apparatus while ensuring a retreat area of a paper feed unit having an arm and a supply roller.

(1) An image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a recording unit that records an image on a sheet, a tray that is provided below the recording unit, on which a sheet can be placed, and that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus. A first guide member that forms a curved first conveyance path for guiding a sheet fed from the tray to the recording unit, a rotatable arm provided between the recording unit and the tray, and A sheet that is rotatably provided at the front end side of the arm and that supplies a sheet placed on the tray to the first conveyance path, and the roller is placed on a sheet placement surface of the tray. Is provided between the recording unit and the sheet feeding unit in the supply posture, and is provided on one surface. Guides the sheet on which is recorded to the first conveying path. A second guide member that forms at least a part of the second transport path for the sheet feeding section to take the retracted position, and the second guide member of the second transport path The second guide member is formed with an opening into which at least a part of the sheet feeding unit rotated to the retracted position is inserted. .

  For example, when the tray is inserted into and removed from the image recording apparatus, if the paper feed unit hits the side plate of the tray, the tray cannot be properly inserted or removed. In order to solve such a problem, the image recording apparatus may be configured so that the sheet feeding unit is retracted above the tray when the tray is inserted and removed. In the above-described configuration, the paper feeding unit can take a retracted position above the tray. However, when the image recording apparatus is configured as described above, an area for retracting the paper feeding unit is required inside the image recording apparatus. As a result, the image recording apparatus becomes large.

  However, in the above-described configuration, when the paper feed unit is rotated from the supply posture to the retracted posture in the process of inserting and removing the tray from the apparatus, at least a part of the paper feed unit enters the opening. . Accordingly, it is possible to share a region for retracting the paper feeding unit and a region where the second guide member forms at least a part of the second transport path. Therefore, the image recording apparatus can be reduced in size while securing the retreat area of the paper feed unit.

(2) The image recording apparatus of the present invention is provided in the paper feeding unit, and the surface of the roller is in contact with the second guide unit when the paper feeding unit is in the fifth posture, so that the surface of the roller 2 A stopper is further provided to prevent contact with the guide member.
When the surface of the roller comes into contact with the second guide member, the surface of the roller may be damaged. However, in the above-described configuration, the contact between the roller surface and the second guide member can be prevented by the stopper.

(3) In the image recording apparatus of the present invention, in the process in which the tray is inserted into and removed from the apparatus, the paper feeding unit can be rotated to the retracted position by being pushed by the tray.

  In the present invention, an opening is opened in the second guide member. Therefore, it is possible to share a region for retracting the paper feeding unit and a region where the second guide member forms at least a part of the second transport path. As a result, the image recording apparatus can be reduced in size while securing a retreat area for the sheet feeding unit.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feed unit 15 is in the first posture and the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feeding unit 15 is in the second posture and the rotation guide member 70 is in the fourth posture. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feeding unit 15 contacts the rotation guide member 70. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feeding unit 15 is in the fifth posture and the rotation guide member 70 is in the sixth posture. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to a state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state shown in FIG. 1), and the side where the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front side). 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is generally formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped, and a printer unit 11 of an ink jet recording system is provided at the lower part. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The print function has a double-sided image recording function for recording images on both sides of the recording paper. The presence or absence of functions other than the print function is arbitrary. The printer unit 11 includes a casing (housing) 14 having an opening 13 formed in the front, and a tray 20 (an example of the tray of the present invention) on which recording papers of various sizes (an example of the sheet of the present invention) can be placed. ) Can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction 8 from the opening 13. An operation panel 17 is provided at the upper front of the multifunction machine 10. The operation panel 17 is a device for operating the printer unit 11. The multifunction machine 10 operates based on an operation input from the operation panel 17.

[Configuration of Printer Unit 11]
Next, the configuration of the printer unit 11 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the illustration of the front side (the right side of the sheet) of the paper feed cassette 78 is omitted. The printer unit 11 picks up recording paper from the tray 20 and feeds (feeds) the recording paper, and supplies ink to the recording paper fed by the paper feeding unit 15. An ink jet recording type recording unit 24 (an example of the recording unit of the present invention) that discharges droplets and records an image on recording paper, a path switching unit 41, and the like are provided. The recording unit 24 is not limited to the ink jet system, and various recording systems such as an electrophotographic system can be applied.

