Cassette, medium carrier device and recording device
The cassette with a drive transmission inhibiting member prevents deformation of the medium support section in recording devices by inhibiting the driving force transmission when the fixing member is not removed, ensuring safe operation.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023167249
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-09
AI Technical Summary
In recording devices, such as image forming apparatuses, if the fixing member is forgotten to be removed, there is a risk of applying a large load to the medium support section, potentially causing deformation.
A cassette with a medium support section, a lifting section, a fixing member, a removable drive transmission inhibiting member, and a connecting member that connects the fixing member and the drive transmission inhibiting member, positioned between the driving force transmission section and the lifting section to inhibit the transmission of the driving force.
Prevents the transmission of driving force to the medium support section when the fixing member is not removed, thereby avoiding deformation of the medium support section and ensuring proper operation of the recording device.
Smart Images

Figure 2025057542000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a cassette capable of accommodating a medium, a medium transport device, and a recording device. [Background technology]
[0002] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is an image forming apparatus which is an example of a recording device that forms an image on paper which is an example of a medium. The image forming apparatus includes a paper feeder which is an example of a cassette. The paper feeder has a lift plate which is an example of a medium support part for pushing paper upward. The lift plate may flutter due to vibration during transportation. For this reason, the feeder holds the lift plate in place using a lift plate fixing member which is an example of a fixing member. The lift plate fixing member can be removed by a person by pinching the knob. When using the image forming apparatus, the lift plate fixing member is removed to release the lift plate from being fixed to the up and down movement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-197204 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] The recording device raises and lowers the medium support part by transmitting a driving force to the medium support part, so if the fixing member is forgotten to be removed, a large load may be applied to the medium support part, which may cause deformation. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] A cassette that solves the above problem is a cassette that is detachable from an apparatus, and comprises a media support section that supports media loaded in the cassette and can be raised and lowered, a lifting section that raises and lowers the media support section, a fixing member that is detachable from the media support section and can fix the media support section, a removable drive transmission obstructing member, and a connecting member that connects the fixing member and the drive transmission obstructing member, and when the cassette is attached to the apparatus, the drive transmission obstructing member is located between the lifting section and a drive force transmission section provided in the apparatus that transmits drive force to the lifting section, thereby obstructing the transmission of drive force to the lifting section.
[0006] A medium transport device that solves the above problem includes a cassette having the above configuration and a transport section that transports the medium. A recording device that solves the above problem includes a medium transport device having the above configuration, and a recording section that records on the medium. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a recording device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the cassette. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the first edge guide and the second edge guide. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the fixing member. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0008] [Embodiment] An embodiment of a cassette, a medium transport device, and a recording device will be described below with reference to the drawings. The recording device is an inkjet printer that records by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper.
[0009] In the drawings, the recording device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, the direction of gravity is indicated by the Z axis, and the directions along the horizontal plane are indicated by the X axis and the Y axis. The X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are perpendicular to each other. In the following description, the direction parallel to the X axis is also referred to as the width direction X, the direction parallel to the Y axis is also referred to as the depth direction Y, and the direction parallel to the Z axis is also referred to as the vertical direction Z. In the following description, when facing the recording device 11 from the front, the near side is also referred to as the front, and the far side is also referred to as the rear.
[0010] <Recording device> 1, recording device 11 may include a main body 12, which is an example of an apparatus, a medium conveying device 13, a recording unit 14, and a stacker 15. Recording device 11 may also include a notification unit 16, a detection unit 17, and a control unit 18.
[0011] <Medium transport device> The medium transport device 13 may include a cassette 20, a driving force transmission unit 21, a feeding unit 22, and a transport unit 23. In Fig. 1, a transport path 25 along which the medium 24 is transported is shown by a dashed line. The transport path 25 is a path that connects the cassette 20 and the stacker 15.
