JP7188125B2 - Media ejection device and media processing device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medium ejecting device for ejecting a medium and a media processing apparatus including the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Some media processing devices that process media include a media discharge device that discharges media to a media receiving tray, and are configured to stack processed media on the media receiving tray. Note that the medium receiving tray may be referred to as an ejection or paper ejection tray, an ejection or paper ejection stacker, or the like. Media processing devices include, for example, recording devices typified by printers and image reading devices typified by scanners.

For example, if a printer, which is an example of a media processing device, can print media of multiple sizes, the medium receiving tray must have a length corresponding to the maximum printable size of the printer. If the size of the media receiving tray is set to a fixed size that corresponds to the maximum size of media that can be printed on the printer, the size of the device will increase. may have been.

For example, FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a medium receiving tray is expanded and contracted by a tray length adjustment device as a drive system driven by a motor or the like. Further, in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1, the medium receiving tray is pulled by a spring in a contracting direction, and is pushed by the ejected medium to extend against the spring force. An arrangement is disclosed in which the media receiving tray is automatically shortened by spring force when media is removed from the tray.

JP 2003-095515 A

However, some users prefer to adjust the length of the media receiving tray arbitrarily rather than automatically. As in the medium receiving tray disclosed in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, in a configuration in which the length is changed by a tray length adjusting device operated by a motor, the medium receiving tray is manually operated without driving the motor. However, if the drive system is connected to the medium receiving tray, the manual operation of moving the medium receiving tray may feel heavy.
Further, in the configuration for shortening the medium receiving tray by spring force disclosed in FIG. 2 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200312, it is not considered that the user can manually set the medium receiving tray to an arbitrary length.

A medium ejection device of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is a medium ejection device that is capable of displacing an ejection portion for ejecting a medium, a first receiving portion, a retracted position, and an advanced position located downstream of the retracted position in the medium ejection direction. 2 receivers, and is movable between a medium receiver for receiving the medium discharged by the discharger, a first position, and a second position located downstream of the first position in the medium discharge direction. and presses the second receiving portion toward the advanced position by coming into contact with the second receiving portion as it moves from the first position toward the second position. a moving member that is pushed by the second receiving portion to move to the first position as it is displaced to the retracted position; a pressing member that presses the moving member toward the second position; and a restricting means capable of switching between a restricted state of restricting the movement of the moving member in the direction toward the second position against pressure and a restricted state of canceling the restricted state. do.

1 is an external perspective view of a printer including a medium ejection device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a printer according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the medium receiving section removed from the apparatus main body; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus main body from which the medium receiving section is removed; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the second receiving portion of the medium receiving portion is at the advanced position; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the second receiving portion of the medium receiving portion is at the advanced position and the auxiliary receiving portion is standing; FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a cross-section taken along line CC in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a schematic side cross-sectional view for explaining displacement accompanying movement of the moving member of the second receiving portion; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the medium receiving portion with the upper unit removed, showing a state in which the second receiving portion is positioned at the retracted position; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the medium receiving portion with the upper unit removed, showing a state in which the second receiving portion is pushed by the moving member and displaced to the advanced position; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the medium receiving portion with the upper unit removed, showing a state in which the second receiving portion is displaced to the advanced position by receiving an external force from other than the moving member; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the medium receiving portion with the lower unit removed and showing a state in which the second receiving portion is positioned at the retracted position; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the medium receiving portion with the lower unit removed, showing a state in which the second receiving portion is pushed by the moving member and displaced to the advanced position; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the medium receiving portion with the lower unit removed, showing a state in which the second receiving portion is displaced to the advanced position by receiving an external force from other than the moving member; Enlarged side cross-sectional view of the periphery of the restricting means. FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of FIG. 9; FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of FIG. 10; The perspective view which looked at FIG. 16 from another angle. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a moving member in a regulated state by a regulating means; FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the movement of the second receiving portion that is displaced by the passive advance operation; The figure explaining the example of a change of a control means. 4 is a flowchart for explaining control by a control unit; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a first modification of the buffer mechanism, and is a perspective view showing a case where the moving member is in a regulated state by the regulating means; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a first modification of the buffer mechanism, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the moving member has moved from the retracted position toward the advanced position; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a first modification of the buffer mechanism, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the moving member has moved further from the retracted position toward the advanced position; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the first modification of the buffer mechanism, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the moving member has moved to the advanced position; The figure explaining the 2nd example of a change of a buffer mechanism. The figure explaining the 3rd modification of a buffer mechanism.

The present invention will be briefly described below.
A medium ejection device according to a first aspect includes an ejection portion that ejects a medium, a first receiving portion, and a second receiver that is displaceable between a retracted position and an advanced position located downstream of the retracted position in the medium ejection direction. a medium receiving portion configured to receive the medium discharged by the discharging portion; and a first position and a second position located downstream of the first position in the medium discharging direction. and presses the second receiving portion toward the advanced position by coming into contact with the second receiving portion as it moves from the first position toward the second position, and the retracted position of the second receiving portion. a moving member that moves to the first position by being pushed by the second receiving portion along with the displacement to; a pressing member that presses the moving member toward the second position; and a regulating means capable of switching between a regulated state for regulating the movement of the moving member in the direction toward the second position and a regulated state for canceling the regulated state.

According to this aspect, the second receiving portion is pressed toward the advanced position by the moving member, and the movement of the moving member can be restricted by the restricting means. When the movement of the moving member is restricted, the second receiving portion can be moved toward the advanced position by a user's operation without being affected by the pressing force of the moving member, and can be stopped at a predetermined position. That is, when the second receiving portion is displaced by a user's operation, it is not subjected to a load from a drive mechanism connected to a motor or the like, and can be stopped at a predetermined position by a user's operation.
With the above configuration, it is possible to improve the usability of the medium ejection device for the user.

According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, a medium length acquiring means for acquiring the length of the medium ejected by the ejecting section; and a restricting means control unit for switching to the restriction release state.

According to this aspect, since the second receiving portion is displaced from the retracted position to the advanced position according to the length of the medium without user operation, the user forgets to operate the second receiving portion. It is possible to suppress the problem that the ejected medium falls from the medium receiving portion due to the above.

According to a third aspect, in the first aspect or the second aspect, the moving member contacts a contacted portion provided on the second receiving portion when moving toward the second position. It is characterized by comprising a contact portion.

According to this aspect, the moving member includes the abutting portion that abuts on the abutted portion provided on the second receiving portion when moving toward the second position. The second receiving portion can be reliably displaced in the advancing direction by pushing the second receiving portion with the moving member that moves toward.

According to a fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the second receiving portion is arranged downstream of the moving member in the medium ejection direction when the moving member is at the first position. and the moving member includes a contact portion that generates frictional resistance with the second receiving portion.

According to this aspect, when the second receiving portion moves downstream in the medium ejection direction with respect to the moving member when the moving member is at the first position, the moving member and the second receiving portion Frictional resistance can be generated between the second receiving portion and the second receiving portion to prevent the second receiving portion from vigorously sliding and moving with respect to the moving member. Also, the second receiving portion can be easily stopped at any position in the medium ejection direction with respect to the moving member.

