JP7002016B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image recording device that records an image on a sheet, and more particularly to an image recording device that can record an image on both sides of the sheet.

Conventionally, an image recording device capable of recording an image on both sides of a sheet has been 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 sent out from the sheet supply unit is conveyed by a conveying roller to an image forming means 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 on which the image is recorded on the surface is switched back by the discharge roller on the downstream side of the image forming means. The switched back sheet reaches the transfer roller again via the sheet resupply transfer path provided below the image forming means. The image is recorded on the back surface of the sheet by the image forming means in the same manner as when the image is formed on the front surface. After that, the sheet on which the image is recorded on both sides is discharged to the discharge tray by the discharge roller.

The sheet resupply transport path is provided above the tray for accommodating the sheet, and is provided between the arm provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a predetermined rotation axis and the end of the arm. It is equipped with a seat supply roller that feeds out the seats stored in the tray by rotating.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-362766

An object of the present invention is to prevent the surface of the roller from being scratched.

The image recording apparatus of the present invention guides a recording unit that records an image on a sheet, a tray provided below the recording unit on which the sheet can be placed, and a sheet supplied from the tray to the recording unit. A first transport path, a rotatable arm, and a roller rotatably provided on the tip end side of the arm are provided, and the roller is in the first position and the second position above the first position. It is provided with a paper feed unit that can be rotated so as to move to and a guide member that forms a second transport path for guiding a sheet on which an image is recorded on one surface to the first transport path. The arm has a contact portion for preventing contact between the roller and the guide member by contacting the guide member in a state where the paper feed portion is moved to the second position, and the guide member has a contact portion. Is arranged above the arm, and the contact portion is provided on the upper surface of the arm.

It is possible to prevent the surface of the roller from coming into contact with the guide member and prevent the surface of the roller from being scratched.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction device 10 which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical 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 takes the first posture and the rotation guide member 70 takes the third posture. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feed unit 15 takes the second posture and the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feed unit 15 comes into contact with 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 feed unit 15 takes the fifth posture and the rotation guide member 70 takes the sixth posture. FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 of the modified example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It is needless to say that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the multifunction device 10 is usably installed (the state in FIG. 1), and the side in which the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front side) in the front-rear direction. 8 is defined, and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 is generally formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped, and an inkjet recording type printer unit 11 is provided at the lower portion. The multifunction device 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. As a printing function, it has a double-sided image recording function for recording an image on both sides of a recording paper. The presence or absence of a function other than the print function is arbitrary. The printer unit 11 has a casing (housing) 14 having an opening 13 formed in the front surface thereof, and a tray 20 on which recording papers of various sizes (an example of a sheet of the present invention) can be placed.
A paper cassette 78 provided with (an example of a tray of the present invention) can be inserted and removed from the opening 13 in the front-rear direction 8. An operation panel 17 is provided on the upper part of the front surface of the multifunction device 10. The operation panel 17 is a device for operating the printer unit 11. The multifunction device 10 operates based on the 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. 2. In addition, in FIG. 2,
The front side (right side of the paper) of the paper cassette 78 is not shown. The printer unit 11 picks up the recording paper from the tray 20 and feeds (feeds) the paper to the paper feeding unit 15 (an example of the paper feeding unit of the present invention) and the recording paper fed by the paper feeding unit 15 with ink. It is provided with an inkjet recording type recording unit 24 (an example of a recording unit of the present invention) for ejecting drops and recording an image on recording paper, a route switching unit 41, and the like. The recording unit 24 is not limited to the inkjet method, and various recording methods such as an electrophotographic method can be applied.

[Transport path 65]
Inside the printer unit 11, a transport path 65 is formed from the tip end (rear end portion) of the tray 20 to the paper ejection holding unit 79 via the recording unit 24. The transport path 65 is formed between a curved path 65A (an example of the first transport path of the present invention) formed between the tip of the tray 20 and the recording unit 24, and between the recording unit 24 and the paper ejection holding unit 79. It is classified into the output paper path 65B. Curved road 6
Reference numeral 5A is a curved passage 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 on the tray 20 to the recording unit 24.