[Conveyance path 65]
Inside the printer unit 11, a conveyance path 65 is formed from the front end (back end) of the tray 20 through the recording unit 24 to the paper discharge holding unit 79. The conveyance path 65 is formed between a curved path 65A (an example of a first conveyance path of the present invention) formed between the leading end of the tray 20 and the recording unit 24, and between the recording unit 24 and the paper discharge holding unit 79. And the discharged paper discharge path 65B. The curved path 65 </ b> A is a curved path extending from the vicinity of the upper end of the separation inclined plate 22 (an example of the inclined plate of the present invention) provided in the tray 20 to the recording unit 24.

  The separation inclined plate 22 extends rearward and obliquely upward in the left-right direction 9 (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2) at the rear end portion of the tray 20. The angle formed by the separation inclined plate 22 and the sheet placement surface of the tray 20 is an angle at which the recording paper placed on the sheet placement surface is smoothly guided to the curved path. For example, the angle formed by the separation inclined plate 22 and the sheet placement surface is one half of the angle formed by a straight line parallel to the sheet placement surface and the extended war from the start end 64 of the curved path 65A. Set to As described above, the separation inclined plate 22 is provided integrally with the tray 20 along the recording sheet conveyance direction from the sheet placement surface to the curved path 65A, and relaxes the angle formed by the sheet placement surface and the curved path 65A. Configure the angle slope.

  The curved path 65 </ b> A is generally formed in an arc shape centering on the inside of the printer unit 11. The recording paper fed from the tray 20 is guided to the recording unit 24 via the curved path 65A. The curved path 65A is partitioned by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that face each other with a predetermined interval. That is, the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 are examples of the first guide member of the present invention. The outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19, and the upper guide member 82, the lower guide member 83, the upper inclined guide member 32, the lower inclined guide member 33, and the support member 43, which will be described later, are all shown in FIG. Is extended in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing (the horizontal direction 9 in FIG. 1).

  In the present embodiment, the outer guide member 18 rotates in the direction of the arrow 85 about the base shaft 84 as shown in FIG. The rotation is performed manually by the user of the multifunction machine 10, for example.

  The paper discharge path 65 </ b> B is a straight path that extends from the downstream side of the recording unit 24 in the first conveyance direction to the paper discharge holding unit 79. Here, the first transport direction refers to the direction in which the recording paper is transported through the transport path 65 (the direction indicated by the one-dot chain line with an arrow in FIG. 2).

  A branch port 36 is formed downstream of the recording unit 24 in the first transport direction. At the time of double-sided image recording, the recording paper conveyed through the paper discharge path 65B is switched back downstream of the branch port 36 and directed to a reverse conveyance path 67 (an example of the second conveyance path of the present invention) described later. Are transported.

[Recording unit 24]
The recording unit 24 is disposed above the tray 20. The recording unit 24 reciprocates in the vertical direction (main scanning direction) in FIG. A platen 42 for holding the recording paper horizontally is provided below the recording unit 24. The recording unit 24 discharges ink supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) to a recording sheet conveyed on the platen 42 from the nozzle 39 in the reciprocating movement process in the main scanning direction. Thereby, an image is recorded on the recording paper.

  A first transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 are provided between the end of the curved path 65 </ b> A and the recording unit 24. The pinch roller 61 is pressed against the roller surface of the first transport roller 60 by an elastic member such as a spring (not shown). The first conveying roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 pinch the recording sheet conveyed through the curved path 65 </ b> A and send it onto the platen 42. A second transport roller 62 and a spur roller 63 are provided between the recording unit 24 and the start end of the paper discharge path 65B. Similar to the pinch roller 61, the spur roller 63 is in pressure contact with the roller surface of the second transport roller 62. The second conveyance roller 62 and the spur roller 63 pinch the recording sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit 24 and convey it to the downstream side (the discharge holding unit 79 side) in the first conveyance direction.

  The first transport roller 60 and the second transport roller 62 are rotated by a rotational driving force transmitted from a transport motor (not shown) via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown). The drive transmission mechanism is composed of a planetary gear or the like, and the first transport roller 60 and the second transport roller 60 are transported in order to transport the recording paper in the first transport direction regardless of whether the transport motor is rotated forward or reverse. The conveyance roller 62 is rotated in one rotation direction.

