JP7443675B2 - image recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image recording device that records an image on a sheet.

In most image recording apparatuses, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a sheet accommodating section is located at the bottom, and a recording section for recording an image on the sheet is located directly above the accommodating section. The recording unit is, for example, a head equipped with a nozzle in the case of an inkjet printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, and a toner cartridge, a drum unit, and a fixing device in the case of an electrophotographic printer.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-124079

As described above, in the conventional image recording apparatus, a sheet storage section and a recording section are provided in order from the bottom. As a result, the vertical size of the multifunction device becomes large.

In addition, in conventional image recording devices, the recording section is provided above the storage section, so in order to take sheets in and out of the storage section, the storage section must be moved and pulled out from the housing of the image recording device. Action was necessary. Therefore, since it is necessary to provide the image recording apparatus with a mechanism for moving the storage section, the number of parts increases by the amount of the mechanism.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus that can suppress an increase in the number of parts and an increase in size.

(1) The image recording device according to the present invention includes a housing, a housing section located inside the housing and containing a sheet, and a housing section formed inside the housing, and a storage section located inside the housing. It extends without being reversed to the discharge port formed on the outer surface of the housing, and is located at a position horizontally offset from the conveyance path through which the sheet passes, and with respect to the storage section inside the housing, and a recording unit that records an image on a sheet located on a conveyance path; a first opening formed above the storage unit and capable of exposing a sheet storage space in the storage unit to the outside of the casing; The first opening/closing wall is supported by the housing and is movable to a first position where the first opening is exposed to the outside of the housing and a second position where the first opening is closed.

Since the accommodating section and the recording section are provided at positions offset from each other in the horizontal direction, the height of the image recording apparatus can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the recording section is located above the accommodating section.

By moving the first opening/closing wall to the first position, sheets stored in the storage section can be taken in and out through the first opening. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide the image recording apparatus with a mechanism for moving the storage section, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts of the image recording apparatus.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress increase in size while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multifunction device 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10, showing the opening/closing wall 82 in the covered position, the opening/closing wall 87 in the upright position, and the cover 85 in the closed position. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10, showing the opening/closing wall 82 in the exposed position, the opening/closing wall 87 in the upright position, and the cover 85 in the closed position. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10, showing the opening/closing wall 82 in the covering position, the opening/closing wall 87 in the upright position, and the cover 85 in the open position. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10, showing the opening/closing wall 82 in the covered position, the opening/closing wall 87 in the collapsed position, and the cover 85 in the closed position. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10, showing the opening/closing wall 82 in the exposed position, the opening/closing wall 87 in the collapsed position, and the cover 85 in the closed position. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10 in which the opening/closing wall 82 is configured to be detachable. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10 in which the opening/closing wall 82 is configured to be slidable. FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10 including the connecting member 92. As shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10 including the cover 97. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction device 10 including the tray 98. FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer 100.

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. In addition, in the following explanation, the vertical direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the multifunction device 10 is installed so that it can be used (the state shown in FIG. is defined, and a left-right direction 9 (an example of the width direction) when viewing the multifunction device 10 from the front is defined. The up-down direction 7, the front-back direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are orthogonal to each other. In this embodiment, the up-down direction 7 is a vertical direction, and the front-back direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are horizontal directions.

The multifunction device 10 (an example of an image recording device) has a function of recording an image on a sheet 15 (an example of a sheet, see FIG. 2), and a function of reading an image on a sheet 17 (see FIG. 4). . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multifunction device 10 includes a housing 14. As shown in FIGS. The housing 14 has a generally rectangular box shape. The length of the housing 14 in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 is longer than the length of the housing 14 in the vertical direction 7. The length of the housing 14 in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length of the housing 14 in the left-right direction 9. Note that the length relationship in each direction of the housing 14 is not limited to the above relationship. For example, the length of the housing 14 in the left-right direction 9 may be shorter than the length of the housing 14 in the front-rear direction 8.

The outer surface of the housing 14 includes a front surface 71, a rear surface 72, an upper surface 73, a lower surface 74, a right surface 75, and a left surface 76. The front surface 71, the rear surface 72, the right surface 75, and the left surface 76 are examples of side surfaces.

