JP6372278B2 - Conveying apparatus and image recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport device that transports a transported object such as a sheet, and an image recording apparatus including such a transport device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet recording apparatus that records an image by ejecting ink droplets from a nozzle provided in a recording unit onto a sheet such as recording paper is known. In an ink jet recording apparatus, a flat platen (supporting member) that supports a sheet is usually provided at a position facing the recording unit. A sheet is conveyed on the platen by a sheet conveying device. The sheet is stopped when it reaches a predetermined position on the platen facing the recording unit. In such a state, ink droplets are selectively ejected from the recording unit onto the sheet, and an image is formed on the sheet.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an image recording apparatus in which a platen arranged in a horizontal state on the lower side of a recording unit is configured to be capable of approaching and separating (moving up and down) from the recording unit. This image recording apparatus is provided with a sheet conveying apparatus in which a sheet conveying path is constituted by a conveying roller pair, a platen, a discharge roller pair, and the like. The sheet is conveyed onto the platen by a pair of conveying rollers to record an image. The sheet on the platen is discharged from the platen by the discharge roller pair. Each of the conveyance roller pair, the platen, and the discharge roller pair is moved so that the sheet conveyance area formed by each of them is widened when a jam occurs in the sheet conveyance path.

  For example, the pair of discharge rollers is composed of a lower discharge roller and an upper opposing roller, and the roller shafts of the discharge rollers are respectively provided on frames provided on both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance path. It is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Each end of the roller shaft is urged upward by a spring (elastic member). The spring is held by a spring holder that is slidably attached to the frame in the vertical direction. The discharge roller is pressed against the upper facing roller by the biasing force of the spring.

  Under each spring holder, a release rod (slide member) that is operated when the discharge roller is moved in the vertical direction is provided. Each of the release rods is slidably disposed along the sheet conveyance direction in a state along the sheet conveyance direction. The release rod is in contact with the spring holder, and when the release rod is slid along the sheet conveying direction, the spring holder moves in the vertical direction.

  When a jam occurs in the sheet conveyance path while the discharge roller is in pressure contact with the opposing roller, the release rod is operated in the sheet conveyance direction. As a result, the spring holder moves downward, and the discharge roller is separated from the opposing roller. In such a state, it is possible to easily perform jam processing in the sheet conveyance path. If the release rod is operated in the direction opposite to the sheet conveyance direction while the discharge roller is separated from the opposite roller, the spring holder moves upward, and the discharge roller is pressed against the opposite roller to allow sheet conveyance. It becomes a state.

JP 2012-71563 A

  In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the release rod is slid along the sheet conveying direction (horizontal direction), whereas the spring holder moves in the vertical direction (vertical direction), so the spring holder moves along the horizontal direction. Slide up and down with applied force. Therefore, a force along the sheet conveyance direction is also applied to the spring held by the spring holder, and the direction in which the discharge roller is urged by the spring is inclined in the sheet conveyance direction with respect to the vertical direction. In such a state, there is a possibility that the pressure contact force of the discharge roller with respect to the opposing roller does not become a desired state. In this case, the sheet cannot be stably conveyed.

  Further, in such a configuration, for example, a sensor for detecting the slide position of the release rod is provided, and the discharge roller is pressed against the opposing roller and separated from the opposing roller based on the detection result of the sensor. It may be determined that there is. In this case, the slide position of the release rod when the discharge roller is at a predetermined vertical position with respect to the opposing roller is obtained in advance, and when the slide position of the release rod comes to the obtained position, It is determined that the discharge roller is in a pressure contact state or a separated state.

  In the case of the above configuration, the vertical position of the discharge roller may not be constant with respect to the slide position of the release rod depending on the manufacturing accuracy of parts such as the release rod and the assembly accuracy of various parts. For this reason, for example, it may be determined that the discharge roller is in pressure contact with the counter roller even though the discharge roller is not in pressure contact with the counter roller. In this case, the conveyance of the sheet is started in a state where the discharge roller is not pressed against the opposing roller, and the sheet cannot be stably conveyed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately bias the path constituent member constituting the transport path by the elastic member by sliding the slide member to a predetermined position. The present invention is to provide a transport device that can be brought into a state in which the image is recorded, and an image recording apparatus including such a transport device.

  (1) A transport apparatus according to the present invention constitutes a part of a transport path, a path constituent member that can move to a first state and a second state, and a first that sets the path constituent member to the first state. A slide member that is slidable at one slide position and a second slide position that is in the second state, and is rotatably attached to the slide member, and the slide member is in the first slide position when the slide member is at the first slide position A rotating member that comes into contact with the path constituent member; and an elastic member that is attached to the slide member and biases the rotating member in a direction in which the path constituent member is pressed. As the slide member slides from the second slide position to the first slide position, the slide member is rotated while being in contact with the path component member, thereby moving the path component member from the second state to the first position. The 1 state.

  According to such a configuration, when the slide member is in the first slide position, the rotation member attached to the slide member is rotated by the urging force of the elastic member, and the path configuration member is in the first state. In this case, a force along the rotating direction of the rotating member acts on the path constituent member in the first state from the rotating member rotated by the slide of the slide member. Thereby, it can suppress that the force along the slide direction of a slide member acts on a path | route component member.

  (2) Preferably, the path constituent member is one of a pair of rollers arranged to face each other, and the one roller can contact and separate from the other roller, and is in the first state. Is in contact with the other roller and is separated from the other roller in the second state. Thereby, a pair of roller which conveys a to-be-conveyed object can be made into the 1st state which contact | abutted mutually, and the 2nd state separated.

