US20130221597A1 - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Recording apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US20130221597A1
US20130221597A1 US13/777,623 US201313777623A US2013221597A1 US 20130221597 A1 US20130221597 A1 US 20130221597A1 US 201313777623 A US201313777623 A US 201313777623A US 2013221597 A1 US2013221597 A1 US 2013221597A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
tray
feeding roller
sheet
lower tray
state
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US13/777,623
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Toshikazu Kotaka
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Seiko Epson Corp
Original Assignee
Seiko Epson Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Seiko Epson Corp filed Critical Seiko Epson Corp
Assigned to SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION reassignment SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KOTAKA, TOSHIKAZU
Publication of US20130221597A1 publication Critical patent/US20130221597A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H1/00—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated
    • B65H1/26—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated with auxiliary supports to facilitate introduction or renewal of the pile
    • B65H1/266—Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H1/00—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
    • B65H3/44—Simultaneously, alternately, or selectively separating articles from two or more piles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H31/00—Pile receivers
    • B65H31/02—Pile receivers with stationary end support against which pile accumulates
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/30—Orientation, displacement, position of the handled material
    • B65H2301/31—Features of transport path
    • B65H2301/312—Features of transport path for transport path involving at least two planes of transport forming an angle between each other
    • B65H2301/3122—U-shaped
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
    • B65H2301/42—Piling, depiling, handling piles
    • B65H2301/421—Forming a pile
    • B65H2301/4212—Forming a pile of articles substantially horizontal
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2402/00—Constructional details of the handling apparatus
    • B65H2402/30—Supports; Subassemblies; Mountings thereof
    • B65H2402/32—Sliding support means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2402/00—Constructional details of the handling apparatus
    • B65H2402/40—Details of frames, housings or mountings of the whole handling apparatus
    • B65H2402/46—Table apparatus
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2404/00—Parts for transporting or guiding the handled material
    • B65H2404/10—Rollers
    • B65H2404/15—Roller assembly, particular roller arrangement
    • B65H2404/153—Arrangements of rollers facing a transport surface
    • B65H2404/1531—Arrangements of rollers facing a transport surface the transport surface being a cylinder
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2405/00—Parts for holding the handled material
    • B65H2405/10—Cassettes, holders, bins, decks, trays, supports or magazines for sheets stacked substantially horizontally
    • B65H2405/11—Parts and details thereof
    • B65H2405/115—Cover
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2405/00—Parts for holding the handled material
    • B65H2405/30—Other features of supports for sheets
    • B65H2405/32—Supports for sheets partially insertable - extractable, e.g. upon sliding movement, drawer
    • B65H2405/324—Supports for sheets partially insertable - extractable, e.g. upon sliding movement, drawer between operative position and non operative position
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2405/00—Parts for holding the handled material
    • B65H2405/30—Other features of supports for sheets
    • B65H2405/33—Compartmented support
    • B65H2405/332—Superposed compartments
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2405/00—Parts for holding the handled material
    • B65H2405/30—Other features of supports for sheets
    • B65H2405/33—Compartmented support
    • B65H2405/332—Superposed compartments
    • B65H2405/3322—Superposed compartments discharge tray superposed to feed tray
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2801/00—Application field
    • B65H2801/03—Image reproduction devices
    • B65H2801/06—Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a recording apparatus including two or more trays which are detachably mounted to an apparatus body and which store a recording medium.
  • Paper feed cassettes detachably mounted to an apparatus body have been widely used.
  • a configuration including two or more paper feed cassettes as upper and lower cassettes and capable of feeding sheets from each paper feed cassette has been widely known.
  • such configurations include a configuration in which a paper feed roller is arranged between upper and lower paper feed cassettes and the paper feed roller is shared by the upper and lower paper feed cassettes, because the size of the apparatus may become large and costs for the apparatus may increase if each of the paper feed cassettes is provided with a paper feed mechanism.
  • the paper feed roller is configured to contact a bottom sheet among sheets stored in the upper paper cassette in the above-described configuration according to JP-A-11-139598, the weight of the sheet bundle changes depending on the number of stored sheets. Accordingly, the paper feeding condition may easily change. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve an optimum design for appropriately feeding sheets.
  • An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that a recording apparatus including two or more paper cassettes is capable of improving the ease with which sheets may be set to the cassette.
