JP7375851B2 - Sheet conveyance device and image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device having an operation panel.

Conventionally, techniques have been proposed for dealing with liquid that has flowed into the interior of a housing that constitutes an operation panel. Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a rubber key covers a circuit board as a waterproof structure suitable for an operation panel of a non-portable electronic device. The apparatus described in Patent Document 2 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a panel cover is assembled to an upper housing, and a structure in which a drainage duct portion is provided in the lower housing.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-203989 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-138991

When a sheet conveying device, which is an example of an electronic device or an image forming device, is exposed to liquid, the user can wipe off the liquid that has flowed onto the surface of the device or the ground surface of the device, but for example, if the sheet conveying device that forms the operation panel When liquid flows into the housing, the liquid may accumulate inside the housing. The accumulated liquid may flow out from gaps, holes, etc. in the housing due to an increase in the environmental temperature or vibrations applied to the device. In other words, although the liquid outside the device casing can be removed immediately, there is a risk that the liquid may subsequently flow out of the operation panel casing and adhere to sheets set in the device or sheets discharged from the device. .

In the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a discharge port for discharging liquid is provided at the lowest end of the groove in the housing of the operation panel. However, no consideration is given to the positional relationship between the sheet set in the device and the discharge port.

In the device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the casing of the operation panel and the upper casing of the device are integrally configured. Therefore, the outlet for discharging the liquid that has overflowed onto the operation panel and flowed into the housing can be relatively freely arranged. However, if the casing of the operation panel and the upper casing of the device are configured as separate bodies, the casing of the operation panel needs a structure for discharging the liquid that has flowed into the inside.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a means for reducing the possibility of liquid adhering to a sheet.

(1) A sheet conveying device according to the present invention includes a first housing that has a tray that supports sheets, and a second housing that has an operation panel and is located above the tray. The second casing has a flow path through which liquid flows from the internal space to the outside. The first position where the discharge end from which the liquid flows out from the flow path is projected onto the horizontal plane is outside the second position where the edge of the loading area, which is the area where the largest sheet is placed in the tray, is projected onto the horizontal plane. located on the opposite side.

According to this configuration, since the first position is located outside the second position, the liquid flowing out from the discharge end falls outside the placement area. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the sheet will be stained with liquid or deformed.

(2) At least a portion of the second casing protrudes forward from the front surface of the first casing, and the discharge end is located ahead of the front surface of the first casing.

According to this configuration, since the discharge end is located in front of the front surface of the first casing, the liquid flowing out from the discharge end falls in front of the front surface of the first casing. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the first casing will be stained with liquid, and at the same time, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the sheet will be stained with liquid or deformed.

(3) The discharge end is an opening exposed to the outside in a communication hole that communicates the internal space of the second casing with the outside.

It is preferable that the discharge end is an opening exposed to the outside of the communication hole because the simple structure reduces the possibility that the sheet will be soiled with liquid or deformed.

(4) The discharge end is an end of a flow path formed on the outer surface of the second casing.

If the discharge end is the end of the flow path formed on the outer surface of the second casing, the simple configuration can reduce the possibility that the sheet will be soiled with liquid or deformed, and the arrangement of the flow path can be reduced. This is preferable because it allows for a higher degree of freedom.

(5) The flow path includes a space between a pair of protrusions protruding from the outer surface of the second casing. A first end of the space is connected to a communication hole that communicates the interior space of the second casing with the outside, and a second end is the discharge end.

It is preferable that the flow path includes a space between a pair of protrusions protruding from the outer surface of the second casing, since the simple configuration reduces the possibility that the sheet will be stained with liquid or deformed. .

(6) The second casing has a first rib and a second rib in its internal space. The upper end of the first rib supports the substrate, and the upper end of the second rib is located at a lower position than the upper end of the first rib.

If the upper end of the second rib is lower than the upper end of the first rib, when the liquid in the internal space of the second casing moves beyond the second rib, the liquid will flow onto the substrate supported by the first rib. The possibility of contact can be reduced.

(7) The first casing has a space that opens to the outside, the tray is located in the space of the first casing, and the second casing has at least a portion It is located in the space of the first casing.

The above configuration is suitably applicable to a sheet conveying device in which the first housing has a space that opens to the outside, the tray is located in the space, and at least a portion of the second housing is located in the space. be.

(8) The second housing is rotatably supported with respect to the first housing.

According to this configuration, since the second housing is rotatably supported with respect to the first housing, the angle of the operation panel can be changed, and the operability of the sheet conveying device can be improved. can.

