recording device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus. Although a cover member covering an upper portion is preferably provided at a printing section, if the cover member is provided, access to a feed roller cannot be made, so that cleaning of the feed roller cannot be performed. A recording apparatus is provided with an apparatus main body provided with an inclined support section that supports a medium in an inclined attitude and a feed roller that feeds out the medium supported by the inclined support section, and an opening and closing body that opens and closes an upper portion of the apparatus main body, a cover member covering an upper portion of a periphery of the feed roller is provided at the apparatus main body, and an opening section that exposes the feed roller is formed at the cover member.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application No. 202110356154.4 filed on April 1, 2021, entitled “Recording Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording on a medium. Background Technology

[0003] In printers, which are examples of recording devices, there is a so-called multifunction printer, as shown in Patent Document 1, which has a scanning unit located above the printing unit. In such a multifunction printer, the scanning unit can be opened and closed relative to the printing unit, and by opening the scanning unit, the printing unit is exposed, thereby enabling operations such as changing ink cartridges and removing clogged paper.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-016050

[0005] With the scanning unit open, users may accidentally access the printing unit, and foreign objects can easily enter. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a cover member to the top of the printing unit. However, the printing unit contains structural elements whose performance deteriorates due to the adhesion of foreign matter such as paper dust and ink mist, specifically the feed rollers for feeding paper. Therefore, if such a cover member is provided, access to the feed rollers cannot be made, thus hindering their cleaning. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The recording apparatus of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned technical problems is characterized in that it comprises a device body and an opening and closing body, the device body having an inclined support portion for supporting a medium in an inclined posture and a feed roller for feeding the medium supported by the inclined support portion, the opening and closing body opening and closing the upper part of the device body, and a cover member covering the upper part of the feed roller is provided on the device body, and an opening portion is formed in the cover member to expose the feed roller. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a 3D view of a printer with the scanning unit turned off, viewed from the front.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a 3D view of a printer with the scanning section open, viewed from the front.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a printer with the scanning section closed, cut along the YZ plane.

[0010] Figure 4This is a cross-sectional view of a printer with the scanning section opened by cutting along the YZ plane.

[0011] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0012] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional view of the paper feed frame, feed rollers and rotating shaft located at the rear of the device.

[0013] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0014] Figure 8 This is a sectional view of the opening of the cover component cut by the XZ plane.

[0015] Figure 9 This is a perspective view showing the current-eliminating component installed on the bottom surface of the scanning section.

[0016] Figure 10 This is a block diagram showing the printer's control system.

[0017] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a control example performed by the control unit.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0019] 1: Inkjet printer; 2: Main body; 3: Scanning unit; 3a: Rotary shaft; 3b: Recess; 3c: Original document stage; 3d: Reading unit; 4: Front cover; 5: Original document cover; 6: Operation panel; 8: Upper cover; 9: Media outlet; 10: Media cartridge; 11: Pick-up roller; 12: Inclined support; 12a: Rotary shaft; 12b: Cam follower; 13: Feed roller; 13a: Main body; 13b: High-friction material; 14: Rotary shaft; 14a: Cam; 15: Separation roller; 16: Carriage; 17: Recording head; 18: Media support; 20: Tilting roller; 21: Media receiving tray; 25: Main... Frame; 26: Upper cover; 26a: Opening; 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e: Guide surfaces; 29: Paper feed frame; 30: Conveyor roller; 31: Clamping roller; 32: Conveyor roller pair; 33: Discharge roller pair; 34: Media outlet; 40, 41, 42, 43: Electrostatic discharge components; 45: Cover component; 49: Solenoid coil assembly; 50: Control unit; 51: Carriage motor; 52: Feed motor; 53: Conveyor motor; 54: CPU; 55: Flash ROM; 56: RAM; 57: Position detection unit; 58: Rotation detection unit; 59: Media detection unit; 61: Opening / closing detection unit; 62: Interface. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in brief.

[0021] The recording device according to the first method is characterized by having a device body and an opening / closing body. The device body has an inclined support portion that supports a medium in an inclined posture and a feed roller that feeds out the medium supported by the inclined support portion. The opening / closing body opens and closes the upper part of the device body. A cover member is provided on the device body to cover the upper part around the feed roller. An opening is formed in the cover member to expose the feed roller.