According to a fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, an apparatus main body section including the discharge section and the medium receiving section is provided, and the medium receiving section is detachable from the apparatus main body section. It is characterized by:

According to this aspect, the medium receiving section is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body. Therefore, for example, when the medium receiving section is not used, the medium receiving section can be removed, and the medium ejection device can be installed in a space-saving manner. can do.

According to a sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, a cushioning mechanism for reducing a moving speed of the second receiving portion that is pressed by the moving member and moves from the retracted position to the advanced position. characterized by comprising

When the second receiving portion receives the pressing force of the pressing member via the moving member and is displaced in the advance direction, there is a possibility that the second receiving portion may advance in the advance direction.
According to this aspect, since the cushioning mechanism is provided to reduce the moving speed of the second receiving portion that is pushed by the moving member and moves from the retracted position to the advanced position, the second receiving portion is prevented from moving during the automatic advancing operation. 2 receiving portion can be slowly displaced to the advanced position.

In a seventh aspect based on the sixth aspect, a plurality of the damping mechanisms are provided side by side in the moving direction of the second receiving portion, and the damping mechanism is provided in parallel with the movement of the second receiving portion from the retracted position toward the advanced position. , the number of the buffering mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion is changed.

According to this aspect, as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion changes. The degree of dampening can be varied while the part moves from the retracted position towards the extended position. Accordingly, the advancing speed of the second receiving portion can be adjusted.

According to an eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion decreases as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position. ,
It is characterized by

If the cushioning action of the cushioning mechanism is small, the action of decelerating the displacement speed of the second receiving portion is insufficient, and the second receiving portion may jump out with force immediately after the start of advancing. On the other hand, if the cushioning mechanism has a large cushioning effect, it is possible to suppress the projection of the second receiving portion at the start of advance. There is a possibility that the advance of the second receiving portion will not be completed.

According to this aspect, as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the number of the buffering mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion decreases. The cushioning action can be reduced as the portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position.
Therefore, it is possible to suppress the protrusion of the second receiving portion immediately after the start of the advance, and to avoid the possibility that the advance of the second receiving portion is not completed due to excessive cushioning action.

A ninth aspect is the seventh aspect, wherein the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion decreases as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position. It is characterized by increasing afterward.

According to this aspect, as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion decreases and then increases. Along with the movement of the second receiving portion from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the cushioning action can be reduced once and then increased again.

By temporarily reducing the cushioning action of the cushioning mechanism as the second receiving portion advances, it is possible to suppress the jumping out of the second receiving portion immediately after the start of advancement of the second receiving portion, and to prevent the second receiving portion from It is possible to realize both avoidance of the possibility that the advancement of the vehicle is not completed.

Furthermore, since the damping action of the damping mechanism, which has been reduced once, is increased again, it is possible to suppress collision noise and vibration caused by the second receiving portion reaching the advanced position with vigor.

In a tenth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion increases as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position. , characterized in that

According to this aspect, as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion increases. As the portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the cushioning action can be increased.
Therefore, after the second receiving portion starts to advance, the action of the buffer mechanism is reduced for a while to move the second receiving portion at a high speed, and when the second receiving portion approaches the advanced position, the By increasing the action of the buffer mechanism, it is possible to suppress impact noise and vibration caused by the second receiving portion reaching the advanced position with vigor.

According to an eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the restricting means has a first restricting state in which the moving member is restricted at the first position, and a first restricting state in which the moving member is restricted at the first position. and a second restriction state in which restriction is performed at a downstream position closer to the second position than the second restriction state.

According to this aspect, the restricting means includes a first restricting state in which the moving member is restricted at the first position, and a second restricting state in which the moving member is restricted at a downstream position closer to the second position than the first position. Since it is configured to be switchable between the two restricted states, it is possible to select the advancing position of the second receiving portion from two positions with different advancing amounts in the automatic advancing operation.

A medium processing apparatus according to a twelfth aspect comprises a processing unit that processes a medium, and the medium ejection according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects that ejects the medium processed by the processing unit. and a device.

According to this aspect, in the medium processing device including the processing unit that processes a medium and the medium ejection device that ejects the medium processed by the processing unit, the medium processing device according to any of the first to eleventh aspects The same effect can be obtained with either one.

A thirteenth aspect is the medium processing apparatus according to the twelfth aspect, wherein the recording apparatus includes a recording section that performs recording processing on the medium as the processing section.
According to this aspect, in the recording apparatus including the recording unit that performs recording on the medium as the processing unit, the same effects as those of the twelfth aspect can be obtained.

[First embodiment]
A recording apparatus, which is an example of a medium processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. An inkjet printer 1 will be described as an example of a recording apparatus. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 1 will simply be referred to as the printer 1 .
In the XYZ coordinate system shown in each figure, the X direction is the device width direction, the Y direction is the device depth direction, and the Z direction is the device height direction. The +Y direction side is the front side of the device, and the -Y direction side is the rear side of the device. Also, the left side as viewed from the front of the device is the +X direction, and the right side is the -X direction. Also, the +Z direction is called upward, and the -Z direction side is called downward. Also, the direction in which the medium is transported in the printer 1 is called "downstream", and the opposite direction is called "upstream".

<<<Printer overview>>>
An overview of the printer 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.
The printer 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an apparatus main body 2 internally provided with a recording head 10 serving as a "recording section" for performing recording processing on a medium, and a scanner section 3 provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 2. It is configured. The recording head 10 is also an example of a "processing unit" that processes a medium.
The printer 1 includes a recording head 10 and a medium ejecting device 30 that ejects a medium after recording processing by the recording head 10 .

The recording head 10 is mounted on a carriage 11 that can move in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction of the apparatus. configured as a head.
Media on which recording is performed by the printer 1 include recording paper such as plain paper, thin paper, thick paper, and coated paper such as photo paper.

The above-described scanner section 3 is provided on the upper portion of the device main body section 2 of this embodiment, and the printer 1 is configured as a multi-function device having not only a recording function but also a scanning function for reading an original. An operation unit 4 for operating the printer 1 including a scanner unit 3 is provided on the front surface of the printer 1 . The operation unit 4 is configured to be capable of inputting setting information such as the size of the medium or the document, the type of paper, etc., as well as instructing the start and stop of the recording operation and the reading operation. Input information input through the operation unit 4 is sent to the control unit 21 shown in FIG. 2, and various operations in the printer 1 are controlled.

The printer 1 includes a medium housing section 5 provided in the lower portion of the apparatus main body section 2 and capable of housing a medium for executing printing. The medium containing section 5 can be pulled out in the +Y direction, which is the front of the device, to contain the medium. In addition, a medium setting section 6 is provided in the upper rear portion of the printer 1, in which a medium for executing recording can be set. A reference numeral 7 denotes a paper support 7 that supports the medium set in the medium setting section 6 .
In the printer 1 , the medium supplied toward the recording head 10 is sent from either the medium containing section 5 or the medium setting section 6 .
After the recording process has been performed by the recording head 10 provided inside the apparatus main body 2 , the medium is ejected from the apparatus main body 2 by the medium ejecting device 30 . A medium receiving portion 31 for receiving a medium ejected from the device main body 2 is provided on the front surface of the device main body 2 .
In the following, after a detailed description of the medium transport path in the printer 1, the configuration of the medium receiving section 31 provided in the medium discharge device 30 will be described in detail.

