Tray and image recording device

Abstract

To enable a sheet-like medium of a variety of types of medium sizes to be stored.SOLUTION: A printer includes a feeding tray 1 which has: a first storage part 20 capable of storing a roll body; and a second storage part 30 capable of storing a cut sheet. The second storage part 30 of the feeding tray 1 includes a support surface 30A for supporting the cut sheet. The second storage part 30 can take one of an expanded state where the length of the support surface 30A in the frontward / backward direction is length M1 and a reduced state where the length of the support surface 30A in the frontward / backward direction is the length shorter than the length M1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tray having a first storage section capable of storing a roll body and a second storage section capable of storing a sheet medium, and to an image recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a facsimile (image recording device) that includes a paper feed cassette (tray) having a roll paper loading section (first storage section) for loading roll paper (roll body) and a cut paper loading section (second storage section) for loading cut paper (sheet-like medium). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-264556 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The paper feed cassette described in Patent Document 1 is supported movably on the facsimile body, and the roll paper tray and cut paper tray are arranged side by side along the direction of movement. The paper feed cassette is also configured to fit exactly inside the facsimile body when attached to the facsimile body. As a result, the size of the cut paper tray of the paper feed cassette in the direction of movement is relatively small because of the roll paper tray. As a result, the variety of paper sizes that can be accommodated in the cut paper tray of the paper feed cassette may be limited.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a tray and image recording device capable of accommodating sheet media of a wide variety of media sizes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The tray of the present invention has a first storage section capable of storing a roll of sheet-like medium wound into a roll, and a second storage section capable of storing multiple sheet-like media in a stacked state, the second storage section being arranged side by side with the first storage section in a first direction and including a support surface that supports the sheet-like medium, in which the second storage section is configured to be capable of taking either a first state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a first length, or a second state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a second length that is shorter than the first length.

[0007] The image recording device of the present invention comprises a tray having a first storage section capable of storing a roll of sheet-like medium wound in a roll shape, and a second storage section capable of storing multiple sheet-like media in a stacked state, the second storage section being arranged alongside the first storage section in a first direction and including a support surface that supports the sheet-like medium, a housing that supports the tray movably in the first direction, a recording section provided in the housing that records an image on the sheet-like medium, and a transport section provided in the housing that transports the sheet-like medium stored in the tray toward the recording section, and the second storage section is configured to be capable of taking either a first state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a first length, or a second state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a second length shorter than the first length. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the tray and image recording device of the present invention, even if the tray and image recording device have a first storage section that stores a roll body, it is possible to store sheet media of various sizes in the second storage section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of the printer according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the second accommodation section in a contracted state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feed tray shown in FIG. [Diagram 3]3 is a plan view of the feeding tray shown in FIG. 2 when the second accommodation section is in a contracted state. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the feed tray when the second storage section is in the expanded state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of the printer according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the second accommodation section in an expanded state. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a feeding tray according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A printer 100 (an "image recording device" of the present invention) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. The up-down direction, front-rear direction (a "first direction" of the present invention) and left-right direction shown in Fig. 1 are the up-down direction, front-rear direction and left-right direction of the printer 100. The left-right direction is the direction when viewed from the front of the printer 100, with the front side of the page in Fig. 1 being the right side and the back side of the page in Fig. 1 being the left side.

[0011] (Overall configuration of the printer 100) As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 mainly includes a housing 100A, a feed tray 1, a conveying unit 3, a cutting unit 5, a head 6, a paper discharge tray 7, and a control unit 70. The feed tray ("tray" of the present invention) 1 is disposed below the head 6 in the housing 100A. The feed tray 1 can be inserted and removed from the housing 100A in the front-rear direction through an opening 101 formed in the front wall of the housing 100A. That is, the feed tray 1 can move in the front-rear direction between an inner position (position shown in FIG. 1) in the housing 100A and an outer position outside the housing 100A. The outer position in this embodiment is a position forward of the housing 100A, and when the feed tray 1 is in the outer position, the feed tray 1 is removed from the housing 100A.