[Paper Feeder 15]
The paper feeding unit 15 is provided below the recording unit 24 and above the tray 20, that is, between the recording unit 24 and the tray 20. The paper feeding unit 15 conveys the recording paper stored in the tray 20 toward the curved path 65A. The paper feed unit 15 includes a paper feed roller 25 (an example of a roller according to the present invention), a paper feed arm 26 (an example of an arm according to the present invention), and a drive transmission mechanism 27.

The paper feed roller 25 picks up the recording paper placed on the tray 20 and feeds it to the curved path 65 </ b> A, and is rotatably supported at the tip of the paper feed arm 26. The sheet feeding roller 25 is rotationally driven when a rotational force is transmitted via a drive transmission mechanism 27 from an ASF (Auto Sheet Feed) motor (not shown) of a driving source different from the conveying motor. The drive transmission mechanism 27 is pivotally supported by the paper feed arm 26 and is composed of a plurality of gears arranged in a substantially straight line. The ASF motor is rotated in one of forward rotation and reverse rotation, and the paper feed roller 25 rotates in a direction to feed the recording paper to the curved path 65A by the rotation of the ASF motor.

  The paper feed arm 26 has a base end supported by a base shaft 28 and is rotatable about the base shaft 28 as a central axis. Therefore, the paper feed arm 26 can move up and down so as to be able to contact and separate from the tray 20. Further, the paper feeding arm 26 is urged to rotate in the direction of an arrow 29 in FIG. 2 by its own weight or by an elastic force by an elastic member such as a spring. For this reason, the paper feed roller 25 can be pressed against the upper surface of the recording paper stored in the tray 20. That is, in the paper feeding unit 15, the paper feeding roller 25 abuts against the surface of the tray 20 on which the recording paper is placed (corresponding to the sheet placement surface of the present invention; hereinafter referred to as the sheet placement surface). Take one posture (corresponding to the first posture of the present invention).

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sheet feeding unit 15 is configured so that the top surface of the tray 20 is inserted when the tray 20 is inserted into the printer unit 11 or when the tray 20 is pulled out from the printer unit 11. By being pushed by (for example, the separation inclined plate 22), it is pushed upward. That is, the sheet feeding unit 15 is separated from the sheet placement surface and retracted from the insertion / extraction region of the tray 20 by being pushed upward by the separation inclined plate 22 in the process of inserting / extracting the tray 20 into / from the multifunction machine 10. To the fifth posture (corresponding to the fifth posture of the present invention).

  The pressing of the sheet feeding unit 15 is not limited to the separation inclined plate 22. For example, the side wall 21 (see FIG. 2) of the tray 20 may be used, or both the side wall 21 and the separation inclined plate 22 of the tray 20 may be used.

  As described above, the paper feed arm 26 is urged to rotate in the direction of the arrow 29 in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the sheet feeding unit 15 is pressed against the frame 77 of the multifunction machine 10 disposed below the tray 20 when the tray 20 is pulled out from the printer unit 11. In other words, the paper feed unit 15 can be rotated to a second posture (corresponding to the second posture of the present invention) in which the paper feed roller 25 is lower than the first posture in a state where the tray 20 is removed from the multifunction machine 10. It is. As described above, the paper feed arm 26 rotates between the first posture, the fifth posture, and the second posture.

[Route switching unit 41]
As shown in FIG. 2, the path switching unit 41 is disposed near the branch port 36 in the conveyance path 65. The path switching unit 41 includes a third conveyance roller 45, a spur roller 46, and a flap 49.

  The third transport roller 45 is provided on the downstream side of the lower guide member 83. The third transport roller 45 is rotatably supported by the frame of the printer unit 11 and the like. The spur roller 46 is pressed against the roller surface of the third conveying roller 45 by its own weight or a spring.

  The third transport roller 45 is rotated in either the forward or reverse direction by receiving a driving force in the forward / reverse rotation direction from the transport motor. For example, when single-sided recording is performed, the third transport roller 45 is rotated in the forward rotation direction. As a result, the recording sheet is sandwiched between the third conveyance roller 45 and the spur roller 46 and conveyed downstream, and is discharged to the discharge holding unit 79. On the other hand, when double-sided recording is performed, the rotation direction of the third conveyance roller 45 is switched from normal rotation to reverse rotation with the third conveyance roller 45 and the spur roller 46 sandwiching the trailing edge of the recording paper.