<<<Medium Conveyance Path in Printer>>>
A medium transport path in the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 2 , the dashed line indicated by symbol T1 indicates the medium transport path from the medium container 5. As shown in FIG. Hereinafter, this route will be referred to as medium transport route T1. A dashed-dotted line indicated by symbol T2 indicates a medium transport path from the medium setting section 6. As shown in FIG. This route is called a medium transport route T2.
First, the medium transport path T1 will be described.

In FIG. 2 , reference P denotes a bundle of media P set in a medium container 5 provided in the lower portion of the apparatus main body 2 . A pickup roller 12, a feed roller 13, and a separation roller 14 are provided above the medium storage unit 5 in the -Y direction.
Among the media P stored in the medium storage unit 5 , the uppermost medium is picked up by the pickup roller 12 and sent out toward the reversing roller 15 . When the pickup roller 12 picks up a plurality of media, the media are separated into one by the feed roller 13 and the separation roller 14 .

The reversing roller 15 is a roller that conveys the medium P while reversing it on its outer peripheral surface. The medium P is reversed by the reversing roller 15 and sent toward the feed roller 16 located downstream in a state in which the surface facing upward in the medium storage section 5 faces downward. It is sent to roller pair 17 .

The transport roller pair 17 is provided upstream of the recording head 10 in the medium transport direction. The medium P is sent to a region facing the recording head 10 by the transport roller pair 17 . A medium supporting member 20 that supports the medium P is provided below the recording head 10 , that is, in a region facing the recording head 10 . Ink is ejected from the recording head 10 onto the medium P passing below the recording head 10 while being supported by the medium support member 20 to perform recording processing.

The printer 1 is provided with a liquid container (not shown) containing ink to be supplied to the recording head 10, and the ink is supplied to the recording head 10 from the liquid container through a tube (not shown). It has become. In addition, the medium support member 20 can be provided with a suction mechanism that suctions the medium P onto the support surface of the medium support member 20 . For the adsorption mechanism, for example, suction adsorption or electrostatic adsorption can be used.

The printer 1 includes a medium ejection device 30 that ejects the medium P after recording processing by the recording head 10 . The medium ejection device 30 is provided downstream of the recording head 10 in the medium transport direction, and includes a first ejection roller pair 18, a second ejection roller pair 19, and a second ejection roller pair 19 serving as an "ejection unit" for ejecting the medium P. and a medium receiving portion 31 for receiving the medium P ejected by.
After the recording process, the medium P is sent downstream by the first discharge roller pair 18 and the second discharge roller pair 19 and stacked on the medium receiving section 31 . It should be noted that only the second discharge roller pair 19 immediately upstream of the medium receiving section 31 can be regarded as the "discharge section".

The medium transport path T2 along which the medium set in the medium setting section 6 is transported joins the medium transport path T1 at the junction G, and thereafter the medium transport path T1 is transported, and the recording process by the recording head 10 is performed. After being separated, the medium is discharged to the medium receiving section 31 by the first discharge roller pair 18 and the second discharge roller pair 19 .
The printer 1 is configured to be capable of performing so-called double-sided recording, in which the medium P after recording on the first surface is reversed and recording is also performed on the second surface opposite to the first surface. It is In the present embodiment, description of the reversing path for reversing the medium P after the recording process on the first surface of the medium P is omitted.

Here, the printer 1 can print on media P of multiple sizes, and the medium ejection device 30 is configured to be able to change the length of the medium receiving section 31 in the medium transport direction (Y-axis direction). ing. The medium ejection device 30 will be described in more detail below.

<<<About the media ejection device>>>
As shown in FIG. 2, the medium ejection device 30 includes the first ejection roller pair 18 and the second ejection roller pair 19, the medium receiving section 31, and the first ejection roller pair 18 and the second ejection roller pair 19. A medium length obtaining means 35 for obtaining the length of the medium P to be ejected is provided. As an example of the medium length acquisition unit 35, the operation unit 4 capable of inputting information on setting the size of the medium P can be used.
The first ejection roller pair 18 , the second ejection roller pair 19 , and the medium receiving section 31 are provided in the apparatus main body section 2 .

<<<Removing and removing the medium receiving section from the main body of the apparatus>>>
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the medium receiving section 31 is configured to be detachable from the device main body section 2 . 3 shows the medium receiving portion 31 removed from the device main body 2, and FIG. 4 shows the device main body 2 from which the medium receiving portion 31 has been removed.
4, a plurality of mounting portions 23 are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction of the device. An attached portion 36 attached to the attaching portion 23 (FIG. 4) is provided at the -Y direction end portion of the medium receiving portion 31 shown in FIG. A plurality of attached portions 36 are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction, which is the device width direction, so as to correspond to the attaching portions 23 .
By fitting the attached portion 36 (FIG. 3) of the medium receiving portion 31 to the attaching portion 23 (FIG. 4) of the device main body 2, the medium receiving portion 31 is attached to the device main body 2 as shown in FIG. After being attached, the medium P ejected from the printer 1 can be received by the medium receiving section 31 .

Since the medium receiving section 31 is detachable from the apparatus main body 2, the installation space of the printer 1 can be reduced by removing the medium receiving section 31 when the medium receiving section 31 is not used. Further, when the medium receiving portion 31 is removed as shown in FIG. 4, the medium containing space of the medium containing portion 5 is exposed, so that the medium containing portion 5 can be replenished with the medium simply by pulling out the medium containing portion 5 slightly. .

<<<About the configuration of the medium receiving unit>>>
The medium receiving portion 31 shown in FIG. 3 includes a first receiving portion 32 and a second receiving portion 33 . The attached portion 36 is provided at the end of the first receiving portion 32 in the -Y direction, and in the state of the printer 1 shown in FIG. The relative position of the first receiving portion 32 with respect to is fixed.

The second receiving portion 33 is configured to be able to move back and forth in the Y-axis direction with respect to the first receiving portion 32 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , the second receiving portion 33 has a tip in the +Y direction, which is the direction of discharge by the first discharge roller pair 18 and the second discharge roller pair 19 . A retracted position A1 arranged at a close position and, as shown in FIG. It is configured to be displaceable between. As shown in FIG. 7, the second receiving portion 33 includes second receiving portion guide portions 38, 38 on both sides in the width direction (X-axis direction). Guided by second receiving portion guide rails 82 , 82 fixed in the first receiving portion 32 , it advances and retreats in the Y-axis direction.
In each figure, the retracted position A1 and the advanced position A2 of the second receiving portion 33 are shown with reference to the position of the tip of the second receiving portion 33 in the +Y direction.

In the present embodiment, the retracted position A1 (FIG. 1) of the second receiving portion 33 is a position where the tip of the first receiving portion 32 and the tip of the second receiving portion 33 are at the same position. The advanced position A2 ( FIG. 5 ) of the second receiving portion 33 is a position where the tip of the second receiving portion 33 has advanced in the +Y direction from the tip of the first receiving portion 32 .