A discharge port 21 is formed on the front surface 71. The paper 15 on which an image is recorded or the paper 17 on which an image is read in the internal space 16 of the casing 14 is discharged to the outside of the casing 14 through the discharge port 21 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the front surface 71 is provided with a power switch 18 for starting and stopping the multifunction device 10, various LEDs 19, and the like.

The upper surface 73 of the housing 14 is configured by the upper surface of the upper wall 81 of the housing 14 and the upper surface of the opening/closing wall 82 (an example of the first opening/closing wall) of the housing 14. The upper wall 81 is a wall that constitutes the upper front portion of the housing 14 . The opening/closing wall 82 is a wall that constitutes the rear upper part of the housing 14 . In this embodiment, the opening/closing wall 82 is provided from the right end to the left end of the casing 14, but the opening/closing wall 82 does not have to extend from the right end to the left end of the casing 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the opening/closing wall 82 is rotatably supported by the upper wall 81. The opening/closing wall 82 is located at a covering position (an example of a second position) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an exposed position (an example of a second position) shown in FIG. (an example of the first position). As shown in FIG. 2, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the covering position, the housing portion 31, which will be described later, is covered by the opening/closing wall 82 from above. As shown in FIG. 3, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position, the accommodating portion 31 is exposed to the outside from above the housing 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an opening 84 is formed in the upper surface 73 of the housing 14 (in the present embodiment, the upper surface of the opening/closing wall 82). Note that the opening 84 may be formed on the upper surface 73 of the upper wall 81 instead of on the upper surface of the opening/closing wall 82. The opening 84 communicates with a conveyance path 39, which will be described later. Paper 17 is inserted into conveyance path 39 through opening 84 (see FIG. 4). The opening 84 is formed to be long in the left-right direction 9 to match the paper 17 so that the paper 17 can be inserted therein.

A cover 85 is rotatably supported by the opening/closing wall 82. The cover 85 is rotatable between a closed position shown in FIG. 2 and an open position shown in FIG. 4 about a shaft 86 provided at the rear end and extending in the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, when the cover 85 is in the closed position, the opening 84 is closed. As shown in FIG. 4, when the cover 85 is in the open position, the opening 84 is open.

When the cover 85 is in the closed position, an upwardly facing surface 851 of the outer surface of the cover 85 is flush with the upper surface 73 of the opening/closing wall 82 . Note that when the cover 85 is in the closed position, the surface 851 does not have to be flush with the top surface 73 of the opening/closing wall 82, but the surface 851 is located below the top surface 73 (that is, above the top surface 73). (not protruding) is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the cover 85 is in the open position, the front-facing surface 852 of the outer surface of the cover 85 extends downward (that is, toward the discharge port 21). There is. In other words, the surface 852 of the cover 85 in the open position extends obliquely forward and downward from its upper end. The surface 852 of the cover 85 in the open position can come into contact with the paper 17 inserted into the opening 84 .

Note that the cover 85 may extend from its upper end in a direction other than forward and diagonally downward. Further, the multifunction device 10 does not need to include the cover 85.

As shown in FIG. 2, an opening/closing wall 87 (an example of a second opening/closing wall) is provided on the rear surface 72 of the housing 14. The opening/closing wall 87 is rotatably supported by other parts of the housing 14. The opening/closing wall 87 has an upright position (an example of a fourth position) shown in FIG. 2 and a collapsed position (a third position) shown in FIG. example).

As shown in FIG. 2, when the opening/closing wall 87 is in the upright position, the accommodating portion 31 is covered by the opening/closing wall 87 from the rear. As shown in FIG. 5, when the opening/closing wall 87 is in the collapsed position, the housing portion 31 is exposed to the outside from the rear of the housing 14.

Note that the multifunction device 10 does not need to include the opening/closing wall 87. That is, the rear surface 72 of the housing 14 does not need to be openable and closable. In this case, it goes without saying that the opening 42, which will be described later, is not formed in the rear surface 72.