The separation inclined plate 22 extends diagonally upward to the rear in the left-right direction 9 (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2) at the rear end of the tray 20. The angle between the separation inclined plate 22 and the sheet mounting surface on the tray 20 is an angle at which the recording paper mounted on the sheet mounting surface is smoothly guided to the curved path. For example, the angle between the separation inclined plate 22 and the seat mounting surface is half the angle between the straight line parallel to the seat mounting surface and the angle formed by the extended battle from the starting end 64 of the curved path 65A. Is set to. From the above, the separation inclined plate 22 is provided integrally with the tray 20 along the direction in which the recording paper is conveyed from the sheet mounting surface to the curved path 65A, and the angle formed by the sheet mounting surface and the curved path 65A is relaxed. Consists of an angle tilt.

The curved path 65A is generally formed in an arc shape centered on the inner side of the printer unit 11. The recording paper supplied 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 facing each other at predetermined intervals. That is, the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19
Is an example of the first guide member of the present invention. The outer guide member 18, the inner guide member 19, the upper guide member 82, the lower guide member 83, and the upper inclined guide member 3 which will be described later.
2. The lower inclined guide member 33 and the support member 43 all extend in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2 (left-right direction 9 in FIG. 1).

In this embodiment, the outer guide member 18 has a base shaft 84 as shown in FIG.
Rotates in the direction of arrow 85 about the center. The rotation is performed manually, for example, by the user of the multifunction device 10.

The paper discharge path 65B is a straight passage extending from the downstream side of the recording unit 24 toward the first transport to the paper discharge holding unit 79. Here, the first transport direction refers to the direction in which the recording paper is transported along the transport path 65 (the orientation indicated by the alternate long and short dash line with an arrow in FIG. 2).

A branch port 36 is formed on the downstream side of the recording unit 24 in the direction of the first transport. At the time of double-sided image recording, the recording paper conveyed through the paper ejection path 65B is switched back on the downstream side of the branch port 36 and directed toward the inverted transfer path 67 (an example of the second transport path of the present invention) described later. Will be transported.

[Recording unit 24]
The recording unit 24 is arranged above the tray 20. The recording unit 24 reciprocates in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface (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 is in the process of reciprocating in the main scanning direction.
Ink supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) is ejected from the nozzle 39 onto the recording paper conveyed on the platen 42. As a result, the image is recorded on the recording paper.

A first transfer roller 60 and a pinch roller 6 are located between the end of the curved path 65A and the recording unit 24.
1 is provided. The pinch roller 61 is first formed by an elastic member such as a spring (not shown).
It is pressed against the roller surface of the transport roller 60. First transport roller 60 and pinch roller 61
Holds the recording paper conveyed on the curved road 65A and sends it onto the platen 42. Further, 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. Like the pinch roller 61, the spur roller 63 is pressed against the roller surface of the second transfer roller 62. The second transfer roller 62 and the spur roller 63 hold the recording paper on which the image is recorded by the recording unit 24 and transfer it to the downstream side (paper ejection holding unit 79 side) facing the first transfer.

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

[Paper feed unit 15]
The paper feed 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 feed 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 of the present invention) and a paper feed roller 25.
It includes a paper feed arm 26 (an example of an arm of 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 the curved path 6
The paper is fed to 5A, and is rotatably supported by the tip of the paper feed arm 26. The paper feed roller 25 is rotationally driven when a rotational force is transmitted from an ASF (Auto Sheet Feed) motor (not shown), which is a drive source different from the transport motor, via a drive transmission mechanism 27. Drive transmission mechanism 2
Reference numeral 7 is pivotally supported by the paper feed arm 26, and is composed of a plurality of gears arranged substantially linearly.
The ASF motor is rotated in either forward or reverse rotation, and the paper feed roller 25 is rotated in the direction of feeding the recording paper to the curved path 65A by the rotation of the ASF motor.

