Image forming apparatus

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus having a supply tray capable of housing both a roll body and a cutting medium, the size of the apparatus can be suppressed from increasing. A printer (100) of the present embodiment includes a supply roller (2), a supply tray (11) capable of being inserted and removed with respect to a housing (100a), having a first housing portion (11a) capable of housing a roll body (R) and a second housing portion (11b) capable of housing a cut paper (P2) in a state of being stacked in multiple sheets, and a moving mechanism (20). The moving mechanism (20) is capable of moving to a position at which the supply roller (2) comes into contact with a roll paper (P1a) that is wound out from the roll body (R) housed in the first housing portion (11a), and is capable of moving to a position at which the supply roller (2) comes into contact with the cut paper (P2) housed in the second housing portion (11b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a feed tray capable of accommodating both a roll and a cutting medium. Background Technology

[0002] Image forming apparatuses are known to hold both a roll of sheet paper that has been wound into a roll and a paper cutter. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fax machine (image forming apparatus) having a paper feed tray (feeding tray) having a mounting section for the roll and a mounting section for the paper cutter.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-264556 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1, rollers for feeding rolls of paper from the paper feed cassette and rollers for feeding cut paper from the paper feed cassette are provided separately. In such an image forming apparatus, space needs to be provided inside the apparatus for arranging the rolls for paper feeding and the cut paper, resulting in a larger apparatus size.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can suppress the enlargement of the apparatus in an image forming apparatus having a feed tray capable of accommodating both the roll and the cutting medium.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises: a housing; a feed tray, insertable and removable relative to the housing and capable of containing a sheet medium; a feed roller, for feeding the sheet medium from the feed tray toward a transport path; an image forming unit, for forming an image on the sheet medium within the transport path; and a moving mechanism, wherein the feed tray has: a first receiving portion capable of receiving a roll of a long sheet medium wound into a roll; and a second receiving portion capable of receiving a cutting medium in a multi-layered state, the cutting medium being a sheet medium shorter than the long sheet medium; the moving mechanism is movable toward a position where the feed roller abuts against the sheet medium, i.e., the roll medium, wound from the roll medium contained in the first receiving portion, and is also movable toward a position where the feed roller abuts against the cutting medium contained in the second receiving portion.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the present invention, a roll medium wound from a roll housed in a first receiving section or a cutting medium housed in a second receiving section can be selectively transported using a common feed roller. Therefore, in an image forming apparatus having a feed tray capable of housing both the roll medium and the cutting medium, the enlargement of the apparatus can be prevented. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the printer's structure when the paper is being cut and stored.

[0015] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the power transmission of the moving mechanism when the electric motor is rotating in the forward direction.

[0016] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the power transmission of the moving mechanism when the electric motor reverses.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the printer's structure during tray insertion and removal.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the retraction mechanism when the supply tray is inserted into the housing.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the retraction mechanism during the insertion and removal of the pallet.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of the printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of a printer according to a second embodiment when the paper is cut and held.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of the printer according to the second embodiment of the supply tray insertion and removal. Detailed Implementation

[0023] (First Implementation)

[0024] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 7 The printer 100 (image forming apparatus of the present invention) according to the first embodiment of the present invention will now be described. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The up-down, left-right, and front-back directions shown are set as the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions of printer 100.

[0025] (Overall structure of Printer 100)

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the printer 100 includes a housing 100a, a feed tray 11, a feed roller 2, a transport roller pair 3a, a paper discharge roller pair 3b, a cutter mechanism 4, a head 5 (the image forming unit of the present invention), a paper discharge tray 6, a guide 7, an intermediate roller pair 9, and a control unit 10. The feed tray 11 can be inserted and removed relative to the lower part of the housing 100a. The paper discharge tray 6 forms a side wall on the front side of the upper part of the housing 100a and can be opened and closed relative to the housing 100a.

[0027] The feed tray 11 can be inserted and removed relative to the housing 100a in the front-rear direction. The feed tray 11 has: a first receiving portion 11a, which can receive a roll R obtained by winding a long sheet of paper P1 (the long sheet medium of the present invention) into a roll; and a second receiving portion 11b, which can receive cut paper P2 (the cutting medium of the present invention, see...). Figure 2 The cut paper P2 is stored in a stacked state, and it is shorter than the longer paper P1. Furthermore, an upwardly extending protrusion 18 is formed at the rear end of the supply tray 11, that is, at the upstream end of the supply tray 11 in the direction of being pulled out from the housing 100a. The protrusion 18 is a component used to prevent the cut paper P2 stored in the second receiving part 11b from falling off when the supply tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a.

[0028] The first receiving section 11a has a cylindrical core member Rc, two rollers 14 and 15, and a roll cover 16. The roll body R is obtained by winding a long sheet of paper P1 in a rolled shape around the outer circumference of the cylindrical core member Rc. The roll body R is positioned such that its axial direction (along its rotation axis Rx (the central axis of the core member Rc)...) Figure 1 The paper is arranged in a configuration that is perpendicular to the paper surface and parallel to the left and right directions. The axis of rotation Rx also corresponds to the width direction of the long paper P1 and the cut paper P2.

[0029] Two rollers 14 and 15 extend longitudinally in the left-right direction, forming a length slightly longer than the width of the roll R. Roller 15 is positioned behind roller 14. The rotation axes of rollers 14 and 15 are parallel to the rotation axis Rx. Furthermore, these two rollers 14 and 15 support the roll R from below in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the roll R.