The housing 14 has an internal space 16. The internal space 16 is defined by the inner surface of the housing 14 . In the internal space 16 of the housing 14, a storage section 31, a feeding section 33, a pair of transport rollers 34, a pair of ejection rollers 35, a recording section 36, a platen 27, and a reading section 37 are arranged. Conveyance paths 38 and 39 are formed in the internal space 16 of the housing 14 .

The housing portion 31 has a box shape that is open upward. The length of the housing part 31 in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 is longer than the length of the housing part 31 in the vertical direction 7. The length of the housing portion 31 in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length of the housing portion 31 in the left-right direction 9. Note that the length relationship in each direction of the accommodating portion 31 is not limited to the above relationship. For example, the length of the accommodating portion 31 in the left-right direction 9 may be shorter than the length of the accommodating portion 31 in the front-rear direction 8.

The storage section 31 has a storage space 89 for the paper 15. The accommodating portion 31 is fixed to the housing 14. The housing space 89 is divided by the bottom surface 77, the front surface of the opening/closing wall 87, the right inner surface 78 of the housing 14, the left inner surface of the housing 14 (a surface opposite to the right inner surface 78 from side to side, not shown), and the inclined wall 32. ing. The storage section 31 can store the sheets 15 in a vertically stacked manner.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position, the housing space 89 is exposed to the outside of the housing 14 through the opening 40 (an example of a first opening). Thereby, the paper 15 can be taken in and out of the storage section 31 from above the storage section 31 through the opening 40. The opening 40 is a portion of the upwardly open portion of the accommodating portion 31 where no other member (in this embodiment, the feeding portion 33) is arranged. Specifically, in FIG. 2, among the upwardly open portions of the accommodating portion 31, this is the portion rearward of the front-rear position P1 indicated by the broken line.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the covering position, the accommodation space 89 and the opening 40 are covered from above by the opening/closing wall 82 and are closed off from the outside of the casing 14. In other words, the opening/closing wall 82 can open and close the opening 40 .

As shown in FIG. 5, when the opening/closing wall 87 is in the collapsed position, the accommodation space 89 is exposed to the outside of the housing 14 through the opening 42 (an example of a second opening) formed in the rear surface 72. Thereby, the accommodating section 31 can allow the bottom surface 77 to support only the front portion of the paper 15 that is longer than the bottom surface 77 in the front and back directions, and position the rear portion of the paper 15 outside the housing 14 . As a result, the paper 15 longer than the bottom surface 77 can be fed from the storage section 31 to the conveyance path 38, and an image can be recorded on the paper 15.

In this embodiment, when the opening/closing wall 87 is in the upright position, the rear surface of the opening/closing wall 87 corresponds to the rear surface 72 of the housing 14 . When the opening/closing wall 87 is in the collapsed position, the surface defining the opening 42 when the housing 14 is viewed from the rear corresponds to the rear surface 72 of the housing 14 .

As shown in FIG. 2, when the opening/closing wall 87 is in the upright position, the housing space 89 and the opening 42 are covered from the rear by the opening/closing wall 87 and are closed off from the outside of the casing 14.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position and the opening/closing wall 87 is in the collapsed position, the opening 40 is continuous with the opening 42. Note that the opening 40 does not need to be continuous with the opening 42.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inclined wall 32 is located at the front end of the housing portion 31. As shown in FIG. In other words, the inclined wall 32 is located at the boundary between the storage section 31 and the conveyance path 38. The inclined wall 32 projects upward from the bottom surface 77. The inclined wall 32 extends forward as it goes upward. That is, the inclined wall 32 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7.

The inclined wall 32 is provided with a separating section. In this embodiment, the separating portion is a separating piece 91 that protrudes from the center of the rear surface 90 of the inclined wall 32 in the left-right direction 9 . A plurality of separation pieces 91 are provided vertically at intervals. Note that the separation section is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. For example, instead of the plurality of separation pieces 91, a member (for example, cork) having a higher coefficient of friction than the rear surface 90 may be disposed.