According to the present invention, the possibility of liquid adhering to the sheet can be reduced. .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a multifunction device 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial vertical sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer section 11. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink tank 100. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the second housing 80. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the second housing 80. FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the second housing 80. FIG. 8 is a top view showing the structure of the downwardly inclined wall 83 of the second housing 80. FIG. 9 is a bottom view showing the structure of the downwardly inclined wall 83 of the second housing 80. FIG. 10 is a top view of the multifunction device 10. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a second housing 80 according to a modification. FIG. 12 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10 according to a modification. FIG. 13 is a bottom view showing the structure of the downwardly inclined wall 83 of the second casing 80 according to the second embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the progress from the starting point of the arrow to the ending point is expressed as the direction, and the coming and going on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. In other words, orientation is a component of direction. Furthermore, the state in which the multifunction device 10 is installed so that it can be used (the state shown in FIG. 1, which may be referred to as the "usage state") or the posture (the state shown in FIG. 1, which may be referred to as the "usage position") ) is defined as a vertical direction 7, a front-back direction 8 is defined with the side where the opening 13 of the multifunction device 10 is located as the front side (front side), and the multifunction device 10 is defined as the front side ( A left-right direction 9 is defined when viewed from the front). The upward direction and the downward direction are each a component of the vertical direction 7, and are opposite to each other. The leftward direction and the rightward direction are each a component of the left-right direction 9, and are opposite to each other. The forward and backward directions are each a component of the front-back direction 8 and are opposite to each other. Moreover, in this embodiment, the up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-back direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction.

[First embodiment”
[Overall configuration of multifunction device 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 is generally shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped. The multifunction device 10 has a printer section 11 at the bottom that records an image on a paper 12 (an example of a sheet, see FIG. 3) using an inkjet recording method. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer section 11 includes a feeding section 15, a feeding tray 20, an ejection tray 21, a conveyance roller section 54, a recording section 24, an ejection roller section 55, and a platen 42. , and an ink tank 100. Further, the multifunction device 10 has a flatbed scanner on the top, and has various functions such as a scanner function, a facsimile function, and a copy function in addition to a print function. The multifunction device 10 is an example of a sheet conveyance device.

The multifunction device 10 includes a first housing 14 and a second housing 80, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The first casing 14 that defines the outer shape of the multifunctional device 10 has a thin and flat rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the dimension in the up-down direction 7 is shorter than the dimensions in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. A state in which the bottom surface of the first housing 14 is in contact with a mounting surface such as a desk is a normal installation state of the multifunction device 10. The front wall 14A of the first housing 14 is provided with an opening 13, a cover 70, and a second housing 80. That is, the second housing 80 is located in front of the first housing 14.

An opening 13 is formed at the center of the front wall 14A of the first housing 14 in the left-right direction 9 and below in the vertical direction 7. A space 69 (an example of a space that opens to the outside) of the first housing 14 extends backward in the front-rear direction 8 from the opening 13 . The feed tray 20 and the discharge tray 21 can be inserted into and removed from the space 69 through the opening 13.

A cover 70 is provided on the side of the opening 13 in the front wall 14A of the first housing 14 (on the right side in FIG. 1). The cover 70 opens and closes an opening formed in the front wall 14A of the first housing 14. Through the opening, it is possible to access the ink tank 100 provided inside the first housing 14 for purposes such as replenishing ink.

The second housing 80 has a generally triangular shape when viewed from the left-right direction 9, and has a triangular prism shape with the left-right direction 9 as the height direction. The second housing 80 is located above the discharge tray 21. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a part of the front of the second housing 80 protrudes forward from the front surface of the first housing 14 (outer surface of the front wall 14A), and A portion of the rear portion protrudes rearward from the front surface of the first casing 14. In other words, the second housing 80 has a rear portion located in the space 69 of the first housing 14 .

The upper surface of the second housing 80 is configured as the operation panel 17. The operation panel 17 is provided with input buttons 17A and a liquid crystal display (not shown) on its surface. The operation panel 17 is configured to be horizontally elongated in the left-right direction 9, and its surface faces diagonally upward.

[Feed tray 20, output tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding tray 20 is inserted into and taken out from the multifunction device 10 by the user along the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13 formed in the front wall 14A of the first housing 14. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the feed tray 20 is attached to the first housing 14, and from this state, the feed tray 20 is pulled out forward in the front-rear direction 8. It is taken out from the first housing 14. The feed tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets 12. The ejection tray 21 (an example of a tray) is arranged above the feed tray 20 and is inserted and removed together with the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 is located in the space 69 of the first housing 14. The ejection tray 21 supports the paper 12 ejected from between the recording section 24 and the platen 42 by the ejection roller section 55.