[0030] When the long sheet P1 is rolled out from the roll R, the two rollers 14 and 15 are driven to rotate counterclockwise. Figure 1The roll body R (with solid arrows in the diagram) rotates. In this embodiment, the long-length paper P1 rolled out from the roll body R housed in the first housing section 11a is referred to as roll paper P1a (the roll medium of the present invention). The roll paper P1a rolled out from the roll body R housed in the first housing section 11a is conveyed to the feed roller 2 via a path below the bottom surface 17 (described later) of the second housing section 11b. The roll paper P1a is fed by the feed roller 2 toward the transport path, passing through the intermediate roller pair 9, the transport roller pair 3a, the head 5, and the paper discharge roller pair 3b, and is then conveyed to the paper discharge tray 6. It should be noted that the transport path of the roll paper P1a is defined by the feed roller 2, the intermediate roller pair 9, the transport roller pair 3a, and the paper discharge roller pair 3b.

[0031] The cover 16 is a component that covers the roll R housed in the first receiving portion 11a. The cover 16 extends in the left-right direction and is formed to be longer than the width of the rollers 14 and 15. In addition, the cover 16 is arranged in a manner that allows it to approach the outer peripheral surface of the roll R, which has the largest size that can be housed in the first receiving portion 11a. As a result, even if the winding of the roll R is loose and the outer diameter of the roll R needs to increase, the outer peripheral surface of the roll R will contact the inner surface of the cover 16, thus limiting the increase in the outer diameter.

[0032] The second receiving section 11b is located behind the first receiving section 11a and has a bottom surface 17 that supports the cut paper P2 from below. The bottom surface 17 extends longitudinally in the left-right direction and is formed to be slightly longer than the width of the cut paper P2. The cut paper P2, received in the second receiving section 11b, is fed by the feed roller 2 toward the transport path, and is transported to the paper discharge tray 6 after passing through the intermediate roller pair 9, the transport roller pair 3a, the head 5, and the paper discharge roller pair 3b. The transport path of the cut paper P2 is defined by the feed roller 2, the intermediate roller pair 9, the transport roller pair 3a, and the paper discharge roller pair 3b.

[0033] Furthermore, a cut is made in the rear end portion and the central portion in the left-right direction of the bottom surface 17 of the second receiving section 11b. When printing on the roll paper P1a, as described above, the roll paper P1a, rolled from the roll body R, is conveyed to the feed roller 2 via a path below the bottom surface 17 of the second receiving section 11b. Then, the cut portion of the bottom surface 17 of the second receiving section 11b, which was not previously receiving the cut paper P2, is fed towards the transport path by contacting the feed roller 2.

[0034] Additionally, a mark 51 is formed in the second receiving section 11b to indicate the maximum height position when the maximum number of cut paper P2 is received. The mark 51 is, for example, a rib shape protruding inward from the inner side of the supply tray 11. The mark 51 is formed along the front-to-back direction. It should be noted that the maximum number of cut paper P2 that can be received is, for example, 500 sheets.

[0035] It should be noted that in this embodiment, when printing on the roll paper P1a, the cut paper P2 is not housed in the second receiving portion 11b. Furthermore, when printing on the cut paper P2, the roll paper P1a is not unwound from the roll body R housed in the first receiving portion 11a, or the roll body R is not housed in the first receiving portion 11a. Additionally, in this embodiment, when the supply tray 11 is inserted into the housing 100a, at least a portion of the first receiving portion 11a and the entire second receiving portion 11b are housed inside the housing 100a.

[0036] The feed roller 2 is positioned behind the first receiving portion 11a and near the rear end of the second receiving portion 11b. The feed roller 2 is powered by an electric motor 70 (the drive source of this invention) (see reference). Figure 3 Driven by the feed roller 2, the paper roll P1a and the cut paper P2 are fed from the feed tray 11 onto the transport path. As described above, the transport paths of the paper roll P1a and the cut paper P2 are defined by the feed roller 2, the intermediate roller pair 9, the transport roller pair 3a, and the discharge roller pair 3b. Thus, the feed roller 2 feeds the paper roll P1a and the cut paper P2 along the common transport path.

[0037] The cutter mechanism 4 is positioned downstream of the feed roller 2 in the transport direction (hereinafter also referred to as the "transport direction") along the transport path of the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2, and upstream of the head 5 described later in the transport direction. The cutter mechanism 4 includes, for example, a cutter 4a consisting of two rotating blades and a cutting motor (not shown) that drives the cutter 4a to reciprocate axially. The roll paper P1a, which is unwound from the roll body R and transported along the transport path, is cut by the cutter 4a in the width direction by the cutter 4a under the control of the control unit 10. Thus, the roll paper P1a transported to the paper discharge tray 6 forms the rear end.

[0038] The guide 7 is located behind the feed roller 2 and upstream in the conveying direction from the cutter mechanism 4. The guide 7 guides the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 fed by the feed roller 2 towards the cutter mechanism 4. Figure 1 As shown, the guide 7 is tilted upwards as it moves from front to back in the front-to-back direction. The guide 7 extends longitudinally in the left-to-right direction, and is formed to be slightly longer than the width of the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2. A fine, raised-recessed pattern is formed on the surface of the guide 7, repeating along the transport direction. Here, short-sized sheets of paper, such as the cut paper P2, are separated, preventing overlapping during feeding.