The feeding section 33 is located in a predetermined space 41 above the bottom surface 77. The predetermined space 41 is a space located in front of the opening 40 and continuous with the opening 40 in a plan view of the multifunction device 10 from above. That is, the predetermined space 41 is located between the opening 40 and the discharge port 21 in the front-rear direction 8. The predetermined space 41 extends forward of the feeding section 33 (downstream in the feeding direction in which the paper 15 is fed). That is, the entire feeding section 33 is located in the predetermined space 41. As shown in FIG. 3, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position, the predetermined space 41 in addition to the opening 40 is exposed to the outside of the housing 14. At this time, since the space in front of the feeding section 33 is exposed, the user can access the space in front of the feeding section 33 in the predetermined space 41 from above.

The rear part of the reading section 37 is also located in the predetermined space 41.

Note that when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position, the feeding section 33 may be partially exposed to the outside of the casing 14, like the reading section 37, instead of the entirety. For example, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position, the surface of the feeding section 33 facing the rear of the feeding roller 25 is exposed to the outside of the casing 14, while the surface of the feeding section 33 facing the feeding roller 25 is exposed to the outside of the housing 14; The front facing surface does not need to be exposed to the outside of the housing 14. In other words, the front facing surface of the feeding roller 25 may be covered by the housing 14 regardless of the position of the opening/closing wall 82. Further, for example, the entire feeding section 33 may be covered by the housing 14 regardless of the position of the opening/closing wall 82.

Further, the entire reading section 37 may be located in the predetermined space 41. Further, members other than the feeding section 33 and the reading section 37 may be located in the predetermined space 41.

As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding section 33 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 28. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported at the tip of the feeding arm 26. The feeding arm 26 rotates around a shaft 28 provided at its base end. Thereby, the feeding roller 25 can come into contact with and separate from the bottom surface 77 or the paper 15 supported by the bottom surface 77.

The feeding roller 25 rotates by being transmitted with the driving force of a feeding motor (not shown). As a result, the plurality of sheets of paper 15 supported by the bottom surface 77 are sent forward. The plurality of sheets 15 sent forward come into contact with the separation piece 91. As a result, the uppermost sheet 15 of the plurality of sheets 15 is separated from the other sheets 15 and fed to the conveyance path 38 along the rear surface 90 of the inclined wall 32.

The conveyance path 38 is a space defined by a guide member (not shown) disposed in the internal space 16 of the housing 14 , a pair of conveyance rollers 34 , a pair of discharge rollers 35 , a recording section 36 , and a platen 27 . The conveyance path 38 is a path through which the paper 15 fed by the feeding section 33 passes. The conveyance path 38 extends forward from the front end of the storage section 31 (in other words, the upper end of the inclined wall 32) without turning over, and reaches the discharge port 21.

The conveyance path 38 only needs to extend without being reversed. In other words, the conveyance path 38 is not limited to the path extending straight ahead as shown in FIG. For example, the conveyance path 38 may extend upward as it goes forward. In this case, the outlet 21 may be provided on the top surface 73 instead of the front surface 71. That is, the position where the discharge port 21 is provided is not limited to the front surface 71. Further, for example, the conveyance path 38 may have a portion that curves upward or downward.

The conveyance path 39 is a space defined by a guide member (not shown) disposed in the internal space 16 of the housing 14 and the reading section 37 . The conveyance path 39 is a path through which the paper 17 (see FIG. 4) inserted through the opening 84 passes. The conveyance path 39 extends downward from the opening 84 toward the front (that is, toward the discharge port 21). That is, the conveyance path 39 extends diagonally downward and forward from the opening 84. Note that the conveyance path 39 may extend from the opening 84 in a direction other than diagonally downward and forward.

One end of the conveyance path 39 merges with the conveyance path 38 at a merging position P2. The other end of the conveyance path 39 communicates with the opening 84 . That is, the paper 17 inserted through the opening 84 passes through the conveyance path 39 and then through the conveyance path 38 . That is, the transport path 38 is a path through which the paper 15 fed by the feeding section 33 passes, and is also a path through which the paper 17 inserted through the opening 84 passes.