[0012] The feed tray 1 has a first storage section 20 capable of storing the roll R, and a second storage section 30 capable of storing a plurality of cut sheets Ks ("sheet-like medium" of the present invention) in a stacked state. The roll R is formed by winding rolled paper Rs ("sheet-like medium" of the present invention), which is a paper longer than the cut sheets Ks, in a roll shape around the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical core member Rc. The roll R is stored in the first storage section 20 such that the axial direction of its central axis Rx coincides with the left-right direction.

[0013] 1, for the sake of explanation, the feed tray 1 is shown containing both the roll R and cut paper Ks. However, when recording an image on the roll paper Rs with the printer 100, the roll R is contained in the feed tray 1 and the cut paper Ks is removed from the feed tray 1. On the other hand, when recording an image on the cut paper Ks, the cut paper Ks is contained in the feed tray 1 and the roll R is removed from the feed tray 1 or the roll paper R is removed from the transport path.

[0014] Furthermore, although the feed tray 1 in this embodiment is configured so that it can be entirely removed from the housing 100A, it may be configured so that the feed tray 1 can only be removed from the housing 100A when the feed tray 1 is in a position midway from the inner position to the outer position and only a portion of the feed tray 1 (for example, the rear end) is inside the housing 100A. Even in this case, it is preferable that the feed tray 1 is configured so that the roll R or cut paper Ks can be stored in the feed tray 1 from outside the housing 100A.

[0015] The transport unit 3 transports, in a transport direction, roll paper Rs and cut paper Ks that have been unwound from the roll body R. As shown in Fig. 1, the transport unit 3 has a feed roller 2A, an arm 2B, a separation wall 3A, a pair of intermediate rollers 4A, a pair of transport rollers 4B, a pair of paper discharge rollers 4C, and a guide 4D.

[0016] The feeding roller 2A feeds out the feed tray 1 either roll paper Rs unwound from the roll R stored in the first storage section 20 or cut paper Ks stored in the second storage section 30. The roll paper Rs and cut paper Ks fed by the feeding roller 2 are fed out of the feed tray 1 via the same path. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between cut paper Ks and roll paper Rs, they will be referred to as "paper S."

[0017] The feed roller 2A is axially supported at the tip of the arm 2B. The feed roller 2A rotates about a shaft extending in the left-right direction by the drive of a feed motor (not shown).

[0018] The arm 2B is supported rotatably on the support shaft 2C. The support shaft 2C is supported by the housing 100A. The arm 2B is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so that the feed roller 2A approaches the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The arm 2B rotates around the support shaft 2C, so that the feed roller 2A can move between a contact position where the arm 2B contacts the friction member 18 arranged on the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1 and a separated position where the arm 2B is separated from the friction member 18. The arm 2B can be retracted to a retracted position where the tray body 10 of the feed tray 1 and the feed roller 2A do not interfere with each other by a retracting mechanism (not shown) in conjunction with the feed tray 1 moving from an inner position in the housing 100A to an outer position outside the housing 100A. The separated position is a position to which the feed roller 2A moves when the arm 2B moves to the retracted position.

[0019] The feed roller 2A selectively takes a first feed position or a second feed position between the contact position and the separated position. The first feed position is a position where the feed roller 2A comes into contact with the roll paper Rs supported on the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The second feed position is a position where the feed roller 2A comes into contact with the cut paper Ks stored in the second storage section 30.

[0020] When the feed motor is driven under the control of the control unit 70, the feed roller 2A rotates, and a conveying force is applied to the sheet S in contact with the feed roller 2A in a direction from the front to the rear. As a result, the sheet S is sent out from the feed tray 1.

[0021] The separation wall 3A is for preventing double feeding when the cut sheets Ks are fed from the feed tray 1. The separation wall 3A extends obliquely upward from the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The separation wall 3A is provided in the housing 100A. As shown in FIG. 1, the separation wall 3A is located at the rear end of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction.

[0022] The intermediate roller pair 4A is composed of a drive roller that rotates when driven by an intermediate motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. When the intermediate motor is driven under the control of the control unit 70, the intermediate roller pair 4A rotates while sandwiching the sheet S to transport the sheet S. The intermediate roller pair 4A is located above the separation wall 3A. The intermediate roller pair 4A sandwiches and transports the sheet S sent out from the feed tray 1 by the feed roller 2A upward. The guide 4D is located above the intermediate roller pair 4A. The guide 4D guides the sheet S transported upward by the intermediate roller pair 4A forward.

