JPH0717093A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To send a matter to be recorded to a recording part in a regular position and prevent slanting and jam of the matter to be recorded. CONSTITUTION:A first index 2a and a second index 2b can be housed in a tray member 2 which also serves as a cover of a recording device. The indexes 2a and 2b can rotate with certain sliding resistance against axes 11a and 11b and can stop at optional positions. The axes 11a and 11b are put in the tray member 2 forcibly and fixed. When the recording device is being used, protrusions at free edges of desired indexes 2a and 2b are raised by claw of finger, so that the heights of the indexes 2a and 2b can be easily made to be higher. When the recording device is not used and the tray member 2 is closed, the indexes 2a and 2b abut against built-in members in the device automatically so as to be housed in the tray member 2. At housing, the height of the protrusions of the indexes 2a and 2b returns to an original height h1 without any problem.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device, and more particularly to a recording device having a tray member for inserting recording paper into the recording device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device having a function of a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile or the like, or a recording device used as an output device such as a composite electronic device including a computer, a word processor or the like, a workstation, etc. The image (including characters and the like) is recorded on a recording material (recording medium) such as a sheet of paper or a plastic thin plate. The recording apparatus can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type, etc., depending on the recording method.

In a serial type recording apparatus which employs a serial scan system in which main scanning is performed in a direction intersecting a conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of a recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position and then the recording material is recorded. An image is recorded (main scanning) by a recording unit mounted on a carriage that moves along the material, a predetermined amount of paper is fed (recording material conveyance) after recording for one line, and then stopped again. The entire recording material is recorded by repeating the operation of recording (main scanning) the image of the next row on the recording material. On the other hand, in a line type recording apparatus that records only by sub-scanning in the conveying direction of the recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and one line of recording is collectively performed, and then a predetermined amount is recorded. The paper is fed (pitch feed), and the recording of the next row is collectively performed, whereby the entire recording material is recorded.

Of the above recording apparatuses, an inkjet recording apparatus (inkjet recording apparatus) is configured to eject ink from a recording unit (recording head) in accordance with an image signal and perform recording on a recording material. In addition, it is easy to make the recording means compact, it is possible to record high-definition images at high speed, it is possible to record on plain paper without requiring special processing, and the running cost is low and the non-impact method Therefore, there is an advantage that there is little noise and that it is easy to record a color image using multicolor ink. Among them, the line type using a full multi type recording means in which a large number of ejection openings are arranged in the paper width direction can further speed up recording.

In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for ejecting ink by utilizing heat energy,
Through the semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, and sputtering, the electrothermal converter formed on the substrate, the electrode,
By forming a liquid channel wall, a top plate, etc., it is possible to easily manufacture a product having a high-density liquid channel arrangement (ejection port arrangement), a simple and compact structure, and a high-resolution image at high speed. Can be recorded. On the other hand, there are various requirements for the material of the recording material, and in recent years, in addition to ordinary recording material such as plain paper and resin thin plate (OHP, etc.), thin paper and processed paper (punching holes for filing). It has become necessary to use attached paper, perforated paper, paper of any shape, etc.).

In recent years, recording devices as output devices for office computers, personal computers, word processors, etc. have been remarkably spread, and in particular, there is an increasing demand for personal type recording devices, which are popular machines. These personal type recording devices (personal printers, etc.) are often used by individuals, and therefore, they are portable or battery-operable, and in order to reduce the installation area, they can be installed vertically or horizontally. It has been developed that can be used in any of the.

When the recording device is set up and when it is laid down,
Generally, since the installation area is significantly different, according to the recording apparatus which can be used both vertically and horizontally, it is possible to select vertically or horizontally depending on the usage environment of the user.
Further, in the case of vertical placement, it is generally possible to mount and use an automatic paper feeder. On the other hand, in this type of recording apparatus, a push switch provided on a circuit board inside the apparatus is pressed by a key top provided on an operation unit on the exterior of the apparatus,
This is adapted to operate the recording device.

Hereinafter, a conventional example will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are schematic perspective views showing a conventional example, FIG. 8 shows a state of being used in a horizontal position, and FIG. 9 shows a state of being used in a vertical position. In the illustrated recording apparatus, the recording material 103 such as recording paper is manually fed in the horizontal orientation, and the automatic paper feeding device 109 is mounted in the vertical orientation to automatically feed the recording materials 103 one by one. Is configured.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, an openable and closable tray member 102 is provided on the outer casing 101 of the recording apparatus as a paper feed tray when placed horizontally and a discharge tray when placed vertically.
Is attached. The tray member 102 serves as a cover of the recording device when the recording device is not used.