[Feeding section 15]
The feeding unit 15 feeds the paper 12 supported by the feeding tray 20 to the transport path 65. The feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27, as shown in FIG. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported on the tip side of the feeding arm 26. The feed roller 25 rotates in a direction to convey the paper 12 in a conveyance direction 16 by the reverse rotation of a conveyance motor (not shown). Hereinafter, the rotation of the feed roller 25, the conveyance roller 60, and the discharge roller 62 in a direction in which the paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16 will be referred to as "forward rotation." The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported by a shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer section 11 . The feeding arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or elastic force from a spring or the like.

[Transport route 65]
The transport path 65 is formed inside the first casing 14 . As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyance path 65 refers to a space, a part of which is formed inside the printer section 11 by the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 facing each other at a predetermined interval. The conveyance path 65 is a path extending from the rear end of the feed tray 20 to the rear side of the printer section 11 . Further, the conveyance path 65 is a path that extends from below to above on the rear side of the printer section 11 and makes a U turn, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through the space between the recording section 24 and the platen 42 . Further, the conveyance path 65 is a path extending from the rear end of the ejection tray 21 to the front end of the ejection tray 21 to the front side of the printer section 11, that is, the front of the first housing 14. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the conveyance path 65 between the conveyance roller section 54 and the discharge roller section 55 is provided approximately at the center of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9, and is located approximately in the center of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9. It is extending. Here, the width of the transport path 65 in the left-right direction 9 varies depending on the size of the paper 12 being transported, but in FIG. A transport path 65 is shown. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the feed tray 20 and the discharge tray 21 are arranged at positions overlapping the area along the left-right direction 9 of the conveyance path 65 when viewed from the up-down direction 7. Note that the conveyance direction 16 of the paper 12 within the conveyance path 65 is indicated by a dashed-dotted arrow in FIG.

[Conveyance roller section 54]
As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyance roller section 54 is arranged upstream of the recording section 24 in the conveyance direction 16. The conveyance roller section 54 includes a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The conveyance roller 60 is driven by a conveyance motor. The pinch roller 61 rotates as the conveyance roller 60 rotates. The paper 12 is conveyed in a conveyance direction 16 while being held between a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 which rotate in the normal direction by the forward rotation of the conveyance motor.

[Discharge roller section 55]
As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge roller section 55 is arranged downstream of the recording section 24 in the conveyance direction 16. The discharge roller section 55 includes a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that face each other. The discharge roller 62 is driven by a conveyance motor. The spur 63 rotates as the discharge roller 62 rotates. The paper 12 is conveyed in a conveyance direction 16 while being held between a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 which rotate in the normal direction by the forward rotation of the conveyance motor.

[Recording section 24]
As shown in FIG. 3, the recording section 24 is arranged between the conveyance roller section 54 and the discharge roller section 55 in the conveyance direction 16. Further, the recording unit 24 is arranged to face the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7 with the conveyance path 65 interposed therebetween. That is, the recording unit 24 is arranged above the conveyance path 65 in the vertical direction 7 and facing the conveyance path 65 . The recording section 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39.

As shown in FIG. 4, the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44, each of which extends in the left-right direction 9, at positions spaced apart in the front-back direction 8. The guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by the frame of the printer section 11. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on a guide rail 44. This belt mechanism is driven by a carriage motor (not shown). That is, the carriage 23 connected to the belt mechanism reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 by driving the carriage motor. The movement range of the carriage 23 extends to the right and left in the left-right direction 9 from the conveyance path 65, as shown by the dashed line in FIG.

Further, from the carriage 23, an ink tube 32 that connects the ink tank 100 and the recording head 39, and a flexible flat cable 33 that electrically connects the recording head 39 and a control board on which a control unit (not shown) is mounted are connected. It has been extended. The ink tube 32 supplies the ink stored in the ink tank 100 to the recording head 39. More specifically, there are four ink tubes 32B, 32M, 32C, and 32Y through which ink of each color (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow) flows (these may be collectively referred to as "ink tubes 32"). ) extend from the ink tank 100 and are connected to the carriage 23 in a bundled state. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits a control signal output from the control section to the recording head 39.

The recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 23, as shown in FIG. A plurality of nozzles 40 are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the lower surface of the recording head 39 and the carriage 23 on which the recording head 39 is mounted. Hereinafter, the surface where the tip of the nozzle 40 is exposed may be referred to as a "nozzle surface." The recording head 39 ejects ink from nozzles 40 as minute ink droplets. During the movement of the carriage 23, the recording head 39 discharges ink droplets toward the paper 12 supported by the platen 42. As a result, an image is recorded on the paper 12.