[0022] According to this method, the cover member has an opening that exposes the feed roller, so that the feed roller can be cleaned through the opening while preventing foreign objects from entering the device body.

[0023] The second method is characterized in that, in the first method, the edge of the opening is formed in a funnel shape.

[0024] According to this method, since the edge of the opening is formed in a funnel shape, the cleaning member used to clean the feed roller can be guided to the feed roller located inside the opening, thereby improving the workability when cleaning the feed roller.

[0025] The third approach is characterized in that, in the first or second approach, the opening / closing body can open at an angle of more than 35° relative to the upper surface of the cover member.

[0026] According to this method, since the opening and closing body can open at an angle of more than 35° relative to the upper surface of the cover member, it can ensure the working space when cleaning the feed roller through the opening, thus improving the workability of cleaning the feed roller compared to the case without such a structure.

[0027] The fourth method is characterized in that, in the third method, the distance between the cover member and the opening / closing body at the central part of the opening is 50 mm or more.

[0028] According to this method, since the distance between the cover member and the opening / closing body at the center of the opening is 50 mm or more, compared with the case without this structure, the working space when cleaning the feed roller through the opening can be ensured, and the workability when cleaning the feed roller is improved.

[0029] The fifth method is characterized in that, in any of the first to fourth methods, in the closed state, a recess is formed in the opening and closing body at a position opposite to the main body of the device, and in the open state, the recess is located above the opening.

[0030] According to this method, since a recess is formed in the opening / closing body in the closed state at a position opposite to the main body of the device, and the recess is located above the opening when the opening / closing body is open, the working space can be ensured when cleaning the feed roller through the opening compared to the case without such a structure, thus improving the workability when cleaning the feed roller.

[0031] The sixth method is characterized in that, in any of the first to fifth methods, in a first direction, the center position of the opening is located in the region of the rotation axis of the feed roller, the first direction is along the upper surface of the cover member and is the radial direction of the feed roller, and the opening width of the opening in the first direction is more than 1 / 2 of the outer diameter of the feed roller.

[0032] According to this method, since the center of the opening is located in the region of the rotation axis of the feed roller in the first direction, and the opening width of the opening in the first direction is more than 1 / 2 of the outer diameter of the feed roller, the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller is exposed over a large area compared with the case without this structure, and the feed roller can be cleaned more properly.

[0033] The seventh method is characterized in that, in any of the first to sixth methods, the opening width of the opening in the width direction of the feed roller is greater than or equal to the width of the feed roller, and the entire area of ​​the feed roller in the width direction is exposed through the opening.

[0034] According to this method, since the opening width of the opening in the width direction of the feed roller is greater than the width of the feed roller, the entire area of ​​the feed roller in the width direction is exposed through the opening. Therefore, compared with the case without this structure, the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller is exposed over a large area, which allows for more proper cleaning of the feed roller.

[0035] The eighth embodiment is characterized in that, in any of the first to seventh embodiments, the recording device includes a carriage and a main frame, the carriage having a recording head for recording on a medium and being movable in the width direction of the medium, the main frame supporting the carriage and guiding the carriage in the width direction of the medium, and the cover member being disposed adjacent to the main frame.

[0036] The ninth method is characterized in that, in any of the first to eighth methods, the recording device includes: a motor as a power source for the feed roller; and a control unit that controls the motor, the control unit being able to execute a cleaning mode in which the feed roller is rotated without the medium supported by the inclined support abutting against the feed roller.

[0037] According to this method, since the control unit is able to execute a cleaning mode that rotates the feed roller without causing the medium supported by the inclined support to come into contact with the feed roller, the outer circumferential surface of the feed roller can be easily cleaned over a large area in the circumferential direction compared to the case without this structure.

[0038] The tenth method is characterized in that, in the ninth method, the cleaning mode includes both forward and reverse rotation of the feed roller.

[0039] According to this method, since the cleaning mode includes both forward and reverse rotation of the feed roller, the cleaning efficiency of the feed roller can be improved compared to a case without such a structure.

