JP6426983B2 - Loading tray and image recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a loading tray capable of storing and loading recording media of different lengths discharged from an image printing apparatus and an image printing apparatus provided with the loading tray.

  Among the image recording apparatuses, there is known an apparatus in which an image is continuously recorded on a recording medium and discharged from a discharge port, and the discharged recording medium is stacked on a stacking tray. In such an image recording apparatus, recording is performed on recording media of different lengths depending on the image to be recorded. Therefore, there is known an image recording apparatus provided with a loading tray capable of loading recording media of different lengths.

  In Patent Document 1, an image recording apparatus capable of aligning recording media and loading them on a tray by sliding the slide member on a loading tray provided with a slide member, even if the lengths of the recording media are different. Proposed.

JP, 2010-168174, A

  However, in the case of the configuration in which the slide portion of the loading tray is slid, a hooking phenomenon called "crying" may occur in the slide portion. In particular, the occurrence of galling is remarkable in a device used for a long time. When galling occurs, the user must eliminate the hooking of the slide portion, and at that time, the slide portion may be repeatedly subjected to a load and may be damaged.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and also when performing recording on recording media of different lengths in the transport direction, a loading tray that can be loaded with reduced risk of damage and the loading tray An image recording apparatus comprising the

The loading tray of the present invention includes a tray unit having a tray surface for loading the recording medium discharged from the discharge unit of the image forming apparatus , and a tip position in the discharge direction when the recording medium is discharged from the image forming apparatus. A tip end restricting member attached to the downstream side of the discharge direction of the tray portion, the first restricting portion attached to the tray portion, and the first restricting portion viewed from the side with respect to the discharge direction. And a second restricting portion connected at an angle to the restricting portion, and a first posture, and an angle formed between the tray surface and the first restricting portion with respect to the first posture. Is rotatable between the second position and the second position, and the tip position of the recording medium of the first size is regulated in the first position, and the second position is greater than the first size. The tip of the recording medium of the second size which is also long in the discharge direction Has a leading edge regulating member for regulating the location, a tip end regulating member is capable stopped at the first position and the second position, the state where the leading edge regulating member is stopped by said first orientation If the recording medium of the first size is ejected from the ejection unit, the height of the ejected recording medium becomes the height of the connection position of the first regulation unit and the second regulation unit. The first restricting portion restricts the tip end position, and after exceeding the height of the connection position, the second restricting portion restricts the tip end position, and the tip end restricting member adjusts the second posture. When the recording medium of the second size is ejected from the ejection unit in a stopped state, the second regulation unit regulates the leading end position of the recording medium from the first sheet to a plurality of ejected sheets. characterized in that it.

  According to the present invention, by changing the angle of the leading end regulating member by rotating the leading end regulating member, the distance between the position for regulating the leading end of the recording medium discharged from the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus is switched. As a result, even when recording is performed on recording media of different lengths in the transport direction, it is possible to realize a stacking tray and an image recording apparatus capable of stacking with a reduced risk of breakage.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image recording apparatus. It is the top view which took the exterior cover of the recording device and showed the inside. It is a block diagram of a control system of a recording device. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the image recording apparatus when the loading tray is mounted. FIG. 6 is a side view of the recording device with a loading tray attached. (A) to (c) are side views showing a stacking tray in which recording media are accumulated.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image recording apparatus (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a recording apparatus) 1 to which this embodiment can be applied. The image recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a so-called line-type image recording apparatus which continuously records an image using an ink jet recording head capable of ejecting ink on a recording medium which is continuously conveyed.

  The image recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is connected to a personal computer (host apparatus) 100, and image information is sent from the personal computer 100 to the image recording apparatus 1. The recording medium P stacked on the supply tray (supply unit) 2 is supplied into the recording apparatus 1 and conveyed in the conveyance direction in the arrow A direction by the conveyance unit described later.

  FIG. 2 is a top view showing the inside with the exterior cover of the recording apparatus 1 removed. In the recording apparatus 1, four recording heads 10 (10K, 10C, 10M, and 10Y) constituting a recording unit are arranged in the arrow A direction. The recording head 10 is a long so-called line head extending in the width direction of the recording medium P, and a plurality of discharge ports capable of discharging ink intersect the transport direction in the arrow A direction (in the case of this embodiment) The discharge port array is formed in the direction orthogonal to each other. The length of the discharge port array in each recording head 10 is longer than the maximum width of the recording medium P recordable by the recording apparatus 1. Black ink is ejected from the recording head 10K, cyan ink from the recording head 10C, magenta ink from the recording head 10M, and yellow ink from the recording head 10Y. These four recording heads 10 are fixed during recording, and discharge ink to the recording medium P which is continuously conveyed in the direction of arrow A between the recording head 10 and the conveyance belt 31. For example, a large number of business cards can be produced at high speed.