[0023] The conveying roller pair 4B is composed of a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a conveying motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates with the drive roller. The paper discharge roller pair 4C is composed of a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a paper discharge motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates with the drive roller. When the conveying motor and the paper discharge motor are driven by the control of the control unit 70, the conveying roller pair 4B and the paper discharge roller pair 4C rotate while sandwiching the paper S to convey the paper S. The conveying roller pair 4B is located behind the head 6, and the paper discharge roller pair 4C is located in front of the head 6. The conveying roller pair 4B sandwiches the paper S guided forward by the guide 4D and conveys it forward. The paper discharge roller pair 4C sandwiches the paper S conveyed forward by the conveying roller pair 4B and conveys it forward.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 5 is located between the separation wall 3A and the pair of intermediate rollers 4A. The cutting unit 5 includes a fixed blade 5A that is elongated in the left-right direction, and a disk-shaped rotary blade 5B that can move in the left-right direction while in contact with the fixed blade 5A. The rotary blade 5B rotates when driven by a cutting motor (not shown), and moves back and forth in the left-right direction. The roll paper Rs that is unwound from the roll body R and transported is cut in the left-right direction by the fixed blade 5A and the rotary blade 5B when the cutting motor is driven under the control of the control unit 70. This forms a rear end on the roll paper Rs that is sent to the paper output tray 7.

[0025] The head (the "recording unit" of the present invention) 6 includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) formed on the bottom surface, and a driver IC (not shown). The head 6 records an image on the paper S transported by the transport unit 3. When the driver IC is driven under the control of the control unit 70, ink is ejected from the nozzles, and an image is formed on the paper S when the paper S transported by the transport unit 3 passes an image recording position facing the bottom surface of the head 6. The head 6 may be either a line type in which ink is ejected from nozzles while being fixed in position, or a serial type in which ink is ejected from nozzles while moving left and right.

[0026] The paper discharge tray 7 is disposed in front of the head 6 within the housing 100A and above the feed tray 1. The paper discharge tray 7 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100A in the front-rear direction through an opening 102 formed in the front wall of the housing 100A. The paper discharge tray 7 receives paper S on which an image is formed by the head 6 and which is transported forward by the pair of paper discharge rollers 43.

[0027] The control unit 70 is connected to the feed motor, intermediate motor, transport motor, paper discharge motor, cutting motor, and driver IC via an internal bus (not shown). The control unit 70 has a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The ROM stores programs and data for the CPU to perform various controls. The RAM temporarily stores data used when the CPU executes a program.

[0028] (Feed Tray 1 Configuration) Next, a configuration of the feed tray 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the following description, each part of the feed tray 1 will be described based on the orientation of the feed tray 1 when it is attached to the housing 100A.

[0029] The feed tray 1 has a tray body 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the tray body 10 has a bottom wall 11 and four side walls 12 to 15 provided on the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 11, and is formed in a box shape that is open upward.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the bottom wall 11 has a first bottom wall 11B and a second bottom wall 11C. The first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C both have a rectangular planar shape extending in the front-rear and left-right directions. The top surface 11B1 of the first bottom wall 11B and the top surface 11C1 of the second bottom wall 11C (the "second surface" of the present invention) form the bottom surface 11A of the bottom wall 11. As shown in Fig. 1, the first bottom wall 11B is disposed rearward of the second bottom wall 11C. In addition, the center and front portions of the first bottom wall 11B in the front-rear direction are disposed above the second bottom wall 11C, and are disposed so as to overlap the second bottom wall 11C in the up-down direction.

[0031] The first bottom wall 11B is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the second bottom wall 11C as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5. The first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are configured to be movable between a contracted position shown in Figures 1 and 3 where they are closest to each other in the front-rear direction and the overall length of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction is the smallest, and an expanded position shown in Figures 4 and 5 where they are farthest from each other in the front-rear direction and the overall length of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction is the largest.