[0012] The driving force transmission unit 21 is provided on the main body 12. The driving force transmission unit 21 is located behind the cassette 20 attached to the main body 12. The driving force transmission unit 21 transmits driving force to the cassette 20 attached to the main body 12. The driving force transmission unit 21 may have an apparatus-side coupling 27 and a spring 28 shown in FIG. 2. The spring 28 presses the apparatus-side coupling 27 toward the cassette 20.
[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding unit 22 sends out the media 24 stored in the cassette 20 one by one to the transport path 25. The feeding unit 22 may include a feeding roller 30 and a separation unit 31. The feeding roller 30 rotates while in contact with the medium 24 to send the medium 24 to the transport path 25. The feeding roller 30 sends the uppermost medium 24 out of the media 24 stored in the cassette 20. The separation unit 31 separates the overlapping media 24 sent one by one. The separation unit 31 holds the second and subsequent media 24 from the top in the cassette 20.
[0014] The transport unit 23 transports the medium 24. The transport unit 23 transports the medium 24 stored in the cassette 20 along the transport path 25. The transport unit 23 transports the medium 24 in a transport direction Dc. The transport direction Dc is a direction along the transport path 25. The transport direction Dc is a direction from the cassette 20 toward the stacker 15. The transport unit 23 may include one or more transport rollers 32, an endless transport belt 33, and a pair of pulleys 34.
[0015] The transport rollers 32 rotate while sandwiching the medium 24, thereby transporting the medium 24 along the transport path 25. The transport rollers 32 eject the recorded medium 24 into the stacker 15. The stacker 15 receives the transported medium 24.
[0016] The conveyor belt 33 is stretched around a pair of pulleys 34. The conveyor belt 33 faces the recording unit 14 across the conveyor path 25. The conveyor belt 33 supports a portion of the medium 24 in a flat state. The conveyor belt 33 conveys the medium 24 by rotating while adsorbing the medium 24.
[0017] The recording unit 14 performs recording on the medium 24. The recording unit 14 may have a plurality of nozzles 36 that eject liquid. The recording unit 14 may have a nozzle surface 37 in which the plurality of nozzles 36 open. The recording unit 14 may be provided such that the nozzle surface 37 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The recording unit 14 performs recording on the medium 24 by ejecting liquid onto the medium 24 supported by the conveyor belt 33. The recording unit 14 may be a line type that ejects liquid onto the conveyed medium 24 while stationary. The recording unit 14 may be a serial type that ejects liquid while moving.
[0018] The notification unit 16 may have a monitor or a touch panel, etc. The notification unit 16 may perform notification by displaying a message. The control unit 18 comprehensively controls the driving of each mechanism in the recording device 11 and controls various operations executed by the recording device 11 .
[0019] The control unit 18 may be configured as a circuit including: α: one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program; β: one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute at least a part of the various processes; or γ: a combination thereof. The hardware circuit is, for example, an application specific integrated circuit. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM, and the memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, i.e., computer readable medium, includes any readable medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.
[0020] <Cassette> 1, the cassette 20 is capable of housing a medium 24. The cassette 20 may be capable of housing a plurality of the media 24 in a stacked state.
[0021] The cassette 20 may include a bottom plate portion 39, a side wall portion 40, and a guide portion 41. The side wall portion 40 is provided around the bottom plate portion 39. The guide portion 41 may be provided at a tip end of the side wall portion 40. The guide portion 41 is a slope that guides the medium 24 sent out by the feed roller 30 to the separation portion 31.
[0022] The cassette 20 includes a medium support section 43. The medium support section 43 is provided on the bottom plate section 39. The medium support section 43 supports the medium 24 loaded in the cassette 20. The medium support section 43 is movable up and down. The medium support section 43 is movable between a set position Ps shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 and a supply position Pf shown by a solid line in FIG. 1. The supply position Pf is a position above the set position Ps. The medium support section 43 moves from the set position Ps to the supply position Pf by the driving force transmitted by the driving force transmission section 21. The medium support section 43 pushes up at least a portion of the medium 24. By rising, the medium support section 43 brings the medium 24 closer to the feeding section 22.