Further, an auxiliary receiving portion 34 is provided at the tip of the second receiving portion 33 shown in FIG. The auxiliary receiving portion 34 has a rotating shaft 34a in the +Y direction and is configured to be rotatable with an end portion 34b as a free end. and a state in which the end portion 34b is a free end and is rotated around the rotation shaft 34a as shown in FIG. It is configured to be switchable between a state and a state.

By placing the auxiliary receiving portion 34 in the upright state shown in FIG. 6, for example, it is possible to prevent the medium P discharged to the medium receiving portion 31 from being placed protruding in the +Y direction. Also, when a plurality of media P are placed on the medium receiving portion 31, the leading end positions of the media P can be aligned.
The auxiliary receiving portion 34 can be placed in an upright state even when the second receiving portion 33 is positioned at the retracted position A1 shown in FIG.

As described above, the medium receiving portion 31 includes the first receiving portion 32 fixed to the device main body portion 2 and the second receiving portion 33 capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the first receiving portion 32. , the length of the medium receiving portion 31 in the ejection direction can be changed.
Here, the medium ejecting device 30 automatically displaces the second receiving portion 33 from the retracted position A1 to the advanced position A2 according to the size of the medium P, and the passive advance operation manually performed by the user. It is configured so that it can be performed both in operation and A displacement mechanism for displacing the second receiving portion 33 from the retracted position A1 to the advanced position A2 will be described below.

<<<Regarding the Displacement Mechanism of the Second Receiving Part>>>
In the medium receiving section 31 shown in FIG. 3, the first receiving section 32 is formed by combining an upper unit 32a forming a mounting surface for the medium P and a lower unit 32b provided in the upper unit 32a. 2 receiving part 33 is accommodated in the space between the upper unit 32a and the lower unit 32b, as shown in FIG. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the upper unit 32a of the first receiving portion 32 is removed from the medium receiving portion 31 in which the second receiving portion 33 is positioned at the retracted position A1. 9 to 11 show the medium receiving portion 31 with the upper unit 32a of the first receiving portion 32 removed.

The displacement mechanism for displacing the second receiving portion 33 from the retracted position A1 to the advanced position A2 includes a moving member 40, a pressing member 50, and restricting means 60, as shown in FIG. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the lower unit 32b of the first receiving portion 32 is removed from the medium receiving portion 31 in which the second receiving portion 33 is positioned at the retracted position A1. 12 to 14 show the medium receiving portion 31 with the lower unit 32b of the first receiving portion 32 removed.

<About moving parts>
The moving member 40 is located at a first position B1 shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 8 and downstream of the first position B1 in the medium ejection direction of the second receiving section 33, that is, in the +Y direction, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. and a second position B2. As the moving member 40 moves from the first position B1 toward the second position B2, the moving member 40 comes into contact with the second receiving portion 33 and presses the second receiving portion 33 toward the advanced position A2. Along with the displacement to the retracted position A1, it is pushed by the second receiving portion 33 and moves to the first position B1.
In FIG. 8, the first position B1 and the second position B2 of the moving member 40 are shown with reference to the position of the tip of the moving member 40 in the +Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the moving member 40 includes moving member guide portions 45, 45 on both sides in the width direction (X-axis direction). Guided by moving member guide rails 81, 81 arranged inside the rails 82, 82, it moves in the Y-axis direction. The second receiving portion 33 and the moving member 40 are guided by separate guide rails (second receiving portion guide rails 82, 82 and moving member guide rails 81, 81).

More specifically, when the moving member 40 moves toward the second position B2, that is, when moving from the upper diagram to the lower diagram in FIG. A contact portion 41 that contacts the portion 37 is provided. The contact portion 41 is positioned immediately behind the contacted portion 37 of the second receiving portion 33 positioned at the retracted position A1 at the first position B1 shown in the upper diagram of FIG.
When the moving member 40 is moved toward the second position B2, the contact portion 41 of the moving member 40 contacts the contacted portion 37 of the second receiving portion 33, and the moving member 40 moves integrally with the second receiving portion 33. . That is, the second receiving portion 33 can be pushed from behind by the moving member 40 moving toward the second position B2 to displace the second receiving portion 33 in the advance direction. When the moving member 40 moves to the second position B2, the second receiving portion 33 is displaced to the advanced position A2.
The moving member 40 is moved from the first position B<b>1 to the second position B<b>2 by the pressing force of the pressing member 50 .

<Regarding the pressing member>
The pressing member 50 presses the moving member 40 toward the second position B2 shown in the lower diagram of FIG. In this embodiment, a torsion coil spring is used as the pressing member 50 . As shown in FIG. 7, the pressing member 50 is provided on the coil shaft 51 and attached to the lower unit 32b side. Gears 52 , 52 are provided at both ends of the coil shaft 51 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the gears 52, 52 mesh with rack portions 44, 44 provided on the lower surface of the moving member 40, and the pressing force of the pressing member 50 moves through the gears 52, 52. It is transmitted to member 40 .

The pressing member 50 applies a predetermined pressing force to the moving member 40 while the moving member 40 is positioned at the first position B1 shown in FIG. When the moving member 40 is positioned at the first position B1, the later-described restricting means 60 restricts movement of the moving member 40 toward the second position B2 against the pressing force of the pressing member 50. is doing.
When the restriction by the restricting means 60 is released, the pressing force of the pressing member 50 causes the moving member 40 to move to the second position B2 as shown in FIG.

<regulatory measures>
As shown in FIG. 12, the restricting means 60 is provided behind (-Y direction) the moving member 40 positioned at the first position B1. The restricting means 60 has a restricting state (FIG. 12) in which movement of the moving member 40 toward the second position B2 against the pressing force of the pressing member 50 is restricted, and a restriction release state (FIG. 12) in which the restricting state is released. 13) can be switched between.

The restricting means 60 has a hook portion 61 (see also FIG. 15), and the hook portion 61 is provided on a rotating shaft 62 . The rotating shaft 62 is supported by a bearing 63 (see FIG. 10) of the lower unit 32b. By rotating the rotating shaft 62, the restriction state and the restriction release state of the restriction means 60 are switched. In the regulated state of the regulating means 60, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 15, the hook portion 61 is hooked on the hole portion 43 of the projecting portion 42 provided at the rear end of the moving member 40, and the moving member 40 moves in the +Y direction. is regulated. 15, the hook portion 61 is disengaged from the hole portion 43 and the movement restriction of the moving member 40 is released. When the restriction of movement of the moving member 40 in the +Y direction by the restricting means 60 is released, the moving member 40 moves to the second position B2 as shown in FIG. It is moved to the advance position A2.