  (3) Preferably, the one roller is a transport roller that is rotationally driven, and the rotating member is configured such that the slide member is moved from the first slide position by the rotation of the transport roller in the first state. It has a control part which controls sliding to the 2nd slide position. Thereby, the slide of a slide member can be controlled by a control part.

  (4) Preferably, the restricting portion is formed on the rotating member, and is an arcuate concave surface on which the shaft of the transport roller in the first state is in sliding contact. According to this configuration, the slide of the slide member can be more reliably regulated by the concave surface of the rotating member.

  (5) Preferably, in the rotating member, a rotating shaft is disposed on the downstream side in the sliding direction from the first slide position to the second slide position, and a rotating tip is disposed on the upstream side. The elastic member is disposed on the rotating tip side of the rotating member. According to this configuration, when the slide member slides from the first slide position to the second slide position, the rotation member biased by the elastic member can be smoothly rotated.

  (6) Preferably, it further includes a detection unit that detects that the slide member is at the second slide position, and the rotating member includes a first region that contacts the path component member at the first slide position. From the first region, the slide member is in contact with the path component member on the upstream side in the sliding direction from the first slide position to the second slide position, and the first state is applied by the biasing force of the elastic member. And the detection by the detection unit is performed while the second region and the path constituent member are in contact with each other. According to this configuration, the detection unit performs the fact that the slide member is in the second slide position while the path constituent member is in contact with the second region of the rotating member. In spite of being in the two states, there is no possibility of erroneous detection that the detection unit is in the first state.

  (7) The elastic member may be disposed at a position corresponding to the second region. Thereby, the 2nd area | region where a path | route structure member contact | abuts to a rotation member can be ensured reliably.

  (8) Preferably, the rotating member has an inclined surface that guides the path component member to the second state side as it is away from the second region on the upstream side in the sliding direction from the second region. . Thereby, the path | route component member contact | abutted to the 2nd area | region of the rotation member can be made into a 2nd state smoothly.

  (9) Preferably, the path constituent member is arranged in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transported medium passing through the transport path, and the slide member and the rotating member are configured as the path configuration. It arrange | positions at the both sides of the said width direction of the member, respectively. Thereby, the whole along the width direction of the sheet conveyance path | route in a path | route structural member can be made into a 1st state and a 2nd state integrally.

  (10) Preferably, the rotating member is provided with a restricting portion that engages with the slide member on a rotating tip side to limit a rotating range of the rotating member. According to this structure, it can prevent that the attitude | position of the rotation member urged | biased by the elastic member changes largely, and can make a path | route structural member contact | abut stably with respect to a rotation member.

  (11) An image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes the transport device and a recording unit that records an image on a transported medium transported by the transport device. Accordingly, a transport medium such as a sheet can be stably transported by the transport device, and a high-quality image can be stably recorded on the transported material by the recording unit.

  According to the present invention, when the path constituent member constituting the transport path is moved by sliding the slide member, the path constituent member can be appropriately biased by the elastic member.

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 perspective view of the housing 14 in an exploded state. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a supporting structure of main members by the left side frame 47 and the right side frame 48. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the left slide member 90A. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the slide member 90A in a state where the left slide member 90A is slid most forward. FIG. 7A is a side view showing the slide member 90A together with the substrate support 14B, and FIGS. 7B and 7C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the slide member 90A. FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of the operation lever 97 and the feeding tray 20, and the base portion 14A, the substrate support base 14B and the like are omitted. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the substrate support 14B. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a state in which the feeding tray 20 is slid forward from the state of FIG.

  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 the state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state in FIG. 1), and the side where the feeding tray 20 appears is the front side (front side). A direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front side (front).

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
A multifunction machine 10 (an example of an image recording apparatus) shown in FIG. 1 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction machine 10 includes a housing 14 configured in a generally thin rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a feeding tray 20 mounted in a lower portion of the housing 14. The feeding tray 20 can be pulled forward from the housing 14. Inside the housing 14, a discharge space 13 for printing out the recording paper 12 (see FIG. 2) is provided above the front portion of the feeding tray 20. The discharge space 13 opens forward. A discharge tray 21 on which the recording paper 12 to be printed out is placed is positioned below the discharge space 13. The discharge tray 21 is supported on the feeding tray 20.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a printer unit 11 is provided on the upper rear side in the housing 14, and the printer unit 11 records an image on a recording medium by an inkjet method. A flat plate portion 22 having a support surface for supporting a plurality of recording papers 12 is provided below the feeding tray 20, and the recording paper 12 is arranged in the vertical direction 7 on the support surface of the flat plate portion 22. It is housed in a stacked state. The multifunction machine 10 has a function of recording an image on one side of the recording paper 12 accommodated in the feeding tray 20 and a function of recording an image on both sides of the recording paper 12. The multifunction machine 10 also has a function of recording an image on the surface of a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. The recording paper 12 and the recording medium are examples of the recording medium.

  Below the printer unit 11, a feeding unit 16 that feeds the recording paper 12 in the feeding tray 20 to the printer unit 11 is provided. The feeding unit 16 has a feeding roller 25 that abuts against the uppermost recording sheet 12 in the feeding tray 20 and feeds it backward. The feed roller 25 is supported by a support arm 26 so as to be rotatable at a position where it abuts on the uppermost recording paper 12 in the feeding tray 20 and a position spaced upward from the recording paper 12. The power of a feed motor (not shown) is transmitted to the feed roller 25 by a power transmission mechanism 27.