[0032] Of the four side walls 12 to 15, a pair of side walls 12, 13 arranged on the left and right sides extend upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall 11. In addition, the pair of side walls 12, 13 extend in the front-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the bottom wall 11.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the side wall 12 has a first side wall 12B, a second side wall 12C, and a connecting wall 12D. The first side wall 12B is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the second side wall 12C and the connecting wall 12D. The first side wall 12B extends upward and in the front-rear direction at the right end of the first bottom wall 11B. A groove (not shown) that extends in the front-rear direction and can accommodate the connecting wall 12D is formed in the first side wall 12B. The second side wall 12C and the connecting wall 12D extend upward and in the front-rear direction at the right end of the second bottom wall 11C. The connecting wall 12D also extends rearward from a rear end surface of the second side wall 12C that faces the first side wall 12B. Further, the first side wall 12B, the second side wall 12C and the connecting wall 12D are also configured to be movable in accordance with the movement range of the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the side wall 13 has a first side wall 13B, a second side wall 13C, and a connecting wall 13D. The first side wall 13B is also configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the second side wall 13C and the connecting wall 13D. The first side wall 13B extends upward and in the front-rear direction at the left end of the first bottom wall 11B. The first side wall 13B has a groove (not shown) that extends in the front-rear direction and can accommodate the connecting wall 13D. The second side wall 13C and the connecting wall 13D extend upward and in the front-rear direction at the left end of the second bottom wall 11C. The connecting wall 13D also extends rearward from a rear end surface of the second side wall 13C that faces the first side wall 13B. Further, the first side wall 13B, the second side wall 13C and the connecting wall 13D are also configured to be movable in accordance with the movement range of the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C.

[0035] The side wall 14 extends upward from the front end of the bottom wall 11. The side wall 14 extends in the left-right direction from the right end to the left end of the bottom wall 11.

[0036] Two side walls 15 are provided at the rear end of the bottom wall 11. The two side walls 15 are located at both left and right ends of the rear end of the bottom wall 11. The two side walls 15 are arranged apart from each other in the left and right direction, and when the feeding tray 1 is attached to the housing 100A, a separation wall 3A (see FIG. 1) is located between the two side walls 15 aligned in the left and right direction.

[0037] The first storage section 20 stores the roll R in a position in which the axial direction of the central axis Rx coincides with the left-right direction. The first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 are aligned in the front-rear direction. The first storage section 20 is located forward of the second storage section 30.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, the first storage section 20 has a support section 29 that supports the roll R from below. The support section 29 is disposed in a front portion of the second bottom wall 11C. The support section 29 has two holders 21, 22 and two rollers 23, 24. The two holders 21, 22 are disposed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The holder 21 is located forward of the holder 22. Both of the two holders 21, 22 extend along the left-right direction.

[0039] Roller 23 is attached to holder 21 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. Roller 24 is attached to holder 22 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. Rollers 23, 24 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. Roller 23 is located above roller 24. The two rollers 23, 24 support roll body R from below while being in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion of roll body R.

[0040] 1, the holder 21 has a curved surface 21A that covers the outer peripheral surface of the front side of the roll R. The holder 22 has a curved surface 22A that covers the outer peripheral surface of the rear side of the roll R (mainly the lower part of the roll R). The curved surface 22A is formed on the front side surface of the holder 22. The holder 22 has a guide surface 22B that aligns the front ends of the cut sheets Ks stored in the second storage section 30. The guide surface 22B is formed on the rear side surface of the holder 22.

[0041] The holder 22 is disposed so that a passage 25 is formed between the lower surface of the holder 22 and the bottom surface 11A, for passing the roll paper Rs unwound from the roll body R. The roll paper Rs unwound from the roll body R contained in the first storage section 20 passes through the passage 25 from between the two holders 21, 22, and is pulled onto the friction member 18 along the bottom surface 11A.