  A support shaft 87 extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. The flap 49 extends substantially downstream from the support shaft 87. The flap 49 is pivotally supported on the support shaft 87 so as to be rotatable. An auxiliary roller 47 and an auxiliary roller 48 formed in a spur shape are pivotally supported on the flap 49.

  The flap 49 is configured such that its posture can be changed, and a discharge posture (posture indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2) positioned above the lower guide member 83 and an extended end portion 49 </ b> A below the branch port 36. It rotates between a reverse posture (posture indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2) entering the position. The recording paper that has passed through the recording unit 24 is further transported downstream in the first transport direction when the flap 49 is in the ejection posture, and is switched back and transported to the reverse transport path 67 when the flap 49 is in the reverse posture.

[Reverse conveying path 67]
The reverse conveyance path 67 guides the recording sheet from the recording section 24 in the conveyance path 65 to the upstream side in the first conveyance direction from the first conveyance roller 60 in the conveyance path 65 from the downstream side in the first conveyance direction. The reverse conveyance path 67 is branched from the paper discharge path 65B at the branch port 36, passes between the recording unit 24 and the paper feed arm 27, and is curved at the confluence portion 37 on the upstream side of the recording unit 24 in the first conveyance direction. Merge with road 65A. The recording sheet is conveyed in the second conveyance direction along the reverse conveyance path 67. Here, the 2nd conveyance direction points out the direction shown with the dashed-two dotted line with the arrow in FIG. As described above, the reverse conveyance path 67 is a path for guiding the recording sheet on which the image is recorded on at least one surface by the recording unit 24 to the curved path 65A.

  The reverse conveyance path 67 is divided into a first path 67A and a second path 67B. The first path 67A is defined by an upper inclined guide member 32 and a lower inclined guide member 33 having an inclined surface inclined obliquely downward and rearward from the branch port 36.

  The second path 67B includes a rotation guide member 70 (an example of a second guide member of the present invention) supported so as to be rotatable in the directions indicated by arrows 30 and 34 in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the frame of the printer unit 11. And a support member 43 that supports the recording unit 24.

  In the reverse conveyance path 67, a fourth conveyance roller 68 and a spur roller 69 are provided. The spur roller 69 is pressed against the roller surface of the fourth conveying roller 68 by its own weight or a spring. The fourth conveyance roller 68 conveys the recording paper in the second conveyance direction by rotating. The fourth transport roller 68 is driven to rotate by the rotational force transmitted from the transport motor. The direction of rotation of the fourth transport roller 68 is a direction in which the recording paper is transported in the second transport direction.

[Rotation guide member 70]
The rotation guide member 70 is provided between the recording unit 24 and the paper feeding unit 15. The rotation guide member 70 is a substantially thin flat plate rectangular member whose vertical dimension 7 is shorter than the longitudinal dimension 8 and the lateral dimension 9. The rotation guide member 70 has a distal end portion (an end portion on the rear side) curved obliquely upward. As a result, the reverse conveyance path 67 and the curved path 65A form a substantially arc-shaped path, and the recording sheet conveyed along the reverse conveyance path 67 is smoothly guided to the curved path 65A.

  The rotation guide member 70 has a base end portion (front end portion) supported by a base shaft 73 of the paper feed unit 15 and can rotate about the base shaft 73. By being supported by the base shaft 73, the rotation guide member 70 can move up and down so as to be close to and away from the recording unit 24.

  The rotation guide member 70 is rotated to form a third posture (corresponding to the third posture of the present invention) that forms at least a part of the reverse conveyance path 67 and closer to the recording unit 24 than the third posture. It is possible to take a sixth posture (corresponding to the sixth posture of the present invention) and a fourth posture (corresponding to the fourth posture of the present invention) farther from the recording unit 24 side than the third posture.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the third posture is a posture in which the upper surface of the rotation guide member 70 maintains a predetermined interval through which the support member 43 and the recording paper can pass. When the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture, the rotation guide member 70 is supported on the side wall 21 of the tray 20. Side walls 21 of the tray 20 are erected along the front-rear direction 8 from both ends in the left-right direction 9 of the bottom plate on which the recording paper is placed. 2 and 3, the upper end portion of the side wall 21 of the tray 20 is indicated by a broken line. In the present embodiment, the support member 80 protrudes from the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70, and the rotation guide member 70 is supported by the side wall 21 by contacting the support member 80 and the side wall 21. Yes. 4 to 6, illustration of the side wall 21 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the sixth posture is a posture in which the upper surface of the rotation guide member 70 approaches the vicinity of the support member 43 when the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the paper feeding unit 15. is there. As shown in FIG. 4, the fourth posture is such that when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction machine 10, the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 is not supported by the side wall 21 of the tray 20, so that the rotation guide member 70. However, the posture approaches the vicinity of the upper portion of the frame 77 of the multifunction machine 10 following the rotation of the paper feeding unit 15 to the second posture.