  • a paper storage portion for storing sheets included in a recording apparatus is referred to by various terms, such as “cassette”, “tray”, and the like, the term “tray” is used herein.
  • a recording apparatus includes a recording unit configured to execute recording on a recording medium, a lower tray configured to store a recording medium, an upper tray which is provided above the lower tray and configured to store a recording medium, and a feeding roller capable of contacting each of the recording medium stored in the lower tray and the recording medium stored in the upper tray from above.
  • the lower tray and the upper tray are attached to and detached from an apparatus body including the recording unit and the feeding roller, independently from each other.
  • the lower tray and the upper tray may be attached to and detached from the apparatus body including the recording unit and the feeding roller, independently from each other. Accordingly, in setting the recording medium onto one tray, it is not necessary to draw out the other tray. Therefore, the ease of setting the recording medium in the recording apparatus having two or more trays may be improved.
  • the recording medium be fed by the feeding roller from the other thereof.
  • the recording medium may be fed by the feeding roller from the other tray. Accordingly, the apparatus may be more easily handled.
  • the feeding roller be supported at an intermediate position, which is lower than a position of the feeding roller reached when the feeding roller contacts a bottom surface of the upper tray and higher than a position of the feeding roller reached when the feeding roller contacts a recording medium set as a top sheet in the lower tray in a state in which a maximum number of recording media are stored in the lower tray, in a state of the upper tray and the lower tray being detached.
  • the feeding roller is supported at the above-described intermediate position in the state of the upper and lower trays being detached, the upper tray may push aside the roller support member when the upper tray is mounted. Accordingly, the configuration for releasing the state of the feeding roller being supported at the intermediate position is not necessary for the upper tray. As a result, the size of the apparatus and the costs for the apparatus may be decreased in the recording apparatus including two or more trays.
  • the feeding roller when moving the upper tray to an abutting position in a mounting direction, the feeding roller be displaced upward from the intermediate position when the upper tray is moved, and subsequently the feeding roller be allowed to descend to a position at which the feeding roller contacts the recording medium stored in the upper tray.
  • the support of the feeding roller at the intermediate position is released by the lower tray and the feeding roller be allowed to descend to a position at which the feeding roller contacts the recording medium stored in the lower tray.
  • the recording apparatus further include a discharged sheet-receiving tray capable of shifting between a position in a state of the discharged sheet-receiving tray being stored in the apparatus body and a position in a state of the discharged sheet-receiving tray protruding from the apparatus body and, when the recording medium is fed from the upper tray or the lower tray, the discharged sheet-receiving tray be located at a position in the state of the discharged sheet-receiving tray protruding from the apparatus body.
  • a discharged sheet-receiving tray capable of shifting between a position in a state of the discharged sheet-receiving tray being stored in the apparatus body and a position in a state of the discharged sheet-receiving tray protruding from the apparatus body and, when the recording medium is fed from the upper tray or the lower tray, the discharged sheet-receiving tray be located at a position in the state of the discharged sheet-receiving tray protruding from the apparatus body.
  • FIG. 1 is an external perspective view illustrating a printer according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is an external perspective view illustrating the printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates elements on larger scale of the apparatus front surface of the printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a lower tray.
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an upper tray.
  • FIG. 6 is a sectional side view illustrating a sheet transport path of the printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a sectional side view illustrating the sheet transport path of the printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a supporting portion for supporting an intermediate position of a feeding roller.
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the supporting portion for supporting the intermediate position of the feeding roller and the lower tray.
  • FIG. 10 is an overall perspective view illustrating a state of the supporting portion being mounted for supporting the intermediate position of the feeding roller.
  • FIG. 11 is a partial magnified perspective view illustrating a state of the supporting portion being mounted for supporting the intermediate position of the feeding roller.
  • FIG. 12 is a cross section of a rock member and a frame.
  • FIG. 13 is a sectional side view illustrating the sheet transport path of the printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 14 is a sectional side view illustrating the sheet transport path of the printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 15 is a sectional side view illustrating the sheet transport path of the printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 16 is a sectional side view illustrating the sheet transport path of the printer according to the invention.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 are external perspective views illustrating an ink jet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a “printer”) 1 , which is an exemplary embodiment of a “recording apparatus” according to the invention.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates elements on larger scale on the apparatus front surface of the printer 1 in a state in which upper and lower trays are not mounted yet.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a lower tray 50 .