The paper discharge roller 104 is for discharging the recording material 103, and the first key top 105 serves as an operation unit that is manually operated from the outside when the recording apparatus is used horizontally. The second key top 106 serves as an operation unit that is manually operated from the outside when the key top 106 is placed vertically and used.
The platen 107 is for carrying the recording material 103 and forming a recording surface, and the recording material 103 carried by the platen 107 is subjected to predetermined recording by a recording head (recording means) 108. The automatic paper feeding device 109 can be attached to and detached from the outer casing 101, and can be installed at the position shown in FIG. 9 when the recording device is used in a vertical position. A cable 110 for sending recording information from a host such as a personal computer to a recording device is connected to a side surface of the outer casing 101 via a connector.

When the recording material 103 is inserted into the recording device during horizontal placement, the size of the recording material 103 is displayed and the side edges of the recording material 103 can be aligned. The indexes 102a and 102b were integrally provided on the tray member 102 by engraving. The first and second indexes 102a and 102b are usually convex sections, and in this case, the height of the convex sections is set to about 0.3 mm so that the indexes do not interfere with the internal components of the recording apparatus. Can only be set. The first and second indicators 102a and 102b are
It may be composed of a recess.

The first index 102a is used when recording A4 size and B5 size recording materials, and the second index 102a
Indicators 102b are LTR (Letter size) and L
Used when recording a GL (Legal size) recording material.

The recording head 108 is an ink jet recording head, and a large number of ejection ports arranged in parallel to the conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of the recording material 103 such as paper or a thin plastic plate are provided on the front surface of the recording head 108. Has been formed. And, an electrothermal converter is built in for each discharge port,
By selectively driving (energizing) each electrothermal converter, ink droplets are ejected and ejected from a predetermined ejection port.

That is, the recording head (recording means) 1
Reference numeral 08 denotes an ink jet recording means for ejecting ink by utilizing heat energy, which is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating heat energy, and is provided by the heat energy applied by the electrothermal converter. Recording is performed by ejecting ink from the ejection port by utilizing the pressure change caused by the growth and contraction of bubbles caused by the film boiling that occurs.

[0015]

However, in a recording apparatus such as the above-mentioned conventional example and a compact recording apparatus, a paper guide for determining the paper position of the recording material for inserting the recording material into the recording apparatus has a space. Because it is not installed or is not perfect even if installed,
Problems such as poor paper feeding or defective printing occurred. That is, as shown in FIG. 8 described above, when the recording material 103 is inserted into the recording device when the small recording device is placed horizontally, the size of the recording material such as 102a and 102b is displayed and the recording material is displayed. An index that allows the side edge of the recording material 103 to be aligned is integrally marked on the tray member 102 as unevenness. In this case, the height of the convex portion is about 0.3 mm, which is low.
It was difficult to fit 2a and 102b. When the index is a concave portion, the recording material 103 is naturally better than the convex portion.
It is more and more difficult to match the index with the index, and once the recording material 103 enters the recording apparatus in a non-regular position, the recording material 103 is recorded obliquely, and as a result, it hits a part of the recording material passing path in the recording apparatus. Jam occurs.
Further, even if the recording material 103 is not slantly inserted into the recording device, the print start position is displaced, and printing is performed in an area other than the recording material 103, and a regular printed matter cannot be obtained.
Alternatively, since printing is performed on the recording device, there is a problem that the recording device is contaminated with ink, particularly in the case of the inkjet recording method.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art. The recording material can reach the recording portion at a regular position, and the recording material can be skewed, jammed, or other than the recording material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording device that can solve problems such as printing of the.

[0017]

The present invention for achieving the above object provides a recording apparatus having a tray member which guides a recording material to a recording portion and which also serves as an openable / closable cover of the recording apparatus. It is characterized in that the tray member is provided with a positioning member for abutting a recording material to perform positioning so as to be accommodated.

Further, the positioning member can be housed in the tray member by rotating with its one end as a fulcrum.

Further, the recording section is an ink jet recording head for recording by ejecting ink toward the recording medium.