[0040] The eleventh method is characterized in that, in the ninth or tenth method, the recording device includes: a display unit for displaying various information; and an opening / closing detection unit for detecting the opening of the opening / closing body. If the opening / closing body is opened under specified conditions, the control unit causes the display unit to display a user interface, and the user interface guides the user to execute the cleaning mode.

[0041] According to this method, since the control unit causes the display unit to display a user interface that guides the user to execute the cleaning mode when the opening and closing body is opened under the specified conditions, the operability of the user is improved compared with the case without such a structure.

[0042] The twelfth method is characterized in that, in the ninth or tenth method, the recording device has a display unit that displays various information, and when the number of times the medium from the inclined support fails to feed exceeds a predetermined number, the control unit causes the display unit to display a user interface, which guides the user to clean the feed roller.

[0043] According to this method, if the number of times the medium from the inclined support fails to feed exceeds a predetermined number, the control unit causes the display unit to display a user interface that guides the user to clean the feed roller. Therefore, compared with the case without such a structure, it is expected that the user can restore the performance of the feed roller as soon as possible.

[0044] The present invention will now be described in detail.

[0045] Hereinafter, inkjet printer 1 will be described as an example of a recording device. Hereinafter, inkjet printer 1 will be simply referred to as printer 1.

[0046] Additionally, in the XYZ coordinate system shown in each figure, the X-axis direction is the feed roller 13 (refer to...). Figure 3 , Figure 4The X-axis is the direction of rotation of the printer 1, and also the width direction of the medium being transported and recorded. Furthermore, the X-axis direction is the width direction of the device; when the user faces the front surface of the printer 1, the +X direction appears to the left and the -X direction appears to the right from the user's perspective.

[0047] The Y-axis direction is the device depth direction, which is along the medium transport direction during recording. The +Y direction is the direction from the back of the device toward the front surface, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front surface of the device toward the back. In this embodiment, the side of the printer 1 where the operation panel 6 is provided is called the front surface of the device.

[0048] The Z-axis direction is along the vertical direction and represents the height of the device. The +Z direction is the vertical upward direction, and the -Z direction is the vertical downward direction.

[0049] In addition, the direction of the transmission medium is sometimes referred to as "downstream" and its opposite direction as "upstream".

[0050] First, an overview of the overall structure of printer 1 will be provided. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this printer, the upper part of the main body 2 of the device for inkjet recording of media represented by recording paper has a scanning unit 3 as an example of an opening and closing body, that is, it is configured as a multifunction printer that has the function of reading original documents in addition to inkjet recording function.

[0051] The scanning unit 3 is configured to be able to rotate relative to the device body 2 around the axis 3a (see reference). Figure 3 , Figure 4 The upper part of the main body 2 of the device is opened and closed by rotating around the center. In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the scanning unit 3 is parallel to the X-axis direction. Figure 1 , Figure 3 It is in the state of scanning unit 3 being turned off. Figure 2 , Figure 4 It indicates that scanning unit 3 is in the open state. Additionally, Figure 2 , Figure 4 The open state of the scanning unit 3 shown is the state in which the scanning unit 3 is opened to its maximum extent, i.e., the fully open state. The fully open state of the scanning unit 3 is maintained by an attitude holding unit (not shown). This attitude holding unit can be, for example, a known torque hinge.

[0052] Scanning unit 3 is equipped with an opening and closing document stage 3c (see reference). Figure 3 The original document cover 5. In the scanning unit 3, a reading unit 3d for reading the original document is provided below the original document stage 3c (see reference). Figure 3 The reading unit 3d extends along the Y-axis and receives power from a motor (not shown), thereby reading the original document placed on the document stage 3c while moving along the X-axis.

[0053] The main body 2 has an operation panel 6 on its front surface. This operation panel 6 comprises an operation section for setting various operations, a display section for displaying printing settings, and a preview display of the printed image. In this embodiment, the operation panel 6 is integrally provided with the scanning unit 3. Figure 2 It rotates together with the scanning unit 3 as shown.

[0054] A front surface cover 4 is provided on the front surface of the device. By opening the front surface cover 4, the device is exposed. Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The media box 10, media outlet 34, media receiving tray 21, etc. are shown.