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an upper tray 60 .
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional side views illustrating a sheet transport path of the printer 1 .
  • FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a supporting portion 39 configured to support an intermediate position of a feeding roller 10 .
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the supporting portion 39 and the lower tray 50 .
  • FIG. 10 is an overall perspective view illustrating a state in which the supporting portion 39 is mounted.
  • FIG. 11 is a partial magnified perspective view illustrating a state of the supporting portion 39 being mounted.
  • FIG. 12 is a cross section of a rock member 11 , which is a roller supporting member, and the frame 39 .
  • FIGS. 13 through 16 are sectional side views illustrating the sheet transport path of the printer 1 .
  • the outline configuration of the printer 1 will be generally described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 7 .
  • the printer 1 includes a scanner unit 3 , which is provided above an apparatus body (recording unit) 2 configured to execute ink jet recording on a recording sheet that is an example of a recording medium.
  • the ink jet printer 1 is configured as an MFP having a scanner function in addition to an ink jet recording function.
  • the scanner unit 3 is provided pivotably in relation to the recording unit 2 .
  • the posture of the scanner unit 3 may be shifted between a closed posture ( FIG. 1 ) and an open posture (not illustrated) by pivoting.
  • an openable/closable cover 4 is provided in an upper portion thereof. By opening the cover 4 , a document stand 3 a ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) of the scanner unit 3 appears.
  • an operation panel 5 which includes a power switch, operation buttons for executing various print settings and recording, a display unit configured to display content of the print settings and a preview image of an image to be printed, and the like.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which the cover 59 is closed.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the cover 59 is opened.
  • the lower tray 50 , the upper tray 60 , and a discharged sheet-receiving tray 8 appear when the cover 59 is opened.
  • the discharged sheet-receiving tray 8 is configured to be in a state in which the discharged sheet-receiving tray 8 is stored in the apparatus body 2 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) or a state in which the discharged sheet-receiving tray 8 protrudes toward the front of the apparatus body 2 ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) by a motor (not illustrated).
  • the discharged sheet-receiving tray 8 may receive a recording sheet discharged after recording is executed thereon.
  • the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 which is provided above the lower tray 50 , may store a plurality of recording sheets and may be detachably mounted to the apparatus body 2 independently from each other. In addition, as will be described in detail below, even if one of the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 is not mounted, the other thereof, which is mounted, may feed a recording sheet.
  • lower guide rails 36 guide the lower tray 50 in the attaching/detaching direction and support the lower tray 50 .
  • Upper guide rails 35 guide the upper tray 60 in the attaching/detaching direction and support the upper tray 60 .
  • the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 may be attached to and detached from the apparatus body 2 independently from each other. In setting sheets onto one of the trays 50 and 60 , it is not necessary to draw out the other thereof. With this configuration, the ease of setting sheets in the recording apparatus having two or more trays may be improved.
  • the upper tray 60 is configured so as to be slidably displaced between a retracted position ( FIG. 6 ) and an abutting position ( FIG. 7 ) in the state in which the upper tray 60 is mounted to the apparatus body 2 .
  • the upper tray 60 is in a “mounted state” regardless of being in the retracted position, abutting position, or a position between the retracted position and the abutting position.
  • the upper tray 60 is positioned at a position further to the front of the retracted position (further rightward from the position illustrated in FIG. 6 ), the upper tray 60 is in an incomplete mounting state, i.e., an “unmounted state”.
  • the lower tray 50 is in the “mounted state” when the lower tray 50 is completely pushed to the abutting position ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). If the lower tray 50 is not in this state, the lower tray 50 is in the “unmounted state”.
  • an “upper and lower trays-unmounted state” refers to a state in which both the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 are dismounted from the apparatus body 2 .
  • a manual feed cover 6 is provided in the rear upper portion of the apparatus body 2 .
  • the recording sheets may be manually fed by utilizing a manual feed tray 7 ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ).
  • the printer 1 according to the exemplary embodiment is provided with the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 in the bottom portion of the apparatus.
  • the recording sheets are fed from the lower tray 50 or the upper tray 60 sheet by sheet.