[Platen 42]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the platen 42 is disposed between the conveyance roller section 54 and the discharge roller section 55 in the conveyance direction 16. The platen 42 is arranged to face the recording section 24 in the vertical direction 7, and supports the paper 12 conveyed by the conveyance roller section 54 from below.

[Second housing 80]
The structure of the second housing 80 will be described in detail below. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the second housing 80 has an approximately triangular prism shape. The second housing 80 has an upper wall 81 , an upper inclined wall 82 , a lower inclined wall 83 , a rear wall 84 , a right wall 85 , and a left wall 86 . The upwardly inclined wall 82 is inclined downwardly toward the front. The downwardly inclined wall 83 is inclined upwardly toward the front. The internal space 87 of the second housing 80 is a space (an example of an internal space) defined by the upper wall 81, the upper inclined wall 82, the lower inclined wall 83, the rear wall 84, the right wall 85, and the left wall 86. .

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the first rib 93 projects upward from the downwardly inclined wall 83 and extends in the front-back direction 8 between the downwardly inclined wall 83 and the rear wall 84. As shown in FIGS. The groove portion 88 is a space formed between the first rib 93 and the upper surface of the downwardly inclined wall 83. The second rib 94 projects upward from the lower inclined wall 83 and extends in the front-rear direction 8 between the lower inclined wall 83 and the first rib 93. A portion of the second rib 94 is located in the groove portion 88 . As shown in FIG. 7, the upper end 94A of the second rib 94 is located lower than the upper end 93A of the first rib 93 in the vertical direction 7.

A first rib 93 for supporting a liquid crystal display (not shown), a circuit board 96 (an example of a board), and a rubber key 97 are arranged in the second housing 80. The display surface of the liquid crystal display is protected by a transparent sheet, and the liquid crystal display is supported by the first rib 93 so that the surface is exposed through the opening 82A, that is, the display surface of the liquid crystal display is visible to the user. Ru. The circuit board 96 is an electric board on which an electric circuit is formed to receive an operation of the input button 17A and generate an electric signal corresponding to the operation. The rubber key 97 is an elastic key that is disposed so as to cover the upper side of the circuit board 96, and transmits the operating force to the circuit board while being elastically deformed in response to an operating force from a user. The rubber key 97 includes a plate portion 97A and an operation protrusion 97B that protrudes upward from the plate portion 97A and receives an operation force from the user. A rib 98 protruding upward is provided around the plate portion 97A. The rib 98 is not provided on the front side of the plate portion 97A at approximately the center in the left-right direction 9. In other words, the plate portion 97A has a flat portion 98A on the front side approximately in the center in the left-right direction 9, where the rib 98 is not provided and the plate portion 97A is flat.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a circuit board 96 is placed on the upper surface of the first rib 93. A rubber key 97 is placed on the top surface of the circuit board 96. That is, the upper end 93A of the first rib 93 supports the circuit board 96. The rubber key 97 is arranged so as to cover the upper side of the circuit board 96 and so that the operation protrusion 97B is exposed from the opening 82B of the upper inclined wall 82. Note that the upper end 94A of the second rib 94 is located below the circuit board 96 in the vertical direction 7 and does not come into contact with the circuit board 96. As described above, the operation panel 17 is provided in the second housing 80.

The second housing 80 has a communication hole 89 that communicates the internal space 87 of the second housing 80 with the outside, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this embodiment, two communication holes 89 are formed in the downwardly inclined wall 83 so as to be spaced apart in the left-right direction 9 . The positions of the two communication holes 89 will be described later.

Next, a description will be given of the flow of liquid when the operation panel 17 of the second housing 80 is overflowed with liquid. The liquid overflowing into the operation panel 17 flows into the internal space 87 of the second casing 80 through the opening in the upwardly inclined wall 82 . The liquid then flows from the internal space 87 to the outside of the second housing 80 through the communication hole 89 .

The flow of liquid in the internal space 87 is shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 6 and 7. The liquid flowing in from the opening 82B of the upper inclined wall 82 flows downward along the surface of the operating protrusion 97B of the rubber key 97 and reaches the surface of the plate portion 97A. Most of the liquid on the surface of the plate portion 97A flows along the ribs 98 around the plate portion 97A, falls downward from the flat portion 98A, and flows into the groove portion 88. Note that a portion of the liquid on the surface of the plate portion 97A falls downward over the ribs 98 and flows into the groove portion 88. When the liquid level reaches the upper end 94A of the second rib 94, a part of the liquid that has flowed into the groove 88 flows to the right or left beyond the second rib 94 and reaches the communication hole 89. The liquid that has reached the communication hole 89 flows to the outside of the second casing 80 through the communication hole 89 . The liquid falls downward from the opening 90 exposed to the outside of the communication hole 89.