  At the rear part of the housing 14, a first conveyance path 33 is provided for conveying the recording paper 12 fed from the feeding tray 20 by the feeding unit 16 upward. The first transport path 33 is configured in an arc shape protruding rearward by an outer peripheral guide member 33A positioned on the rear side and an inner peripheral guide member 33B positioned on the front side. The recording paper 12 fed from the feeding tray 20 by the feeding unit 16 enters the first conveying path 33 from the lower end of the first conveying path 33 and is discharged forward from the upper end of the first conveying path 33. . A second transport path 34 along which the recording paper 12 transported along the first transport path 33 is linearly transported is provided along the front-rear direction 8 at the top of the printer unit 11. The second transport path 34 extends from the upper end of the first transport path 33 to above the rear end of the discharge tray 21.

  The second transport path 34 is provided with a first transport roller pair 59, a platen 42, a second transport roller pair 44, a path switching unit 36, and a reverse roller pair 45, each of which is a second. A part of the transport path 34 is formed. Each of the feeding tray 20, the feeding unit 16, the first conveying path 33, the second conveying path 34, and the discharge tray 21 constitutes a conveying device.

  The first transport roller pair 59 includes a first transport roller 60 disposed on the upper side and a pinch roller 61 disposed on the lower side. When the recording paper 12 is transported in the second transport path 34, the first transport roller pair 59 is in a state where the first transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 are in pressure contact with each other. Is driven to rotate.

  The platen 42 between the first transport roller pair 59 and the second transport roller pair 44 supports the recording paper 12 transported in the second transport path 34 from below. A recording unit 24 that records an image on the recording paper 12 supported by the platen 42 is provided above the platen 42.

  In the vicinity of the first conveying roller pair 59, an abutting member 80 that abuts against the recording paper 12 conveyed onto the platen 42 and presses it against the platen 42 side is provided. The recording paper 12 with which the abutting member 80 abuts is in a wavy state along the left-right direction 9.

  Above the platen 42, there are provided a first guide rail 56 and a second guide rail 57 that are arranged along the left-right direction 9 with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction 8. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40 that is slidably supported by the first guide rail 56 and the second guide rail 57, and a recording head 38 that is disposed below the carriage 40. The recording head 38 is provided with nozzles 39 that eject ink downward from a plurality of ejection ports. Ink is supplied to the nozzle 39 from an ink cartridge (not shown).

  The second transport roller pair 44 disposed in front of the platen 42 includes a second transport roller 62 disposed on the lower side and a counter roller 63 disposed on the upper side. When the recording paper 12 is transported, the second transport roller pair 44 is rotationally driven by the second transport roller 62 on the lower side being pressed against the opposing roller 63.

  When the recording sheet 12 conveyed by the second conveying roller pair 44 comes into contact with the path switching unit 36, the recording sheet 12 passes over the path switching unit 36. Further, as will be described later, the recording paper 12 guided to the reversing roller pair 45 after passing through the path switching unit 36 is conveyed at the rear end portion at a position between the path switching guide 36 and the reversing roller pair 45. Is reversed, it is guided below the path switching unit 36 by contacting the path switching guide 36.

  The reverse roller pair 45 includes a lower reverse roller 67 and a reverse counter roller 68 disposed above the reverse roller 67. The reverse roller 67 can rotate forward and backward. The reverse counter roller 68 rotates following the rotation of the reverse roller 67 in a state where the reverse roller 68 is in pressure contact with the reverse roller 67. The direction in which the reversing roller 67 rotates is referred to as normal rotation when the recording paper 12 is conveyed forward, and is referred to as reverse rotation when the recording paper 12 is conveyed backward. When an image is recorded only on one side of the recording paper 12, the reverse roller 67 is rotated forward, and the recording paper 12 conveyed by the reverse roller pair 45 is discharged onto the discharge tray 21.

  When images are recorded on both sides of the recording paper 12, the reversing roller 67 is rotated forward and conveyed until just before the rear end portion of the recording paper 12 having the image recorded on one side passes through the reversing roller pair 45. After that, the reverse roller 67 is reversed. As a result, the recording paper 12 is conveyed rearward toward the path switching unit 36 and is guided below the path switching unit 36 by contacting the path switching unit 36. A branch conveyance guide 71 is provided from below the path switching unit 36 to the lower end of the first conveyance path 33, and a third conveyance path 73 is formed by the branch conveyance guide 71. The recording paper 12 conveyed along the branch conveyance guide 71 is conveyed to the lower end portion of the first conveyance path 33 by the intermediate conveyance roller pair 72.

[Case 14]
As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 14 has a lower base portion 14A and a substrate support (support member) 14B provided above the front portion of the base portion 14A. A control board 14C is provided on the board support 14B. The base portion 14 </ b> A has side portion structures 14 </ b> D and 14 </ b> E provided along the front-rear direction 8 on both sides of the left-right direction 9. Although not shown in each figure, the side parts 14D and 14E are provided with a power supply device, an ink cartridge, and the like. The upper part of the front side of each side part structure 14D and 14E is connected by the connection body 14F. The discharge space 13 is defined by the side components 14D and 14E and the connecting body 14F. The feeding tray 20 is slidable in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the discharge space 13 between the side structure bodies 14D and 14E.

  Components for controlling the conveyance of the recording paper 12, the ejection of ink in the recording unit 24, and the like are mounted on the control board 14C. In addition, a first sensor 14M (right side) and a second sensor 14N (left side) are mounted in a state of being arranged in the left-right direction 9 on the rear side portion of the left side portion of the control board 14C. The second sensor 14N on the left side is provided to detect attachment / detachment of the feeding tray 20, and the first sensor 14M on the right side is provided to detect a slide position of a slide member 90A described later.