[0055] An upper cover 8 is provided on the upper rear surface of the device. By opening the upper cover 8, the device is exposed. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The inclined support 12 is shown. The inclined support 12 supports the feed medium in an inclined position.

[0056] Next, while referring to Figure 3 The media transport path of printer 1 will be explained. For example... Figure 3 As shown, printer 1 has two media transport paths: a media transport path T1 for transporting media from the media cartridge 10 at the bottom of the device and a media transport path T2 for transporting media from the upper rear of the device. Each media transport path is formed by a path forming member, but detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0057] In the media transport path T1, the media is fed out from the media box 10 by the pick-up roller 11 and flipped by the flip roller 20, thereby being transported toward the transport roller pair 32.

[0058] In the media conveying path T2, the media, supported at an inclined position by the inclined support 12, is fed by the feed roller 13 toward the conveying roller 30 and the clamping roller 31. The feed roller 13 is powered by the feed motor 52 (see reference). Figure 10 The conveyor roller 30 is powered by a conveyor motor 53 (see reference). Figure 10 The feed motor 52 can be used as the power source. Alternatively, the conveyor roller 30 can be driven by the feed motor 52. The clamping roller 31 is a roller that can be rotated passively.

[0059] The medium supported by the inclined support 12 is conveyed toward the conveyor roller pair 32 via the conveyor roller 30 and the clamping roller 31.

[0060] Conveyor roller pair 32 from conveyor motor 53 (reference) Figure 10 It receives power and transmits the medium to the position opposite to the recording head 17.

[0061] A media support portion 18 is disposed at a position opposite to the recording head 17. The media support portion 18 limits the gap between the recording head 17 and the media by supporting the media.

[0062] The carriage 16, equipped with the recording head 17, is configured to reciprocate in the media width direction, and is controlled by the carriage motor 51 (see reference). Figure 10 It gains power and thus moves in the width direction of the medium.

[0063] Reference numeral 25 indicates the main frame that supports the carriage 16 and guides it in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the main frame 25 is formed of a metallic material, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the interior of the main body 2 of the device is divided into a region in the +Y direction and a region in the -Y direction.

[0064] A discharge roller pair 33 is provided downstream of the recording head 17 and the media support section 18. The recorded media is discharged out of the device through the discharge roller pair 33 and supported by the media receiving tray 21. The discharge roller pair 33 is connected to the conveying motor 53 (see reference 1). Figure 10 ) as the power source.

[0065] Next, refer to Figure 10 The control system in printer 1 will be described.

[0066] The control unit 50, acting as the control unit, performs various controls on the printer 1, including media feeding, conveying, discharging, and recording. Additionally, Figure 10 This is a block diagram described from the viewpoint of realizing the recording function on the medium. Although the explanation is omitted below, the control unit 50 also performs various controls on the scanning unit 3.

[0067] The control unit 50 receives signals from the operation panel 6. In addition, the control unit 50 sends signals to the operation panel 6 for displaying the operation panel 6, especially for displaying the user interface (hereinafter referred to as "UI").

[0068] The control unit 50 controls the motors involved in the media transfer and recording operations of the carriage motor 51, the feed motor 52, and the conveyor motor 53. In this embodiment, each motor is a DC motor.

[0069] The detection signals from the position detection unit 57, rotation detection unit 58, medium detection unit 59, and opening / closing detection unit 61 are also input to the control unit 50.

[0070] The position detection unit 57 is a linear encoder used to detect the position of the carriage 16 in the X-axis direction. The rotation detection unit 58 is a rotary encoder used to detect the amount of rotation and the rotational speed of the roller driven by the conveyor motor 53.

[0071] The opening / closing detection unit 61 is a detection unit that detects the opening / closing state of the scanning unit 3. The opening / closing detection unit 61 can be composed of a contact or non-contact sensor. The opening / closing detection unit 61 can also be configured to detect whether the scanning unit 3 is completely closed or slightly open. Alternatively, the opening / closing detection unit 61 can be configured to detect at least three states of the scanning unit 3: completely closed, completely open, and a state between completely closed and completely open, using a combination of multiple sensors. Furthermore, the opening / closing detection unit 61 can also be configured to detect the rotation angle of the scanning unit 3 using a rotary encoder or the like, and detect the opening / closing state based on this.