  • the upper tray 60 may slide (may be displaced) between a paper feedable position ( FIG. 7 ) and the retracted position ( FIG. 6 ).
  • the upper tray 60 is configured to be displaced between the paper feedable position ( FIG. 7 ) and the retracted position ( FIG. 6 ) by the power of a motor (not illustrated).
  • a sheet P 1 is stored in the lower tray 50 and a sheet P 2 is stored in the upper tray 60 .
  • the sheets P 1 and P 2 are collectively referred to as a “sheet P” or “sheets P” unless it is necessary to distinguish between them.
  • the rock member 11 which rocks around a pivot shaft 12 , is provided with a feeding roller (pickup roller) 10 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated).
  • a feeding roller 10 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated).
  • the feeding roller 10 contacts a top sheet of the sheets P 2 stored in the upper tray 60 and rotates in this state to feed the top sheet P 2 from the upper tray 60 .
  • sheets may be fed from the other thereof that is mounted. With this configuration, the sheet may be flexibly fed and thereby the apparatus may be more easily handled.
  • the pivot shaft 12 constitutes a rocking shaft of the rock member 11 .
  • the pivot shaft 12 turns by the power of the motor (not illustrated) to transmit the power from a transmission gear 13 , which is provided in the pivot shaft 12 , to a transmission receiving gear 15 , which is provided integrally with the feeding roller 10 , via a gear train 14 .
  • the feeding rollers 10 are provided at both sides of the transmission receiving gear 15 .
  • the apparatus body 2 is provided with a separation slope 16 , which is provided at a position opposing leading edges of the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 .
  • a stopper 50 d FIG. 4
  • the leading edge of the sheet stored in the lower tray 50 may contact the separation slope 16 .
  • a stopper 60 c which is provided at the leading edge of the upper tray 60 , enters the back of the separation slope 16 . In this state, the leading edge of the sheet stored in the upper tray 60 may contact the separation slope 16 .
  • the sheet P which is fed from the lower tray 50 or the upper tray 60 and which is transported toward the downstream side while the leading edge thereof keeps contacting the separation slope 16 .
  • the top sheet P to be fed is thus separated from the other sheets P stored below the top sheet.
  • an intermediate roller 17 which is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated), is provided on the downstream side of the separation slope 16 .
  • the sheet P is bent and reversed by the intermediate roller 17 to be transported toward the apparatus front.
  • driven rollers 19 through 21 may be driven to be rotated.
  • the sheet P is nipped at least by the driven roller 19 and the intermediate roller 17 and is then nipped by the driven roller 20 and the intermediate roller 17 to be transported toward the downstream side.
  • a transport drive roller 24 which is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated), and a transport driven roller 25 , which contacts the transport drive roller 24 to be rotationally driven, are provided.
  • the sheet P is transported by the rollers 24 and 25 to a position below a recording head 30 .
  • the recording head 30 configured to eject an ink is provided at a bottom of a carriage 29 .
  • the carriage 29 is driven by a motor (not illustrated) so as to reciprocate in the main scanning direction (in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet in FIGS. 6 and 7 ).
  • a support member 28 is provided at a position opposing the recording head 30 .
  • the support member 28 regulates the clearance between the sheet P and the recording head 30 .
  • a discharge drive roller 31 which is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated), and a discharge driven roller 32 , which contacts the discharge drive roller 31 to be rotationally driven, are provided. After recording by the recording head 30 is carried out on the sheet P, the sheet P is discharged by the rollers 31 and 32 toward the above-described discharged sheet-receiving tray 8 .
  • the lower tray 50 is provided with an edge guide 52 ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ), which is provided on a bottom surface 50 a ( FIG. 4 ) thereof and which may slide in the sheet feeding direction.
  • the edge guide 52 guides the position of the trailing edge.
  • the sheet feeding direction (the direction of feeding sheets from the lower tray 50 or the upper tray 60 ) herein refers to the leftward direction in FIGS. 6 and 7 and a sheet lengthwise direction and a direction of sliding the upper tray 60 refer to the lateral direction in FIGS. 6 and V.
  • a sheet width direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the sheet surface of FIGS. 6 and 7 .
  • the lower tray 50 is provided with edge guides 51 A and 51 B ( FIG. 4 ), which may slide in the sheet width direction.