  A left side frame 47 and a right side frame 48 that extend along the vertical direction 7 and the front / rear direction 8 are provided on both sides of the rear portion of the base portion 14A in the left / right direction 9. A first guide rail 56 and a second guide rail 59 are supported on the left side frame 47 and the right side frame 48. 3 and 4, the second guide rail 59 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 4, a contact member 80 is attached to the first guide rail 56. The contact member 80 has a plurality of contact main body portions 81 extending forward and downward of the first guide rail 56. Each contact main body 81 covers the front portion of the first transport roller pair 59, and a contact portion 81 </ b> A that contacts the recording paper 12 on the platen 42 is provided at each front end portion.

[Left side frame 47 and right side frame 48]
Each of the left side frame 47 and the right side frame 48 is provided with notches 47A and 48A. The notches 47A and 48A rotatably support the respective end portions on both sides of the roller shaft 60A of the first transport roller 60. On each of the left side frame 47 and the right side frame 48, a roller shaft 62A of the second transport roller 62 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction 7 in a rotatable state. The platen 42 is supported on the roller shaft 62 </ b> A of the second transport roller 62 so that the front side portion is rotatable. The left side frame 47 and the right side frame 48 are provided with support holes 47B and 48B for supporting a roller shaft 67A (see FIG. 2) of the reverse roller 67, respectively. The support hole portions 47B and 48B rotatably support the respective end portions on both sides of the roller shaft 67A while being movable in the vertical direction 7.

[Sliding members 90A and 90B]
Slide members 90 </ b> A and 90 </ b> B extending along the front-rear direction 8 are provided inside the left side frame 47 and the right side frame 48. The slide members 90A and 90B have substantially the same configuration, and each of the slide members 90A and 90B has a front-rear direction 8 on guide plates 47G and 48G (see FIG. 3) provided at the lowermost portions of the left side frame 47 and the right side frame 48. Is slidably supported by. The roller shaft 62A of the second transport roller 62 and the roller shaft 67A of the reversing roller 67 are slid in the vertical direction 7 by sliding of the slide members 90A and 90B.

  As shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7A, a slide cam portion 93 that rotates the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7 is provided at the rear end portion of the slide member 90 </ b> A. The upper surface of the slide cam portion 93 is a cam surface that moves the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7 by sliding the slide member 90 </ b> A in the front-rear direction 8.

  The slide member 90A is provided with a first flat surface 92B and a first inclined surface 92C successively from the front side of the slide cam portion 93. The first inclined surface 92C is inclined so as to become higher toward the front side. A first urging mechanism 94 that urges the first conveying roller 62 upward is provided further forward of the first inclined surface 92C.

  The slide member 90A is provided with a second flat surface 92D and a second inclined surface 92E in order from the front side of the first urging mechanism 94. Similarly to the first inclined surface 92C, the second inclined surface 92E is inclined so as to become higher toward the front side. A second urging mechanism 95 that urges the reverse roller 67 upward is provided on the front side of the second inclined surface 92E.

  A connecting portion 96 is provided at the front end of the slide member 90A. The connecting portion 96 is connected to an operation lever 97 (see FIG. 8) disposed in a region surrounded by the substrate support base 14B. The right slide member 90B has the same configuration as the slide member 90A except that only the configuration of the connecting portion 96 is different.

<First Energizing Mechanism 94 and Second Energizing Mechanism 95>
The first urging mechanism 94 of the slide member 90A includes a rotating member 94A provided continuously on the front side of the first inclined surface 92C, and a coil spring (elastic member) 94B that urges the rotating member 94A upward. ,have. The slide member 90A has an end on the front side (downstream in the conveyance direction of the recording paper 12) of the rotation member 94A so as to rotate about a rotation shaft 94M (see FIG. 6) in a state along the left-right direction 9. It is supported by. The turning tip of the turning member 94A is disposed on the upstream side of the recording sheet 12 in the conveying direction.

  The upper surface of the rotating member 94 </ b> A is a contact portion that contacts the roller shaft 62 </ b> A of the first transport roller 62. The length of the contact portion in the left-right direction 9 is constant. A restricting portion (first region) 94 </ b> F that restricts the roller shaft 62 </ b> A from sliding in the front-rear direction 8 is provided in the front portion of the contact portion. The restricting portion 94F is an arc-shaped concave surface along a part of the circumferential surface centering on the axial center along the left-right direction 9 so that the roller shaft 62A is fitted. A flat portion (second region) 94G along the front-rear direction 8 is provided on the abutting portion of the rotating member 94A continuously to the rear side of the restricting portion 94F. Further, an inclined surface 94H is continuously provided on the rear side of the flat portion 94G. The inclined surface 94H is inclined so as to gradually decrease as the distance from the flat portion 94G increases.

  The upper end portion of the coil spring 94B is in contact with the lower side of the flat portion 94G of the rotating member 94A, thereby urging the rotating member 94A upward. An engaging arm 94J extending downward along the vertical direction 7 is provided below the front portion of the rotating member 94A. The lower end portion of the engagement arm 94J is an engagement portion 94K (see FIG. 6) protruding forward. The slide member 90A is engaged with the engaging portion 94K of the engaging arm 94J on the front side of the rotating member 94A, and the first restriction that restricts the rotating member 94A from rotating above a predetermined position. A portion 92K is provided. The first restricting portion 92K is formed in a state in which a part of the first inclined surface 92C facing the engaging portion 94K of the engaging arm 94J is cut out. When the turning member 94A is in a state in which turning upward is restricted by the first restricting portion 92K, the turning member 94A is in an inclined state continuous with the first inclined surface 92C on the front side of the first biasing mechanism 94.