The conveyance roller pair 34 is arranged on the conveyance path 38. The conveying roller pair 34 includes a conveying roller 61 and a pinch roller 62. The pinch roller 62 is pressed against the conveyance roller 61 by an elastic member (not shown) such as a spring. Thereby, the pair of transport rollers 34 can sandwich the sheets 15 and 17.

The discharge roller pair 35 is disposed in front of the conveyance roller pair 34 in the conveyance path 38 (downstream in the conveyance direction of the sheets 15 and 17). The discharge roller pair 35 includes a discharge roller 64 and a spur 65. The spur 65 is pressed against the discharge roller 64 by an elastic member (not shown) such as a spring. Thereby, the discharge roller pair 35 can sandwich the sheets 15 and 17.

The conveyance roller 61 and the discharge roller 64 are driven by transmission of the driving force of a conveyance motor (not shown). The conveyance roller 61 to which the driving force has been transmitted conveys the sheets 15 and 17 forward (in the conveyance direction) while holding the sheets 15 and 17 between them and the pinch roller 62 . The discharge roller 64 to which the driving force has been transmitted conveys the sheets 15 and 17 forward (in the conveyance direction) while holding the sheets 15 and 17 between them and the spur 65 .

The recording section 36 is located in the internal space 16. The recording unit 36 is located between the pair of conveyance rollers 34 and the pair of discharge rollers 35 in the conveyance path 38 . The recording section 36 is located in front of the storage section 31. In other words, the recording section 36 is located at a position offset forward (in the direction along the upper surface 73) with respect to the storage section 31. The recording section 36 is located above the storage section 31 and the inclined wall 32.

In this embodiment, the recording unit 36 records an image on the paper 15 conveyed through the conveyance path 38 using an inkjet method. Note that the method by which the recording unit 36 records images on the paper 15 is not limited to the inkjet method, and may be other methods such as an electrophotographic method.

The platen 27 is provided below the recording section 36 and facing the recording section 36 . The platen 27 supports the sheets 15 and 17 being conveyed along the conveyance path 38.

The reading unit 37 is located on the conveyance path 39 of the internal space 16 . The reading section 37 is located behind the recording section 36. The reading section 37 is located in front of the opening 84. That is, the reading section 37 is located closer to the discharge port 21 than the opening 84 in the front-rear direction 8 and between the opening 84 and the recording section 36 . The reading section 37 is located above the housing section 31 and the inclined wall 32. In this embodiment, the reading section 37 is located directly above the accommodating section 31. The reading unit 37 uses an image sensor to read an image recorded on the paper 17 inserted through the opening 84 and positioned on the conveyance path 39 to obtain image data.

[Effects of embodiment]
Since the storage section 31 and the recording section 36 are provided at positions offset from each other in the horizontal direction (in the present embodiment, the front-back direction), the multifunction device 10 is Height can be reduced.

By moving the opening/closing wall 82 to the exposed position, the paper 15 stored in the storage section 31 can be taken in and out through the opening 40. Therefore, since there is no need to provide the multifunction device 10 with a mechanism for moving the housing section 31, an increase in the number of parts of the multifunction device 10 can be suppressed.

By moving the opening/closing wall 87 to the collapsed position, the multifunction device 10 can be adapted to record an image on a large-sized paper 15 that protrudes from the storage section 31.

When the opening/closing wall 82 is moved to the exposed position and the paper 15 stored in the storage section 31 is taken in or out through the opening 40, the opening/closing wall 87 is moved to the collapsed position to create a large opening made up of the continuous opening 40 and opening 42. can be formed. Thereby, the paper 15 can be easily taken in and out of the storage section 31.

Since the housing part 31 is fixed to the housing 14 and does not move, no parts are required for the movement.

Since the predetermined space 41 in addition to the opening 40 is exposed when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position, the visibility of the storage section 31 can be improved when the paper 15 stored in the storage section 31 is taken in or taken out.

The predetermined space 41 extends further forward than the feeding section 33. Therefore, when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position, the portion of the paper 15 that has passed through the feeding section 33 is also visible, and the user can access this portion. This makes it easy to remove the jammed paper 15 with a portion of the paper having passed through the feeding section 33.