[0072] The media detection unit 59 is located near the upstream of the conveyor roller pair 32 and is used to detect the passage of the front and rear ends of the media. The media detection unit 59 can be composed of contact or non-contact sensors. The control unit 50 can determine whether the media is correctly fed from the media cartridge 10 and the inclined support 12 based on the detection information of the media detection unit 59, specifically, whether a paper feeding failure has occurred.

[0073] The control unit 50 includes a CPU 54, a flash memory ROM 55, and a RAM 56. The CPU 54 performs various calculations based on the program stored in the flash memory ROM 55 and controls the overall operation of the printer 1. The flash memory ROM 55, as an example of a storage unit, is a readable and writable non-volatile memory. Furthermore, various setting information input by the user via the operation panel 6 is also stored in the flash memory ROM 55. Various information is temporarily stored in the RAM 56, which is also an example of a storage unit.

[0074] In addition, the control unit 50 has an interface 62, through which it can communicate with an external computer 90.

[0075] Next, the feed roller 13 that delivers the medium supported by the inclined support 12 and its surrounding structure will be further described.

[0076] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13 is formed as a flat surface; that is, the feed roller 13 has an arcuate portion and a flat portion. The arcuate portion contacts the medium, and the arcuate portion applies a conveying force to the medium. After the feeding action of feeding the medium from the inclined support portion 12 is completed, as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the flat portion of the feed roller 13 is maintained in a state opposite to the inclined support portion 12.

[0077] like Figure 6As shown, the feed roller 13 is constructed by providing a high-friction material 13b, such as rubber or an elastomer, on the outer periphery of the main body 13a. The main body 13a is integrally formed with the rotating shaft 14. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 14 and the main body 13a are formed of resin material.

[0078] The rotating shaft 14 is rotatable relative to the paper feed frame 29 and has cam portions 14a at both ends. The tilting support portion 12 is rotatably supported on the paper feed frame 29 via the rotating shaft 12a. Furthermore, in Figure 6 The diagram shows a rotation axis 12a located at the end of the inclined support 12 in the -X direction, but the same rotation axis 12a is also located at the end of the inclined support 12 in the +X direction and is supported by the paper feed frame 29. The rotation axis of the inclined support 12 is parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0079] A cam follower 12b is provided in the inclined support 12 at a position opposite to the cam portion 14a of the rotating shaft 14. The cam follower 12b is configured to engage with the cam portion 14a. Furthermore, Figure 6 The diagram shows a cam follower 12b located at the end of the inclined support 12 in the +X direction, but the same cam follower 12b is also located at the end of the inclined support 12 in the -X direction and can engage with the cam portion 14a.

[0080] The tilting support 12 presses the cam follower 12b toward the cam portion 14a via a pressing member (not shown), such as a compression spring. In other words, the tilting support 12 presses the supported medium toward the feed roller 13 via the pressing member. Then, when the rotating shaft 14 rotates, the cam portion 14a presses down the cam follower 12b, thereby separating the medium supported by the tilting support 12 from the feed roller 13, or the pressing of the cam portion 14a on the cam follower 12b is released, thereby pressing the medium supported by the tilting support 12 into the feed roller 13.

[0081] In this structure, since the cam portion 14a and the cam follower portion 12b are provided at both ends in the X-axis direction, the tilting and twisting of the tilt support portion 12 are suppressed.

[0082] Additionally, in this embodiment, a solenoid assembly 49 (see reference 12) is provided, in which a plunger (not shown) moves forward and backward relative to the rotational area of ​​the inclined support 12. Figure 10The solenoid assembly 49 switches between a restricted state and an allowed state. In the restricted state, the tilt support 12 is restricted from rotating toward the feed roller 13 by bringing the plunger into the rotation area of ​​the tilt support 12. In the allowed state, the tilt support 12 is allowed to rotate by retracting the plunger from the rotation area of ​​the tilt support 12. Thus, the feed roller 13 can rotate freely without the medium supported by the tilt support 12 coming into contact with the feed roller 13.