[0023] The medium support section 43 located at the supply position Pf is detected by the detection section 17. In other words, the detection section 17 detects the rising and falling of the medium support section 43. The detection section 17 is capable of detecting the medium support section 43 located at the supply position Pf. The detection section 17 detects the rising of the medium support section 43 when switching from a non-detection state in which the medium support section 43 is not detected to a detection state in which the medium support section 43 is detected. The detection section 17 detects the descent of the medium support section 43 when switching from the detection state to the non-detection state. The detection section 17 may be, for example, an optical sensor or a contact sensor.
[0024] 2, the main body 12 has an attachment port 45. The cassette 20 is attached to the main body 12 by being inserted into the main body 12 through the attachment port 45. The drawing shows the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the orientation in which the cassette 20 is attached to the main body 12. The cassette 20 is detachable from the main body 12.
[0025] The mounting opening 45 may have a guide surface 46. The rear end of the guide surface 46 is located farther from the guide section 41 in the width direction X than the front end. The medium 24 pushed back into the separation section 31 may wait in a state where it protrudes from the guide section 41. When the cassette 20 is pulled out of the main body 12 with the medium 24 protruding, the protruding medium 24 may hit the mounting opening 45. There is a risk that the medium 24 that hits the mounting opening 45 will remain inside the main body 12. However, since the mounting opening 45 has the guide surface 46, the medium 24 protruding from the guide section 41 can be guided into the side wall section 40.
[0026] The cassette 20 may include a first edge guide 48 , a second edge guide 49 , a third edge guide 50 , a pinion 51 , and an adjustment portion 52 . The third edge guide 50 is movable in the width direction X. The third edge guide 50 determines the position of the medium 24 set in the cassette 20 in the width direction X.
[0027] As shown in Fig. 3, the first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 are provided with a gap between them in the depth direction Y. The first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 each have a rack 54. Each rack 54 extends in the depth direction Y. The rack 54 of the first edge guide 48 and the rack 54 of the second edge guide 49 face each other in the width direction X. The rack 54 of the first edge guide 48 and the rack 54 of the second edge guide 49 mesh with the same pinion 51.
[0028] The first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 are capable of relative movement in the depth direction Y. When one of the first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 is moved in the depth direction Y, the other also moves. Specifically, the first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 move toward or away from each other. The first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 are capable of sandwiching the medium 24 placed in the cassette 20 in the depth direction Y. The first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 determine the position of the medium 24 set in the cassette 20 in the depth direction Y.
[0029] The adjustment unit 52 supports the pinion 51. The adjustment unit 52 is capable of adjusting the position of the pinion 51 in the depth direction Y. The adjustment unit 52 adjusts the positions of the first edge guide 48 and the second edge guide 49 via the pinion 51.
[0030] 4, the adjustment unit 52 may be attached to the bottom plate unit 39 from below. The bottom plate unit 39 may have a first pedestal 56, a second pedestal 57, and a protrusion 58. The protrusion 58 is provided on the first pedestal 56. The adjustment unit 52 has a first end 52f and a second end 52s. The first end 52f is supported by the first pedestal 56. The second end 52s is supported by the second pedestal 57.
[0031] When attaching the adjustment unit 52 to the bottom plate portion 39, the worker first lifts the first end portion 52f onto the protruding portion 58 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4. After that, the worker bends the adjustment unit 52 and places the second end portion 52s on the second pedestal 57. At this time, the worker drops the first end portion 52f from the protruding portion 58 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4. This causes the adjustment unit 52 to be attached to the bottom plate portion 39. The adjustment unit 52 is movable in the depth direction Y and in the direction opposite to the depth direction Y. When the adjustment unit 52 is moved, the pinion 51, the first edge guide 48, and the second edge guide 49 move together.