[0042] 1, a roller 61 is disposed below the holder 22. The roller 61 is attached to the holder 22 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. A lower portion of the roller 61 is disposed below the lower surface of the holder 22 and is located within the passage 25. The roller 61 is a driven roller that rotates as the roll paper Rs is transported.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the second storage section 30 has a support plate 31 disposed on the first bottom wall 11B of the bottom wall 11. The support plate 31 is a plate-like member extending in the front-rear and left-right directions, and supports the cut paper Ks from below with its upper surface (the "first surface" of the present invention) 31A. When the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are in the contracted position, a part of the front end of the support plate 31 is inserted into the lower part of the holder 22. The support plate 31 is configured so that the rear end of the support plate 31 can swing up and down with the part inserted into the holder 22 as a fulcrum. The support plate 31 also extends rearward from the fulcrum to the vicinity of the rear end of the bottom surface 11A.

[0044] 4 and 5, when the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are in the expanded position, a part of the front end of the support plate 31 is pulled out from the lower part of the holder 22 and placed on the upper surface 11B1. Note that the support plate 31 may be removed from the feed tray 1 when the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are in the expanded position.

[0045] 1, the support plate 31 and the bottom wall 11 define a path 27. The path 27 is a path for passing the roll paper Rs unwound from the roll body R. In other words, the support plate 31 is disposed opposite the bottom surface 11A so that the roll paper Rs can pass between the support plate 31 and the bottom surface 11A. The support plate 31 also has the function of restricting curling of the roll paper Rs passing between the support plate 31 and the bottom surface 11A.

[0046] A cutout 32 is formed at the rear end of the support plate 31. The cutout 32 is located at the center of the support plate 31 in the left-right direction. The cutout 32 is located on the movement path of the feed roller 2A moving from the contact position to the separated position. The friction member 18 is located within the cutout 32 of the support plate 31, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0047] In this embodiment, the second storage section 30 is configured such that the length in the front-rear direction can be changed by sliding the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C forward and backward. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are in the expanded position, the support surface 30A of the second storage section 30 is composed of the upper surface 31A of the support plate 31 and the area 11C2 behind the part of the upper surface 11C1 of the second bottom wall 11C supported by the holder 22, and supports the cut paper Ks stored in the second storage section 30 from below. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper surfaces 31A and 11C1 are in a state where the vertical overlap amount Q1 is the smallest when the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are in the expanded position. In this minimum state, the second storage section 30 is in an expanded state (the "first state" of the present invention) in which its length L1 in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 4) is the largest. In this embodiment, the length M1 (the "first length" of the present invention) in the front-rear direction of the support surface 30A in the expanded state is slightly shorter than the length L1.

[0048] When the support plate 31 is removed from the feed tray 1 to expand the second storage section 30, the support surface 30A is composed of the upper surface 11B1 of the first bottom wall 11B and the area 11C2. At this time, the length M1A of the support surface 30A in the front-rear direction is approximately the same as the length L1, as shown in FIG.

[0049] In this embodiment, the length L1 of the second storage section 30 in the expanded state corresponds to the longest side of an A3 or legal size cut sheet Ks1 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4). In other words, the second storage section 30 in the expanded state can store the cut sheet Ks1. The left-right width of the second storage section 30 corresponds to the width of an A3 or legal size cut sheet Ks1.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, when the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are in the contracted position, the support surface 30A of the second storage section 30 is formed by the upper surface 31A of the support plate 31, and supports the cut paper Ks stored in the second storage section 30 from below. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surfaces 31A, 11C1 are in a state where the vertical overlap amount Q2 is the largest when the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C are in the contracted position. In this maximum state, the second storage section 30 is in a contracted state (the "second state" of the present invention) where its front-rear length L2 (see FIG. 3) is the smallest. In this embodiment, the front-rear length M2 of the support surface 30A in the contracted state (the "second length" of the present invention) is slightly shorter than the length L2.

[0051] When the second storage section 30 is in the contracted state and the support plate 31 is removed from the feed tray 1, the support surface 30A is formed by the upper surface 11B1 of the first bottom wall 11B. At this time, the length M2A of the support surface 30A in the front-rear direction is approximately the same as the length L2, as shown in FIG.

[0052] In this embodiment, the length L2 of the second storage section 30 in the reduced state corresponds to the shortest side of an A4 or letter-sized cut sheet Ks2 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3). In other words, in the reduced state, the second storage section 30 cannot store the cut sheet Ks1, but can store the cut sheet Ks2.