[Hole 71]
An opening is provided on the surface of the rotation guide member 70 on which the recording paper is conveyed (corresponding to the sheet conveyance surface of the present invention, hereinafter referred to as the sheet conveyance surface) at a position facing the paper feed roller 25. . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when the rotation guide member 70 is in the fourth posture, if the rotation guide member 70 is not provided with an opening, at least a part ( For example, a first hole 71 (an example of the first opening of the present invention) is provided at a position where the roller surface above the paper feed arm 26 of the paper feed roller 25 contacts the rotation guide member 70. Yes.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture, if the rotation guide member 70 is not provided with an opening, the sheet feed roller 25 and / or the sheet feed arm 26 are provided. At a position where at least a part (for example, a roller surface above the paper feed arm 26 of the paper feed roller 25 or an upper surface of the paper feed arm 26) contacts the rotation guide member 70 (the present invention). An example of the second opening is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the first hole 71 and the second hole are shared and are the same hole. However, depending on the relative positional relationship between the rotation guide member 70 and the paper feed roller 25, the paper feed roller 25 is rotated between the case where the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture and the case where the rotation posture takes the third posture. There is a case where the position in contact with 70 is different. In that case, the first hole and the second hole are provided separately. Hereinafter, a hole in which the first hole 71 and the second hole are shared is simply referred to as a hole 71.

  By providing the hole 71 in the rotation guide member 70, when the rotation guide member 70 is in the fourth posture, at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 in the second posture passes through the sheet of the rotation guide member 70. Projects upward from the transport surface. Further, when the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture, at least a part of the sheet feeding unit 15 rotated in the fifth posture passes through and protrudes upward from the sheet conveyance surface of the rotation guide member 70.

[Protrusions 72]
As shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion 72 is provided in the vicinity of the upper surface of the paper feed arm 26 with the paper feed roller 25. As shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 72 (an example of the stopper of the present invention) is in contact with the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 when the paper feeding unit 15 is in the fifth posture. The position where the protrusion 72 is provided is not limited to the upper surface of the paper feeding arm 26 as long as the contact between the surface of the paper feeding roller 25 and the rotation guide member 70 due to the rotation of the paper feeding unit 15 can be prevented.

[Plate-like member 75]
As shown in FIG. 3, a base shaft 74 is provided at a position in the vicinity of the end portion on the base shaft 73 side of the hole 71 on the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70. A plate-like member 75 (an example of the opening / closing member of the present invention) having substantially the same shape as the hole 71 is provided at a position where the hole 71 is closed. The base end portion of the plate-like member 75 is supported by the base shaft 74 and can be rotated about the base shaft 74 as a central axis.

  The plate-like member 75 is urged to rotate downward by its own weight or by the elastic force of an elastic member such as a spring. However, it is configured not to be rotated downward from a position (a position shown in FIG. 3) where the hole 71 is closed by a regulating member (not shown). Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate-like member 75 is rotated to a position where the hole 71 is closed when the paper feeding unit 15 is in the first posture. As a result, the plate-like member 75 forms a part of the sheet conveyance surface of the rotation guide member 70. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the plate-like member 75 is pushed by the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and rotated to a position where the hole 71 is opened when the paper feed unit 15 is in the fifth posture. The

  In the above description based on FIGS. 3 and 6, the case where the plate-like member 75 is provided in the configuration in which only the paper feed roller 25 passes through the hole 71 has been described. However, the plate-like member 75 may be provided when at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 including the paper feed arm 26 passes through the hole 71 as well as the paper feed roller 25. In this case, the plate-like member 75 is configured to be capable of changing its posture to a position for closing and opening a hole 71 through which at least a part of the paper feeding unit 15 including the paper feeding arm 26 passes.

  Note that the plate-like member 75 is not limited to the one whose posture changes between a position for closing the hole 71 and a position for opening the hole 71 by being rotated. For example, the plate-like member 75 may change its posture by being slid parallel to the sheet conveying surface of the rotation guide member 70.