As described above, the second housing 80 has a flow path 91 through which liquid flows from the internal space 87 to the outside. In this embodiment, the communication hole 89 corresponds to a flow path 91, and the opening 90 of the communication hole 89 corresponds to a discharge end 92 from which liquid flows out from the flow path 91 to the outside.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a first position 67, which is the projection of the discharge end 92 onto the horizontal plane, is located outside a second position 68, which is the projection of the end of the placement area 66 onto the horizontal plane. As shown in FIG. 10, the discharge end 92 is located forward of the front surface of the first casing 14. Note that the first position 67 is a virtual area having an area corresponding to the opening 90. Further, the second position 68 is an imaginary line corresponding to the edge of the placement area 66.

Here, the placement area 66 is an area occupied by the paper 12 when the largest size paper 12 is ejected from the transport path 65 and supported by the ejection tray 21. The maximum size paper 12 refers to the paper that has the largest dimension (size) among the papers that can be transported and image recorded in the printer section 11 .

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the first position 67 where the discharge end 92 is projected onto the horizontal plane is 9 in the left-right direction with respect to the second position 68 where the end of the placement area 66 is projected onto the horizontal plane. It is located outward in . In other words, the first position 67 of the discharge end 92 located to the right of the center of the second housing 80 in the left-right direction 9 is relative to the second position 68 which is the end of the placement area 66 projected onto the horizontal plane. Located on the right. The first position 67 of the discharge end 92, which is located to the left of the center of the second housing 80 in the left-right direction 9, is to the left of the second position 68, which is the end of the placement area 66 projected onto the horizontal plane. located on the opposite side.

[Effects of the first embodiment]
The multifunction device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a first casing 14 having an ejection tray 21 that supports paper 12, an operation panel 17, and a second casing 80 located above the ejection tray 21. , is provided. The second housing 80 has a flow path 91 through which liquid flows from the internal space 87 to the outside. A first position 67 is a projection of the discharge end 92 from which liquid flows outward from the channel 91 onto a horizontal plane, and a first position 67 is a projection of the end of the loading area 66, which is the area where the largest sheet of paper 12 is placed in the output tray 21, onto a horizontal plane. It is located outside the second position 68 . According to the above configuration, since the first position 67 is located outside the second position 68, the liquid flowing out from the discharge end 92 falls outside the placement area 66. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the paper 12 will be stained with liquid or deformed.

At least a portion of the second casing 80 protrudes forward from the front surface of the first casing 14 , and the discharge end 92 is located ahead of the front surface of the first casing 14 . According to the above configuration, since the discharge end 92 is located in front of the front surface of the first casing 14, the liquid flowing out from the discharge end 92 falls in front of the front surface of the first casing 14. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the first housing 14 will be stained with liquid, and at the same time, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the paper 12 will be stained with liquid or deformed.

The discharge end 92 is an opening 90 exposed to the outside in the communication hole 89 that communicates the interior space 87 of the second casing 80 with the outside. It is preferable that the discharge end 92 is an opening 90 exposed to the outside of the communication hole 89 because the simple configuration reduces the possibility that the paper 12 will be stained with liquid or deformed.

The second housing 80 has a first rib 93 and a second rib 94 in its internal space 87 . The upper end 93A of the first rib 93 supports the circuit board 96, and the upper end 94A of the second rib 94 is located at a lower position than the upper end 93A of the first rib 93.

When the upper end 94A of the second rib 94 is at a lower position than the upper end 93A of the first rib 93, when the liquid in the internal space 87 of the second housing 80 moves beyond the second rib 94, the first rib 94 The possibility of liquid coming into contact with the circuit board 96 supported by the circuit board 96 can be reduced.

The first casing 14 has a space 69 that opens to the outside, the discharge tray 21 is located in the space 69 of the first casing 14, and the second casing 80 has at least a part of the space 69 that opens to the outside. 1 located in the space 69 of the housing 14. The configuration related to the second casing 80 described above can be suitably applied to the multifunction device 10 having the above configuration.

[Modification of the first embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the communication hole 89 is provided in the downwardly inclined wall 83 of the second casing 80, but as shown in FIG. Good too. A communication hole 89 may be provided in the right wall 85. The communication hole 89 may be provided in both the right wall 85 and the left wall 86.