[0083] In the main body 13a of the feed roller 13, a sheet-like static-eliminating member 40 is provided on its side. The static-eliminating member 40 is a member formed of a known material capable of removing static electricity. As an example of the static-eliminating member 40, non-woven fabric can be cited. Figure 6 Although the diagram shows a static-eliminating member 40 located on the side of the main body 13a in the -X direction, the same static-eliminating member 40 is also provided on the side of the main body 13a in the +X direction. This suppresses the adhesion of ink mist, paper dust, and other contaminants to the feed roller 13 by providing the static-eliminating member 40. Furthermore, it is preferable that the static-eliminating member 40 is in electrical contact with a conductive component such as the metal frame constituting the device main body 2, i.e., grounded.

[0084] In addition, such electrical elimination components, such as Figure 7 The shown can also be configured to contact the outer circumferential surface of the roller. Figure 7 In the attached figures, reference numeral 41 indicates a current-eliminating component that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13, and reference numeral 42 indicates a current-eliminating component that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor roller 30. In this embodiment, current-eliminating components 41 and 42 are mounted on the cover component 26, which will be described later. Current-eliminating components 41 and 42 can be made of the same material as current-eliminating component 40 described above. Furthermore, current-eliminating components 41 and 42 are preferably configured to make electrical contact with conductive components such as the metal frame constituting the main body 2 of the device, i.e., grounding is also preferred. With such current-eliminating components, the adhesion of ink mist, paper dust, etc., to each roller can be suppressed.

[0085] Furthermore, a cover member 45 is provided on the upper part of the conveyor roller 30 to cover a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor roller 30. This cover member 45 separates the arrangement area of ​​the conveyor roller 30 from the arrangement area of ​​the feed roller 13. Compared to the feed roller 13, the conveyor roller 30 is in a position where ink mist generated by ink ejected from the recording head 17 easily adheres. When the conveyor roller 30 rotates, ink mist easily flows to the feed roller 13. However, due to the cover member 45, the flow of ink mist from the conveyor roller 30 to the feed roller 13 can be suppressed.

[0086] Next, the cover member 26, which covers the upper part of the area in the Y direction relative to the main frame 25, specifically the upper part covering the periphery of the feed roller 13, will be described. Figure 2As shown, a cover member 26 is provided in the -Y direction relative to the main frame 25. The cover member 26 is disposed adjacent to the main frame 25. In this embodiment, the cover member 26 is formed of resin material and is fixed to the paper feed frame 29 (see reference). Figure 6 In addition, in this embodiment, the paper supply frame 29 is also formed of resin material.

[0087] like Figures 3-5 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the cover member 26 covers the upper part around the feed roller 13, and in particular covers part of the medium conveying path T2, which is the conveying path of the medium delivered from the inclined support 12, thereby suppressing the intrusion of dust and other contaminants into the device body 2.

[0088] Moreover, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown in the magnified view, an opening 26a is formed in the cover member 26 to expose the feed roller 13. In this way, since the opening 26a is formed in the cover member 26 to expose the feed roller 13, the feed roller 13 can be cleaned through the opening 26a while preventing foreign objects from entering the device body 2.

[0089] In addition, in this embodiment, the edge of the opening 26a is formed in a funnel shape. Figure 5 In the attached drawing, reference numerals 26b, 26c, 26d, and 26e refer to the inclined surfaces forming the edge of the opening 26a, each inclined surface being formed to slope downwards toward the center of the opening 26a. Thus, the edge of the opening 26a is formed in a funnel shape, allowing the cleaning member CL (see reference 1) used for cleaning the feed roller 13 to be cleaned. Figure 7 The feed roller 13, located inside the opening 26a, is guided to the feed roller 13, thereby improving the workability of the user when cleaning the feed roller 13. In addition, fiber sheets or the like are used as cleaning components CL, but any material can be used as long as it is capable of cleaning the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the scanning unit 3 can open at an angle of 35° or more relative to the upper surface of the cover member 26. Figure 4 In the attached drawing, reference numeral α indicates the opening angle of the scanning unit 3. This opening angle α is 0° when the scanning unit 3 is fully closed, and is 35° or more when it is fully open, specifically 45°. Furthermore, the opening angle α can be taken as an example as the angle between the original document mounting surface of the original document stage 3c and the upper surface of the cover member 26.