[Elastic member]
As shown in FIG. 4, an elastic member 76 (an example of the elastic member of the present invention) such as a spring is provided on the lower surface (the surface opposite to the sheet conveying surface) of the rotation guide member 70. As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 76 is provided at the lowest position when the rotation guide member 70 is in the fourth posture. When the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture, the elastic member 76 is brought into contact with the frame 77 of the multifunction machine 10. Except for FIG. 4, the elastic member 76 is not shown.

[Rotation of Paper Feed Unit 15 and Rotation Guide Member 70]
As shown in FIG. 3, when the process of recording an image on the recording paper is being performed, the paper feeding unit 15 takes the first posture, and the rotation guide member 70 takes the third posture. . In the process in which the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction machine 10 when the above processing is not performed, the rotation guide member 70 is interlocked with the rotation of the sheet feeding unit 15 from the first position to the fifth position, It is rotated from the third posture to the sixth posture. Thereafter, when the tray 20 is removed from the multifunction machine 10, the paper feeding unit 15 is rotated from the fifth position to the second position, and the rotation guide member 70 is rotated from the sixth position to the fourth position.

  This will be described in detail below. In the state shown in FIG. 3, when the tray 20 is pulled out from the printer unit 11, that is, moved forward, the sheet feeding arm 26 is arranged so that the inner side surface 23 of the separation inclined plate 22 does not contact the sheet feeding roller 25. Is rotated upward by the tray 20, and accordingly, the paper feed roller 25 is also rotated upward. Accordingly, the sheet feeding unit 15 rotates from the first posture to the fifth posture. When the paper feed roller 25 rotates upward by a predetermined amount, the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the plate member 75.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, when the tray 20 is further moved forward, the sheet feeding roller 25 is further rotated upward (see the arrow 30 in FIG. 5), the plate-like member 75 is fed. When pressed by the paper roller 25, it rotates upward (see arrow 31 in FIG. 5). Further, the protrusion 72 contacts the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70. In this state, when the paper feed roller 25 further pivots upward (see arrow 34 in FIG. 6), the pivot guide member 70 is pivoted upward integrally with the paper feeder 15 by being pushed by the protrusion 72. (See arrow 35 in FIG. 6). That is, in the present embodiment, the protrusion 72 constitutes the interlocking portion of the present invention that rotates the rotation guide member to the sixth posture in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feeding portion 15 to the fifth posture. .

  The above rotation is continued until the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the upper end of the separation inclined plate, as shown in FIG. In the state of FIG. 6, the paper feeding unit 15 takes the fifth posture, and the rotation guide member 70 takes the sixth posture.

  In FIG. 6, the sheet feeding unit 15 is shown in the fifth posture by a solid line. On the other hand, the rotation guide member 70 is shown in the third posture by a broken line. As is clear from FIG. 6, the paper feeding unit 15 pushes the rotation guide member 70 upward, and thereby takes the third posture in the region where the rotation guide member 70 that has taken the fifth posture until then exists. Take. That is, the area for the sheet feeding unit 15 to take the fifth attitude and the area for the rotation guide member 70 to take the third attitude overlap.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the paper feed arm 26 of the paper feed unit 15 in the fifth posture has a longitudinal direction (front-rear direction 8) substantially parallel to the sheet conveyance surface of the rotation guide member 70 in the sixth posture. It is arranged to become.

  In the state of FIG. 6, when the tray 20 is completely pulled out from the multifunction machine 10, the paper feeding unit 15 is not supported by the tray 20 and the separation inclined plate 22. Then, the paper feeding unit 15 that is urged to rotate in the direction of the arrow 29 in FIG. 2 is moved downward. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower surface of the paper feed roller 25 is rotated to the second posture which is a position lower than the height of the sheet placement surface of the tray 20 that has existed until then.

[Effect of the embodiment]
The rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture when the tray 20 is removed from the multifunction machine 10. Thereby, the space between the recording part 24 and the rotation guide member 70 becomes large. Therefore, when the outer guide member 18 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the multifunction machine 10, the recording paper can be easily taken out even if the recording paper is jammed in the rotation guide member 70. However, when the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture as described above, access to the paper feed roller 25 is obstructed by the rotation guide member 70.