Rotation of the rotation shaft 62 is performed by a drive mechanism 70 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 . The drive mechanism 70 is provided in the apparatus main body 2, which is not shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the driving mechanism 70 is arranged on the +X side of the medium receiving section 31 . 16 and 17 are enlarged views of the periphery of the drive mechanism 70 in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG.
The rotating shaft 62 is pressed by a pressing means (not shown) in a direction in which the hook portion 61 (restricting means 60) rotates from the deregulated state indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 15 toward the restricted state indicated by the solid line. FIG. 16 corresponds to FIG. 9 and is a diagram when the hook portion 61 is in the restricted state. A lever 64 is provided at the end of the rotating shaft 62 in the +X direction. there is

The cam gear 71 rotates around a rotating shaft 72 by power of a motor 75 shown in FIG. When the cam gear 71 rotates in the direction of arrow D as shown in FIG. 17, the lever contact portion 71a of the cam gear 71 pushes up the lever 64, thereby causing the rotating shaft 62 to resist the pressing force of the pressing means (not shown). to rotate in the direction of arrow E (see also FIG. 15). As a result, the hook portion 61 can be changed from the regulated state to the regulated state. The drive mechanism 70 is controlled by the controller 21 shown in FIG. 2, thereby controlling the operation of the restricting means 60 . That is, in the present embodiment, the control section 21 is a "restriction means control section" that controls the operation of the restriction means 60 .

The drive mechanism 70 shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 includes a first gear 74 attached to the rotating shaft of a motor 75 (FIG. 18) and a second gear 73 arranged between the first gear 74 and the cam gear 71. It has A motor 75 shown in FIG. 18 is configured such that the phase of rotation is detected by a scale 76 and an encoder 77 .

The drive mechanism 70 also includes a cam detector 78 that detects the attitude of the cam gear 71, as shown in FIG. As an example of the cam detector 78, an optical sensor can be used. As shown in FIG. 16, when the cam gear 71 covers the cam detecting portion 78 and the cam gear 71 is detected by the cam detecting portion 78, the cam gear 71 assumes a posture in which the lever contact portion 71a is separated from the lever 64. 17, when the cam gear 71 is no longer detected by the cam detecting portion 78, the cam gear 71 takes a posture in which the lever contact portion 71a pushes the lever 64 upward.
By detecting the posture of the cam gear 71 by the cam detection section 78, it is possible to detect that the lever 64 is pushed up and the hook section 61 (regulating means 60) is released from the regulation. The second receiving portion 33 displaced by the moving member 40, the pressing member 50, and the restricting means 60 as described above is automatically displaced to the advance position A2 according to the length of the medium P discharged to the medium receiving portion 31. can be made

Further, in the medium ejection device 30, when the length of the medium P obtained by the operation section 4 (FIG. 2) as the medium length obtaining means 35 is equal to or greater than a predetermined length, the control section 21 (restriction means control section) controls the restriction The restriction of the means 60 is released, and the pressing force of the pressing member 50 moves the moving member 40 to the second position B2 and displaces the second receiving portion 33 to the advanced position A2. The operation of displacing the second receiving portion 33 to the advanced position A2 in accordance with the movement of the moving member 40 to the second position B2 is hereinafter referred to as "automatic advance operation".
Based on information about the size of the medium P input from the operation unit 4, the control unit 21 controls the drive mechanism 70 (FIG. 9) according to the size of the medium P to set the regulation state of the regulation means 60 (the solid line in FIG. 15). ) and the regulation released state (dotted line in FIG. 15), the length of the medium receiving portion 31 can be changed according to the size of the medium P discharged from the medium discharging device 30 .

The medium length acquisition unit 35 uses the control unit 21 that acquires the setting input by the operation unit 4. For example, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to obtain the length of the medium P to be processed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the second receiving portion 33 is arranged in front of the moving member 40 (in the +Y direction), and has a second receiving portion guide portion separate from the moving member guide rails 81, 81. 38, 38 are guided by second receiving portion guide rails 82, 82 and can move forward and backward in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the second receiving portion 33 is operated, for example, by hand to leave the moving member 40 whose movement is restricted by the restricting means 60 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 14 at the first position B1. It can be displaced from the retracted position A1 to the advanced position A2.
That is, the second receiving portion 33 can be displaced to the advanced position A2 independently of the moving member 40 by applying an external force to the second receiving portion 33 . In addition, the operation in which the second receiving portion 33 receives an external force from other than the moving member 40 and is displaced to the advanced position A2 is hereinafter referred to as a "passive advance operation".

Since a drive system such as a motor is not directly connected to the second receiving part 33, the user can easily operate the second receiving part 33 in a "passive advancing operation" by hand and have a good operational feeling. be able to.

Control by the control unit 21 will be described with reference to FIG. 22 . The control unit 21 acquires the length of the medium P from the medium length acquiring unit 35 (the operation unit 4) in step S1. In step S2, it is determined whether or not the length of the acquired medium P is equal to or greater than a predetermined length. If the length of the medium P is equal to or longer than the predetermined length, that is, if YES in step S2, the process advances to step S3, and the regulating means 60 is brought into the regulating state so that the moving member 40 pushes the medium P to the second medium P. The receiving portion 33 is displaced to the advanced position A2. On the other hand, if the length of the medium P is shorter than the predetermined length, that is, if NO in step S2, the process proceeds to step S4, and the regulating means 60 is kept in the regulated state. By the above control, the "automatic advance operation" of displacing the second receiving portion 33 to the advance position A2 according to the length of the medium P can be performed.

With the configuration of the medium ejection device 30 described above, both the "automatic advance operation" automatically performed according to the size of the medium P and the "passive advance operation" manually performed by the user can be realized with good operability. can be done. Therefore, the user-friendliness of the medium ejection device 30 can be improved.
In this embodiment, the movement of the second receiving portion 33 from the advanced position A2 to the retracted position A1 is performed by applying an external force to the second receiving portion 33 in the -Y direction. As shown in FIG. 13, when the second receiving portion 33 is displaced to the advanced position A2 by the "automatic advancing operation", the moving member 40 is also moved to the first position integrally with the second receiving portion 33 returning to the retracted position A1. Returned to B1. As shown in FIG. 14, when the second receiving portion 33 is displaced to the advanced position A2 by the "passive advancing operation", only the second receiving portion 33 is returned to the retracted position A1.

<<<Other Configurations of the Medium Ejecting Device>>>
The medium ejection device 30 can be provided with a buffer mechanism 53 (FIGS. 7 and 12) that reduces the displacement speed of the second receiving portion 33 displaced to the advanced position A2 by the "automatic advance operation". The buffer mechanism 53 may be called a damper. In this embodiment, as the buffer mechanism 53, a friction clutch that is connected to the gear 52 to reduce the rotational speed of the gear 52 is used.
Since the buffer mechanism 53 is provided, the second receiving portion 33 can be slowly displaced in the advancing direction during the automatic advance operation of displacing the second receiving portion 33 by the pressing force of the pressing member 50 .

In the present embodiment, the inclination of the second receiving portion 33 is slightly larger than the inclination of the first receiving portion 32 and the inclination of the second receiving portion 33 . As a result, for example, even in a state where the auxiliary receiving portion 34 is not erected, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the medium P will jump out in the ejection direction due to the momentum of the ejection. Therefore, the stackability of the medium P in the medium receiving portion 31 can be improved.

Further, in order to perform the above-described "passive advancing operation", the second receiving portion 33 is configured to be movable downstream in the medium ejection direction with respect to the moving member 40 when the moving member 40 is at the first position B1. ing. The moving member 40 includes a contact portion 40a that generates frictional resistance with the second receiving portion 33, as shown in FIG. The lower surface 91 (FIG. 14) of the second receiving portion 33 slides in the advance direction against the contact portion 40a on the upper surface side of the moving member 40 positioned at the first position B1 with its movement restricted by the restricting means 60, and advances. Displace toward position A2. A contact portion 40 a of the moving member 40 is positioned below the second receiving portion 33 .