  The conveyance unit 30 for conveying the recording medium P in the direction of arrow A includes a conveyance belt 31 and an oblique feeding roller 32. The conveyance belt 31 is driven by a conveyance motor via a power transmission system formed of a pulley, a belt, and the like. The driving force of the transport belt 31 is transmitted to the oblique feed roller 32 via a power transmission system formed by a pulley, a belt, and the like. The power transmission system of the oblique feed roller 32 is provided with a clutch (not shown), and the clutch transmits and interrupts the driving force to the oblique feed roller 32. The rotation center O of the oblique feed roller 32 is not orthogonal to the conveyance direction in the arrow A direction, but is inclined and intersected, and conveys the recording medium P obliquely with respect to the conveyance direction in the arrow A direction. A plurality of pinch rollers 36 sandwiching the recording medium P with the conveyance belt 31 are disposed on the conveyance surface and the position of the conveyance belt 31 on which the recording medium P is conveyed. A pinch roller 37 is disposed on the upstream side of the pinch roller 36 in the transport direction, which pinches the recording medium P with the oblique feed roller 32.

  An outer peripheral surface of the pinch roller 37 is curved in a convex shape, and the pinch roller 37 is rotatably supported at an intermediate portion of a spring 38 supported at both ends. As a result, the pinch roller 37 is urged against the oblique feed roller 32 by the spring 38, and is supported so as to be displaceable in all directions with the deformation of the spring 38. Further, the rotation center of the pinch roller 37 is inclined with respect to the conveyance direction in the direction of the arrow A, similarly to the oblique feed roller 32.

  A plurality of suction holes 31A are formed in the conveyance belt 31, and by suctioning air from the suction holes 31A, the recording medium P is held by suction while holding the recording medium P located on the conveyance belt 31 by suction. Transport in the direction.

  Since the rotation center O of the oblique feed roller 32 is not orthogonal to the conveyance direction in the direction of the arrow A, the recording medium P picked up one by one from the supply tray 2 (see FIG. 1) The sheet is conveyed obliquely in the direction of 40. The conveyed recording medium P is restricted in position and posture along the abutting plate 40 by the end in the width direction being abutted against the abutting plate 40. Therefore, the oblique feeding roller 32, the pinch roller 37, and the abutment plate 40 function as a position regulating unit for regulating the position of the recording medium P.

  The recording medium P is conveyed in the arrow A direction by the conveyance belt 31 after the conveyance direction is regulated by the abutment plate 40. A code wheel is provided on a driven shaft rotated by the transport belt 31, and the encoder generates a pulse in response to the rotation of the code wheel. After the edge detection sensor detects the leading edge of the recording medium P, the encoder outputs a predetermined number of pulses, and when the recording medium P reaches the recording position, the recording head 10 discharges ink to start recording an image. . Thereafter, after the end detection sensor detects the rear end of the recording medium P, the encoder outputs a predetermined number of pulses to end the recording of the image, and the recording medium P on which the image is recorded is discharged in the arrow A direction. Ru.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording apparatus 1. Print data and commands transmitted from the host device 100 are received by the CPU 202 of the printing apparatus 1 via the interface controller 201. The CPU 202 is an arithmetic processing unit that performs overall control of the recording apparatus 1, such as reception of recording data in the recording apparatus 1, recording operation, and handling of the recording medium P. After analyzing the received command, the CPU 202 develops the image data of each color component included in the recording data into a bit map in the image memory 203 and draws it. The CPU 202 drives the capping motor 206 and the head up / down motor 207 through the output port 204 and the motor drive unit 205 before the recording operation, and separates the recording head 10 from the capping mechanism (not shown) to record position (image Move to the formation position). Thereafter, a feed motor (not shown) for feeding the recording medium P from the feed tray 2 through the output port 204 and the motor drive unit 205, and a conveyance motor 35 for conveying the recording medium P are driven to The recording medium P is conveyed to the recording position. In order to determine the timing (recording timing) at which the discharge of ink from the recording head 10 is started with respect to the recording medium P conveyed at a constant speed, the edge detection sensor detects the leading end of the recording medium P. Thereafter, the CPU 202 sequentially reads the recording data for each color from the image memory 203 in synchronization with the conveyance of the recording medium P (in synchronization with the output pulse of the encoder 22), and transmits the recording data to the corresponding recording head 10. Transfer is performed via the print head control circuit 210.