[0032] During adjustment, the first end 52f of the adjustment unit 52 abuts against the convex portion 58, thereby restricting movement of the adjustment unit 52 in the depth direction Y. In the depth direction Y, the length of the adjustment unit 52 is longer than the length from the convex portion 58 to the second pedestal 57. When the first end 52f abuts against the convex portion 58, the first end 52f is supported by the first pedestal 56, and the second end 52s is supported by the second pedestal 57. Therefore, the adjustment unit 52 is prevented from coming off the bottom plate portion 39. After determining the position of the adjustment unit 52, the operator fixes the adjustment unit 52 to the bottom plate portion 39. For example, the adjustment unit 52 may be fixed by a screw.
[0033] 2, the cassette 20 includes a fixed member 60, a connecting member 61, a drive transmission obstructing member 62, and a lifting / lowering unit 63. The lifting / lowering unit 63 may include a cassette side coupling 65, a push-up unit 66, and an engagement unit 67. The cassette 20 may include a plurality of fixed members 60. The fixed member 60, the drive transmission obstructing member 62, and the connecting member 61 are detachable. Specifically, the fixed member 60 is detachable from the medium support unit 43, and is capable of fixing the medium support unit 43.
[0034] The fixing member 60, the drive transmission obstructing member 62, and the connecting member 61 are included in an unused cassette 20. When the cassette 20 is to be used, the cassette 20 is attached to the main body 12 with the fixing member 60, the drive transmission obstructing member 62, and the connecting member 61 removed. The fixing member 60, the drive transmission obstructing member 62, and the connecting member 61 may be reattached when the cassette 20 is to be transported, for example.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, the medium support section 43 and the bottom plate section 39 have mounting holes 69. The fixing member 60 is attached to the mounting holes 69. The mounting holes 69 of the medium support section 43 are also referred to as first mounting holes 69f. The mounting holes 69 of the bottom plate section 39 are also referred to as second mounting holes 69s. The first mounting holes 69f and the second mounting holes 69s may each be provided in a plurality of numbers. When the medium support section 43 is located at the set position Ps, the first mounting holes 69f and the second mounting holes 69s overlap. In this embodiment, the first mounting holes 69f and the second mounting holes 69s have the same shape and size. The size of the mounting holes 69 in the depth direction Y is larger than the size in the width direction X.
[0036] 5 and 6, the fixing member 60 may have a first pressing portion 71, a second pressing portion 72, a knob portion 73, and a shaft portion 74. The knob portion 73 may be provided with a connecting hole 75. The fixing member 60 may be configured such that the first pressing portion 71, the second pressing portion 72, the knob portion 73, and the shaft portion 74 are integrally formed.
[0037] In the mounting attitude A1, the knob portion 73 is provided on the first pressing portion 71. The shaft portion 74 is provided below the first pressing portion 71. The second pressing portion 72 is provided at the lower end of the shaft portion 74.
[0038] 5 is larger than the mounting hole 69 in the width direction X and depth direction Y. In the mounting posture A1, the second pressing portion 72 is smaller than the mounting hole 69 in the width direction X and depth direction Y. The fixing member 60 in the mounting posture A1 allows the second pressing portion 72 to be inserted into the mounting hole 69. In the mounting posture A1, the size of the second pressing portion 72 in the depth direction Y is larger than the size of the mounting hole 69 in the width direction X.
[0039] As shown in Fig. 7, the fixing posture A2 is a posture rotated 90 degrees from the mounting posture A1. After inserting the fixing member 60 in the mounting posture A1 into the mounting hole 69, the worker rotates the fixing member 60 90 degrees to the fixing posture A2. In the fixing member 60 in the fixing posture A2, the second pressing portion 72 is caught on the bottom plate portion 39. At this time, the first pressing portion 71 of the fixing member 60 presses the medium support portion 43. The fixing member 60 in the fixing posture A2 fixes the medium support portion 43 to the set position Ps.
[0040] The connecting member 61 may be passed through the connecting hole 75. The connecting member 61 may be tied to the knob portion 73. 2, the connecting member 61 connects the fixed member 60 and the drive transmission obstructing member 62. The connecting member 61 may connect a plurality of the fixed members 60. The connecting member 61 may connect a plurality of the fixed members 60 and the drive transmission obstructing member 62. The connecting member 61 may be deformable. The connecting member 61 may be a string, a wire, a tape, a ribbon, or the like.