In the configuration including the inclined wall 32 and the separation piece 91 as in this embodiment, it is possible to separate the paper 15 without creating back tension (tension in the opposite direction to the transport direction of the paper 15) on the paper 15. be. Therefore, even if part of the paper 15 on which an image is recorded by the recording unit 36 is located on the inclined wall 32, the image recording on the paper 15 will not be affected by the back tension.

The length of the housing 14 in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length of the housing 14 in the left-right direction 9. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the multifunction device 10 in the front-rear direction 8. Further, by providing the opening/closing wall 87, when the multifunction device 10 is adapted to record an image on a large size of paper 15 that protrudes from the storage section 31, the multifunction device 10 can be easily adapted to the larger size of the paper 15.

The opening/closing wall 82 extends from the right end to the left end of the housing 14. Therefore, it is easy to access the opening/closing wall 82 from both sides in the left-right direction 9 and opening/closing the opening/closing wall 82. Further, by increasing the sense of unity between the opening/closing wall 82 and the housing 14, the aesthetic appearance of the multifunction device 10 can be enhanced.

[Modified example]
In the embodiment described above, the reading section 37 is located on the transport path 39 and directly above the accommodating section 31, but the position of the reading section 37 is not limited to such a position. For example, the reading section 37 may be located on the transport path 38. In this case, the reading unit 37 may be located behind the recording unit 36 (between the merging position P2 and the recording unit 36) or in front of the recording unit 36 (between the recording unit 36 and the discharge port 21). It may be located. In this case, the reading section 37 is located in front of the accommodating section 31 and is therefore not located directly above the accommodating section 31 .

In the above embodiment, the opening/closing wall 82 was moved to the covering position and the exposed position by rotation, but may be moved to the covering position and the exposed position by other than rotation.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the opening/closing wall 82 may be removable from the housing 14. In this case, the opening/closing wall 82 is in the covered position when attached to the housing 14, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 7, and is exposed when removed from the housing 14, as shown by the solid line in FIG. It's the location.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, since the opening/closing wall 82 is removed from the housing 14, it is easy to take in and out the paper 15 stored in the storage section 31.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the opening/closing wall 82 may be supported by the housing 14 so as to be slidable back and forth. In this case, the opening/closing wall 82 is in the covered position when it is in the position shown by the broken line in FIG. 8, and is in the exposed position when it is in the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 (a position slid rearward from the covered position). Note that the sliding direction of the opening/closing wall 82 is not limited to the front and back, and the opening/closing wall 82 may be supported by the housing 14 so as to be slidable left and right, up and down, diagonally upward, etc., for example.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, since the opening/closing wall 82 does not move upward, the height of the multifunction device 10 can be suppressed.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the opening/closing wall 82 may be connected to another portion of the housing 14 (in FIG. 9, a side wall 93 of the housing 14) via a connecting member 92.

Two connecting members 92 are provided at each of the upper right end and the upper left end of the casing 14 with an interval in the front and back. Note that the number of connecting members 92 is not limited to the above.

One end of the connecting member 92 is connected to the side wall 93. The other end of the connecting member 92 is connected to the opening/closing wall 82 . The connecting member 92 is rotatable about a shaft 94 extending in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the side wall 93, and is rotatable around a shaft 95 extending in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the opening/closing wall 82.

The opening/closing wall 82 is in the covered position when it is in the position shown by the broken line in FIG. At this time, the connecting member 92 extends back and forth. By rotating the connecting member 92 in the direction of the arrow 96, the opening/closing wall 82 is lifted up relative to the other portion of the housing 14, and is in the exposed position shown by the solid line in FIG. The opening/closing wall 82 in the exposed position is offset forward and upward with respect to the opening/closing wall 82 in the covering position.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 9, since the connecting member 92 is configured to rotate around an axis extending in the left-right direction, the openable wall 82 at the exposed position is not connected to the openable wall 82 at the covered position. Although the position is offset forward and upward with respect to the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the connecting member 92 is configured to rotate around an axis extending in the front-rear direction, and the opening/closing wall 82 in the exposed position is offset in the horizontal direction and upward with respect to the opening/closing wall 82 in the covering position. It may be in position.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 9, the opening/closing wall 82 in the exposed position is offset in two directions, horizontally and upward, with respect to the opening/closing wall 82 in the covering position. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the opening/closing wall 82 at the exposed position is offset in only one direction (horizontal or upward direction) with respect to the opening/closing wall 82 at the covering position, the opening 40 can be adjusted while reducing the amount of offset in each of the two directions. It can be exposed widely.