  • the edge guides 51 A and 51 B regulate the position of side edges of the sheet.
  • the two edge guides 51 A and 51 B for regulating the side edges of the sheet may be displaced in synchronization with each other so that they are symmetrically positioned with respect to the center position in the sheet width direction.
  • the center position in the sheet width direction is set as a feed reference position (the same applies for the upper tray 60 ).
  • a high friction material 53 is arranged on the bottom surface 50 a of the lower tray 50 at a location near a location corresponding to the contact position between the feeding roller 10 and the sheet P 1 .
  • the high friction material 53 is configured to retain a sheet bundle so that the sheet bundle is prevented from being transported to the downstream side at the time of feeding the sheet by the feeding roller 10 .
  • the lower tray 50 is provided with a stopper 50 d , which is provided on the side of the sheet leading edge (the left side in FIG. 4 ) and configured to regulate the position of the sheet leading edge.
  • the stopper 50 d is configured to prevent the sheet to be set to the lower tray 50 from going out of the lower tray 50 when the sheet is set. Note that when the lower tray 50 is mounted to the apparatus body 2 , the stopper 50 d enters backwards in the apparatus to the back of the separation slope 16 and thus the stopper 50 d does not contact the leading edge of the sheet to be fed. In other words, the stopper 50 d does not inhibit the feeding of the sheet at the time of feeding the sheet.
  • the upper tray 60 is provided with an edge guide 62 , which may slide in the sheet lengthwise direction, edge guides 61 A and 61 B, which may slide in the sheet width direction, and a stopper 60 c , which are provided on a bottom surface 60 a of the upper tray 60 .
  • a high friction material 63 is provided near a location corresponding to the contact position between the feeding roller 10 and the sheet P 2 .
  • the upper tray 60 is configured to be slidable in the sheet feed direction as described above in the state in which the upper tray 60 is mounted to the apparatus body 2 .
  • a rack portion 60 b is formed along the direction of sliding the upper tray 60 .
  • a rack and pinion mechanism is structured by the engagement of a pinion gear (not illustrated) to the rack portion 60 b .
  • the upper tray 60 is displaced by sliding between the paper feedable position (the abutting position illustrated in FIG. 7 ) and the retracted position ( FIG. 6 ) by the rotation of the pinion gear caused by the power of a motor (not illustrated).
  • FIG. 13 illustrates a state in which the upper tray 60 is mounted in a state in which both the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 have been dismounted from the apparatus body 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as a “upper and lower trays-unmounted state”).
  • the feeding roller 10 is supported at the intermediate position (at a position H 2 in FIG. 13 ), which is lower than the position (a position H 3 in FIG.
  • the supporting portion 39 is configured to support the feeding roller 10 at the intermediate position H 2 in the upper and lower trays-unmounted state.
  • the feeding roller 10 descends to a position at which the feeding roller 10 contacts the sheet P 2 stored in the upper tray 60 ( FIG. 7 ).
  • a guiding slope 11 b is formed on the leading edge of the cam follower 11 a .
  • the supporting portion 39 is provided with a slider 43 and a lever member.
  • the slider 43 may slide in the mounting direction of the lower tray 50 and in a direction reverse to the mounting direction of the lower tray 50 and may engage the lower tray 50 .
  • the lever member is configured to displace the position of the feeding roller 10 to the intermediate position by contacting the rock member 11 .
  • the lever member includes a pivot shaft 40 , which is pivotable, a first lever 41 , which is provided at one end of the pivot shaft 40 and configured to engage the rock member 11 , and a second lever 42 , which is provide at the other end of the pivot shaft 40 and capable of engaging the slider 43 .
  • the supporting portion 39 includes a coil spring 44 (illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10 but not illustrated in FIG. 9 ), which is an axial pressing portion for pressing the pivot shaft 40 in the direction of pressing the rock member 11 upwards by the first lever 41 .
  • a frame 34 (not illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 ) is provided with the slider 43 , the pivot shaft 40 , and the rock member 11 .
  • the coil spring 44 exerts a pressing force between the frame 34 and the second lever 42 and presses the rock member 11 in the direction of pushing the rock member 11 (a lever engagement portion 11 c of the rock member 11 ) upward via the second lever 42 , the pivot shaft 40 , and the first lever 41 . Accordingly, when the slider 43 is in a state in which the slider 43 does not engage the lower tray 50 (the pressing portion 50 e ), i.e., in the unmounted state of the lower tray 50 , the feeding roller 10 is supported at the intermediate position H 2 .