  However, according to the above-described embodiment, the hole 71 is provided in the rotation guide member 70. When the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture, at least a part of the sheet feeding roller 25 passes through the hole 71 and protrudes upward from the sheet conveyance surface of the rotation guide member 70. Thereby, access to the paper feed roller 25 is not hindered by the rotation guide member 70. Therefore, the paper feed roller 25 can be easily cleaned.

  When the tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the multifunction machine 10, if the paper feed unit 15 hits the tray 20, the separation inclined plate 22, or both the tray 20 and the separation inclined plate 22, the tray 20 cannot be properly inserted and removed. In order to solve such a problem, the multi-function device 10 may be configured such that when the tray 20 is inserted and removed, the paper feeding unit 15 is retracted above the tray 20. In the above-described embodiment, the paper feeding unit 15 can be retracted to the fifth posture above the tray 20. However, when the multifunction machine 10 is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feeding unit 15 is required inside the multifunction machine 10. As a result, the multifunction device 10 becomes large.

  However, in the above-described embodiment, when the paper feed unit 15 is rotated from the first posture to the fifth posture in the process of inserting and removing the tray 20 from the multifunction machine 10, at least one of the paper feed units 15. The part passes through the hole 71 and protrudes upward from the sheet conveying surface of the rotation guide member 70. As a result, the space for retracting the sheet feeding unit 15 can be shared with the space above the sheet conveyance surface of the rotation guide member 70. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the multifunction device 10 while securing a retreat area for the paper feeding unit 15.

  If the surface of the paper feed roller 25 contacts the rotation guide member 70, the surface of the paper feed roller 25 may be damaged. However, in the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 72 can prevent contact between the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and the rotation guide member 70. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 72 serves as a stopper that prevents the surface of the paper feed roller 25 from contacting the rotation guide member 70, while rotating the paper feed unit 15 to the fifth posture. The rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the sixth posture in conjunction with the movement. As a result, a mechanism for preventing contact between the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and the rotation guide member 70 is provided separately from a mechanism for rotating the rotation guide member 70 in conjunction with the rotation of the paper supply unit 15. Compared to the configuration, the number of components arranged in the multifunction machine 10 can be reduced. As a result, the multifunction device 10 can be downsized.

  In the above-described embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the sheet feeding arm 26 and the sheet conveyance surface of the rotation guide member 70 are parallel to each other. Thereby, the space | interval of the paper supply arm 26 and the rotation guide member 70 can be made small. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be downsized.

  If the rotation guide member 70 is provided with the hole 71, the recording paper may be caught in the hole 71 and clogged. In order to prevent this, the rotation guide member 70 may be provided with a member for preventing the recording paper from being guided into the hole 71 on the sheet conveyance surface. As such a member, for example, there is a convex portion provided along the periphery of the hole 71. However, the thickness of the rotation guide member 70 increases by providing the convex portion. As a result, the multifunction machine 10 is increased in size. Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the plate-like member 75 that closes the hole 71 is provided in a state where the recording sheet is conveyed through the reverse conveyance path 67. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the fact that the recording paper is caught in the hole 71 and clogged without increasing the thickness of the rotation guide member 70.

  As in the above-described embodiment, when the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth position, the hole through which at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 passes, and the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the third position. By sharing a hole through which at least a part of the sheet feeding unit 15 is penetrated when moved, the number and area of the holes 71 provided in the rotation guide member 70 can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to reduce that the recording paper is caught in the hole 71 and clogged.

  When the tray 20 is removed from the multifunction machine 10, the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture. At this time, the rotation guide member 70 may come into contact with a casing or the like constituting the bottom surface of the multifunction machine 10 existing below the tray 20 to make a loud noise. However, in the above-described embodiment, the elastic member 76 reduces the impact at the time of contact between the rotation guide member 70 and the landing surface. Thereby, the sound at the time of the rotation guide member 70 contacting a landing can be made small.

[Modification 1 of Embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the protrusion 72 is the interlocking portion of the present invention has been described, but the interlocking portion is not limited to the protrusion 72. For example, the paper feed arm 26 may be an interlocking unit. In this case, when the paper feed arm 26 rotates, the paper feed arm 26 comes into contact with the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 instead of the protrusion 72. In this state, when the paper feeding unit 15 further pivots upward, the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the paper feeding arm 26 and pivots upward integrally with the paper feeding unit 15.