The base end of the paper feed arm 26 is supported by the base shaft 28, and the paper feed arm 26 can rotate around the base shaft 28. Therefore, the paper feed arm 26 can move up and down so as to be in contact with and detach from the tray 20. Further, the paper feed arm 26 is rotationally urged in the direction of the arrow 29 in FIG. 2 by its own weight or by an elastic force of an elastic member such as a spring. Therefore, the paper feed roller 25 can be pressed against the upper surface of the recording paper housed in the tray 20. That is, in the paper feed unit 15, the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the surface of the tray 20 on which the recording paper is placed (corresponding to the sheet mounting surface of the present invention; hereinafter referred to as the sheet mounting surface). 1 posture (corresponding to the first posture of the present invention)
Take.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the paper feeding unit 15 is the upper surface of the tray 20 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 paper feed unit 15 is pushed upward by the separation inclined plate 22 in the process of inserting and removing the tray 20 from the multifunction device 10, so that the tray 20 is separated from the sheet mounting surface and retracted from the insertion / removal area of the tray 20. It is rotatable to the fifth posture (corresponding to the fifth posture of the present invention).

It should be noted that pushing the paper feed unit 15 is not limited to the separation inclined plate 22. For example, it may be the side wall 21 of the tray 20 (see FIG. 2), or it may be both the side wall 21 of the tray 20 and the separation inclined plate 22.

Further, as described above, the paper feed arm 26 is rotationally urged in the direction of the arrow 29 in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the paper feeding unit 15 is pressed against the frame 77 of the multifunction device 10 arranged below the tray 20 when the tray 20 is pulled out from the printer unit 11. That is, the paper feed unit 15 has 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 when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10.
It is rotatable to. From the 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 route switching unit 41 is arranged near the branch port 36 in the transport path 65. The route switching unit 41 includes a third transport roller 45, a spur roller 46, and a flap 4.
It is composed of 9.

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

The third transfer roller 45 is rotated in either the forward or reverse direction by transmitting the driving force in the forward / reverse rotation direction from the transfer 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 paper becomes the third transport roller 45 and the spur roller 4.
It is sandwiched between 6 and transported to the downstream side, and is discharged to the paper discharge holding unit 79. On the other hand, when double-sided recording is performed, the rotation direction of the third transport roller 45 is switched from normal rotation to reverse rotation with the third transport roller 45 and the spur roller 46 sandwiching the rear end portion of the recording paper.

A support shaft 87 extending in the vertical direction of the paper surface (9 in the left-right direction of FIG. 1) of FIG. 2 is provided on the frame of the printer unit 11 or the like. The flap 49 extends substantially downstream from the support shaft 87. The flap 49 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 87. An auxiliary roller 47 and an auxiliary roller 48 formed in a spur shape are pivotally supported by the flap 49.

The flap 49 is configured so that the posture can be changed, and the discharge posture (the posture shown by the broken line in FIG. 2) located above the lower guide member 83 and the extension end portion 49A are below the branch port 36. Rotates between the inverted posture (the posture shown by the solid line in FIG. 2) and the inverted posture (the posture shown by the solid line in FIG. 2). The recording paper that has passed through the recording unit 24 is further transported to the downstream side in the first transport direction when the flap 49 is in the discharge posture, and is switched back to the reverse transport path 67 when the flap 49 is in the reverse posture.

[Reversal transport path 67]
The reverse transfer path 67 guides the recording paper from the downstream side of the recording unit 24 in the transfer path 65 toward the first transfer to the upstream side of the first transfer roller 60 in the transfer path 65 toward the first transfer. The reverse transfer path 67 is branched from the paper discharge path 65B at the branch port 36, and the recording unit 24 and the paper feed arm 27 are branched.
It merges with the curved road 65A at the confluence 37 on the upstream side of the recording unit 24 in the direction of the first transport. The recording paper is conveyed along the reverse transfer path 67 in the second transfer direction. Here, the second transport direction refers to the direction indicated by the two-dot chain line with an arrow in FIG. From the above, the reversing transport path 67 is a curved path 6 for recording paper on which an image is recorded on at least one surface by the recording unit 24.
This is a route to guide you to 5A.