  The second urging mechanism 95 that urges the reverse roller 67 upward has the same configuration as the first urging mechanism 94, and includes a rotating member 95A and a coil spring 95B. The rotation member 95A rotates around a rotation shaft 95M (see FIG. 6). The upper surface of the rotating member 95A is an abutting portion with which the roller shaft 67A of the reversing roller 67 abuts, and has a regulating portion (first region) 95F, a flat portion (second region) 95G, and an inclined surface 95H. The rotation member 95A is provided with an engagement arm 95J having an engagement portion 95K (see FIG. 6). The slide member 90A is engaged with the engagement arm 95J on the rear side of the rotation member 95A. A second restricting portion 92M that engages with the portion 95K is provided. The second restricting unit 92M has the same configuration as the first restricting unit 92K. The second inclined surface 92E provided on the front side of the second urging mechanism 95 is in the same inclined state as the first inclined surface 92C.

<Connecting part 96>
The connecting portion 96 of the slide member 90A includes a switch cam portion 96A provided continuously on the front side of the second urging mechanism 95, and a connecting main body portion 96B provided continuously on the front side of the switch cam portion 96A. ,have. The connection main body portion 96B is located at the foremost portion of the slide member 90A and faces the left side surface portion 14G of the substrate support base 14B. As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting portion 96 of the right slide member 90B is a flat plate having a flat upper surface at the same position in the vertical direction 7 as the upper surface of the connecting main body portion 96B without the switch cam portion 96A being provided. Configured.

 The upper surface of the switch cam portion 96A is a cam surface that slides the first detected body 17A (see FIG. 7) detected by the first sensor 14M in the vertical direction 7. Specifically, the cam surfaces are a first cam surface 96D, a second cam surface 96E, and a third cam surface 96F in order from the rear side to the front side. The first cam surface 96D is a flat surface along the front-rear direction 8. The second cam surface 96E is inclined so as to become lower toward the front side. The third cam surface 96F is a flat surface that continues from the front end of the second cam surface 96E along the front-rear direction 8. The connection main body portion 96B protrudes upward from the front end of the third cam surface 96F, and the upper surface is a flat surface located above the first cam surface 96D. A coupling portion 97D (see FIG. 8) provided on the operation lever 97 is engaged with the connection main body portion 96B.

<Operation lever 97 and feeding tray 20>
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the operation lever 97 to which the slide members 90 </ b> A and 90 </ b> B are coupled includes a slide rod portion 97 </ b> A disposed along the front-rear direction 8 on both sides of the left-right direction 9, and both slide rod portions. And a connecting body 97B that connects the front portions of 97A. Each slide rod portion 97A is arranged along the upper part inside the side surface portions 14G and 14H (see FIG. 3) of the substrate support base 14B. The coupling body 97B is disposed along the left-right direction 9, and an operation portion 97C protruding to the front side is provided at the center of the left-right direction 9. Both the slide rod portions 97A and the connecting body 97B are integrally formed of resin.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, coupling portions 97 </ b> D projecting outward are respectively provided at the rear end portions of the slide rod portions 97 </ b> A on both the left and right sides. In addition, guide protrusions 97E protruding outward are provided at the front end portions of the outer surfaces of the slide rod portions 97A.

  As shown in FIG. 9, an engagement hole 14S is provided in the rear portion of the left side surface portion 14G of the substrate support base 14B. Although not shown, a similar engagement hole is provided in the right side surface portion 14H. In each of the engagement holes 14S, left and right coupling portions 97D (see FIG. 10) of the operation lever 97 are slidably penetrated. Each coupling portion 97D that has passed through the engagement hole 14S is coupled to a coupling main body portion 96B of a coupling portion 96 provided in the slide members 90A and 90B (see FIGS. 8 and 10). Therefore, when the operation lever 97 is slid along the engagement hole 14S, the slide members 90A and 90B coupled to the coupling portion 97D slide together in the front-rear direction 8.

  A guide hole 14T is provided in the front portion of the left side surface portion 14G. Although not shown, a similar guide hole is provided in the right side surface portion 14H. Guide protrusions 97E provided at the front end portions of the left and right slide rod portions 97A are slidably fitted in the guide holes 14T, respectively. Each guide hole 14T has a vertical portion along the vertical direction 7 at the front end portions of the left and right side surface portions 14G and 14H, and a portion that is gently inclined from the upper end portion of the vertical portion toward the rear obliquely upward. ing.

[Detection mechanism of first sensor 14M and second sensor 14N]
Each of the first sensor 14M (detection unit) and the second sensor 14N provided on the control board 14C is configured by a transmissive optical sensor in which a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are arranged to face each other. The light emitting unit is mounted on the control board 14C in a state where the light emitting direction is along the horizontal direction 9 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 3, the first sensor 14M and the second sensor 14N detect the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B, respectively. The first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B are provided to be slidable in the vertical direction 7 on the rear side of the control board 14C. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, each of the first detected body 17 </ b> A and the second detected body 17 </ b> B has a strip-like main body portion 17 </ b> D that extends linearly along the vertical direction 7. A detected portion 17E detected by the first sensor 14M and the second sensor 14N is provided at the upper end portion of each main body portion 17D (see FIG. 10).