Similarly to the opening/closing wall 82, the cover 85 may also be moved to the closed position and the open position by means other than rotation, and the opening/closing wall 87 may also be moved to the upright position and the collapsed position by means other than rotation.

In the embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface 73 of the housing 14 is constituted by the upper surface of the upper wall 81 of the housing 14 and the upper surface of the opening/closing wall 82 of the housing 14.

However, the upper surface 73 of the housing 14 may be configured only by the upper surface of the opening/closing wall 82. That is, the housing 14 does not need to include the top wall 81. That is, the opening/closing wall 82 constitutes at least a portion of the upper surface 73 of the housing 14 .

A cover may be provided to cover at least a portion of the member located in the predetermined space 41. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a cover 97 may be provided to cover the feeding section 33 and the reading section 37 from above. The cover 97 is provided at a position where the user can be prevented from directly touching the members located in the predetermined space 41 (the feeding section 33 and the reading section 37 in FIG. 10) when the opening/closing wall 82 is in the exposed position. On the other hand, the cover 97 is not provided at a position that prevents the member from performing its function. For example, since the downwardly facing surface of the circumferential surface of the feeding roller 25 needs to come into contact with the paper 15, the cover 97 does not cover the downwardly facing surface.

By providing the cover 97, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the members arranged in the predetermined space 41.

As shown in FIG. 11, the multifunction device 10 may include a tray 98 rotatably supported by the housing 14. Tray 98 is located behind opening 84. The tray 98 is rotatable about a shaft 99 provided at its front end and extending in the left-right direction 9 between a first position shown by a broken line in FIG. 11 and a second position shown by a solid line in FIG. be.

When the tray 98 is in the first position, the top surface 981 of the tray 98 is flush with the top surface 73 of the housing 14 . When the tray 98 is in the second position, the upper surface 981 of the tray 98 extends upward from the upper surface 73 toward the rear (that is, away from the discharge port 21 in the front-rear direction 8). When the tray 98 is in the second position, the top surface 981 of the tray 98 can support the sheet 17 inserted into the opening 84.

In FIG. 11, the shaft 83 of the opening/closing wall 82 is provided at the front end of the opening/closing wall 82, but the shaft 83 may be provided at the rear end of the opening/closing wall 82 as in FIG. 2 or the like. Further, in FIG. 11, a tray 98 is provided in place of the opening/closing wall 82, and the tray 98 has the function of the opening/closing wall 82 (the function of exposing the accommodating portion 31 to the outside). However, the tray 98 may be provided in addition to the opening/closing wall 82. For example, the tray 98 may be rotatably supported by the opening/closing wall 82.

In the embodiment described above, the accommodating portion 31 is fixed to the casing 14, but the accommodating portion 31 does not need to be fixed to the casing 14.

In the embodiment described above, the feeding unit 33 includes the feeding arm 26 and the feeding roller 25 rotatably supported at the tip of the feeding arm 26. The sheets 15 stored in the storage section 31 were fed along the inclined wall 32, and the uppermost sheet 15 was separated from the other sheets 15 by the separation piece 91. However, the configuration in which the paper 15 is fed is not limited to the configuration including the feeding arm 26, the feeding roller 25, the inclined wall 32, and the separating piece 91. For example, a feeding roller may be provided at the upper end of the front end of the storage section 31 (at the boundary between the storage section 31 and the conveyance path 38), and the bottom surface 77 may be urged upward by a spring or the like. In this case, the uppermost sheet 15 of the sheets 15 supported on the bottom surface 77 contacts the feeding roller from below, and the uppermost sheet 15 is fed by the feeding roller.