  The operation of the CPU 202 is executed based on the processing program stored in the program ROM 211. The program ROM 211 stores a processing program, a table, and the like corresponding to a control flow to be described later. The work RAM 212 is used as a working memory. At the time of operation such as cleaning for the recording head 10, the CPU 202 drives the pump motor 213 via the output port 204 and the motor drive unit 205 to execute recovery processing etc. for sucking and discharging the ink from the ten nozzles of the recording head.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image recording apparatus 1 when the stacking tray 70 is mounted. The stacking tray 70 is detachably attached to the lower part of the sheet discharge port 40 of the image recording apparatus 1 by a hooking portion (not shown).

  FIG. 5 is a side view of the recording apparatus 1 to which the stacking tray 70 is attached. The stacking tray 70 includes a tray portion 74 having a tray surface 73 inclined downward at an angle of 20 ° from the lower portion of the sheet discharge outlet 40, and the discharged sheet is recorded at the lower end of the tray surface 73. A leading end regulating member 71 that regulates the leading end in the transport direction of the medium P is provided. The reason why the tray surface 73 of the tray unit 74 is inclined is that when the discharged recording medium P is accumulated, the recording medium discharged next is rubbed against the recording surface of the recording medium discharged first. This is to suppress deterioration of the recording quality. The leading end regulating member 71 is provided rotatably with respect to the tray portion 74, and the leading end regulating member 71 is attached to the tray portion 74 via a hinge 72. The leading edge restricting member 71 includes a first restricting portion L1 connected to the tray portion 74 and a second restricting portion L2 connected to the first restricting portion L1. The second restricting portion L2 is provided at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the first restricting portion L1, and in the present embodiment, the angle θ = 130 °. The angle θ may be an obtuse angle within 130 °. The front end restricting member 71 can restrict the recording medium discharged in two states, and as shown in FIG. 5, the first state in which the first restricting portion L1 is erected, and the front end restricting member 71. Can be regulated, and the leading end of the recording medium P can be regulated in the second state in which the first regulating portion L1 is substantially horizontal. In the second state, it is possible to store the recording medium having a longer size (long length: 172 mm) in the transport direction than the size (short length: 91 mm long) of the recording medium that can be stored in the first state. It is.

  When the leading end regulating member 71 is in the first state, the height L3 of the combination of the first regulating portion L1 and the second regulating portion L2 is the height L7 at which the recording medium can be stacked on the supply tray 2 and Approximately equal to or greater than. In this way, all of the recording media supplied from the supply tray 2 can be stacked on the stacking tray 70. In the present embodiment, the height L3 is a height at which 250 business cards can be stacked. Similarly, the second restricting portion L2 has a height equal to or larger than the height at which the long recording medium P2 described later can be stacked on the supply tray 2.

  6A to 6C are side views showing the stacking tray 70 on which the recording medium is accumulated and the recording apparatus 1.

  When the leading end regulating member 71 is in the first state, the leading end of the recording medium (short length) P1 discharged by the first regulating portion L1 and the second regulating portion L2 is regulated (can be regulated). In the first state, at the initial stage of paper discharge, the recording medium P1 is supported by the tray surface 74 and restricted by the first restricting portion L1, and a predetermined number of recording media restricted by the first restricting portion L1 is accumulated . Thereafter, the leading end of the recording medium P1 is accumulated while being restricted by the second restriction part L2 (see FIG. 6A).