[0020]

In the present invention configured as described above, when the recording apparatus is used, the positioning member is pulled out from the tray member and protruded, and the side end of the recording material is brought into contact with the positioning member for positioning. On the other hand, when the recording apparatus is not used, the positioning member is housed in the tray member.

[0021]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views showing a first embodiment of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the recording apparatus is used in a horizontal position. Figure 2
Indicates the state of being used vertically. In the illustrated recording apparatus, the recording material 3 such as recording paper is manually fed in the horizontal orientation, and the automatic paper feeding device 9 is attached to the outer case 1 in the vertical orientation to automatically feed the recording materials 3 one by one. It is designed to be paper.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an outer cover 1 of the recording apparatus is provided with an openable / closable tray member 2 which serves as a paper feed tray when placed horizontally and a discharge tray when placed vertically. The tray member 2 serves as a cover of the recording device when the recording device is not used.

The paper discharge roller 4 is for discharging the recording material 3, and the first key top 5 serves as an operation unit that is manually operated from the outside when the recording apparatus is used in a horizontal position. The key top 6 of 2 serves as an operation unit that is manually operated from the outside when the recording apparatus is used in a vertical position. Code 7
Is a platen for carrying the recording material 3 and forming a recording surface, and reference numeral 8 is a recording head (recording means) for recording on the recording material 3. The automatic paper feeding device 9 can be attached to and detached from the exterior 1 and can be attached to the position shown in FIG. 2 when the recording device is used in a vertical position. A cable 1 for transmitting recording information from a host such as a personal computer to a recording device via a connector on a side surface of the outer casing 1.
0 is connected.

The recording head 8 is an ink jet recording head, and on the front surface thereof, a large number of ejection ports arranged in parallel to the conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of the recording material 3 such as paper or a plastic thin plate. Has been formed. An electrothermal converter is built in each ejection port, and the electrothermal converter is selectively driven (energized) to eject and eject ink droplets from a predetermined ejection port. There is.

That is, the recording head (recording means) 8
Is an ink jet recording means for ejecting ink by using thermal energy, which is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy, and is generated by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. Recording is performed by ejecting ink from an ejection port by utilizing a pressure change caused by growth and contraction of bubbles due to film boiling.

At the predetermined position of the tray member 2, the first and second indexes 2a as the positioning member, as in the conventional case,
2b is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the first and second indicators 2a and 2b have a width of 1 mm and a height, that is, the dimension of the convex portion (h _{1 in} FIG. 4) when stored is about 0.5 mm. Characters indicating the size of the recording material 3 to be matched with the indexes are engraved on the lower ends of the second indexes 2a and 2b. LTR
Is Letter size 216mm × 279mm, LG
L is Legal size 216mm × 356mm, A4
Is A4 size 210 mm x 297 mm, B5 is B5 size 182 mm x 257 mm, and the position of this index is
The recording material 3 is provided so that the center of the printing range substantially coincides with the center of the recording material 3. Here, the LTR / LGL index is denoted by reference numeral 2a, and the A4 / B5 index is denoted by reference numeral 2a. As will be described later, these indexes 2a and 2b can be stored in the tray member 2, respectively. There is.

The sectional view taken along the line AA and the sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3 are also shown in combination with FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tray member 2
Is formed with two grooves 25a, 25b which respectively match the first and second indexes 2a, 2a. The first and second indexes 2a, 2a are attached to the tray member 2 by the shafts 11a, 11b.
It can be rotated about the center and can be stored in the grooves 25a and 25b. The first and second indexes 2a and 2b are rotatable with a certain sliding resistance with respect to the shafts 11a and 11b, and the indexes 2a and 2a can be stopped at arbitrary positions. The shafts 11a and 11b are press-fitted and fixed to the tray member 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the convex portion from the surface of the tray member 2 is h _1, and the end portion distant from the fulcrum L _{1 is} pushed down to the same surface as the surface of the tray member 2 with a fingernail or the like. As shown by a two-dot chain line, when the distance from the fulcrum to the other end of the convexity h ₂ at the other end is L ₂ , the following formula is established.