  • the second lever 42 presses a second engagement portion 43 b of the slider 43 in a direction of drawing out the tray. Accordingly, the slider 43 is positioned in the tray draw-out direction in its sliding range.
  • the first engagement portion 43 a of the slider 43 and the pressing portion 50 e provided on the leading edge of the lower tray 50 engage each other.
  • the slider 43 is pressed in the direction of mounting the lower tray 50 .
  • the second engagement portion 43 b of the slider 43 causes the pivot shaft 40 to pivot via the second lever 42 against the pressing force from the coil spring 44 .
  • the tip of the first lever 41 descends and the rock member 11 is allowed to rock. Then the support of the pivot shaft 40 at the intermediate position H 2 is released, the feeding roller 10 descends, and thus the feeding roller 10 may contact the sheet P 1 stored in the lower tray 50 .
  • the feeding roller 10 is supported at the intermediate position H 2 in the upper and lower trays-unmounted state, the upper tray 60 itself pushes aside the rock member 11 when the upper tray 60 is mounted, and the feeding roller 10 is configured to descend to the position of contact with the sheet P 2 stored in the upper tray 60 .
  • the configuration for releasing the state of supporting the feeding roller 10 at the intermediate position H 2 may be provided only for the lower tray 50 and is not necessary for the upper tray 60 . Accordingly, the size of the apparatus may be decreased and the costs for the apparatus may be decreased in the recording apparatus including two or more trays.
  • the stopper 60 c of the upper tray 60 pushes upward the rock member 11 when the upper tray 60 is moved to the abutting position in its mounting direction in the mounted state of the lower tray 50 (i.e., in the state in which the feeding roller 10 contacts the sheet P 1 stored in the lower tray 50 ).
  • the lower tray 50 if the lower tray 50 is mounted in the state in which the upper tray 60 is positioned at the abutting position in its mounting direction, the lower tray 50 causes the slider 43 to slide in the mounting direction but the rock member 11 has been pushed by the upper tray 60 upward. That is, because the lever engagement portion 11 c of the rock member 11 is positioned at a position upward from the first lever 41 , the first lever 41 descends but the rock member 11 does not rock.
  • the angle ⁇ formed by the stored sheet and the rock member 11 is smaller than the angle ⁇ formed by the stored sheet P 1 in the lower tray 50 and the rock member 11 .
  • the wedge angle ⁇ becomes small compared to a case where a small number of sheets are stored. If the wedge angle becomes small, the force of contact between the feeding roller 10 and the sheet P becomes small. As a result, the phenomenon of nonfeed tends to occur.
  • the wedge angle ⁇ is, in a strict sense, an angle formed by a line extending from the position at which the feeding roller 10 and the sheet P contact each other to the axial center position of the pivot shaft 12 and the recording surface of the sheet P.
  • a coil spring 37 ( FIGS. 11 and 12 ) is provided, which is a roller pressing portion for pressing the feeding roller 10 toward the sheet P 2 stored in the upper tray 60 when a predetermined number of sheets or more sheets P 2 are stored in the upper tray 60 .
  • Two coil springs 37 are provided to correspond to the two feeding rollers 10 , which are provided on both sides of the transmission receiving gear 15 .
  • the rock member 11 is provided with the coil spring 37 and the coil spring 37 may engage a spring pressing portion 34 a , which is formed so as to protrude from the frame 34 downwards.
  • the coil spring 37 engages the spring pressing portion 34 a .
  • the coil spring 37 is configured so that the length of spring of the coil spring 37 becomes shorter as the wedge angle becomes smaller. Accordingly, the nonfeed may be prevented because the contact force between the feeding roller 10 and the sheet P 2 is compensated for when the wedge angle becomes small as described above.
  • the range of pivot of the first lever 41 illustrated in FIG. 8 is regulated by a stopper (not illustrated) so that the first lever 41 does not pivot further upward compared to the state of the first lever 41 achieved when the feeding roller 10 is supported at the intermediate position H 2 (i.e., so as not to press the lever engagement portion 11 c upward).