[0039] The intermediate roller pair 9 is located downstream of the cutter mechanism 4 in the transport direction and upstream of the head 5 in the transport direction. The intermediate roller pair 9 transports the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 to the transport roller pair 3a. The intermediate roller pair 9 consists of a drive roller that rotates under the drive of a motor 70 and a driven roller that rotates along with the driven roller. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, both the motor that drives the feed roller 2 and the motor that drives the intermediate roller pair 9 are motors 70.

[0040] The transport roller pair 3a consists of a drive roller that rotates via a transport motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates along with the driven roller. The paper discharge roller pair 3b consists of a drive roller that rotates via a paper discharge motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates along with the driven roller. Driven by the transport motor (not shown) and the paper discharge motor (not shown), the transport roller pair 3a and the paper discharge roller pair 3b rotate while holding the roll paper P1a (or the cut paper P2), thereby transporting the roll paper P1a (or the cut paper P2). It should be noted that the drive roller of the transport roller pair 3a and the drive roller of the paper discharge roller pair 3b can also be driven by a common transport motor (not shown). In this case, for example, the transport roller pair 3a and the paper discharge roller pair 3b are connected by a belt.

[0041] The head 5 is used to form images on the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2, and is positioned downstream of the transport roller pair 3a in the transport direction and upstream of the discharge roller pair 3b in the transport direction. The head 5 includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) formed on its lower surface and a driver IC. If the driver IC is driven by the control unit 10, ink is ejected from the nozzles. When the roll paper P1a (or cut paper P2) transported by the transport roller pair 3a passes the position opposite to the lower surface of the head 5, ink is ejected from the nozzles of the head 5 to form an image on the long-length paper P1a and the cut paper P2. It should be noted that the head 5 can eject ink from the nozzles in either a fixed position or in a serial manner while moving axially along the rotation axis Rx. The roll paper P1a (or cut paper P2) with the image formed by the head 5 is received in the discharge tray 6, which is open relative to the housing 100a.

[0042] In this embodiment, the horizontal component of the transport direction of the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 fed by the feed roller 2 is from front to back in the front-to-back direction. The horizontal component of the transport direction of the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 discharged from the open paper tray 6 after passing a position opposite to the lower surface of the head 5 is from back to front in the front-to-back direction. That is, the printer 100 of this embodiment has a so-called U-shaped bend passage structure where the transport direction reverses midway.

[0043] The control unit 10 is connected to the motor 70, conveyor motor, paper feed motor, driver IC, and cut-off motor via an internal bus (not shown). The control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM stores programs and data used by the CPU for various control operations. The RAM temporarily stores data used by the CPU when executing programs.

[0044] (Mobile Unit 20)

[0045] The printer 100 of this embodiment also includes a moving mechanism 20. The moving mechanism 20 has a swing arm 20a that supports the feed roller 2 in a rotatable manner and a swing shaft 20b that supports the swing arm 20a to the housing 100a in a swingable manner. The rotation axis of the swing shaft 20b is parallel to the left-right direction. The swing shaft 20b is located below the upper end of the feed tray 11. In this embodiment, the upper end of the feed tray 11 is the upper surface of the roll cover 16. Therefore, the swing shaft 20b is located below the upper surface of the roll cover 16. When the feed tray 11 is not provided with the roll cover 16, the uppermost portion of the components constituting the feed tray 11 becomes the upper end of the feed tray 11. It should be noted that the swing shaft 20b can directly support the swing arm 20a to the housing 100a, or indirectly support the swing arm 20a to the housing 100a.

[0046] The moving mechanism 20 can move vertically by swinging the swing arm 20a around the swing axis 20b. For example, when printing onto roll paper P1a, as... Figure 1 As shown, the moving mechanism 20 moves downward by swinging the swing arm 20a. This allows the moving mechanism 20 to move towards a position where the feed roller 2 abuts against the roll of paper P1a unwound from the roll body R housed in the first receiving section 11a. Furthermore, when printing on the cut paper P2, as... Figure 2 As shown, the moving mechanism 20 moves upward by swinging the swing arm 20a. Thus, the moving mechanism 20 can move towards a position where the feed roller 2 abuts against the uppermost cut paper P2, which is housed in the second receiving section 11b in a multi-layered state. It should be noted that the swinging of the swing arm 20a, centered on the swing axis 20b, can be performed automatically by the control unit 10 or manually by the operator.

[0047] In addition, such as Figure 3As shown, the moving mechanism 20 also has a force-applying member 23 that applies force to the swing arm 20a in a direction that weakens the force applied to the paper roll P1a (or paper cutter P2) via the feed roller 2 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the force-applying member 23 is mounted on the portion connected to the swing shaft 20b. However, it may also be mounted on the portion not connected to the swing shaft 20b. In addition, in this embodiment, the force-applying member 23 is a spring member. However, the force-applying member 23 may also be an elastic member other than a spring, such as resin.

[0048] (Power transmission mechanism 30)

[0049] The printer 100 of this embodiment also includes a power transmission mechanism 30 for transmitting power from the electric motor 70 to the feed roller 2. The power transmission mechanism 30 is mounted on the swing arm 20a. Figure 3 As shown, the power transmission mechanism 30 has a transmission belt 31, a drive pulley 32, a driven pulley 33, three gears 34a to 34c, a planetary gear 35, and a connecting component 36.