  As shown in FIG. 10, each detected portion 17E includes a flat plate portion 17G protruding forward in the front-rear direction 8 on the upper side of each of the first sensor 14M and the second sensor 14N, and a first portion from the flat plate portion 17G. A projecting portion 17H projecting toward the detection region between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of each of the sensor 14M and the second sensor 14N is provided. The protruding portion 17H of the detected portion 17E is detected by the first sensor 14M and the second sensor 14N when each of the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B is slid downward, When it slides upward, it will be in the state (non-detection state) which is not detected by the 1st sensor 14M and the 2nd sensor 14N.

  As shown in FIG. 9, each of the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B has a vertical direction 7 by a guide member 18 provided on the rear side portion of the left side surface portion 14G of the substrate support 14B. It is supported so that it can slide. The guide member 18 has a guide portion 18A for guiding the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B in the vertical direction 7 and the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B downward. And a support portion 18B that supports the coil spring 18C to be urged. The support portion 18B is disposed at the rear portion of the guide portion 18A. In FIG. 8 and FIG. 10, the guide portion 18A is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, each of the coil springs 18 </ b> C is supported by the support portion 18 </ b> B in a state in which the coil spring 18 </ b> C can expand and contract along the vertical direction 7 on the rear side of the first detected body 17 </ b> A and the second detected body 17 </ b> B. Has been. The lower end portion of each coil spring 18C is supported by a spring seat (not shown) protruding rearward from the main body portion 17D of each of the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B. The support portion 18B is provided with a spring receiver 18E with which the upper end portion of each coil spring 18C is engaged. Each coil spring 18C is in a compressed state between the spring seats of the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17B and the spring receiver 18E of the support portion 18B, and the first detected body 17A and the second detected body 17C. Each of the detected bodies 17B is urged downward.

  The lower end portion of the first detected body 17A is in contact with the switch cam portion 96A of the connecting portion 96 of the left slide member 90A, and the slide member 90A slides on the switch cam portion 96A by sliding in the front-rear direction 8. It touches and slides up and down 7 (see FIG. 7).

  As shown in FIG. 9, the lower end portion of the second detected body 17B is positioned below the lower end portion of the first detected body 17A, and the rotating member is located below the second detected body 17B. 19 is provided. The rotating member 19 includes a rotating shaft 19A disposed horizontally along the left-right direction 9 and a rotating portion 19B that rotates about the axis of the rotating shaft 19A. The rotation shaft 19A is supported by a left side structure 14D (see FIG. 3) in the base portion 14A on the lower side in front of the lower end portion of the second detected body 17B.

  The rotating portion 19B includes a cylindrical portion 19D that is rotatably fitted to the rotating shaft 19A, a lower arm portion 19E that extends downward from the cylindrical portion 19D, and a lower arm that extends from the cylindrical portion 19D. And an upper arm portion 19F extending upward from the portion 19E. The lower end portion of the second detected body 17B is in contact with the upper arm portion 19F by the biasing force of the coil spring 18C.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, an upright portion 23 is provided on the left side of the feeding tray 20. The upright portion 23 stands up from the flat plate portion 22 at a position on the left side of the support surface of the flat plate portion 22 on which the recording paper 12 is placed. The upper surface of the standing portion 23 is a flat contact surface 23A.

<Sliding Position Detection Operation in Slide Member 90A>
The operation lever 97 is normally slid rearward, and the slide member 90A is in the first slide position. At the first slide position, each of the first conveyance roller pair 59, the second conveyance roller pair 44, and the reverse roller pair 45 constituting the second conveyance path 34 is in a state where the recording paper 12 can be conveyed. Yes. That is, the pinch roller 61 is in pressure contact with the first conveyance roller 60, the second conveyance roller 62 is in pressure contact with the counter roller 63, and the reverse roller 67 is in pressure contact with the reverse counter roller 68. Further, the platen 42 is in a horizontal state at a position close to the recording unit 24.

  In this case, in the first urging mechanism 94 and the second urging mechanism 95, the roller shaft 62A of the second transport roller 62 and the roller shaft of the reversing roller 67 are placed on the restriction portions 94F and 95F on the upper surfaces of the rotating members 94A and 95A. 67A is fitted. Thus, the roller shafts 62A and 67A do not slide in the front-rear direction 8, and the second transport roller 62 and the reverse roller 67 are stably in pressure contact with the counter roller 63 and the reverse counter roller 68. Further, in the switch cam portion 96A of the slide member 90A, the lower end portion of the first detected body 17A is in contact with the lowest third cam surface 96F, and the detected portion is detected by the first sensor 14M. 17E is detected.

  In this state, for example, when a jam occurs in the second transport path 34, or when printing on a recording medium such as a CD instead of the recording paper 12, the second transport path 34 extends downward. In addition, the operation lever 97 is slid forward. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7B, in the first urging mechanism 94 and the second urging mechanism 95, the contact positions of the roller shafts 62A and 67A at the contact portions of the rotating members 94A and 95A are the same. Then, the restriction portions (first region) 94F and 95F change to flat flat portions (second region) 94G and 95G, and the roller shafts 62A and 67A slide backward on the flat portions 94G and 95G. In this case, the second conveying roller 62 and the reverse roller 67 are kept in the pressure contact state with the counter roller 63 and the reverse counter roller 68 because the position in the vertical direction 7 hardly changes.