The reverse transport path 67 is divided into a first path 67A and a second path 67B. First route 67A
Is partitioned by an upper inclined guide member 32 having an inclined surface inclined backward and diagonally downward from the branch port 36 and a lower inclined guide member 33.

The second path 67B includes a rotation guide member 70 (an example of the second guide member of the present invention) rotatably supported in the directions shown by arrows 30 and 34 in FIGS. 5 and 6, and a frame of the printer unit 11. It is attached to and is partitioned by a support member 43 that supports the recording unit 24.

The reversing transport path 67 is provided with a fourth transport roller 68 and a spur roller 69. The spur roller 69 is pressed against the roller surface of the fourth transport roller 68 by its own weight or a spring. The fourth transport roller 68 rotates to transport the recording paper in the second transport direction. The fourth transfer roller 68 is rotationally driven by transmitting a rotational force from the transfer motor. Fourth
The direction of rotation of the transfer roller 68 is the direction in which the recording paper is conveyed in the second transfer direction.

[Rotating 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 dimensions in the vertical direction 7 are shorter than those in the front-rear direction 8 and the horizontal direction 9. The tip of the rotation guide member 70 (the end on the rear side) is curved diagonally upward. As a result, the reversing transport path 67 and the curved path 65A form a substantially arcuate path, and the recording paper conveyed on the reversing transport path 67 is smoothly guided to the curved path 65A.

The base end portion (front end portion) of the rotation guide member 70 is supported by the base shaft 73 of the paper feed unit 15, and the rotation guide member 70 can rotate around 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 able to approach and separate from the recording unit 24.

The rotation guide member 70 is closer to the recording unit 24 side than the third posture (corresponding to the third posture of the present invention) forming at least a part of the inverted transport path 67 by rotating. The sixth posture (corresponding to the sixth posture of the present invention) and the fourth posture that is farther from the recording unit 24 side than the third posture.
It is possible to take a posture (corresponding to the fourth posture of the present invention).

In the third posture, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface of the rotation guide member 70 is the support member 4.
It is a posture that keeps a predetermined distance between 3 and the recording paper. The rotation guide member 70 is the third
When in the posture, the rotation guide member 70 is supported by the side wall 21 of the tray 20.
The side wall 21 of the tray 20 is erected along the front-rear direction 8 from both ends of the bottom plate on which the recording paper is placed in the left-right direction 9. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper end of the side wall 21 of the tray 20 is shown by a broken line. In the present embodiment, the support member 80 is projected from the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70, and the support member 80 and the side wall 21 are brought into contact with each other so that the rotation guide member 70 has the side wall 2.
It is supported by 1. In addition, in FIGS. 4 to 6, the illustration of the side wall 21 is omitted.

In the sixth posture, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the paper feed unit 15, so that the upper surface of the rotation guide member 70 approaches the vicinity of the support member 43. be. The fourth posture is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10.
Since the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 is no longer supported by the side wall 21 of the tray 20, the rotation guide member 70 follows the rotation of the paper feed unit 15 to the second posture, and the frame 77 of the multifunction device 10 It is a posture that approaches to the upper vicinity of.

[Hole 71]
The surface on which the recording paper of the rotation guide member 70 is conveyed (corresponding to the sheet transfer surface of the present invention;
It is referred to as the sheet transport surface. ) Is provided with an opening 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, a position where at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 (for example, the roller surface above the paper feed arm 26 of the paper feed roller 25) abuts on the rotation guide member 70. Is provided with a first hole 71 (an example of the first opening of the present invention).