[0050] The transmission belt 31 is, for example, a timing belt with grooves formed along the width direction of the belt and arranged along the extension direction of the belt. Grooves that mesh with the grooves of the transmission belt 31 are provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the drive pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33. When the motor 70 is driven, the drive pulley 32 rotates by transmitting its rotational force. The rotational force of the drive pulley 32 is transmitted by the transmission belt 31, and the driven pulley 33 rotates in tandem with the rotation of the drive pulley 32. Furthermore, the driven pulley 33 has a tooth profile that meshes with the planetary gear 35. The planetary gear 35 is a gear that contacts the driven pulley 33 and the gear 34a and is used to transmit the rotational force of the driven pulley 33 to the gear 34a. One end of the connecting member 36 is rotatably supported on the shaft of the driven pulley 33, and the other end is rotatably supported on the shaft of the planetary gear 35. Thus, the planetary gear 35 is supported by the connecting member 36 in a manner that allows it to swing about the rotation axis of the driven pulley 33. In this embodiment, the planetary gear 35 and the connecting member 36 correspond to the cutting mechanism of the present invention. The three gears 34a, 34b, and 34c are meshing gears used to transmit the rotational force from the planetary gear 35 to the feed roller 2. It should be noted that the gears 34a, 34b, and 34c in this embodiment correspond to the gear train of the present invention.

[0051] As described above, the motor 70 is a motor that drives the rotation of both the feed roller 2 and the intermediate roller pair 9. The motor 70 can be driven in both forward and reverse directions. When the motor 70 is driven in forward direction, the feed roller 2 feeds the paper roll P1a (or the cut paper P2). When the motor 70 is driven in reverse direction, the intermediate roller pair 9 transports the paper roll P1a (or the cut paper P2).

[0052] More specifically, if the motor 70 is driven in a forward rotation, then as Figure 3 As shown, the drive pulley 32 rotates clockwise, and the transmission belt 31 and the driven pulley 33 also rotate clockwise. At this time, the connecting member 36 rotates about the axis of rotation of the driven pulley 33. Figure 3 The planetary gear 35 and gear 34a are engaged when the belt rotates clockwise. Furthermore, the planetary gear 35, which meshes with the driven pulley 33, moves... Figure 3 The feed roller 2 rotates counterclockwise, and is propelled by gears 34a to 34c. Figure 3 The rotation is counterclockwise, which is the direction in which the paper roll P1a (or paper cutter P2) is transported. In other words, when the motor 70 is rotating clockwise, it is in a state of transmitting its power to the feed roller 2.

[0053] If motor 70 is driven in reverse, then as Figure 4 As shown, the drive pulley 32 rotates counterclockwise in the figure, and the transmission belt 31 and the driven pulley 33 also rotate counterclockwise in the figure. At this time, the connecting member 36 rotates about the rotation axis of the driven pulley. Figure 3 Counterclockwise direction (refer to) Figure 4 (The solid arrow) swings, and planetary gears 35 and 34a are isolated. Therefore, the rotation of planetary gears 35 is not transmitted to gears 34a-34c and feed roller 2. That is to say, when the motor 70 reverses to rotate the intermediate roller pair 9, it cuts off the transmission of its power to the feed roller 2.

[0054] (Retreat Agency 40)

[0055] The printer 100 of this embodiment also includes a mechanism that, when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a, causes the feed roller 2 and the swing arm 20a to move as if... Figure 5 The retraction mechanism 40, as shown, retracts upwards from the protrusion 18 of the supply tray 11. The retraction mechanism 40 includes a horizontal surface 41a, inclined surfaces 41b and 41c of the side wall 41 of the supply tray 11, and a cylindrical member 43. Hereinafter, reference will be made to... Figure 6 and Figure 7 To explain the withdrawal mechanism.

[0056] like Figure 6As shown, a cylindrical member 43 is supported at the front end of the extension 42 extending from the swing arm 20a to the right and left sides of the sidewall 41 of the supply tray 11. Furthermore, a horizontal surface 41a, inclined surfaces 41b, and 41c are formed on the upper part of the sidewall 41 of the supply tray 11. Inclined surface 41b slopes downwards from the center of the horizontal surface 41a, which extends horizontally throughout the upper part of the sidewall 41, as it moves from front to back. Inclined surface 41c slopes upwards from the center of the horizontal surface 41a, located behind the inclined surface 41b, as it moves from front to back. The rear end of inclined surface 41b is connected to the front end of inclined surface 41c, and the front end of inclined surface 41b is connected to the horizontal surface 41a, while the rear end of inclined surface 41c is connected to the horizontal surface 41a. The cylindrical member 43 is movable along the horizontal surface 41a, inclined surfaces 41b, and 41c.

[0057] When the supply tray 11 is inserted into the housing 100a, such as Figure 6 As shown, the cylindrical member 43 is positioned near the connection point of the inclined surfaces 41b and 41c. At this time, the moving mechanism 20 moves towards the position where the feed roller 2 abuts against the rolled paper P1a or against the cut paper P2. Conversely, when the feed tray 11 is pulled out of the housing 100a or inserted into the housing 100a after being pulled out, as the feed tray 11 moves forward relative to the housing 100a, as... Figure 7 As shown, the cylindrical member 43 is positioned on a horizontal plane 41a that is further rearward than the inclined plane 41c. Thus, as... Figure 5 As shown, the swing arm 20a can move together with the feed roller 2 to a position that is retracted upward compared to the protrusion 18 when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a.