  Further, in the switch cam portion 96A, the position where the lower end portion of the first detected body 17A abuts changes from the third cam surface 96F to the second cam surface 96E which is inclined, and the first detected body. 17A gradually rises. In the first urging mechanism 94 and the second urging mechanism 95, while the roller shafts 62A and 67A are in contact with the first regions 94G and 95G of the rotating members 94A and 95A, the first detected body 17A. Is in contact with the first cam surface 96D. As a result, the detected portion 17E at the upper end of the first detected body 17A is not detected by the first sensor 14M. In such a state, it is determined that the nip of the recording paper 12 by each of the second conveyance roller pair 44 and the reversing roller pair 45 is quickly eliminated, and the recording paper 12 is transferred to the second conveyance path 34. Various controls such as stopping of a motor that is a driving source of the conveyance are started.

  In this state, when the slide members 90A and 90B are further slid forward, the first urging mechanism 94 and the second urging mechanism 95 have the roller shafts 62A and 62A at the contact portions of the rotating members 94A and 95A. The contact position of 67A changes from the flat portions 94G and 95G to the inclined surfaces 94H and 95H. As a result, the roller shafts 62A and 67A begin to descend gradually, and the second transport roller 62 and the reverse roller 67 begin to separate from the counter roller 63 and the reverse counter roller 68, respectively. In this case, in the switch cam portion 96A, the contact state between the lower end portion of the first detected body 17A and the first cam surface 96D is maintained.

  Thereafter, when the slide members 90A and 90B are further slid forward, as shown in FIG. 7C, the rotating members 94A and 95A are separated from the roller shafts 62A and 67A, and the roller shafts 62A and 67A are The first inclined surface 92C provided on the slide member 90A is slidably contacted. Thereafter, the roller shafts 62A and 67A are in contact with the first flat surface 92B of the slide member 90A. When the slide member 90A reaches the slide position (second slide position) as described above, the second transport roller 62 and the reverse roller 67 are separated from each of the counter roller 63 and the reverse counter roller 68 by a predetermined distance (second state). )become.

  When the operation lever 97 is slid backward from the second slide position where the most forward slide operation is performed to the first slide position, the operation lever 97 is operated in the opposite direction. In this case, in the switch cam portion 96A, the position where the lower end portion of the first detected body 17A comes into contact with the first cam surface 96D, the second cam surface 96E, and the third cam surface 96F in order. Then, while each of the roller shaft 62A and the roller shaft 67A is in contact with the flat portions 94G and 95G, the first sensor 14M detects the detected portion 17E of the first detected body 17A. Accordingly, it is determined that the second transport roller 62 and the reverse roller 67 are in the first state where they are pressed against the counter roller 63 and the reverse counter roller 68, respectively, and predetermined control is started.

<Operation for Detecting Attachment / Removal of Feed Tray 20>
When the feeding tray 20 is at a paper feeding position (first position) where the stored recording paper 12 can be supplied, as shown in FIG. It is in contact with the contact surface 23 </ b> A on the upper surface of the standing portion 23 of the feed tray 20. In such a state, the lower arm portion 19E of the rotation member 19 is in a position rotated upward about the rotation shaft 19A, and the upper arm portion 19F integrated with the lower arm portion 19E. Is also in the upper rotational position.

  As a result, the second detected body 17B in contact with the upper arm portion 19F is in the upper slide position, and the second sensor 14N does not detect the detected section 17E of the second detected body 17B. It becomes a state. In this case, the feeding tray 20 is mounted in the housing 14, and the recording paper 12 stored in the feeding tray 20 is transported to the first transport path 33 by the feeding unit 16. Is determined to be a paper feed position.

  In this state, when the feeding tray 20 is slid forward, the upright portion 23 also moves forward. Accordingly, the lower arm portion 19E of the rotating member 19 is spaced apart from the contact surface 23A of the standing portion 23 and rotates downward. Accordingly, the upper arm portion 19F also rotates downward, and the second detected body 17B is slid downward. As a result, the second sensor 14N is in a state of detecting the detected portion 17E of the second detected body 17B, and the feeding tray 20 is at a predetermined position in front of the paper feeding position mounted in the housing 14. It is determined that

[Effect of the embodiment]
In the present embodiment, since the turning member 94A is turned by the biasing force of the coil spring 94B, the turning member 94A is rotated while being in contact with the roller shaft 62A by the slide of the slide member 90A. Thereby, since the 2nd conveyance roller 62 is press-contacted with the opposing roller 63 along the urging | biasing direction of coil spring 94B, it will be in an appropriate press-contact state with the opposing roller 63. FIG. Accordingly, the recording paper 12 can be stably conveyed by the second conveying roller 62 and the opposing roller 63. The same applies to the rotating member 95A.

  Further, since the restricting portion 94F is provided on the rotating member 94A, the slide of the slide member 90A can be restricted in a state where the second conveying roller 62 and the opposing roller 63 are in pressure contact with each other. The same applies to the rotating member 95A.

  Furthermore, since the restricting portion 94F is a concave surface with which the roller shaft 62A of the second transport roller 62 is in sliding contact, the sliding of the slide member 90A can be more reliably restricted. The same applies to the restricting portion 95F of the rotating member 95A.

  Further, the rotation shaft 94M of the rotation member 94A is disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording paper 12, the rotation tip is disposed on the upstream side, and the coil spring 94B is disposed on the rotation tip side of the rotation member 94A. Therefore, when the slide members 90A and 90B slide, the rotation member 94A can be smoothly rotated. The same applies to the rotating member 95A.