  • the pressing force from the coil spring 44 does not affect the force of contact between the feeding roller 10 and the sheet P 2 applied when the sheet P 2 is fed from the upper tray 60 .
  • the first lever 41 releases the locking of the posture of the rock member 11 when the sheet P 1 is fed from the lower tray 50 , the force of contact between the feeding roller 10 and the sheet P 1 is not affected, similarly to the above-described case.
  • the above-described exemplary embodiment employs a configuration including two trays of the lower tray 50 and the upper tray 60 .
  • the invention is not limited to this. That is, more than two trays may of course be respectively and detachably provided.
  • the above-described exemplary embodiment employs a configuration in which the supporting portion 39 is provided to support the feeding roller 10 at the intermediate position H 2 in the upper and lower trays-unmounted state. Accordingly, for the upper tray 60 , the configuration for releasing the state of supporting the feeding roller 10 at the predetermined position by the supporting portion 39 is not required.
  • the position of supporting the feeding roller 10 in the upper and lower trays-unmounted state is not limited to the intermediate position H 2 . More specifically, in this case, the feeding roller 10 may be supported at a position higher than the position of the feeding roller 10 illustrated in FIG. 14 . In this case, for example, the feeding roller 10 may be supported at a position higher than the position of the feeding roller 10 when the feeding roller 10 contacts the top sheet P 2 in the state in which the maximum number of the sheets P 2 are stored in the upper tray 60 .

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
US13/777,623 2012-02-29 2013-02-26 Recording apparatus Abandoned US20130221597A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2012-043986 2012-02-29
JP2012043986A JP2013180834A (ja) 2012-02-29 2012-02-29 記録装置

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US20130221597A1 true US20130221597A1 (en) 2013-08-29

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US (1) US20130221597A1 (ja)
JP (1) JP2013180834A (ja)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9272546B2 (en) 2014-07-18 2016-03-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet feeding apparatus

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP6848235B2 (ja) * 2016-07-12 2021-03-24 セイコーエプソン株式会社 トレイ移動装置及び記録装置

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3219784A1 (de) * 1981-05-26 1982-12-16 Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo Kassettenwechselvorrichtung und damit ausgeruestetes vervielfaeltigungsgeraet
US4538799A (en) * 1982-09-21 1985-09-03 Xerox Corporation Sheet feeding apparatus
JPH03243546A (ja) * 1990-02-17 1991-10-30 Ricoh Co Ltd 転写紙供給装置
US5080343A (en) * 1989-02-14 1992-01-14 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Sheet film loading apparatus
JPH04251045A (ja) * 1990-12-28 1992-09-07 Ricoh Co Ltd 転写紙供給装置
US5224693A (en) * 1991-10-22 1993-07-06 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Multistage paper feeding/conveying apparatus and method that uses electro static forces
US5234212A (en) * 1992-07-06 1993-08-10 Dutra Jr Joseph G Document receiving tray assembly and method of using such
US7887038B2 (en) * 2007-10-31 2011-02-15 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet material feeding device
US7950648B2 (en) * 2007-02-15 2011-05-31 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Feeding device and image forming apparatus

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3219784A1 (de) * 1981-05-26 1982-12-16 Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo Kassettenwechselvorrichtung und damit ausgeruestetes vervielfaeltigungsgeraet
US4538799A (en) * 1982-09-21 1985-09-03 Xerox Corporation Sheet feeding apparatus
US5080343A (en) * 1989-02-14 1992-01-14 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Sheet film loading apparatus
JPH03243546A (ja) * 1990-02-17 1991-10-30 Ricoh Co Ltd 転写紙供給装置
JPH04251045A (ja) * 1990-12-28 1992-09-07 Ricoh Co Ltd 転写紙供給装置
US5224693A (en) * 1991-10-22 1993-07-06 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Multistage paper feeding/conveying apparatus and method that uses electro static forces
US5234212A (en) * 1992-07-06 1993-08-10 Dutra Jr Joseph G Document receiving tray assembly and method of using such
US7950648B2 (en) * 2007-02-15 2011-05-31 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Feeding device and image forming apparatus
US7887038B2 (en) * 2007-10-31 2011-02-15 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet material feeding device

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9272546B2 (en) 2014-07-18 2016-03-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet feeding apparatus

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