Here, the outer surface of the left wall 86 is at approximately the same position as the left end of the discharge tray 21 in the left-right direction 9, as shown in FIG. An opening 90 exposed to the outside of the communication hole 89 is located on the outer surface of the left wall 86. Also in this modification, the first position where the discharge end 92 from which the liquid flows out from the flow path 91 is projected onto the horizontal plane is located outside the second position 68 where the end of the placement area 66 is projected onto the horizontal plane. become. As a result, the liquid flowing out from the discharge end 92 falls outside the placement area 66. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the paper 12 will be stained with liquid or deformed. The same applies when the right wall 85 is provided with the communication hole 89.

In this embodiment, the second casing 80 is fixed to the first casing 14, but the second casing 80 may be rotatably supported relative to the first casing 14. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the second housing 80 may be supported by the first housing 14 in a state where the second housing 80 is rotatable around the axis 160. Then, the angle of the operation panel 17 can be changed, and the operability of the multifunction device 10 can be improved.

[Second embodiment]
In the second casing 80 according to the second embodiment, the discharge end 92 from which the liquid flows out from the channel 91 is the end of the channel formed on the outer surface of the second casing 80 . In other words, the second casing 80 according to the second embodiment has a communication hole (a communication hole 141, In addition to the communication hole 151), the second housing 80 includes a flow path (space 145, space 155) formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80.

In the second casing 80 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a communication hole 141 and a communication hole 151 are provided in the downwardly inclined wall 83. The communication hole 141 is located to the right of the center of the second casing 80 in the left-right direction 9, and the communication hole 151 is located to the left of the center of the second casing 80 in the left-right direction 9. The communication hole 141 and the communication hole 151 communicate the internal space 87 of the second housing 80 with the outside.

A protruding piece 142, a protruding piece 143, a protruding piece 144, a protruding piece 152, a protruding piece 153, and a protruding piece 154 protruding from the outer surface are provided on the outer surface of the downwardly inclined wall 83.

The protruding piece 142 is a rib extending in the left-right direction 9 and is disposed adjacent to the front side of the communication hole 141, its left end is located on the left side of the communication hole 141, and its right end is located near the right wall 85. .
The protruding piece 143 is a rib extending in the left-right direction 9 and is arranged adjacent to the rear side of the communication hole 141, its left end is located on the left side of the communication hole 141, and its right end is located near the right wall 85. do.
The protruding piece 144 is a rib extending in the front-rear direction 8, is arranged adjacent to the left side of the communicating hole 141, and is connected to the left end of the protruding piece 142 and the left end of the protruding piece 143.
The space 145 is a space between the protruding piece 142 and the protruding piece 143 (an example of a pair of protruding pieces). A left end 146 (an example of a first end) of the space 145 is connected to the communication hole 141 . A right end 147 (an example of a second end) of the space 145 is located between the right end of the protruding piece 142 and the right end of the protruding piece 143, and is located near the right wall 85.

The liquid flowing out from the internal space 87 of the second housing 80 to the outside through the communication hole 141 flows into the space 145 from the left end 146 of the communication hole 141 . The liquid flows to the right in the space 145 while contacting the protruding pieces 143 and 144 . The liquid that has reached the right end 147 of the space 145 falls downward from the right end 147. That is, in this embodiment, the discharge end 92 from which the liquid flows out from the flow path 91 to the outside is the end (right end 147) of the flow path (space 145) formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80. Here, the right end 147 is located near the right wall 85. Therefore, the first position 67, which is the right end 147 (discharge end 92) projected onto the horizontal plane, is located outside (to the right) of the second position 68, which is the end of the placement area 66 projected onto the horizontal plane.

The projecting piece 152 is a rib extending in the left-right direction 9 and is disposed adjacent to the front side of the communication hole 151, its right end is located on the right side of the communication hole 151, and its left end is located near the left wall 86. .
The projecting piece 153 is a rib extending in the left-right direction 9 and is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the communication hole 151, its right end is located on the right side of the communication hole 151, and its left end is located near the left wall 86. do.
The protruding piece 154 is a rib extending in the front-rear direction 8, is arranged adjacent to the right side of the communication hole 151, and is connected to the right end of the protruding piece 152 and the right end of the protruding piece 153.
The space 155 is a space between the protruding piece 152 and the protruding piece 153 (an example of a pair of protruding pieces). A right end 156 (an example of a first end) of the space 155 is connected to the communication hole 151. A left end 157 (an example of a second end) of the space 155 is located between the left end of the protruding piece 152 and the left end of the protruding piece 153, and is located near the left wall 86.