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 paper feed roller 25 and / or the paper feed arm 2
A second hole (mainly, at a position where at least a part of 6 (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) abuts on the rotation guide member 70. An example of the second opening of the invention) is provided.

In this 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 may take the rotation guide member depending on whether the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture or the third posture. The position of contact with 70 may be different. In that case, the first hole and the second hole are provided separately. Hereinafter, the 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, at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 in the second posture penetrates the sheet of the rotation guide member 70 in the state where the rotation guide member 70 is in the fourth posture. It protrudes upward from the transport surface. Further, in the state where the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture, at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 rotated in the fifth posture penetrates and the rotation guide member 7
It protrudes upward from the sheet transport surface of 0.

[Protrusion 72]
As shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion 72 is provided on the upper surface of the paper feed arm 26 in the vicinity of 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 feed 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 feed arm 26 as long as the contact between the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and the rotation guide member 70 due to the rotation of the paper feed unit 15 can be prevented.

[Plate-shaped member 75]
As shown in FIG. 3, the base shaft 74 is provided at a position near the end of the hole 71 on the base shaft 73 side on the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70. Further, a plate-shaped member 75 having substantially the same shape as the hole 71.
(An example of the opening / closing member of the present invention) is provided at a position to close the hole 71. The plate-shaped member 75 is
The base end portion is supported by the base shaft 74, and is rotatable around the base shaft 74.

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

In the above description based on FIGS. 3 and 6, a case where the plate-shaped member 75 is provided in a configuration in which only the paper feed roller 25 penetrates the hole 71 has been described. However, the plate-shaped member 75 is
It may be provided when not only the paper feed roller 25 but also at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 including the paper feed arm 26 penetrates the hole 71. In this case, the plate-shaped member 75 is configured to be able to change its posture to a position where at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 including the paper feed arm 26 penetrates and a position where the hole 71 is opened.

The plate-shaped member 75 is not limited to the one whose posture changes between the position where the hole 71 is closed and the position where the hole 71 is opened by being rotated. For example, the plate-shaped member 75 may change its posture by sliding in parallel with the sheet transport 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 of the rotation guide member 70 (the surface opposite to the sheet transport surface). As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 76 is provided at a portion located at the lowermost position when the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture. Then, when the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture,
The elastic member 76 is in contact with the frame 77 of the multifunction device 10. Other than FIG. 4, the elastic member 76 is not shown.

[Rotation of the paper feed unit 15 and the rotation guide member 70]
As shown in FIG. 3, when the process of recording an image on the recording paper is being executed, the paper feed unit 15 is in the first posture, and the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture. .. In the process in which the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10 when the above process is not executed, the rotation guide member 70 is interlocked with the rotation of the paper feed unit 15 from the first posture to the fifth posture. It is rotated from the third posture to the sixth posture. After that, when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10, the paper feeding unit 15 is rotated from the fifth posture to the second posture, and the rotation guide member 70 is rotated from the sixth posture to the fourth posture.

It 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 paper feed arm 26 is prevented from contacting the inner side surface 23 of the separation inclined plate 22 with the paper feed roller 25. Is rotated upward by the tray 20, and the paper feed roller 25 is also rotated upward accordingly. Therefore, the paper feed 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-shaped member 75.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, when the tray 20 is further moved forward and the paper feed roller 25 is further rotated upward (see the arrow 30 in FIG. 5), the plate-shaped member 75
Is pushed upward by the paper feed roller 25 and rotates upward (see arrow 31 in FIG. 5). Further, the protrusion 72 abuts on the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70. In this state, the paper feed roller 25
Further upwards (see arrow 34 in FIG. 6), the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the protrusion 72 and rotates upward integrally with the paper feed unit 15 (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 feed unit 15 to the fifth posture. ..