[0091] In this way, the scanning section 3 can be opened to a large extent, thus ensuring the working space when cleaning the feed roller 13 through the opening 26a and improving the workability of cleaning the feed roller 13.

[0092] Furthermore, at the center of the opening 26a, the distance H1 between the cover member 26 and the scanning unit 3 is ensured to be 50 mm or more. More specifically, in this embodiment, the distance H1 is set to 75 mm. Here, the center of the opening 26a refers to the center of the opening 26a in the Y-axis direction. Additionally, the distance H1 is the distance in the Z-axis direction from the upper surface of the cover member 26 to the lower surface of the scanning unit 3 in its fully open state. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the cover member 26 is a horizontal plane.

[0093] This ensures sufficient working space when cleaning the feed roller 13 via the opening 26a, thus improving the workability of the feed roller 13.

[0094] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, in the closed state, the scanning unit 3 has a recess 3b formed at a position opposite to the device body 2. The recess 3b is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, it is located above the opening 26a when the scanning section 3 is open. This ensures sufficient working space when cleaning the feed roller 13 via the opening 26a, improving the workability of cleaning the feed roller 13.

[0095] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, in a first direction—specifically, the Y-axis direction—that is, along the upper surface of the cover member 26 and the radial direction of the feed roller 13, the center position Y1 of the opening 26a is located within the region of the rotation axis 14 of the feed roller 13. In other words, the opening 26a is located at a position centered relative to the feed roller 13. Furthermore, the opening width b2 of the opening 26a in the Y-axis direction is more than half of the outer diameter b1 of the feed roller 13. With this structure, the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13 is exposed over a large area inside the opening 26a, allowing for more proper cleaning of the feed roller 13.

[0096] Furthermore, more preferably, the center position Y1 of the opening 26a in the Y-axis direction is consistent with the axis center of the rotation axis 14 of the feed roller 13. However, if the center position Y1 is within the area of ​​the rotation axis 14, the center position Y1 may also be deviated from the axis center of the rotation axis 14.

[0097] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, the opening width a1 of the opening 26a in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the feed roller 13 is greater than or equal to the width a2 of the feed roller 13, and the entire area of ​​the feed roller 13 in the width direction is exposed through the opening 26a. This allows for more appropriate cleaning of the feed roller 13.

[0098] In this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13 is located below the lower end position Z1 of the edge of the opening 26a, but it is also preferable that the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13 is located above the lower end position Z1. This allows the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13 to be more prominently exposed, making it easier to clean the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 13.

[0099] In addition, such as Figure 9 As shown, it is also preferable that an anti-static member 43 is provided at a position opposite the opening 26a on the bottom surface of the scanning unit 3, so that the opening 26a is completely or partially blocked by the anti-static member 43 when the scanning unit 3 is closed. As a result, it is possible to suppress ink mist from flowing out of the inside of the device body 2 through the opening 26a.

[0100] Next, refer to Figure 11 The control performed by the control unit 50 will be explained.

[0101] If the control unit 50 determines that it is timed to clean the feed roller 13 ("Yes" in step S101), it notifies the user of this information (step S102). The notification to the user can be sent, for example, to the operation panel 6 (see...). Figure 1 , Figure 2 The system will display messages such as "The feed roller may be contaminated. Please open the scanning unit for cleaning."

[0102] The timing for cleaning the feed roller 13 can be set to at least one of (1) and (2) below, or both of (1) and (2).

[0103] (1) The number of times the medium fails to feed from the inclined support 12 exceeds a predetermined number. In addition, failure to feed means that the medium does not feed from the inclined support 12 and stops regardless of whether the feed roller 13 rotates, which is an example of poor medium feeding from the inclined support 12.

[0104] (2) When the previous cleaning mode was executed (in step S106) and the number of feed sheets of the medium from the inclined support 12 was set to zero, the count value obtained exceeds the predetermined number of sheets.

[0105] Furthermore, the cleaning mode (in step S106) will be explained later.