[0041] As shown in Fig. 8, the drive transmission obstructing member 62 may be attached so as to cover the side wall portion 40. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 may be a film member. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 may be flexible. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 may have an engaged portion 77. The engaged portion 77 may be, for example, a hole. When the drive transmission obstructing member 62 is attached, the engaged portion 77 engages with the engaging portion 67.
[0042] When the cassette 20 is attached to the main body 12, the drive transmission obstructing member 62 is located between the drive force transmitting unit 21 and the lifting / lowering unit 63. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 is capable of obstructing the transmission of drive force to the lifting / lowering unit 63.
[0043] When the cassette 20 with the drive transmission obstructing member 62 removed is attached to the main body 12, the device-side coupling 27 engages with the cassette-side coupling 65 as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 8. If the drive transmission obstructing member 62 does not obstruct the transmission of drive force, the rotation of the device-side coupling 27 rotates the cassette-side coupling 65. The lifting unit 63 receives drive force from the drive force transmission unit 21.
[0044] The lifting unit 63 lifts and lowers the medium support unit 43. When the cassette side coupling 65 receives a driving force and rotates, the lifting unit 63 causes the push-up unit 66 to lift the medium support unit 43. The lifting unit 63 maintains the medium support unit 43 at the supply position Pf after moving it to the supply position Pf. The lifting unit 63 may release the maintenance of the medium support unit 43 when the cassette 20 is removed from the main body 12. The medium support unit 43 may move to the set position Ps by its own weight.
[0045] <Operation of the embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, when the cassette 20 is transported, the fixing member 60 holds the medium support portion 43 at the set position Ps.
[0046] When the cassette 20 with the fixing member 60 and the drive transmission obstructing member 62 attached is mounted in the main body 12, the drive transmission obstructing member 62 is positioned between the device side coupling 27 and the cassette side coupling 65. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 obstructs the transmission of drive force. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 obstructs the engagement between the device side coupling 27 and the cassette side coupling 65. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 causes the device side coupling 27 to spin freely. Even if the device side coupling 27 rotates, the cassette side coupling 65 does not rotate. No drive force is transmitted to the medium support section 43. The medium support section 43 remains positioned at the set position Ps.
[0047] Because the medium support unit 43 does not move from the set position Ps, the detection unit 17 does not detect the lifting or lowering of the medium support unit 43. If the detection unit 17 cannot detect the lifting or lowering of the medium support unit 43 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since driving the driving force transmission unit 21, the control unit 18 may cause the notification unit 16 to notify an error. The predetermined time is a time longer than the time required for the medium support unit 43 to move from the set position Ps to the supply position Pf.
[0048] When using the cassette 20, the worker removes the fixing members 60 and then mounts the cassette 20 on the main body 12. The multiple fixing members 60 attached to the cassette 20 are connected by connecting members 61. The drive transmission obstructing members 62 are connected to the connecting members 61. Therefore, the worker can remove the fixing members 60 and the drive transmission obstructing members 62 by following the connecting members 61.
[0049] <Operation of the embodiment> The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1-1) The connecting member 61 connects the fixed member 60 and the drive transmission obstructing member 62. Therefore, when the fixed member 60 is removed from the cassette 20, the drive transmission obstructing member 62 connected to the fixed member 60 is also removed. When the cassette 20 with the drive transmission obstructing member 62 removed is mounted to the main body 12, the drive force is transmitted from the drive force transmitting unit 21 to the lifting unit 63, and the medium support unit 43 moves up and down. When the cassette 20 is mounted to the main body 12 without removing the fixed member 60, the drive transmission obstructing member 62 obstructs the transmission of the drive force to the lifting unit 63. Therefore, the transmission of the drive force to the medium support unit 43 fixed by the fixed member 60 is obstructed, and deformation of the medium support unit 43 can be suppressed.
[0050] (1-2) The drive transmission obstructing member 62 is located between the device-side coupling 27 and the cassette-side coupling 65. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 limits the engagement between the device-side coupling 27 and the cassette-side coupling 65, thereby easily obstructing the transmission of the drive force.