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

In FIG. 6, the paper feed 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 the broken line. As is clear from FIG. 6, the paper feed unit 15
Pushes the rotation guide member 70 upward to take a third posture in the region where the rotation guide member 70, which had previously taken the fifth posture, was present. That is, the region for the paper feed unit 15 to take the fifth posture and the region for the rotation guide member 70 to take the third posture overlap.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the paper feed arm 26 of the paper feed unit 15 in the fifth posture is substantially parallel to the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70 in the sixth posture in its longitudinal direction (front-back direction 8). It is arranged so as to be.

In the state of FIG. 6, when the tray 20 is completely pulled out from the multifunction device 10, the paper feed unit 15
Is not supported by the tray 20 and the separation inclined plate 22. Then, the paper feed 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 mounting surface of the tray 20 that has existed until then.

[Effect of embodiment]
The rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10. As a result, the space between the recording unit 24 and the rotation guide member 70 becomes large. therefore,
Since the outer guide member 18 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the multifunction device 10, even if the recording paper is jammed in the rotation guide member 70, the recording paper can be easily taken out. However, when the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture as described above, access to the paper feed roller 25 is hindered by the rotation guide member 70.

However, according to the above-described embodiment, the rotation guide member 70 is provided with a hole 71. Then, when the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture, at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 penetrates the hole 71 and protrudes upward from the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70. As a result, access to the paper feed roller 25 is not obstructed by the rotation guide member 70. Therefore, the paper feed roller 25 can be easily cleaned.

When the tray 20 is inserted and removed from the multifunction device 10, if the paper feed unit 15 hits both 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 multifunction device 10 may be configured so that the paper feed unit 15 retracts above the tray 20 when the tray 20 is inserted or removed. 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 device 10 is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feeding unit 15 is required inside the multifunction device 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 with respect to the multifunction device 10, at least one of the paper feed units 15 The portion penetrates the hole 71 and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70. As a result, the space for retracting the paper feed unit 15 can be shared with the space above the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit 15.

If the surface of the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the rotation guide member 70, the surface of the paper feed roller 25 may be damaged. However, in the above-described embodiment, the paper feed roller 2 is provided by the protrusion 72.
Contact between the surface of 5 and the rotation guide member 70 can be prevented. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 72 serves as a stopper for preventing the surface of the paper feed roller 25 from coming into contact with the rotation guide member 70, while turning 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, the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and the rotation guide member 7
The structure in which the mechanism for preventing contact with 0 is arranged in the multifunction device 10 is compared with the structure in which the mechanism for preventing contact with 0 is provided separately from the mechanism for rotating the rotation guide member 70 in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feed unit 15. The number of elements can be reduced. As a result, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized.

In the above-described embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the paper feed arm 26 and the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70 are parallel to each other. As a result, the distance between the paper feed arm 26 and the rotation guide member 70 can be reduced. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized.

If the rotation guide member 70 is provided with the holes 71, the recording paper may be caught in the holes 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 to the hole 71 on the sheet transport surface. As such a member,
For example, there is a convex portion provided along the periphery of the hole 71. However, the provision of the convex portion increases the thickness of the rotation guide member 70. As a result, the size of the multifunction device 10 is increased. Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the plate-shaped member 75 that closes the hole 71 is provided in a state where the recording paper is conveyed through the reverse transfer path 67. As a result, the rotation guide member 7
It is possible to reduce the possibility that the recording paper is caught in the hole 71 and is clogged without increasing the thickness of 0.

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

When the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 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 housing or the like constituting the bottom surface of the multifunction device 10 located below the tray 20 and make a loud noise. However, in the above-described embodiment, the elastic member 76 alleviates the impact at the time of contact between the rotation guide member 70 and the landing surface. As a result, the sound when the rotation guide member 70 comes into contact with the landing surface can be reduced.

[Modification 1 of the 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, not the protrusion 72, comes into contact with the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70. Then, in this state, when the paper feed unit 15 further rotates upward, the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the paper feed arm 26 and rotates upward integrally with the paper feed unit 15.