[0106] Next, if the control unit 50 detects that the scanning unit 3 is turned on ("Yes" in step S103), it causes the operation panel 6 to display a UI that guides the user to perform the cleaning mode (step S104). This UI can be set to display messages such as "Should the feed roller be rotated for cleaning? (Yes / No)".

[0107] When the user selects "Yes" on the UI ("Yes" in step S105), the control unit 50 executes the cleaning mode (step S106).

[0108] The cleaning mode (step S106) is a mode in which the feed roller 13 is rotated without the medium supported by the inclined support 12 coming into contact with the ground. The control unit 50 controls the solenoid assembly 49 (see reference). Figure 10 The inclined support 12 is kept in the state furthest away from the feed roller 13, and the feed roller 13 is rotated in this state.

[0109] At this time, the rotation speed of the feed roller 13 is preferably lower than that during the feeding of the medium. Furthermore, the rotation of the feed roller 13 may include both forward and reverse rotation. For example, the feed roller 13 may continuously rotate forward one or more times, followed by a reverse rotation of the same amount, or it may repeatedly perform forward and reverse rotations little by little, rotating one or more times in either the forward or reverse direction.

[0110] In this way, the control unit 50 can execute a cleaning mode that prevents the medium supported by the tilting support 12 from coming into contact with the feed roller 13 and causing the feed roller 13 to rotate. Therefore, the user can easily clean the outer circumferential surface of the feed roller 13 over a wide area along the circumference of the feed roller 13.

[0111] In addition, by including both forward and reverse rotation of the feed roller 13 in the cleaning mode, the cleaning efficiency of the feed roller 13 can be improved.

[0112] In addition, if the number of times the medium from the inclined support section 12 fails to feed exceeds a predetermined number, the control unit 50 displays a UI on the operation panel 6 to guide the user to clean the feed roller 13 (steps S101 and S102), so that the user can be expected to restore the performance of the feed roller 13 as soon as possible.

[0113] Furthermore, if the scanner unit 3 is turned on under the condition that the specified conditions are met (step S101), the control unit 50 causes the operation panel 6 to display a UI that guides the user to perform the cleaning mode (step S104). Therefore, the user can improve the operability when performing the cleaning mode without having to follow the UI displayed on the operation panel 6 from the main menu, for example.

[0114] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention as described in the claims, and these modifications are also included within the scope of this invention.

[0115] For example, in the above embodiment, the opening and closing body provided on the upper part of the device body 2 is the scanning part 3, but it is not limited to the scanning part 3, and may also be an opening and closing body such as a cover.

Claims

1. A recording apparatus characterized by comprising: The device main body and an opening and closing body are provided, The device main body includes a tilt support portion that supports a medium in a tilted posture and a feed roller that feeds the medium supported by the tilt support portion, The opening and closing body opens and closes an upper portion of the device main body, A cover member that covers an upper portion of a periphery of the feed roller is provided in the device main body, and an opening portion through which the feed roller is exposed to be accessible is formed in the cover member, At least a part of a surface constituting an edge of the opening portion is formed to be inclined downward toward a center of the opening portion, so that the edge of the opening portion is formed in a funnel shape.

2. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein The opening and closing body is capable of being opened by an angle of 35° or more with respect to an upper surface of the cover member.

3. The recording device according to claim 2, wherein A gap between the cover member and the opening and closing body at a central portion of the opening portion is 50 mm or more.

4. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein A recess is formed in the opening and closing body in a position opposed to the device main body in a closed state, The recess is positioned above the opening portion in a state in which the opening and closing body is opened.

5. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein An opening width of the opening portion in a width direction of the feed roller is the width of the feed roller or more, The entire area in the width direction of the feed roller is exposed through the opening portion.

6. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein The recording device includes a carriage and a main frame, The carriage includes a recording head that performs recording on a medium, and is capable of moving in a medium width direction, The main frame supports the carriage and guides the carriage in the medium width direction, The cover member is provided adjacent to the main frame.

7. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein The opening and closing body is provided in an upper portion of the device main body, and is a scanning portion that reads a document, The cover member is positioned below the scanning portion.

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