By providing the contact portion 40a, when the second receiving portion 33 moves downstream in the medium ejection direction with respect to the moving member 40 at the first position B1, there is a contact between the moving member 40 and the second receiving portion 33. Frictional resistance is generated to suppress the second receiving portion 33 from vigorously sliding and moving with respect to the moving member 40 .

Further, since the second receiving portion 33 and the moving member 40 are inclined upward in the advance direction, the second receiving portion 33 advanced by the "passive advance operation" does not stop at a desired position, There is a possibility that it will fall in the retraction direction due to its own weight.
In the present embodiment, the frictional resistance between the moving member 40 and the second receiving portion 33 is large enough to stop the second receiving portion 33 at any position in the advance direction due to the frictional resistance between the second receiving portion 33 and the contact portion 40a. It is made

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the contact portion 40a of the moving member 40 is provided with a leaf spring 83 that generates a pressing force in a direction toward the second receiving portion 33 that slides on the contact portion 40a. is provided (see also the middle figure in FIG. 20). Since the contact portion 40a is provided with the leaf spring 83 that presses the second receiving portion 33, the frictional resistance between the contact portion 40a and the second receiving portion 33 is increased, and the advanced second receiving portion 33 is pushed forward. It is possible to reduce the risk that the body will fall in the retraction direction due to its own weight. In addition, the advance amount of the second receiving portion 33 can be arbitrarily adjusted.

In this embodiment, a plurality of leaf springs 83 are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction, but one leaf spring may be provided, for example, at the central portion in the width direction. In addition to the number of leaf springs 83, the contact area of each leaf spring 83 with respect to the second receiving portion 33 can also be changed.

A peak portion 84 is provided at the tip of the leaf spring 83 . On the other hand, a first stepped portion 92 is provided at the lower portion of the second receiving portion 33 to receive the peak portion 84 when the second receiving portion 33 is at the retracted position A1 shown in the upper diagram of FIG. The first stepped portion 92 is lowered by one step from the lower surface 91 that is in sliding contact with the contact portion 40a. At the retracted position A1 (upper view of FIG. 20) of the second receiving portion 33, the peak portion 84 of the leaf spring 83 is fitted in the first stepped portion 92, thereby preventing the second receiving portion 33 from retracting from the retracted position A1. Unintentional displacement can be suppressed. Further, when the second receiving portion 33 is completely displaced from the advanced position A2 (lower drawing in FIG. 20) to the retracted position A1, a feeling that the peak portion 84 is fitted into the first stepped portion 92 is obtained as a click feeling. Therefore, the second receiving portion 33 can be reliably displaced to the retracted position A1.

A second stepped portion 93 is provided at the lower portion of the second receiving portion 33 to receive the peak portion 84 when the second receiving portion 33 is at the advanced position A2 shown in the lower drawing of FIG. The second stepped portion 93 is also lowered by one step from the lower surface 91 that is in sliding contact with the contact portion 40a. At the advance position A2 of the second receiving portion 33 (lower diagram in FIG. 20), the peak portion 84 of the leaf spring 83 is fitted in the second stepped portion 93, so that the second receiving portion 33 is retracted from the advance position A2 in the retracting direction. can be suppressed. Further, when the displacement of the second receiving portion 33 to the advanced position A2 is completed, a click feeling is obtained as the peak portion 84 is fitted into the second stepped portion 93. The displacement to A2 can be reliably performed.

The plate spring 83 can be attached by retrofitting the plate spring 83 formed of a metal material to the moving member 40 formed of a resin material, for example. It is also possible to integrally mold the moving member 40 with a resin material.

<Example of change in regulatory measures>
A restriction means 60A, which is a modified example of the restriction means 60, will be described with reference to FIG.
21, the restricting means 60A restricts the moving member 40 at the first position B1, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. and a second restriction state in which restriction is performed at a downstream position B3 closer to the second position B2 than the second restriction state.

60 A of control means are provided with the 1st hook part 61A and the 2nd hook part 61B formed in two steps. The first hook portion 61A has a shape corresponding to the hook portion 61 shown in FIG. 15, and as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. , the moving member 40 is positioned at the first position B1.

The second hook portion 61B is provided at a position farther from the rotation shaft 62A than the first hook portion 61A. As shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 21, when the rotary shaft 62A is slightly rotated in the direction of arrow E, the first hook portion 61A is disengaged from the hole portion 43, and the restriction on the movement of the moving member 40 by the first hook portion 61A is released. and the moving member 40 moves in the +Y direction. The moving member 40 moves slightly in the +Y direction, but when the hole 43 is hooked with the second hook portion 61B, the movement of the moving member 40 in the +Y direction is restricted. With this configuration, the moving member 40 can be restricted at the downstream position B3 closer to the second position B2 than the first position B1.

As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 21, when the rotating shaft 62A is further rotated in the direction of arrow E, the second hook portion 61B is disengaged from the hole portion 43, and the moving member 40 moves to the second position B2.
As described above, by using the regulating means 60A having the first hook portion 61A and the second hook portion 61B formed in two stages, the moving member 40 is moved between the first position B1 and the second position B2. can be stopped in position. Therefore, in the "automatic advance operation", the second receiving portion 33 (not shown in FIG. 21) can be advanced step by step. The number of steps of the hook portion is not limited to two steps, and may of course be three steps or more.

It should be noted that it is also possible to configure such that whether or not to execute the "automatic advance operation" can be set by inputting through the operation unit 4. FIG. When the medium P is ejected in a mode in which the "automatic advance operation" is not executed, and the length of the medium P obtained by the medium length obtaining means 35 is equal to or greater than a predetermined length, for example, the "automatic An alert should be issued to inform the user that the size is such that "advance operation" is performed. At that time, it is also possible to select again whether or not to execute the "automatic advance operation".
Further, the medium ejection device 30 may be provided with tray position detection means for detecting the position of the second receiving portion 33 .

Moreover, the pressing member 50 is not limited to a configuration using a torsion coil spring, and for example, a compression spring that expands and contracts in the moving direction of the moving member 40 can also be used.

<Example of change in buffer mechanism>
As modifications of the buffer mechanism 53 shown in FIGS. 7, 12 and 13, first to third modifications will be described below.
23 to 26, the second modification shown in FIG. 27, and the third modification shown in FIG. A plurality of cushioning mechanisms 53 are arranged in the axial direction and act on the second receiving portion 33 as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 (FIG. 23) toward the advanced position A2 (FIG. 26). is configured to vary the number of

When a torsion coil spring is used as the pressing member 50 as in this embodiment, the second receiving portion 33 is displaced from the advanced position A2 (FIG. 26) to the retracted position A1 (FIG. 23), and the moving member 40 is moved to the first position. A torsion coil spring is wound when moving from the second position B2 (FIG. 26) to the first position B1 (FIG. 23). When the restriction of the moving member 40 by the hook portion 61 of the restricting means 60 is released, the winding force of the torsion coil spring as the pressing member 50 is released, and the pressing force is applied to the moving member 40 . Here, the pressing force by the torsion coil spring is the largest immediately after the entrainment force is released, and gradually converges and becomes smaller.