[0053] (Roll paper Rs setting procedure) When an image is to be recorded on the roll paper Rs, the feed tray 1 is removed from the housing 100A. The feed tray 1 is in a state in which the second storage section 30 is in a contracted state. At this time, if cut paper Ks is stored in the second storage section 30, the cut paper Ks is removed. Then, the roll body R is stored in the first storage section 20 by holding both left and right ends of the core member Rc of the roll body R. At this time, the roll paper Rs unwound from the roll body R is inserted into the passage 25. After this, the roll body R is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1, and the roll paper Rs is passed through the path 27. Then, the roll paper Rs is pulled out until the leading end of the roll paper Rs is located downstream of the friction member 18 in the transport direction. In this state, the feed tray 1 is moved from an outer position outside the housing 100A to an inner position inside the housing 100A. As a result, the feed roller 2A and the friction member 18 clamp the roll paper Rs, and the roll paper Rs can be fed.

[0054] (How to set cut paper Ks1) When an image is to be recorded on the cut sheet Ks, the feed tray 1 is removed from the housing 100A in the same manner as described above. At this time, if the roll R is in the first storage section, the roll R is removed or the roll sheet Rs is removed from the path 27. After this, if the cut sheet Ks to be set in the second storage section 30 is A3 or legal size, the feed tray 1 is extended as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the second storage section 30 is made to assume an expanded state. Then, a plurality of cut sheets Ks1 are stored in the second storage section 30 in a stacked state. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, the feed tray 1 is moved from an outer position outside the housing 100A to an inner position inside the housing 100A. As a result, the feed roller 2A comes into contact with the uppermost cut sheet Ks1 among the plurality of cut sheets Ks1, and the cut sheet Ks1 can be fed. Also, the feed tray 1 is in a state of protruding forward from the housing 100A. At this time, a cover (not shown) may be installed on the protruding portion of the feed tray 1. As a modified example, the feed tray 1 may be provided in advance with a cover (not shown) that covers at least the center to the front part of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction from above.

[0055] (How to set cut paper Ks2) When an image is to be recorded on the cut sheet Ks, the feed tray 1 is removed from the housing 100A in the same manner as described above. At this time, if the roll R is in the first storage section, the roll R is removed or the roll sheet Rs is removed from the path 27. After this, if the cut sheet Ks to be set in the second storage section 30 is A4 or letter size, the feed tray 1 is contracted as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the second storage section 30 is caused to assume a contracted state. Then, a plurality of cut sheets Ks2 are stored in a stacked state in the second storage section 30. In this state, the feed tray 1 is moved from an outer position outside the housing 100A to an inner position inside the housing 100A. As a result, the feed roller 2A comes into contact with the uppermost cut sheet Ks2 among the plurality of cut sheets Ks2, and the cut sheet Ks2 can be fed.

[0056] As described above, the feed tray 1 and printer 100 of this embodiment make it possible to selectively adjust the length of the second storage section 30 of the feed tray 1 in the front-to-rear direction to length L1 or length L2 according to the size of the cut paper Ks stored in the second storage section 30. Therefore, even if the feed tray 1 has the first storage section 20 that stores the roll R, it is possible to store cut paper Ks1, Ks2 of various sizes in the second storage section 30.

[0057] Furthermore, the amount of overlap Q2 between the upper surface 31A and the upper surface 11C1 when the second storage section 30 is in the contracted state is greater than the amount of overlap Q1 between the upper surface 31A and the upper surface 11C1 when the second storage section 30 is in the expanded state. In this manner, the length of the second storage section 30 in the front-to-rear direction can be changed by the simple task of moving the upper surface 11C1 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the upper surface 31A.

[0058] As a modified example, the support portion 29 in the above embodiment may be configured to be detachable from the first storage portion 20. That is, the support portion 29 may be detachable from the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. This allows the cut sheet Ks to be placed in the installation area of ​​the support portion 29 by a simple task of removing the support portion 29 from the first storage portion 20. This makes it possible to use the installation area as a part of the second storage portion 30, and allows the length of the second storage portion 30 in the front-rear direction to be increased. Therefore, even if the amount of movement of the upper surface 11C1 in the front-rear direction relative to the upper surface 31A is reduced by the amount of the front-rear direction length of the second storage portion 30 expanded by removing the support portion 29, the second storage portion 30 can be changed from a state in which the cut sheet Ks2 can be stored (the "second state" of the present invention) to a state in which the cut sheet Ks1 can be stored (the "first state" of the present invention).