The liquid flowing out from the internal space 87 of the second housing 80 to the outside through the communication hole 151 flows into the space 155 from the right end 156 of the communication hole 151 . The liquid flows to the left in the space 155 while contacting the protruding pieces 153 and 154 . The liquid that has reached the left end 157 of the space 155 falls downward from the left end 157. That is, in this embodiment, the discharge end 92 from which the liquid flows out from the flow path 91 to the outside is the end (left end 157) of the flow path (space 155) formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80. Here, the left end 157 is located near the left wall 86. Therefore, the first position 67, which is the left end 157 (discharge end 92) projected onto the horizontal plane, is located outside (to the left) of the second position 68, which is the end of the placement area 66 projected onto the horizontal plane.

In the second embodiment described above, on the right side of the second housing 80, the communication hole 141 and the space 145 correspond to the flow path 91 through which the liquid flows from the internal space 87 of the second housing 80 to the outside. . The space 145 corresponds to a flow path formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80. On the left side of the second housing 80, the communication hole 151 and the space 155 correspond to a flow path 91 through which liquid flows from the internal space 87 of the second housing 80 to the outside. The space 155 corresponds to a flow path formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80.

[Effects of second embodiment]
In the second housing 80 according to the present embodiment, the discharge end 92 is the end of a flow path formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80. If the discharge end 92 is the end of the flow path formed on the outer surface of the second casing 80, the simple configuration can reduce the possibility that the paper 12 will be stained with liquid or deformed, and the flow path can be reduced. This is preferable because the degree of freedom in arranging the channels can be increased.

The flow path 91 includes a space 145 between a protruding piece 142 and a protruding piece 143 that protrude from the outer surface of the second housing 80 . A left end 146 of the space 145 is connected to a communication hole 141 that communicates the interior space 87 of the second housing 80 with the outside, and a right end 147 is the discharge end 92. If the flow path 91 includes a space 145 between the protruding pieces 142 and 143 protruding from the outer surface of the second housing 80, the paper 12 can be stained with liquid or deformed due to the simple configuration. It is preferable because it can lower the susceptibility.

The flow path 91 includes a space 155 between a protruding piece 152 and a protruding piece 153 that protrude from the outer surface of the second housing 80 . A right end 156 of the space 155 is connected to a communication hole 151 that communicates the interior space 87 of the second casing 80 with the outside, and a left end 157 is the discharge end 92 . If the flow path 91 includes a space 155 between the protruding pieces 152 and 153 protruding from the outer surface of the second housing 80, the paper 12 can be stained with liquid or deformed due to the simple configuration. It is preferable because it can lower the susceptibility.

[Modification of second embodiment]
The flow path formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80 may be formed by a structure other than the projecting pieces 152 and 153. For example, the flow path may be formed as a space in which liquid is held against gravity between one rib extending in the left-right direction 9 and the second casing 80, or three or more flow paths may be formed. It may be formed as a space between the ribs. Further, the flow path may be formed as a groove formed on the outer surface of the second housing 80, or may be formed as an internal space of a tube or the like.

[Other variations]
In the multifunction device 10 according to the above embodiment, a so-called U-turn path is adopted as the conveyance path 65, but a so-called straight path in which the conveyance direction 16 is generally along a constant direction may be adopted.

The feed tray 20 or the discharge tray 21 may be extendable forward from the front wall 14A of the first housing 14. The front surface of the first casing 14 at this time is not the front surface of the extended feeding tray 20 or ejection tray 21, but the outer surface of the front wall 14A of the first casing 14.

The number of communication holes that the second casing 80 has is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

10...Multifunction device (sheet conveyance device)
12...Paper (sheet)
17...Operation panel 21...Ejection tray (tray)
66... Placement area 67... First position 68... Second position 80... Second housing 87... Internal space 91... Channel 92... Discharge end

Claims (26)