H ₂ = h ₁ (L ₂ / L ₁ +1) However, L ₂ > L _1, that is, in the case of a fixed index as in the conventional example, h ₁ remains as shown in the above equation. The convexity is amplified. In other words, when the recording apparatus is used, the convex margins of the indexes 2a, 2a become large, and the side edge of the recording material 3 can be brought into contact with the desired indexes 2a, 2a. This facilitates the insertion of the recording material 3 into the abnormal recording device. With such a configuration, by pressing the convex margin of the end of indicators nail or the like of a finger during use, it can increase the height of the indicator, and upon receiving the any trouble by returning to the height of a conventional h ₁ There is no. When the tray member 2 is closed when the recording apparatus is not used, the indicators 2a and 2b are automatically brought into contact with the internal components of the apparatus and stored in the tray member 2.

According to this structure, an index can be provided even with a thin tray member, and the member and the like are not visible outside the exterior, and there is no problem in appearance. In this embodiment, the number of indexes is two, but the same configuration is naturally possible even if the number of indexes increases. Further, the larger the lever ratio of the rotation fulcrum is, the larger the convex margin of the index is, but the operability tends to be sacrificed. Therefore, it is preferable to employ an appropriate lever ratio.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of an index portion thereof, and FIG. 7 is C of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line C.

The tray member 20 has a plate-shaped first member, which will be described later.
And two recesses 26a and 26b that match the second indexes 21a and 21b are formed, and the first and second indexes 21 and 21b are formed.
The a and 21b can be housed in the recesses 26a and 26b. FIG. 6 is a diagram when the first index 21a of A4 / B5 is set up, and the second index 21b of LTR / LGL is in a lying state. These indexes 21a, 21b are plate-shaped, and when the recording apparatus is not used, the recesses 26a, 26b are formed so that the side surfaces of the indexes are substantially the same as the surface of the tray member 20 when lying down as indicated by reference numeral 21b. The depth of is set. That is, the thickness of each index 21a, 21b and the depth of the recesses 26a, 26b are substantially equal. The rotary shaft portions 23a and 23b at both ends of each index 21a and 21b,
The rotary shafts 24a and 24b are rotatably fitted in the tray member 20. Index 21 when using recording device
The tray member 20 has a spot facing portion 2 that communicates with the recesses 26a and 26b so that the fingers a can easily be raised.
2a and 22b are formed.

With such a configuration, when the recording apparatus is used, a necessary index can be raised to increase the contact area with the recording material 3, so that the recording material 3 is positioned in a stable manner, and skewing, jamming, or covering It is possible to avoid printing on other than the recording material 3. When the recording device is not used, it is possible to easily store the recording device by maintaining the compact form without requiring an extra space for storing it by tilting the indicator.

[0035]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when the recording apparatus is used, the positioning member is sufficiently pulled out from the tray member and protruded, and the side end of the recording material is attached to the positioning member. On the other hand, when the recording apparatus is not used, the positioning member can be housed in the tray member, so that the regular positioning of the recording material can be easily performed. As a result, the recording material can be obliquely moved. It is possible to realize a stable recording apparatus of high print quality without problems such as printing, jamming, or printing on a material other than the recording material. As a result, it becomes possible for the user to easily obtain a stable recording-quality recording material while maintaining compactness.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of a recording apparatus of the present invention, showing a state in which the recording apparatus is used horizontally.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention, showing a state in which the recording apparatus is used vertically.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an index portion in FIG.

4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA and a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a second embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention, showing a state in which the recording apparatus is used horizontally.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the index portion of FIG.

7 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional recording apparatus, showing a state in which the recording apparatus is used horizontally.

9 is a perspective view of the recording apparatus of FIG. 8 in a vertical installation state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Exterior 2 20 Tray members 2a, 21a 1st index 2b, 21b 2nd index 3 Recording material 4 Paper discharge roller 5 1st key top 6 2nd key top 7 Platen 8 Recording head 9 Automatic paper feeding Device 10 Cable 11a Shaft 11b Shaft 22a, 22b Counterbore 23a, 23b Rotating shaft 24a, 24b Rotating shaft 25a, 25b Groove 26a, 26b Recess

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A recording apparatus having a tray member for guiding a recording material to a recording portion and also serving as an openable / closable cover of the recording apparatus, wherein positioning is performed by bringing the recording material into contact with the tray member. A recording device, wherein a positioning member for storing is provided so as to be stored. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning member can be housed in the tray member by rotating about one end thereof as a fulcrum. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is an inkjet recording head that performs recording by ejecting ink toward a recording medium.