[0059] As another modification, as shown in FIG. 6, the holder 22 may have a positioning member 222 that is movable in the front-rear direction. The positioning member 222 is a plate-shaped member having a guide surface 222B that aligns the front end of the cut sheet Ks stored in the second storage section 30. The positioning member 222 positions the front end of the cut sheet Ks by abutting the guide surface 222B against the front end of the cut sheet Ks. The support plate 31 in this modification is formed longer in the front-rear direction than in the above embodiment, and a part of the front end is inserted into the holder 22 and disposed on the bottom surface 11A. The positioning member 222 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction on the support plate 31. That is, the positioning member 222 can selectively switch the length of the second storage section 30 in the front-rear direction between length L1 and length L2 by moving in the front-rear direction relative to the first storage section 20. In addition, the support surface 30A of the second accommodating section 30 in this modified example is formed by the upper surface 31A of the support plate 31, and the front-to-rear length of the support surface 30A is changed to a length corresponding to the above-mentioned lengths M1 and M2 by the forward-to-rear movement of the positioning member 222.

[0060] In the present modified example, the bottom wall 11 and the pair of side walls 12, 13 of the feed tray 1 are configured to be immovable in the front-rear direction. The length of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction is equal to the length of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction shown in FIG.

[0061] When storing cut sheet Ks1 in second storage section 30 of feed tray 1 in this modified example, positioning member 222 is placed in a position shown by a solid line in FIG. 6 where it is connected to holder 22. This gives second storage section 30 a length in the front-to-rear direction of L1, allowing cut sheet Ks1 to be stored therein. When storing cut sheet Ks2 in second storage section 30 of feed tray 1, positioning member 222 is placed in a position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6, spaced rearward from holder 22. This gives second storage section 30 a length in the front-to-rear direction of L2, allowing cut sheet Ks2 to be stored therein.

[0062] In this modified example, as in the above embodiment, even though the feeding tray 1 has the first storage section 20 that stores the roll body R, it is possible to store cut sheets Ks1, Ks2 of various sizes in the second storage section 30. Also, by moving the positioning member 222 in the front-rear direction relative to the first storage section 20, it is possible to change the front-rear length of the second storage section 30 as necessary.

[0063] The positioning member 222 constitutes a part of the holder 22, but the holder 22 or the support portion 29 may be configured to be movable in the front-rear direction as a positioning member. In this case, the holder 22 or the support portion 29 may be configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction on the bottom wall 11. In this case, the support plate 31 may be disposed from the center in the front-rear direction to the rear part of the bottom surface 11A as in the above embodiment so that the second storage portion 30 can selectively take the length L1 or the length L2. Note that the support plate 31 may be removed when storing the cut paper Ks in the second storage portion 30, and the support plate 31 may not be provided on the feed tray 1. In this case, the support surface 30A of the second storage portion 30 is formed by the bottom surface 11A.

[0064] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above embodiment and each modified example, the second storage section 30 is configured to be able to store various types of cut paper Ks, such as A3, legal size, A4, or letter size, but the second storage section 30 may be able to store cut paper Ks of other sizes. In addition, the feed tray 1 may be configured so that the length of the second storage section 30 in the front-rear direction can be changed, and the feed tray 1 may be configured so that the rear part of the second storage section 30 in the contracted state extends rearward to bring the second storage section 30 into the expanded state. In addition, the feed tray 1 may be configured so that the center part in the front-rear direction of the second storage section 30 in the contracted state extends in the front-rear direction to bring the second storage section 30 into the expanded state. In addition, the feed tray 1 may be configured so that both the front part and the rear part of the second storage section 30 in the contracted state extend in the front-rear direction to bring the second storage section 30 into the expanded state.

[0065] The support surface 30A of the second storage section 30 does not have to be continuous in the front-rear direction. For example, the support surface that supports the cut paper Ks may be made up of a plurality of surfaces spaced apart in the front-rear direction.