[0058] As described above, in the printer 100 of this embodiment, the moving mechanism 20 moves about the swing axis 20b via the swing arm 20a, and is able to move towards the position where the feed roller 2 abuts against the roll of paper P1a rolled out from the roll body R housed in the first housing section 11a (see reference). Figure 1 The feed roller 2 can move to a position where it abuts against the cut paper P2 housed in the second receiving section 11b (see reference). Figure 2 The paper roll R housed in the first housing section 11a or the cut paper P2 housed in the second housing section 11b can be selectively transported using a shared feed roller 2. This allows for the reduction of device size in a printer 100 having a feed tray 11 capable of housing both the paper roll R and the cut paper P2. Furthermore, feeding based on the feed roller 2 can be performed in accordance with both the height of the paper roll P1a unwound from the paper roll R and the height of the stacked cut paper P2.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the feed roller 2 can feed the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 rolled from the roll body R along a common transport path. Therefore, compared to the case where separate transport paths are provided for the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2, space saving is achieved. Consequently, the large size of the device can be further reduced.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the swing shaft 20b is located below the upper end of the feed tray 11 (the upper end face of the roll cover 16). As a result, compared to the case where the swing shaft 20b is located above the upper end of the feed tray 11, the height of the device can be suppressed.

[0061] Furthermore, the printer 100 of this embodiment also includes a power transmission mechanism 30 mounted on the swing arm 20a for transmitting power from the electric motor 70 to the feed roller 2. The power transmission mechanism 30 includes a conveyor belt 31 and a gear train (gears 34a, 34b, 34c). Therefore, compared to the case where only gears are used to transmit power from the electric motor 70, gear loss can be prevented, thus improving the efficiency of power transmission to the feed roller 2.

[0062] Furthermore, the power transmission mechanism 30 of this embodiment also includes a planetary gear 35 and a connecting member 36 disposed between the conveyor belt 31 and the feed roller 2, capable of selectively selecting the state of transmitting power from the motor 70 to the feed roller 2 and the state of cutting off the power transmission. After the feed roller 2 transports the roll paper P1a (or cut paper P2) to another roller (in this embodiment, the intermediate roller pair 9) located downstream of the feed roller 2 in the transport direction, the intermediate roller pair 9 continues to transport the roll paper P1a (or cut paper P2). At this time, if the motor 70 and the feed roller 2 are electrically connected and the power from the motor 70 is transmitted to the feed roller 2, the roll paper P1a (or cut paper P2) receives a load from the feed roller 2 in the direction opposite to the transport direction. This load becomes a transport resistance of the roll paper P1a (or cut paper P2), which may adversely affect the image quality formed by the head 5. Furthermore, when the feed roller 2 is supported on the swing arm 20a as in this embodiment, noise is generated by the swing arm 20a oscillating up and down during transport. Therefore, by reversing the feed roller 2 after transporting the roll paper P1a (or the cut paper P2) to the intermediate roller pair 9, the power transmission to the feed roller 2 is cut off, thus avoiding the above-mentioned problem. It should be noted that the planetary gear 35 and the connecting member 36 are preferably disposed at a position close to the feed roller 2 between the conveyor belt 31 and the feed roller 2. This is because the further the planetary gear 35 and the connecting member 36 are away from the feed roller 2, the greater the load caused by the meshing of the gears, and the lower the power transmission efficiency.

[0063] Furthermore, the moving mechanism 20 of this embodiment also includes a force-applying member 23 that applies force to the swing arm 20a in a direction that reduces the force applied to the rolled paper P1a (or cut paper P2) from the swing arm 20a in the vertical direction. Corresponding to the weight of the swing arm 20a, the vertical force applied to the cut paper P2 from the swing arm 20a in the vertical direction increases, which may mistakenly cause the cut paper P2, which is stacked in the second receiving portion 11b, to be transported in a multiple-group manner. According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the transport of the cut paper P2 in a multiple-group manner.

[0064] In this embodiment, the swing shaft 20b is supported on the housing 100a, and an upwardly extending protrusion 18 is formed at the upstream end of the feed tray 11 in the direction of being pulled out from the housing 100a. Furthermore, the swing arm 20a, together with the feed roller 2, moves to a position that retracts upward relative to the protrusion 18 when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a. Therefore, in the printer 100 with the structure having the protrusion 18 on the feed tray 11, contact between the feed roller 2 and the swing arm 20a and the protrusion 18, thus preventing obstruction of insertion or removal, can be avoided when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a.

[0065] (Second Implementation)

[0066] Next, refer to Figures 8-10 The second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for structures that are the same as those in the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0067] In the printer 200 of the second embodiment, the moving mechanism 120 includes a pressure plate 120a that supports the roll paper P1a or cut paper P2 wound from the roll body R from below and is movable in the vertical direction, and a pressure plate driving part 120b that moves the pressure plate 120a in the vertical direction. The pressure plate 120a is a plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The pressure plate 120a is mounted on the feed tray 111. The pressure plate 120a is movable in the vertical direction by rotating around one end 120a2 on the front side. The axial direction of one end 120a2, i.e., the rotation axis of the pressure plate 120a, is parallel to the left-right direction.