  Further, the rotating member 94A has a first region (regulating portion 94F) and a flat portion (second region) 94G, and the first sensor 14M has a contact between the flat portion 94G and the roller shaft 62A. During this time, the slide position of the slide member 90A is detected. Thereby, it can be set based on the slide position of the slide member 90A that the second conveyance roller 62 and the opposing roller 63 are in an appropriate pressure contact state, and the pressure contact state of the second conveyance roller pair 44 can be set. False detection can be prevented. The same applies to the rotating member 95A.

  Further, since the coil spring 94B is disposed at a position corresponding to the flat portion 94G, the second conveying roller 62 and the opposing roller 63 can be reliably brought into a pressure contact state in the flat portion 94G. The same applies to the rotating member 95A.

  Further, since the rotating member 94A has an inclined surface 94H that separates the second conveying roller 62 from the opposing roller 63 on the upstream side in the sliding direction from the flat portion 94G, the second conveying roller 62 and the opposing roller 63 are smoothly provided. Can be separated from each other. The same applies to the rotating member 95A.

  The second transport roller 62 and the counter roller 63 are arranged in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the recording paper 12 passing through the second transport path 34, and the rotating members 95A and 95B have the width described above. It is arranged on each side of the direction. Thereby, the whole along the width direction of the 2nd conveyance path 34 in the 2nd conveyance roller 62 and the opposing roller 63 can be moved integrally.

  Further, since the rotation member 94A is provided with the first restriction portion 92K that engages with the slide member 90A and restricts the rotation range, the posture of the rotation member 95A biased by the coil spring 94B is maintained. A large change can be prevented, and the second conveying roller 62 can be stably brought into contact with the rotating member 95A. The same applies to the rotating member 95A.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the second transport roller 62 and the reverse roller 64 that are rotationally driven in the second transport roller pair 44 and the reverse roller pair 45 are moved, but the counter roller 63 and the reverse counter roller that are not rotationally driven. 68 may be moved.

  In addition, the second conveying roller pair 44 and the reverse roller pair 45 have been described as the path constituent members, but the present invention is not limited to such rollers, and may be a conveying guide or the like. Furthermore, although the image recording apparatus having the conveyance device and the recording unit has been described, the invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a conveyance device in which the recording unit is not provided may be used.

  Further, the sliding direction of the slide members 90A and 90B is not limited to the front-rear direction, and may be a direction inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. Further, the first detected body 17A is also configured to move in the vertical direction, but is not limited to such a configuration, and may be configured to move in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

14M ... 1st sensor (detection part)
16... Feeding unit 20... Feeding tray 24... Recording unit 33... First transport path 21. ... Second transport roller (path component)
62A... Roller shaft 63... Opposing roller (path constituent member)
67... Reversing roller (path component, conveying roller)
67A... Roller shaft 68... Reverse counter roller (path component member, counter roller)
90A ... slide member 90B ... slide member 92K ... first restricting portion 92M ... second restricting portion 94A ... rotating member 94B ... coil spring (elastic member)
94F ... Regulator (first region)
94G: Flat part (second region)
94M ... Turning shaft 95A ... Turning member 95B ... Coil spring (elastic member)
95F ... Regulator (first region)
95G ... Flat part (second region)
95M ... Rotating shaft

Claims (11)

A path constituting member that constitutes a part of the transport path and is movable to the first state and the second state;
A slide member slidable to a first slide position in which the path constituent member is in the first state and a second slide position in the second state;
A pivot member that is pivotally attached to the slide member, and that abuts against the path component when the slide member is in the first slide position;
An elastic member attached to the slide member, and urging the rotating member in a direction of pressing the path constituent member;
The rotating member rotates while abutting on the path constituent member as the slide member slides from the second slide position to the first slide position, thereby causing the path constituent member to move to the second position. A transfer device that changes the state to the first state.   The path constituent member is one of a pair of rollers arranged to face each other, and the one roller can be brought into contact with and separated from the other roller. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device contacts and is separated from the other roller in the second state. The one roller is a conveyance roller that is rotationally driven,
3. The rotation member according to claim 2, wherein the rotation member includes a restricting portion that restricts the slide member from sliding from the first slide position to the second slide position when the transport roller in the first state rotates. Transport device.   4. The transport device according to claim 3, wherein the restricting portion is formed on the rotating member and is an arc-shaped concave surface with which a shaft of the transport roller in the first state is in sliding contact. The rotating member has a rotating shaft disposed on the downstream side in the sliding direction from the first slide position to the second slide position, and a rotating tip disposed on the upstream side.
The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is disposed on a rotating front end side of the rotating member. A detection unit for detecting that the slide member is in the second slide position;
The rotating member has a first region that contacts the path component at the first slide position, and a sliding direction in which the slide member moves from the first slide position to the second slide position from the first region. On the upstream side, it has a second region that is in contact with the path constituent member and maintains the first state by the biasing force of the elastic member,
The conveyance device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detection by the detection unit is performed while the second region and the path constituent member are in contact with each other.   The conveying device according to claim 6, wherein the elastic member is disposed at a position corresponding to the second region.   8. The rotating member according to claim 6, wherein the rotating member has an inclined surface that guides the path component member to the second state side as it moves away from the second region on the upstream side in the sliding direction from the second region. The conveying apparatus as described. The path constituent member is disposed across a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transported medium passing through the transport path,
The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the slide member and the rotating member are respectively disposed on both sides of the path constituting member in the width direction.   The conveyance according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the rotation member is provided with a limiting portion that engages with the slide member on a rotation front end side and limits a rotation range of the rotation member. apparatus. A transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
An image recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit configured to record an image on a transported medium transported by the transport apparatus.

Images