[0051] (1-3) The drive transmission obstructing member 62 is a film member. Therefore, the drive transmission obstructing member 62 can be easily attached to the cassette 20. (1-4) The drive transmission obstructing member 62 has an engaged portion 77. The engaged portion 77 engages with the engaging portion 67 of the lifting / lowering portion 63. This reduces the risk of the drive transmission obstructing member 62 coming off accidentally.
[0052] (1-5) The connecting member 61 is deformable. Therefore, even if the connecting member 61 is subjected to vibrations during transportation, for example, the connecting member 61 can deform to absorb the vibrations. (1-6) The connecting member 61 connects the multiple fixing members 60 to the drive transmission obstructing member 62. Therefore, even when multiple fixing members 60 are provided, the risk of forgetting to remove some of the fixing members 60 can be reduced.
[0053] (1-7) The detection unit 17 detects the elevation and lowering of the medium support unit 43. However, when a cassette 20 with the drive transmission obstructing member 62 attached is loaded, the transmission of drive force is obstructed. As a result, the medium support unit 43 cannot be raised or lowered. When the detection unit 17 cannot detect the elevation and lowering of the medium support unit 43, the control unit 18 notifies the control unit 18 of an error. Therefore, it is possible to inform the control unit 18 that the fixing member 60 and the drive transmission obstructing member 62 have not been removed.
[0054] [Example of change] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that there is no technical contradiction.
[0055] The notification unit 16 may be provided in an external device separate from the recording device 11. The external device may be, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or the like.
[0056] The notification unit 16 may have a speaker that issues a notification by emitting a sound. The notification unit 16 may issue a notification by playing a voice, or by emitting a warning sound or the like. The notification unit 16 may have a light that issues a notification by emitting a light. The notification unit 16 may issue a notification by highlighting, for example, a message with the light, or by flashing the light.
[0057] The detection unit 17 may detect the rotation of the cassette side coupling 65. When the control unit 18 cannot detect the rotation of the cassette side coupling 65 even after driving the driving force transmission unit 21, the control unit 18 may cause the notification unit 16 to notify an error.
[0058] The cassette 20 may include one fixing member 60. The connecting member 61 may connect the one fixing member 60 and the drive transmission obstructing member 62. The cassette 20 may include a plurality of connecting members 61. The plurality of connecting members 61 may connect the plurality of fixed members 60 to the drive transmission obstructing members 62, respectively. The plurality of connecting members 61 may be such that one connecting member 61 connects one fixed member 60 to the drive transmission obstructing member 62, and another connecting member 61 connects this fixed member 60 to another fixed member 60.
[0059] The connecting member 61 may have rigidity. The drive transmission obstructing member 62 may be attached to the cassette 20 by adhering an adhesive portion having adhesive properties.
[0060] The drive transmission obstructing member 62 may be a plate member. The driving force may be transmitted between the driving force transmission unit 21 and the lifting unit 63 by meshing gears. The driving force transmission obstructing member 62 may obstruct the meshing of the gears.
[0061] The driving force may be transmitted by friction between the driving force transmission unit 21 and the lifting / lowering unit 63 when they are in contact with each other. The driving force transmission obstructing member 62 may obstruct contact between the driving force transmission unit 21 and the lifting / lowering unit 63.
[0062] The medium transport device 13 may be a device that supplies the medium 24 contained in the cassette 20 to, for example, a printer. The recording device 11 is not limited to an inkjet printer, but may be a laser printer, a thermal printer, a dot matrix printer, a digital printing machine, or the like.