[0068] The pressure plate drive unit 120b is a component that displaces the pressure plate 120a in the vertical direction. The pressure plate drive unit 120b includes, for example, an actuating member (not shown) capable of swinging in the vertical direction, an electric motor (not shown) supplying driving force for moving the pressure plate 120a upward, and a drive transmission unit (not shown) for transmitting the driving force supplied from the electric motor to the actuating member. The actuating member abuts against the pressure plate 120a, and when supplied with driving force from the electric motor, the pressure plate 120a moves upward. The drive transmission unit includes multiple rotating bodies such as gears. For details, please refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-269462 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-071492, etc.

[0069] The moving mechanism 120 is able to move in the vertical direction via the pressure plate 120a and the pressure plate drive unit 120b, and can move towards the position where the feed roller 102 abuts against the roll paper P1a wound from the roll body R, and can also move towards the position where the feed roller 102 abuts against the cut paper P2. For example, when printing on the roll paper P1a, if... Figure 8 As shown, the moving mechanism 120 moves upward by rotating around one end 120a2 on the front side of the pressure plate 120a (see reference). Figure 8 (Solid arrow). Thus, the moving mechanism 120 can move towards the position where the feed roller 102 abuts against the roll of paper P1a unwound from the roll body R housed in the first receiving section 11a. Furthermore, when printing on the cut paper P2, as... Figure 9 As shown, the moving mechanism 120 moves downward by rotating around one end 120a2 on the front side of the pressure plate 120a (see reference). Figure 9 Therefore, the moving mechanism 120 can move to the position where the feed roller 102 abuts against the uppermost cut paper P2 that is housed in the second receiving section 11b in a multi-layered state.

[0070] Furthermore, in the housing 200a of the printer 200 in the second embodiment, a plate-shaped member 131 extending in the front-to-back direction is positioned above the maximum height position when the second receiving section 11b contains the maximum number of cut papers P2. The transport direction is along the transport path of the roll paper P1a unwound from the roll body R. In the second embodiment, the plate-shaped member 131 extends from a position forward of the feed roller 102 to a position rearward of the feed roller 102. Additionally, the plate-shaped member 131 extends in the left-to-right direction and is formed to be slightly longer than the width of the roll paper P1a and the cut papers P2. Furthermore, the plate-shaped member 131 is cut in such a way that it does not overlap with the feed roller 102 when viewed from above. The printer 200 has a retraction mechanism (not shown) that retracts the feed roller 102 to a position above the plate-shaped member 131 when the feed tray 111 is inserted or removed from the housing 200a.

[0071] The structure of the retraction mechanism is similar to that of the retraction mechanism 40 in the first embodiment described above, and can include a horizontal surface, an inclined surface, and a cylindrical member on the side wall of the feed tray. However, the printer 200 in the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it does not have a swing arm structure. Therefore, a cylindrical member is supported at the front end of the extension portion extending to the right and left sides of the side wall of the feed tray 111 from the support member 103 that supports the feed roller 102 on the housing 200a. Through the retraction mechanism, such as... Figure 10 As shown, at least a portion of the feed roller 102 located on the lower side of the plate member 131 can move to a position that is retracted upward compared to the plate member 131 when the feed tray 111 is inserted or removed relative to the housing 200a.

[0072] As described above, in the printer 200 of the second embodiment, the moving mechanism 120 includes a pressure plate 120a that supports the roll paper P1a or the cut paper P2 rolled from the roll body R from below and is movable in the vertical direction, and a pressure plate drive unit 120b that moves the pressure plate 120a in the vertical direction. Furthermore, by moving the pressure plate 120a in the vertical direction, the moving mechanism 120 can move towards a position where the feed roller 102 abuts against the roll paper P1a rolled from the roll body R, and towards a position where the feed roller 102 abuts against the cut paper P2. Thus, feeding based on the feed roller 102 can be performed corresponding to both the height of the roll paper P1a and the height of the stacked cut paper P2.

[0073] Furthermore, in the printer 200 of the second embodiment, a plate-shaped member 131 extending along the transport direction is disposed above the maximum height position of the housing 200a when the second receiving portion 11b contains the maximum number of cut sheets P2. The transport direction is along the transport path of the roll paper P1a. Also, the feed roller 102 can move to a position that retracts upwards compared to the plate-shaped member 131 when the feed tray 111 is inserted or removed from the housing 200a. The printer 200, which forms an image on the roll paper P1a, has a cutter mechanism 4 for cutting the roll paper P1a. When the roll paper P1a is cut using the cutter mechanism 4, roll paper P1a may sometimes remain in the transport path from the first receiving portion 11a to the cutter mechanism 4. In this case, when the feed tray 111 is inserted or removed from the housing 200a, the leading edge of the roll paper P1a remaining in the transport path from the first receiving portion 11a to the cutter mechanism 4 may sometimes come into contact with the feed roller 102. According to the second embodiment, when the feed tray 111 is inserted or removed from the housing 200a, the front end of the paper roll P1a can be prevented from contacting the feed roller 102.

[0074] (Modified Example)

[0075] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0076] In the first embodiment described above, the feed roller 2 is supported on the housing 100a via the swing arm 20a and the swing shaft 20b. However, the feed roller 2 may also be supported on the feed tray 11 via the swing arm 20a and the swing shaft 20b. In the second embodiment described above, the feed roller 102 may be directly or indirectly supported on the housing 200a, or directly or indirectly supported on the feed tray 111.