In the above embodiment, the multifunction device 10 having printer and scanner functions has been described as an example of an image recording device. However, the image recording device is not limited to the multifunction device 10. For example, the image recording device may be a printer that does not have a scanner function. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the printer 100 does not have the cover 85, the reading section 37, and the conveyance path 39.

10...Multifunction device (image recording device)
14... Housing 15... Paper (sheet)
21...Discharge port 31...Accommodation section 36...Recording section 38...Transport path 40...Opening (first opening)
71...Front (outer surface)
82...Opening/closing wall 89...Accommodation space

Claims (12)

A casing and
a storage section located inside the housing and housing the sheet;
a conveyance path formed inside the casing, extending from the accommodating portion to a discharge port formed on the outer surface of the casing without inversion, through which the sheet passes;
a recording unit located inside the housing at a position offset in the horizontal direction with respect to the storage unit, and recording an image on a sheet located on the conveyance path;
A second section is formed above the accommodating section, and is capable of exposing the sheet accommodating space in the accommodating section to the outside of the casing , and that allows sheets to be taken in and out of the accommodating section from above the accommodating section . 1 opening and
a first opening/closing wall supported by the housing so as to be movable to a first position where the first opening is exposed to the outside of the housing and a second position where the first opening is closed;
It is equipped with a cover and a
When the first opening/closing wall is in the first position, in addition to the first opening, the predetermined space is continuous with the first opening in plan view and is between the first opening and the discharge port. exposed outside the casing,
The cover is an image recording device that covers at least a portion of the member arranged in the predetermined space from above. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the first opening/closing wall moves to the first position and the second position by being attached to and detached from the housing. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the first opening/closing wall moves to the first position and the second position by sliding. 4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first opening/closing wall at the first position is offset in a horizontal direction and an upward direction with respect to the first opening/closing wall at the second position. a second opening formed on a side surface of the casing and capable of exposing the accommodation space to the outside of the casing;
5. A second opening/closing wall supported by the housing so as to be movable to a third position for opening the second opening and a fourth position for closing the second opening. image recording device. 6. The image recording device according to claim 5, wherein when the first opening/closing wall is in the first position and the second opening/closing wall is in the third position, the first opening and the second opening are continuous. 7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing section is fixed to the housing. a feeding unit located in the predetermined space and feeding the sheet accommodated in the storage unit to the conveyance path;
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined space extends downstream from the feeding section in the sheet feeding direction. a feeding section that feeds the sheets stored in the storage section to the conveyance path;
an inclined wall that is located at a boundary between the storage section and the conveyance path, and that slopes upward from the storage section toward the conveyance path;
Image recording according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a separating section provided on the inclined wall and separating an uppermost sheet among the sheets fed by the feeding section from other sheets. Device. The length of the storage section along the conveyance direction of the sheet on the conveyance path is shorter than the length of the storage section along the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and the vertical direction. image recording device. 11. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the first opening/closing wall extends from one end of the housing to the other end in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the vertical direction of the sheet on the transport path. . A casing and
a storage section located inside the housing and housing the sheet;
a conveyance path formed inside the casing, extending from the accommodating portion to a discharge port formed on the outer surface of the casing without inversion, through which the sheet passes;
a recording unit located inside the housing at a position offset in the horizontal direction with respect to the storage unit, and recording an image on a sheet located on the conveyance path;
A second section is formed above the accommodating section, and is capable of exposing the sheet accommodating space in the accommodating section to the outside of the casing , and that allows sheets to be taken in and out of the accommodating section from above the accommodating section . 1 opening and
a first opening/closing wall supported by the housing so as to be movable to a first position where the first opening is exposed to the outside of the housing and a second position where the first opening is closed;
a sheet insertion opening formed in the first opening/closing wall or the upper wall of the casing;
a second conveyance path through which the sheet passes, one end communicating with the conveyance path and the other end communicating with the insertion opening;
An image recording device, comprising: a reading unit located inside the housing and reading an image of a sheet inserted through the insertion opening and positioned on the transport path or the second transport path.

Images