In the present embodiment, the rotation guide member 70 is arranged in the space existing between itself and the recording unit 24 by taking the sixth posture. Therefore, the paper feed unit 15 can exist in the space where the rotation guide member 70 has existed until then. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit 15.

[Modification 2 of the embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, as a member constituting at least a part of the inverted transport path 67,
The case where the rotatable rotation guide member 70 is provided in the multifunction device 10 has been described. However, the member constituting at least a part of the reverse transfer path 67 may be a fixed member that is not rotated. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the lower side of the reversing transport path 67 may be composed of only a non-rotating lower guide member 33 (an example of the second guide member according to claim 10 of the present invention). In this case, the reversing transport path 67 is the upper guide member 32 and the support member 43 arranged on the upper side.
And the lower guide member 33 arranged on the lower side.

In such a configuration, the paper feed unit 15 has a first posture in which the paper feed roller 25 abuts on the sheet mounting surface of the tray 20 (corresponding to the first posture of claim 10 of the present invention. Corresponds to the shown posture) and the seventh posture (corresponding to the second posture of claim 10 of the present invention) separated from the seat mounting surface.
It is rotatable in the posture shown by the solid line in FIG. 7. The rotation is performed in the same manner as the rotation from the first posture to the fifth posture in the above-described embodiment. Further, the lower guide member 33
At least a part of the paper feed unit 15 rotated in the seventh posture penetrates through the surface on which the recording paper is conveyed (corresponding to the sheet transfer surface according to claim 10 of the present invention), and the lower guide member 33 A third hole 81 (an example of the third opening according to claim 10 of the present invention) is provided so as to project upward from the upper surface of the paper.
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 device 10, the paper feed unit 15 is inserted into the tray 20.
If it hits the side plate of the tray 20, the tray 20 cannot be inserted or removed properly. In order to solve such a problem, the multifunction device 10 may be configured so that the paper feed unit 15 retracts above the tray 20 when the tray 20 is inserted or removed. In the present embodiment, the paper feed unit 15 is the tray 20.
It is possible to take the seventh posture higher. However, when the multifunction device 10 is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feeding unit 15 is required inside the multifunction device 10. As a result, the multifunction device 10 becomes large.

However, also in this embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment, the space for retracting the paper feed unit 15 can be shared with the space above the sheet transport surface of the lower guide member 33. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit 15.

10: Multifunction device 15: Paper feed unit 20: Tray 22: Separation inclined plate 24: Recording unit 70: Rotation guide member 71: Hole 72: Projection 75: Plate-shaped member 76: Elastic member

Claims (8)

A recording unit that records images on a sheet,
A tray provided below the recording unit on which a sheet can be placed,
A first transport path for guiding the sheet fed from the tray to the recording unit, and
It is provided with a rotatable arm and a roller rotatably provided on the tip end side of the arm, and the roller can be rotated so as to move to a first position and a second position above the first position. Paper feed section and
A guide member for forming a second transport path for guiding the sheet on which an image is recorded to the first transport path is provided on one surface.
The arm has a contact portion for preventing contact between the roller and the guide member by abutting with the guide member in a state where the paper feed portion is moved to the second position.
The guide member is arranged above the arm and is placed above the arm.
The contact portion is an image recording device provided on the upper surface of the arm. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is a protrusion provided on the arm. 7. Image recording device. The image recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the paper feeding unit further includes a plurality of gears that transmit a rotational force from a motor to the rollers. The image recording device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of gears are pivotally supported by the arm. In the guide member, the upstream side of the guide member is located above the upper end of the rotation base end of the arm of the paper feed section in the transport direction of the sheet transported through the second transport path, and the downstream side is the supply. The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is located below the upper end of the rotation base end of the arm of the paper portion. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is provided at a position between the rotation shaft of the roller and the rotation shaft of the arm. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is provided in a portion of the upper surface of the arm in the vicinity of the roller.

Images