[0077] In the first embodiment described above, the retraction mechanism 40 may not be configured. In this case, it is preferable that the protrusion 18 is not formed at the rear end of the feed tray 11, or that the protrusion 18 is positioned in a position that does not overlap with the feed roller 2 and the swing arm 20a in the left-right direction when viewed from the front-back direction. Thus, when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a, it is possible to avoid obstruction of insertion or removal due to contact between the feed roller 2 and the swing arm 20a and the protrusion 18.

[0078] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the swing arm 20a, together with the feed roller 2, can move upwards to a position relative to the mark 51 indicating the maximum height position when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a, compared to the position indicated by the mark 51 when the maximum number of cut paper P2 is contained. This prevents the feed roller 2 and the swing arm 20a from contacting the cut paper P2 contained in the second receiving portion 11b, thus avoiding obstruction of insertion / removal and damage to the cut paper P2, during insertion / removal of the feed tray 11 from the housing 100a.

[0079] In the first embodiment described above, the roll paper P1a unwound from the roll body R housed in the first housing section 11a is conveyed to the feed roller 2 via a path below the bottom surface 17 of the second housing section 11b. However, it is also possible that no path is formed below the bottom surface 17. In this case, the roll paper P1a unwound from the roll body R housed in the first housing section 11a is conveyed to the feed roller 2 via the upper side of the bottom surface 17 of the second housing section 11b.

[0080] In the first and second embodiments described above, the feed roller 2 can also be a structure that transports the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 along at least a portion of different transport paths. In this case, for example, an intermediate roller pair, a transport roller pair, and a discharge roller pair for transporting the roll paper P1a and an intermediate roller pair, a transport roller pair, and a discharge roller pair for transporting the cut paper P2 can also be provided separately. In addition, at least one of the intermediate roller pair, the transport roller pair, and the discharge roller pair can be shared for both the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2.

[0081] In the first embodiment described above, a plate-shaped member extending in the transport direction (i.e., the front-to-back direction) may be positioned above the maximum height position when the second receiving section 11b contains the maximum number of cut paper P2. The transport direction is along the transport path of the roll of paper P1a unwound from the roll body R. In this case, the plate-shaped member extends in the left-to-right direction and is formed to be slightly longer than the width of the roll of paper P1a and the cut paper P2. Furthermore, the plate-shaped member is cut in such a way that it does not overlap with the feed roller 2 and the swing arm 20a when viewed from above. In addition, in this case, the swing arm 20a is preferably configured such that, together with the feed roller 2, it moves to a position that is retracted upward compared to the feed plate-shaped member when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a. The printer 100 that forms an image on the roll of paper P1a has a cutter mechanism 4 for cutting the roll of paper P1a. When the paper roll P1a is cut using the cutter mechanism 4, some paper roll P1a may remain in the transport path from the first receiving section 11a to the cutter mechanism 4. In this case, when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a, the front end of the paper roll P1a remaining in the transport path from the first receiving section 11a to the cutter mechanism 4 may sometimes come into contact with the feed roller 2. According to the above structure, when the feed tray 11 is inserted or removed from the housing 100a, contact between the front end of the paper roll P1a and the feed roller 2 can be avoided. It should be noted that, for example, the plate-shaped member can extend from a position further forward than the swing shaft 20b to a position further backward than the feed roller 2 in the front-rear direction, or it can extend from a position further forward than the swing shaft 20b to a position further forward than the feed roller 2. The length of the plate-shaped member in the front-rear direction is preferably adjusted appropriately according to the degree of curling of the paper roll P1a.

[0082] In the second embodiment described above, the pressure plate 120a is mounted on the feed tray 111. However, the pressure plate 120a may also be mounted on the housing 200a. In this case, it is preferable that the components of the feed tray 111 and the pressure plate 120a do not come into contact when the feed tray 111 is inserted or removed from the housing 200a.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the second receiving section 11b is located behind the first receiving section 11a. However, the second receiving section 11b may also be located in front of the first receiving section 11a. In this case, for example, the roll paper P1a rolled out from the roll body R housed in the first receiving section 11a may be fed from back to front in the front-rear direction by a feed roller. It should be noted that in this case, the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 may also have the following structure: after being fed from back to front by the feed roller, they are fed from front to back by a roller arranged on the downstream side of the transport direction along the transport path, and then from back to front by a roller further arranged on the downstream side of the transport direction, guided by a head. That is, the transport path of the roll paper P1a and the cut paper P2 may also be an S-shaped structure.

[0084] In the first and second embodiments described above, the supply tray can be inserted and removed relative to the housing in the front-to-back direction. However, the supply tray may also be a structure that can be inserted and removed relative to the housing in the left-to-right direction.

[0085] The image forming apparatus of the present invention can be applied not only to printer 100, but also to multifunction printers, copiers, etc. Furthermore, the printer is not limited to inkjet type, but can also be laser type. Moreover, the sheet medium of the present invention can be cloth, labels, etc., in addition to paper.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the paper tray 6 forms the front side wall of the upper part of the housing 100a and can be opened and closed relative to the housing 100a. However, the paper tray 6 may also be configured such that the paper placement surface is parallel to the paper transport direction and can extend and retract in the horizontal direction relative to the housing 100a.