a first housing having a tray that supports the sheet;
a second housing having an operation panel and located above the tray;
The second casing has a flow path through which liquid flows from the internal space to the outside,
A discharge end from which the liquid flows out from the flow path is located forward of the front surface of the first casing,
The discharge end is an end of a flow path formed on the outer surface of the second casing,
The flow path includes a space between a pair of protrusions protruding from the outer surface of the second casing,
A sheet conveying device, wherein a first end of the space is connected to a communication hole that communicates the interior space of the second housing with the outside, and a second end is the discharge end. a first housing having a tray that supports the sheet;
a second housing having an operation panel and located above the tray;
The second casing has a flow path through which liquid flows from the internal space to the outside,
A discharge end from which the liquid flows out from the flow path is located forward of the front surface of the first casing,
The second casing is
a first wall including an inner surface forming the internal space;
a first rib protruding from the inner surface of the first wall;
a second wall including an inner surface that covers the inner surface of the first wall and the first rib to form the internal space; and a surface configured as the operation panel;
a circuit board on which an electric circuit for generating an electric signal corresponding to the operation of the operation panel is formed;
the flow path formed between the lower end of the inner surface of the first wall and the first rib;
A sheet conveying device in which a protruding end of the first rib supports the circuit board. 2. The first position, which is the discharge end projected onto a horizontal plane, is located outside the second position, which is the area where the largest sheet is placed in the tray, and the second position, which is the area where the largest sheet is placed. 2. The sheet conveying device according to 2 . 4. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second casing is located forward of a front surface of the first casing. The sheet conveyance device according to claim 4 , wherein the second housing is rotatably supported with respect to the first housing. The first casing has a front wall,
The second housing has a surface configured as the operation panel,
The second casing is in a third position and a fourth position where the angle of the second virtual plane including the surface of the operation panel with respect to the first virtual plane including the outer surface of the front wall is larger than that in the third position. is supported by the first casing in a rotatable state around an axis extending along the front wall between the front wall and the front wall;
6. The sheet conveying device according to claim 5 , wherein when the second housing is located at the fourth position, the discharge end is located forward of the front surface of the first housing. The tray has an ejection tray,
7. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6 , wherein the front surface of the first housing is the front surface of the ejection tray. 7. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6 , wherein the front surface of the first housing is the outer surface of the front wall. The tray has a feeding tray,
7. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6 , wherein the front surface of the first housing is the front surface of the feeding tray. The tray has an ejection tray,
6. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the front surface of the first housing is the front surface of the ejection tray. The first casing has a front wall,
6. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the front surface of the first housing is an outer surface of the front wall. The above operation panel is equipped with input buttons and a liquid crystal display.
12. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel is configured to be horizontally elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The above operation panel is equipped with an input button.
13. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel has an opening that exposes the input button and that communicates with the internal space. The above operation panel is equipped with a liquid crystal display.
14. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel has an opening that exposes the liquid crystal display and that communicates with the internal space. 15. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge end is an opening exposed to the outside in a communication hole that communicates the interior space of the second casing with the outside. 3. The sheet conveying device according to claim 2 , wherein the discharge end is an end of a flow path formed on the outer surface of the second casing. The second casing is
a first wall including an inner surface forming the internal space;
a first rib protruding from the inner surface of the first wall;
a second wall including an inner surface that covers the inner surface of the first wall and the first rib to form the internal space; and a surface configured as the operation panel;
a circuit board on which an electric circuit for generating an electric signal corresponding to the operation of the operation panel is formed;
the flow path formed between the lower end of the inner surface of the first wall and the first rib;
The sheet conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein a protruding end of the first rib supports the circuit board. a first housing having a tray that supports the sheet;
a second housing having an operation panel and located above the tray;
The second casing has a flow path through which liquid flows from the internal space to the outside,
A discharge end from which the liquid flows out from the flow path is located forward of the front surface of the first casing,
The second casing is
a first wall including an inner surface forming the internal space;
a first rib protruding from the inner surface of the first wall;
a second wall including an inner surface that covers the inner surface of the first wall and the first rib to form the internal space; and a surface configured as the operation panel;
a circuit board on which an electric circuit for generating an electric signal corresponding to the operation of the operation panel is formed;
the flow path formed between the lower end of the inner surface of the first wall and the first rib;
A sheet conveying device in which a protruding end of the first rib supports the circuit board . The sheet conveying device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the first rib is located forward of the front surface of the first casing. The second casing has a second rib protruding from the inner surface of the first wall,
20. The sheet conveying device according to claim 17 , wherein the second rib is located between the first rib and the lower end of the inner surface of the first wall. The second casing has a second rib protruding from the inner surface of the first wall,
21. The sheet conveying device according to claim 17 , wherein the protruding end of the second rib does not come into contact with the circuit board. The first casing has a space that opens to the outside,
The tray is located in the space of the first housing,
22. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second housing is located in the space of the first housing. The second casing has a first wall that intersects with a surface configured as the operation panel,
The flow path has a communication hole that communicates the internal space of the second casing with the outside,
23. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the communication hole is formed in the first wall. a recording section that records images on a sheet;
a conveyance path formed inside the first casing;
The tray has a feed tray and a discharge tray,
24. The sheet conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance path is a U-turn path from the feed tray to the discharge tray via the recording section. 25. The sheet conveying device according to claim 24, wherein the recording section has a recording head that discharges ink. 26. The sheet conveying device according to claim 25, wherein the recording section includes a carriage that mounts the recording head and moves back and forth in the left-right direction.

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