[0066] Furthermore, the feed tray 1 may be configured such that the length of the support surface 30A of the second storage section 30 in the front-rear direction can be changed. The upper surface 31A and the upper surface 11C1 may be arranged upside down. When the support plate 31 is removed or not provided, the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C may be arranged upside down. Moreover, the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction without overlapping vertically.

[0067] In addition, the pair of side walls 12, 13 may have the first side walls 12B, 13B and the second side walls 12C, 13C, or may not have the connecting walls 12D, 13D. The support plate 31 may be configured to be expandable and contractible in the front-rear direction according to the length of the second storage section 30 in the front-rear direction. The support plate 31 may have its front end connected to the holder 22, and may move forward relative to the first bottom wall 11B when the first bottom wall 11B and the second bottom wall 11C move from the contracted position to the expanded position. The support surface 30A of the second storage section 30 in this expanded state is composed of the upper surface 31A and the upper surface 11B1 of the first bottom wall 11B.

[0068] Furthermore, the support portion 29 does not necessarily have to be provided on the feeding tray 1. In this case, both ends of the roll R in the left-right direction may be rotatably supported by a pair of side walls 12, 13. In this case, the first storage portion that stores the roll R may be used as a part of the second storage portion.

[0069] The present invention can be applied to image recording devices in general that include a feed tray having a first storage section capable of storing a roll R and a second storage section capable of storing cut paper Ks. The feed tray 1 may be supported so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the front-rear and up-down directions relative to the housing 100A. In this case, the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 may also be arranged side by side in the intersecting directions.

[0070] For example, the present invention can be applied not only to inkjet printers equipped with a head that ejects ink from a nozzle as a recording unit, but also to electrophotographic printers equipped with a recording unit of a laser type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoconductor to a laser, or an LED type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoconductor to an LED. Also, the sheet-like medium is not limited to paper, and may be cloth, a resin material such as a film, or the like, as long as it is in sheet form. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 Feeding tray (tray) 3. Conveyor 6 Head (recording section) 11C1 Top surface (second surface) 20 First storage section 29 Support part 30 Second storage section 30A support surface 31A Top surface (first surface) 100 Printer (image recording device) 100A housing 222 Positioning member Ks Cut paper (sheet media) M1 Length (First Length) M2 Length (Second Length) R Roll Body Rs Roll paper (sheet media)

Claims

1. A tray having a first storage section capable of storing a roll of sheet-like media wound in a roll shape, and a second storage section capable of storing a plurality of sheet-like media in a stacked state, the second storage section being arranged alongside the first storage section in a first direction and including a support surface for supporting the sheet-like media, The tray is characterized in that the second storage section is configured to be capable of taking either a first state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a first length, or a second state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a second length that is shorter than the first length.

2. The support surface has a first surface and a second surface that is movable in the first direction relative to the first surface, The tray according to claim 1, characterized in that an amount of overlap between the second surface and the first surface in a direction perpendicular to the first surface when the second storage section is in the second state is greater than an amount of overlap between the second surface and the first surface in a direction perpendicular to the first surface when the second storage section is in the first state.

3. 3. The tray according to claim 2, wherein the first storage section includes a support section that supports the roll body and is detachable from the first storage section.

4. a positioning member for positioning one end of the sheet medium accommodated in the second accommodation section in the first direction, the positioning member being movable in the first direction relative to the first accommodation section; The tray according to claim 1 , wherein the second storage portion is switchable between the first state and the second state by the positioning member moving in the first direction relative to the first storage portion.

5. a tray having a first storage section capable of storing a roll of sheet-like media wound in a roll shape, and a second storage section capable of storing a plurality of sheet-like media in a stacked state, the second storage section being arranged alongside the first storage section in a first direction and including a support surface for supporting the sheet-like media; a housing that supports the tray so as to be movable in the first direction; a recording unit provided in the housing and configured to record an image on a sheet-like medium; a conveying unit that is provided in the housing and that conveys the sheet medium stored in the tray toward the recording unit, The second storage section is configured to be capable of taking either a first state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a first length, or a second state in which the length of the support surface in the first direction is a second length that is shorter than the first length.

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