[0087] When the weight of the swing arm 20a is large, the vertical force exerted from the swing arm 20a on the paper cutter P2 due to this weight becomes large, which may mistakenly cause the paper cutter P2 to be transported in multiple concentrated ways. To suppress this situation, the moving mechanism 20 of the first embodiment described above has a force-applying member 23 that applies force to the swing arm 20a in a direction that weakens the force applied from the swing arm 20a to the paper roll P1a (or paper cutter P2) (i.e., upward). However, for example, when the swing arm is made of a lightweight component, the vertical force applied from the swing arm to the paper roll P1a (or paper cutter P2) becomes smaller, and the feeding force of the feed roller supported on the swing arm to the paper roll P1a (or paper cutter P2) is sometimes insufficient. In this case, the moving mechanism may also have a force-applying member that applies force to the swing arm downward. Regardless of whether the force-applying member applies force upwards to the swing arm or downwards to the swing arm, it is preferable to adjust the force in a way that can prevent the paper cutter P2 from being transported in multiple concentrated ways and to obtain sufficient feeding force from the feed roller.

[0088] Label Explanation

[0089] 2 feed rollers

[0090] 11 Supply Pallets

[0091] 11a First Containment Department

[0092] 11b Second Containment Department

[0093] 18 convex parts

[0094] 20 mobile agencies

[0095] 20a swing arm

[0096] 20b swing shaft

[0097] 23 Force-applying components

[0098] 30 Power Transmission Mechanism

[0099] 31 Conveyor Belt

[0100] 32 drive pulleys

[0101] 33 Driven pulley

[0102] Gears 34a, 34b, and 34c

[0103] 35 Planetary gear (cutting mechanism)

[0104] 36 Connecting structural components (cutting mechanism)

[0105] 40. Retreat Organizations

[0106] 41a Horizontal plane

[0107] 40b, 40c inclined surfaces

[0108] 42 Extension

[0109] 43 Cylindrical components

[0110] 51 mark

[0111] 70 Electric motor (drive source)

[0112] 100 printers

[0113] 100a housing

[0114] 102 Feeding Roller

[0115] 111 Pallet delivery

[0116] 120 mobile agency

[0117] 120a pressure plate

[0118] 120b Pressure Plate Drive Unit

[0119] 131 Plate-like members

[0120] 200 printers

[0121] 200a housing

[0122] R volume

[0123] P1 Long sheet of paper (long sheet media)

[0124] P1a roll paper (roll media)

[0125] P2 Cutting paper (cutting medium).

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising: Possessing: a housing; a supply tray capable of being inserted and pulled out with respect to the housing, capable of housing a sheet-shaped medium; a supply roller that supplies the sheet-shaped medium from the supply tray toward a conveyance path; an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet-shaped medium in the conveyance path; and a moving mechanism, the supply tray has a first housing section capable of housing a roll body obtained by winding a long-size sheet-shaped medium in a roll shape, and a second housing section capable of housing a cut medium in a state in which a plurality of the cut medium, which is a short-size sheet-shaped medium compared to the long-size sheet-shaped medium, are stacked, the moving mechanism is capable of moving to a position in which the supply roller abuts against the roll medium wound out from the roll body housed in the first housing section from above, and is capable of moving to a position in which the supply roller abuts against the cut medium housed in the second housing section from above.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the supply roller is capable of supplying the roll medium and the cut medium along a common conveyance path.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the moving mechanism further includes a swing arm that rotatably supports the supply roller, and a swing shaft that swingably supports the swing arm.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the swing shaft is located at a position closer to a lower side than an upper end portion of the supply tray.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that a power transmission mechanism that is installed to the swing arm and that transmits power from a drive source to the supply roller is further possessed, the power transmission mechanism includes a transmission belt and a gear train.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the power transmission mechanism further includes a cut-off mechanism that is disposed between the transmission belt and the supply roller, and that is capable of selectively selecting a state in which power is transmitted from the drive source to the supply roller and a state in which the transmission of the power is cut off.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the moving mechanism further includes an urging member that urges the swing arm in a direction in which a force applied to the sheet-shaped medium from the swing arm in an up-and-down direction is weakened.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the swing shaft is supported to the housing, a protrusion that extends to an upper side is formed at an upstream end portion in a direction in which the supply tray is pulled out from the housing, the swing arm moves to a position on the upper side than the protrusion at the time of the insertion and pulling out of the supply tray with respect to the housing.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the swing shaft is supported to the housing, a mark that indicates a maximum height position at the time when a maximum number of the cut medium is housed is formed at the second housing section, the swing arm moves to a position on the upper side than the mark at the time of the insertion and pulling out of the supply tray with respect to the housing.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the swing shaft is supported to the housing, In the housing, a plate-shaped member extending in a conveyance direction that is a direction along the conveyance path of the cut medium is disposed at a position on an upper side of a maximum height position when the second housing portion houses the maximum number of the cut medium, The swing arm moves to a position on an upper side compared to the plate-shaped member when the supply tray is inserted and pulled out with respect to the housing.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The moving mechanism further includes a pressure plate that supports the sheet medium from below and is displaceable in the vertical direction, and a pressure plate drive section that displaces the pressure plate in the vertical direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein In the housing, a plate-shaped member extending in a conveyance direction that is a direction along the conveyance path of the cut medium is disposed at a position on an upper side of a maximum height position when the second housing portion houses the maximum number of the cut medium, The supply roller moves to a position on an upper side compared to the plate-shaped member when the supply tray is inserted and pulled out with respect to the housing.

Images