[0063] The recording device 11 may be a liquid ejection device that performs recording by ejecting or discharging a liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection device as minute droplets includes granular, teardrop, and thread-like tails. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejection device. For example, the liquid may be any state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, and includes fluids such as high or low viscosity liquids, sols, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, and metal melts. The liquid includes not only liquids as one state of matter, but also particles of functional materials made of solids such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot melt inks. Specific examples of the liquid ejection device include a device that ejects a liquid containing materials such as electrode materials and color materials in a dispersed or dissolved form, which are used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescence displays, surface-emitting displays, and color filters. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects biological organic matter used in the manufacture of biochips, a device that ejects liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects lubricating oil at a pinpoint onto precision machinery such as a watch or camera, or a device that ejects transparent resin liquid such as ultraviolet curing resin onto a substrate to form a micro hemispherical lens, optical lens, or the like used in optical communication elements. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects an etching liquid such as an acid or alkali to etch a substrate or the like.
[0064] [Definition] The term "at least one" as used herein means "one or more" of the desired options. As an example, the term "at least one" as used herein means "only one option" or "both of two options" if the number of options is two. As another example, the term "at least one" as used herein means "only one option", "any combination of two options", or "any combination of three or more options" if the number of options is three or more.
[0065] [Note] The technical ideas and effects obtained from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below.
[0066] (A) The cassette is a cassette that is detachable from the device, and comprises a medium support section that supports the medium loaded in the cassette and can be raised and lowered, a lifting section that raises and lowers the medium support section, a fixing member that is detachable from the medium support section and can fix the medium support section, a removable drive transmission obstructing member, and a connecting member that connects the fixing member and the drive transmission obstructing member, and when the cassette is attached to the device, the drive transmission obstructing member is located between the lifting section and a drive force transmission section that is provided in the device and transmits a drive force to the lifting section, thereby obstructing the transmission of drive force to the lifting section.
[0067] According to this configuration, the connecting member connects the fixed member and the drive transmission obstructing member. Therefore, when the fixed member is removed from the cassette, the drive transmission obstructing member connected to the fixed member is also removed. When the cassette with the drive transmission obstructing member removed is mounted in the device, the drive force is transmitted from the drive force transmission unit to the lifting unit, and the medium support unit moves up and down. When the cassette is mounted in the device without removing the fixed member, the drive transmission obstructing member obstructs the transmission of the drive force to the lifting unit. Therefore, the transmission of the drive force to the medium support unit fixed by the fixed member is obstructed, and deformation of the medium support unit can be suppressed.
[0068] (B) In the cassette described in (A), the lifting section has a cassette side coupling that engages with an apparatus side coupling of the driving force transmission section, and the driving force transmission obstruction member may be capable of obstructing the transmission of driving force by being positioned between the apparatus side coupling and the cassette side coupling when the cassette is attached to the apparatus.
[0069] According to this configuration, the drive transmission obstructing member is located between the device-side coupling and the cassette-side coupling. The drive transmission obstructing member limits the engagement between the device-side coupling and the cassette-side coupling, thereby easily obstructing the transmission of the drive force.
[0070] (C) In the cassette described in (A) or (B), the drive transmission obstructing member may be a film member. According to this configuration, the drive transmission obstructing member is a film member, which makes it easy to attach the drive transmission obstructing member to the cassette.
[0071] (D) In the cassette described in (A) to (C), the lifting portion may have an engaging portion, and the drive transmission obstructing member may have an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion. According to this configuration, the drive transmission obstructing member has an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion of the lifting portion, thereby reducing the risk of the drive transmission obstructing member becoming accidentally detached.
[0072] (E) In the cassette described in (A) to (D), the connecting member may be deformable. According to this configuration, the connecting member is deformable, so that even if the connecting member is subjected to vibrations during transportation, for example, the connecting member can deform to absorb the vibrations.
[0073] (F) In the cassette described in (A) to (E), the fixing members may be provided in plurality, and the connecting member may connect the fixing members and the drive transmission obstructing member. According to this configuration, the connecting member connects the multiple fixed members to the drive transmission obstructing member, so that even when multiple fixed members are provided, the risk of forgetting to remove some of the fixed members can be reduced.
[0074] (G) A medium transport device includes a cassette according to (A) to (F) and a transport section that transports the medium. This configuration can provide the same effects as the cassette described above.