Therefore, when one buffer mechanism 53 is provided as shown in FIGS. 7, 12 and 13, if the deceleration torque of the buffer mechanism 53 is small, the buffer effect, that is, the displacement speed of the second receiving portion 33 is reduced. There is a possibility that the second receiving portion 33 may jump out vigorously immediately after the advance.
On the other hand, if the deceleration torque of the cushioning mechanism 53 is large, the cushioning effect will be large, so it is possible to suppress the second receiving portion 33 from popping out at the start of advancing. There is a possibility that the advance of the second receiving portion 33 will not be completed until the medium is ejected.

Since the number of damping mechanisms 53 acting on the second receiving portion 33 changes as the second receiving portion 33 advances, the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 to the advanced position A2. It is possible to change the degree of the cushioning action received by the second receiving portion 33 while moving toward the Accordingly, the advancing speed of the second receiving portion 33 can be adjusted. Hereinafter, the first modification, the second modification, and the third modification will be described in detail in this order.

First, a first modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 to 26. FIG.
In the first modification, the number of buffer mechanisms 53 acting on the second receiving portion 33 increases as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 (FIG. 23) toward the advanced position A2 (FIG. 26). Decrease.

As shown in FIG. 23, the first modification includes two cushioning mechanisms 53A and 53B. The buffer mechanism 53A is a gear damper that is connected to the outer gear 54 that rotates coaxially with the gear 52 to reduce the rotational speed of the gear 52 . The damping mechanism 53B is a gear damper that is connected to the rack portion 44 on the -X direction side and reduces the moving speed of the moving member 40. As shown in FIG. The cushioning mechanism 53B is provided in the lower unit 32b with a space from the cushioning mechanism 53A in the Y-axis direction.
The cushioning mechanism 53A and the cushioning mechanism 53B are configured to rotate while generating a predetermined torque in the rotational direction when force is applied in the rotational direction when the moving member 40 moves in the +Y direction.

The second receiving portion 33 advances in the +Y direction from the retracted position A1 (FIG. 23), and as shown in FIG. Now, the second receiving portion 33 receives the cushioning action of both the cushioning mechanism 53A and the cushioning mechanism 53B.

When the second receiving portion 33 further advances in the +Y direction, the cushioning mechanism 53B is disengaged from the rack portion 44 as shown in FIG. Therefore, after this point, the cushioning action of the cushioning mechanism 53B does not act on the second receiving portion 33 . The second receiving portion 33 advances from the position shown in FIG. 25 to the advanced position A2 shown in FIG. 26 while receiving only the cushioning action of the cushioning mechanism 53A.

The increase or decrease in the number of buffer mechanisms 53 corresponds to the magnitude of the buffer effect. In other words, when the number of cushioning mechanisms 53 is reduced, the cushioning action received by the second receiving portion 33 is reduced.
As in the first modification, the number of damping mechanisms 53 acting on the second receiving portion 33 decreases as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 toward the advanced position A2. It is possible to achieve a configuration in which the cushioning action is reduced while the second receiving portion 33 moves in the +Y direction, which is the advancing direction.

That is, when the regulating state (FIG. 23) by the regulating means 60 has just been changed from the regulated state (FIG. 23) to the regulated released state (FIG. 24) and the pressing force of the pressing member 50 is large, the two buffer mechanisms 53A and 53B provide a large buffering effect. It can be applied to the second receiving portion 33 to suppress the second receiving portion 33 from jumping out at high speed.
In addition, when the torsion coil spring as the pressing member 50 is unwound and the pressing force of the pressing member 50 becomes small, only the buffer mechanism 53A acts on the movement of the second receiving portion 33. The second receiving portion 33 can be moved to the advanced position A2 without decelerating the second receiving portion 33 too much.
Therefore, the moving speed of the second receiving portion 33 from the retracted position A1 to the advanced position A2 can be stabilized.

The number of cushioning mechanisms 53 is not limited to two, and three or more may be provided. For example, a buffering mechanism (not shown) connected to the rack portion 44 can be provided between the buffering mechanism 53A and the buffering mechanism 53B. As a result, the cushioning action of the cushioning mechanism 53 can be reduced in stages.

Next, a second modification will be described with reference to FIG.
In the second modification, the number of buffer mechanisms 53 acting on the second receiving portion 33 increases as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 toward the advanced position A2.

As shown in the left and right diagrams of FIG. 27, the second modification includes two damping mechanisms 53A and 53C. 53 A of buffer mechanisms are the same structures as the 1st modification. The damping mechanism 53C is a gear damper that is connected to the rack portion 44 on the -X direction side to reduce the moving speed of the moving member 40, and is connected to the rack portion 44 as shown in the right diagram of FIG. , and a state in which it is not connected to the rack portion 44 as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 27, can be switched. 53 C of buffer mechanisms are arrange|positioned in the position adjacent to 53 A of buffer mechanisms in a Y-axis direction, and are provided in the lower unit 32b.
The buffer mechanism 53C is also configured to rotate while generating a predetermined torque in the rotational direction when force is applied in the rotational direction when the moving member 40 moves in the +Y direction.

In the second modified example, when the second receiving portion 33 advances in the +Y direction from the retracted position A1 (left view in FIG. 27), the buffer mechanism 53C is in a state of not being connected to the rack portion 44. Immediately after the second receiving portion 33 starts advancing in the +Y direction from the retracted position A1, the second receiving portion 33 receives the cushioning action only from the cushioning mechanism 53A.

When the second receiving portion 33 advances to a predetermined position between the retracted position A1 and the advanced position A2, the buffering mechanism 53C is connected to the rack portion 44, and thereafter the second receiving portion 33 is connected to the buffering mechanism 53A and the buffering mechanism. Under the cushioning action of both 53C, it advances to advanced position A2 shown in the right diagram of FIG.
The connection and disconnection of the buffer mechanism 53C with the rack portion 44 is switched by, for example, a drive source such as a motor or a solenoid. It can be configured such that switching is performed when the portion 33 has advanced to a predetermined position.

With the above configuration, as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 toward the advanced position A2, the number of the buffering mechanisms 53 acting on the second receiving portion 33 increases, thereby increasing the buffering effect. It is possible to realize a configuration that
By increasing the cushioning action of the cushioning mechanism 53 as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 toward the advanced position A2, the cushioning mechanism 53 does not act for a while after the movement of the second receiving portion 33 starts. The second receiving part 33 is moved at a reduced speed and at a high speed, and when the second receiving part 33 approaches the advanced position A2, the action of the buffer mechanism 53 is increased, and the second receiving part 33 reaches the advanced position A2 vigorously. It is possible to suppress collision noise and vibration caused by

Next, a third modification will be described with reference to FIG. 28 .
In the third modification, the number of buffer mechanisms 53 acting on the second receiving portion 33 decreases and then increases as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 toward the advanced position A2.