  In the present embodiment, the rotation guide member 70 is disposed in a space existing between itself and the recording unit 24 by taking the sixth posture. Therefore, the paper feeding unit 15 can exist in the space where the rotation guide member 70 has existed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the multifunction device 10 while securing a retreat area for the paper feeding unit 15.

[Modification 2 of the embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the multifunction device 10 is provided with the rotatable guide member 70 that can rotate as a member constituting at least a part of the reverse conveyance path 67. However, the member constituting at least a part of the reverse conveyance path 67 may be a fixed member that is not rotated. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the lower side of the reverse conveyance path 67 may be configured by only the lower guide member 33 that is not rotated (an example of the second guide member of claim 10 of the present invention). In this case, the reverse conveyance path 67 is partitioned by the upper guide member 32 and the support member 43 disposed on the upper side, and the lower guide member 33 disposed on the lower side.

  In the case of such a configuration, the paper feeding unit 15 has a first posture in which the paper feeding roller 25 abuts against the sheet placement surface of the tray 20 (corresponding to the first posture of claim 10 of the present invention. And a seventh posture (corresponding to the second posture of claim 10 of the present invention, a posture shown by a solid line in FIG. 7) that is separated from the sheet placement surface. The rotation is executed in the same manner as the rotation from the first posture to the fifth posture in the above-described embodiment. Further, at least a part of the sheet feeding unit 15 rotated to the seventh posture penetrates the surface of the lower guide member 33 on which the recording sheet is conveyed (corresponding to the sheet conveying surface of claim 10 of the present invention). Thus, a third hole 81 (an example of a third opening of claim 10 of the present invention) is provided that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the lower guide member 33. The role of the third hole 81 is the same as that of the hole 71 in the above-described embodiment.

  For example, when the tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the multifunction machine 10, if the paper feed unit 15 hits the side plate of the tray 20, the tray 20 cannot be properly inserted or removed. In order to solve such a problem, the multi-function device 10 may be configured such that when the tray 20 is inserted and removed, the paper feeding unit 15 is retracted above the tray 20. In the present embodiment, the paper feeding unit 15 can take a seventh posture above the tray 20. However, when the multifunction machine 10 is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feeding unit 15 is required inside the multifunction machine 10. As a result, the multifunction device 10 becomes large.

  However, in this embodiment as well, as in the above-described embodiment, the space for retracting the sheet feeding unit 15 can be shared with the space above the sheet conveyance surface of the lower guide member 33. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the multifunction device 10 while securing a retreat area for the paper feeding unit 15.

10: MFP 15: paper feed unit 20: tray 22: separation inclined plate 24: recording unit 70: rotation guide member 71: hole 72: projection 75: plate member 76: elastic member

Claims (5)

A recording unit for recording an image on a sheet;
A tray provided below the recording unit, on which a sheet can be placed, and which can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus;
A first guide member that forms at least a part of a first conveyance path having a curved path for guiding a sheet fed from the tray to the recording unit;
The arm is provided above the tray, and is configured to include a rotatable arm, and a roller that is rotatably provided on the tip side of the arm and supplies a sheet placed on the tray to the first conveyance path, and A paper feed section that is rotatable to a first position where a roller supplies a sheet placed on the sheet placement surface of the tray and a second position located above the insertion / extraction region of the tray;
Comprising a second guide member for the hand sheet on which an image is recorded on the surface of the forming at least part of the second transport path for guiding to the curved path, and
The second guide member has an upstream side positioned above a rotation axis center of the arm of the sheet feeding unit and a downstream side of the sheet feeding direction in the conveyance direction of the sheet conveyed through the second conveyance path. Extending toward the curved road so as to be positioned below the pivot axis of the arm of the part,
An image recording apparatus in which the second guide member is formed with an opening into which at least a part of the paper feeding unit rotated to the second position enters. The A over arm is in the state of the paper feeding unit is the second position, the image recording apparatus according to claim 1 can be the contact and the second guide member.   2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding unit is in contact with the second guide member in the second position, thereby preventing the surface of the roller from contacting the second guide member. 3. .   4. The image recording according to claim 1, wherein, in the process of inserting and removing the tray from the apparatus, the paper feeding unit at the first position can be rotated upward by being pushed by the tray. 5. apparatus.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper feeding unit further includes a plurality of gears that transmit a rotational force from a motor to the roller.

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