[0075] (H) A recording device includes the medium transport device described in (G) and a recording unit that records on the medium. This configuration can provide the same effects as the cassette described above.
[0076] The recording device described in (I)(H) includes a detection unit that detects the rising and lowering of the medium support unit, and a control unit, and the control unit may cause an alarm unit to alarm an error if the detection unit cannot detect the rising and lowering of the medium support unit even after a predetermined time has elapsed since driving the driving force transmission unit.
[0077] According to this configuration, the detection unit detects the lifting and lowering of the medium support unit. However, when a cassette with a drive transmission obstructing member attached is loaded, the transmission of drive force is obstructed. As a result, the medium support unit cannot be lifted or lowered. When the detection unit cannot detect the lifting and lowering of the medium support unit, the control unit issues an error notification. Therefore, it is possible to inform the user that the fixing member and drive transmission obstructing member have not been removed. [Explanation of symbols]
[0078] 11...recording device, 12...main body, 13...medium transport device, 14...recording unit, 15...stacker, 16...notification unit, 17...detection unit, 18...control unit, 20...cassette, 21...driving force transmission unit, 22...feed unit, 23...transport unit, 24...medium, 25...transport path, 27...apparatus side coupling, 28...spring, 30...feed roller, 31...separation unit, 32...transport roller, 33...transport belt, 34...pulley, 36...nozzle, 37...nozzle surface, 39...bottom plate portion, 40...side wall portion, 41...guide portion, 43...medium support portion, 45...mounting port, 46...guiding surface, 48...first edge guide, 49...second edge guide, 50...third edge guide , 51...pinion, 52...adjustment portion, 52f...first end, 52s...second end, 54...rack, 56...first base, 57...second base, 58...convex portion, 60...fixing member, 61...connecting member, 62...drive transmission obstruction member, 63...lifting portion, 65...cassette side coupling, 66...push-up portion, 67...engagement portion, 69...mounting hole, 69f...first mounting hole, 69s...second mounting hole, 71...first holding portion, 72...second holding portion, 73...grip portion, 74...shaft portion, 75...connecting hole, 77...engaged portion, A1...mounting position, A2...fixed position, Dc...conveying direction, Pf...supply position, Ps...set position, X...width direction, Y...depth direction, Z...vertical direction.
Claims
1. A cassette that is detachable from the device, a medium support section that supports the medium loaded in the cassette and is capable of lifting and lowering; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the medium support unit; a fixing member that is detachable from the medium support portion and that can fix the medium support portion; A detachable drive transmission obstructing member; a connecting member that connects the fixed member and the drive transmission obstructing member; Equipped with The cassette is characterized in that, when the cassette is attached to the device, the drive transmission obstruction member is positioned between the lifting section and a drive force transmission section provided on the device for transmitting a drive force to the lifting section, thereby obstructing the transmission of drive force to the lifting section.
2. the lifting unit has a cassette-side coupling that meshes with an apparatus-side coupling that the driving force transmission unit has, The cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the cassette is attached to the device, the drive transmission obstructing member is capable of obstructing the transmission of drive force by being positioned between the device side coupling and the cassette side coupling.
3. 3. The cassette according to claim 2, wherein the drive transmission obstructing member is a film member.
4. The lifting portion has an engagement portion, 4. The cassette according to claim 3, wherein the drive transmission obstructing member has an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion.
5. 2. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the connecting member is deformable.
6. The fixing member is provided in plurality, 6. The cassette according to claim 5, wherein the connecting member connects the plurality of fixing members and the drive transmission obstructing member.
7. A cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 6; A conveying unit that conveys the medium; A medium transport device comprising:
8. A medium transport device according to claim 7; a recording unit for recording on the medium; A recording device comprising:
9. A detection unit that detects the elevation and lowering of the medium support unit; A control unit; Equipped with The recording apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit causes a notification unit to notify an error when the detection unit cannot detect the lifting or lowering of the medium support unit even after a predetermined time has elapsed since driving the drive force transmission unit.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Paper feeder
JP2007197204A