The buffer mechanism 53 of the third modified example is configured to include a buffer mechanism 53A and a buffer mechanism 53C similar to those of the second modified example.
In the third modification, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 28, when the second receiving portion 33 starts advancing in the +Y direction from the retracted position A1, the buffer mechanism 53C is in a state of being connected with the rack portion 44. ing.

When the second receiving portion 33 advances to a predetermined position between the retracted position A1 and the advanced position A2, the buffer mechanism 53C is brought into a non-connected state with the rack portion 44 as shown in the right diagram of FIG. After this, the second receiving portion 33 advances while receiving a cushioning action only from the cushioning mechanism 53A.

Then, although illustration is omitted, when the second receiving portion 33 advances further and reaches just before the advanced position A2, the buffer mechanism 53C is connected to the rack portion 44 again. Thereafter, the second receiving portion 33 advances to the advanced position A2 while receiving the cushioning action of both the cushioning mechanism 53A and the cushioning mechanism 53C.
In the third modified example as well, switching between coupling and non-coupling of the buffer mechanism 53C with the rack portion 44 is performed by a drive source such as a motor or solenoid as an example. It is possible to provide such a switch when the second receiving portion 33 has advanced to a predetermined position.

With the above configuration, the number of damping mechanisms 53 acting on the second receiving portion 33 is decreased and then increased as the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 toward the advanced position A2, Therefore, it is possible to achieve a configuration in which the buffering action temporarily decreases while the second receiving portion 33 moves from the retracted position A1 to the advanced position A2, and then increases again.

In the third modification, immediately after the regulated state by the regulating means 60 (the left view in FIG. 28) is released, and the pressing force of the pressing member 50 (torsion coil spring) is large, the two shock absorbing mechanisms 53A and the buffering mechanism 53C provide the second receiving portion 33 with a buffering action, thereby suppressing the second receiving portion 33 from jumping out at high speed.
On the other hand, when the torsion coil spring as the pressing member 50 is unwound and the pressing force of the pressing member 50 becomes small, only the buffer mechanism 53A acts on the second receiving portion 33, so that the second receiving portion The second receiving portion 33 can be moved toward the advanced position A2 without decelerating the portion 33 too much.

Furthermore, immediately before the second receiving portion 33 reaches the advanced position A2, the second receiving portion 33 receives the action of both the buffer mechanisms 53A and 53C again, so that the second receiving portion 33 moves to the advanced position A2. Collision sounds and vibrations due to frequent arrival can be suppressed.
In the first to third modifications, the cushioning mechanism 53B can also be attached to the +X direction side rack portion 44, for example.

27 and 28, the damping mechanism 53C of the second modification and the third modification is shown to be displaced in the X-axis direction in order to make it easier to understand the disconnected state with the rack portion 44. , and Z-axis direction to switch between a connected state and a non-connected state with the rack portion 44 .

From another point of view, the medium ejection device 30 can be regarded as a device obtained by omitting the recording function from the printer 1 . Alternatively, even if the printer 1 has a recording function, the printer 1 itself can be regarded as the medium ejection device 30 from the viewpoint of medium ejection.

In the above, a printer is described as an example of a medium processing apparatus, but a scanner that performs image reading processing on a medium, for example, can also be used in the same manner.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, which are also included in the scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Inkjet printer (medium processing apparatus, recording apparatus), 2... Device main body, 3... Scanner part, 4... Operation part, 5... Medium storage part, 6... Medium setting part, 7... Paper support, 10... Recording head ( Processing unit, recording unit), 11 Carriage 12 Pickup roller 13 Feeding roller 14 Separating roller 15 Reversing roller 16 Feeding roller 17 Conveying roller pair 18 First ejection roller pair (ejection section) 19 second ejection roller pair (ejection section) 20 medium support member 21 control section 22 medium sensor 23 mounting section 30 medium ejection device 31 medium receiving section 32 First receiving portion 33 Second receiving portion 34 Auxiliary receiving portion 35 Medium length obtaining means 36 Attached portion 37 Abutted portion 38 Second receiving portion guide portion DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40... Moving member 40a... Contact part 41... Contact part 42... Overhang part 43... Hole part 44... Rack part 45... Moving member guide part 50... Pressing member 51... Coil shaft 52 Gears 53, 53A, 53B, 53C Buffer mechanism 60 Regulation means 61 Hook portion 62 Rotating shaft 63 Bearing 64 Lever 70 Drive mechanism 71 Cam gear 71a Lever contact portion 72 Rotation shaft 73 Second gear 74 First gear 75 Motor 76 Scale 77 Encoder 78 Cam detector 81 Moving member guide rail 82 Third 2 Receiving portion guide rail, T1...Medium conveying path, T2...Medium conveying path, G...Merge portion, A1...Retreat position, A2...Advance position

Claims (13)

a discharge unit for discharging the medium;
a medium receiving portion including a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion displaceable between a retracted position and an advanced position located downstream of the retracted position in the medium ejection direction, and receiving the medium ejected by the ejecting portion; ,
A first position and a second position located downstream of the first position in the medium ejection direction, and are configured to be movable between the first position and the second position along with the movement from the first position toward the second position. The second receiving portion is pressed toward the advanced position by coming into contact with the receiving portion, and pushed by the second receiving portion to the first position as the second receiving portion is displaced to the retracted position. a moving member that moves;
a pressing member that presses the moving member toward the second position;
a regulating means capable of switching between a regulated state of regulating the movement of the moving member in the direction toward the second position against the pressing force of the pressing member and a regulated release state of canceling the regulated state; prepare
A medium ejection device characterized by: 2. The medium ejection device according to claim 1, wherein a medium length acquisition unit acquires the length of the medium ejected by the ejection unit;
a restriction means control unit that switches the restriction means to the restriction release state when the length of the medium is equal to or greater than a predetermined length;
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to claim 1 or 2,
The moving member includes a contact portion that contacts a contacted portion provided on the second receiving portion when moving toward the second position.
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
the second receiving portion is movable downstream in the medium ejection direction with respect to the moving member when the moving member is at the first position;
The moving member includes a contact portion that generates frictional resistance with the second receiving portion,
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An apparatus main body section including the discharge section and the medium receiving section,
The medium receiving section is configured to be detachable from the device main body,
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A buffer mechanism that reduces the moving speed of the second receiving portion that is pressed by the moving member and moves from the retracted position to the advanced position,
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to claim 6,
A plurality of the buffer mechanisms are provided side by side in the moving direction of the second receiving portion, and act on the second receiving portion as the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position. the number of buffering mechanisms varies;
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to claim 7,
As the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion decreases.
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to claim 7,
As the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion decreases and then increases.
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to claim 7,
As the second receiving portion moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position, the number of the buffer mechanisms acting on the second receiving portion increases.
A medium ejection device characterized by: In the medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The restricting means has a first restricting state in which the moving member is restricted at the first position and a second restricting state in which the moving member is restricted at a downstream position closer to the second position than the first position. configured to be switchable,
A medium ejection device characterized by: a processing unit for processing a medium;
A medium processing apparatus, comprising: the medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, which ejects the medium after being processed by the processing unit. 13. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the recording apparatus includes a recording section that performs recording processing on the medium as the processing section.

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