  When the leading end restricting member 71 is in the second state, the second restricting portion L2 restricts (can restrict) the end of the recording medium (long sheet) P2 discharged. When the recording medium P2 is discharged in the second state, the leading end of the recording medium P2 moves sliding on the first restricting portion L1, and stops moving in contact with the second restricting portion L2. At this time, the rear end of the recording medium P2 is supported in contact with the exterior cover surface 75 of the recording apparatus 1. That is, the recording medium P2 discharged to the first sheet in the second state is not supported by the tray surface 73, its front end is restricted by the second restricting portion L2, and its rear end is supported by the exterior cover surface 75. It is held in the The recording medium P2 discharged after the second sheet is sequentially accumulated on the recording medium P2 discharged at the first sheet (see FIG. 6B). In the present embodiment, in the position of the second restricting portion L2, the horizontal distance L4 from the exterior cover surface 75 of the image recording apparatus 1 to the second restricting portion L2 is set shorter than the length L5 of the recording medium (long) P2. And the angle γ from the horizontal when the recording medium P is stored is set to γ = 30 °. Since the length in the conveyance direction of the recording medium (long sheet) P2 is long, the stackability is secured by setting the angle more than in the first state.

  Also, assuming that the distance from the discharge port 40 to the second restricting portion L2 is L6, the relationship between the length L5 of the recording medium (long) P2 and the horizontal distance L4 is such that L4 <L5 <L6. Is configured.

  In the present embodiment, the loading state of the recording medium is set to two stages of the first state and the second state. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be set to more stages. For example, it may be configured to be able to switch between three states.

  As described above, the first restricting member 71 restricts the leading end of the short recording medium in the first state, and restricts the leading end of the long recording medium in the second state. It has a second regulation part different from the regulation part. Then, by changing the angle of the leading edge restricting member 71, the first state and the second state are switched to load the recording medium. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a loading tray which can be loaded with a reduced risk of damage due to scuffing and an image recording apparatus provided with the loading tray even when printing on recording media of different lengths in the transport direction. did it.

(Other embodiments)
The recording method of the recording apparatus 1 is not limited to the inkjet recording method using the recording head 10, and may be an electrophotographic method, a thermal transfer method, or the like. Further, the recording apparatus 1 is not limited to a so-called line type recording apparatus, and may be a so-called serial scan type or the like accompanied by a recording scan of the recording head in the main scanning direction and a conveyance operation of the recording medium.

Reference Signs List 1 recording apparatus 10 recording head 70 stacking tray 71 leading edge regulating member 73 tray surface 74 tray portion P recording medium P1 recording medium (short length)
P2 Recording medium (long)

Claims (5)

A tray unit having a tray surface on which the recording medium discharged from the discharge unit of the image forming apparatus is loaded;
The leading end regulating member may be attached to the downstream side of the ejection direction of the tray unit, which regulates the leading end position in the ejection direction when the recording medium is ejected from the image forming apparatus.
A first restricting portion attached to the tray portion; and a second restricting portion connected at an angle to the first restricting portion when viewed from the side with respect to the discharge direction;
It is possible to rotate between a first posture and a second posture in which the angle between the tray surface and the first restricting portion is larger than the first posture,
The tip position of the recording medium of the first size is regulated in the first posture, and the tip position of the recording medium of the second size longer in the discharge direction than the first size in the second posture A tip regulation member that regulates the
The tip regulating member can be stopped in the first attitude and the second attitude, and the recording of the first size is performed in a state in which the tip regulating member is stopped in the first attitude When the medium is discharged from the discharge unit, the leading end of the recording medium is discharged by the first restriction unit until the height of the discharged recording medium becomes the height of the connection position of the first restriction unit and the second restriction unit. While restricting the position, after exceeding the height of the connection position, the second restricting portion restricts the tip position;
When the recording medium of the second size is discharged from the discharge unit in a state in which the tip end restricting member is stopped in the second posture, the tips of the first to plural recording mediums to be discharged A loading tray characterized in that the position is regulated by the second regulating unit . When the leading end regulating member regulates the leading end position of the recording medium of the second size in the second posture, the trailing end of the recording medium in the ejection direction abuts on the image forming apparatus. A loading tray according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stacking tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an angle formed between the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion is 90 degrees or more and 130 degrees or less. A loading tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
A supply unit configured to supply the recording medium of the first size placed or the recording medium of the second size to the image forming apparatus;
Equipped with
The height of the recording medium whose tip position can be regulated by the tip regulating member in the first posture is higher than the height of the recording medium of the first size which can be placed on the supply unit.
The height of the recording medium whose tip position can be regulated by the tip regulating member in the second posture is higher than the height of the recording medium of the second size which can be placed on the supply unit. An image forming apparatus characterized by 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the stacking tray is detachably provided to the image forming apparatus.