Image recording device

Abstract

To solve a problem that some degree of jamming hinders a cutter from being moved by a motor.SOLUTION: An image recording device includes a cutter cover and further includes: a transport unit configured to transport a medium along a transport path; a recording unit configured to record an image on the transported medium; and a cutting unit provided downstream of the recording unit in a transport direction of the medium, the cutting unit configured to reciprocate in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction and cut the transported medium. The cutting unit includes: a first cutter configured to cut the medium while moving; a second cutter opposed to the first cutter; a cutter carriage at which the first cutter is mounted and which is configured to move the first cutter in the scanning direction; and a protruding portion provided in an upper portion of the cutter carriage and protruding upward. An upper portion of the cutter cover is provided with a first slit penetrating through the inside along the scanning direction. The protruding portion protrudes from the inside of the cutter cover toward the outside through the first slit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is known an image recording device that, when a sheet such as recording paper jams, drives a cutting motor to move a cutter mounted on a cutter carriage out of an area where the sheet passes through. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-94695 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the image recording device of Patent Document 1, depending on the severity of the paper jam, there is a risk that the cutter may not be able to be moved by the motor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An image recording device having a cutter cover, comprising: a transport unit which transports a medium along a transport path; a recording unit which records an image on the transported medium; and a cutting unit which is provided downstream of the recording unit in the transport direction of the medium and moves back and forth in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction to cut the transported medium, wherein the cutting unit has a first cutter which cuts the medium while moving, a second cutter which faces the first cutter, a cutter carriage which carries the first cutter and moves the first cutter in the scanning direction, and a convex portion which is provided on an upper portion of the cutter carriage and protrudes upward, wherein a first slit is formed in the upper portion of the cutter cover which penetrates into the interior along the scanning direction, and the convex portion protrudes from the interior of the cutter cover to the exterior through the first slit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image recording apparatus when the reading unit is removed and the cutter cover is exposed. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a perspective view of the image recording apparatus when the rear door is opened to expose the transport path member. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart showing how a medium is cut by the cutting unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, the configuration of the image recording device 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The directions in the drawings will be described using a three-dimensional coordinate system. For convenience of explanation, the positive direction of the Z axis will be referred to as the upward direction, upward, or simply upward, the negative direction will be referred to as the downward direction, downward, or simply downward, the positive direction of the X axis will be referred to as the rightward direction, rightward, or simply right, the negative direction will be referred to as the leftward direction, leftward, or simply left, the positive direction of the Y axis will be referred to as the forward direction, forward, or simply forward, and the negative direction will be referred to as the rearward direction, rearward, or simply rear.

[0008] 1. Image recording device configuration 1, the image recording device 1 includes a device main body 12 and a reading unit 21. The device main body 12 includes a housing 13, an input / output unit 14, a storage unit 15, a placement unit 16, and an ink cartridge cover 19.

[0009] A storage section 15 capable of storing a medium P described below is detachably attachable to the inside of the housing 13. The ink cartridge 18 can be installed in the inside of the housing 13 when an ink cartridge cover 19 is opened. The container 15 and the ink cartridge 18 are disposed at the front of the image recording device 1, and a user can attach and detach them from the front of the image recording device 1. A mounting section 16 on which a medium P recorded by a recording section 40 described below can be placed is provided inside the housing 13. A user can remove the medium P placed on the mounting section 16 from a housing opening 17 disposed at the front. The mounting section 16 may be configured to be detachable from the housing opening 17 to the inside of the housing 13. The mounting section 16 may be configured integrally with the storage section 15.

[0010] The input / output unit 14 disposed at the front is a user interface for the user. The input / output unit 14 is, for example, a touch panel display. The input / output unit 14 is a display unit that displays various information, and includes a display panel as an output unit and a detection panel as an input unit. The display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel. The detection panel is configured to be overlaid on the display panel. The detection panel can detect an operation by a user's finger by, for example, a capacitive type, a resistive film type, an optical type, or the like. A user can view and operate the input / output unit 14 from the front of the image recording device 1.

[0011] The reading unit 21 includes an image sensor (not shown) such as a contact image sensor (CIS) or a charge coupled device (CCD). The image recording device 1 can read an image recorded on the medium P by the reading unit 21. As a result, the image recording device 1 can have functions of a scanner, a copier, a fax, etc., by the reading unit 21, in addition to the printer function by the recording unit 40. Such an image recording device 1 is also called a so-called multifunction device or image forming device.

[0012] The image recording device 1 has a cutter cover 20. The configuration of the cutter cover 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. For convenience of explanation, Fig. 2 shows the cutter cover 20 from Fig. 1 with the reading unit 21 removed so that the cutter cover 20 can be seen from above. The cutter cover 20 covers at least a cutting unit 60 which will be described with reference to Fig. 3 below. A first recess 20a, which is a rectangular recess that is long in the left-right direction, is formed near the center of the cutter cover 20. A lid 20f that covers the first recess 20a is attached to the cutter cover 20 so as to be openable and closable. When the lid 20f is in the closed state, it prevents contact with a knob 78, which is a protruding portion described below. The lid 20f also prevents dust and the like from entering the first recess 20a. Further, the cutter cover 20 has a second recess 20d formed near the rear left, the second recess 20d being recessed in a rectangular shape that is elongated from front to rear.

[0013] The lid portion 20f may be configured to cover the entire cutter cover 20. In this case, when the lid portion 20f is in the closed state, the upper surface of the cutter cover 20 becomes flat, improving the design. The lid portion 20f can also cover the second recess 20d. Instead of the lid portion 20f, the reading portion 21 that opens and closes may be configured to cover the entire cutter cover 20.

[0014] In the cutter cover 20, a first opening 20b, which is a first slit that exposes the knob 78 and will be described in detail later with reference to Fig. 5, is formed in the first recess 20a. In addition, in the cutter cover 20, a second opening 20e, which is an opening that exposes the knob 49 that is a handle and will be described in detail later with reference to Fig. 6, is formed in the second recess 20d. The first opening 20b is formed long in the left-right direction so that the knob 78 can be moved left and right in the width direction of the medium P. The second opening 20e is formed long in the front-rear direction to match the shape of the knob 49. Further, in the first recess 20a, a second slit 20c that is long in the left-right direction is formed so that a user can insert a work cutter and move it in the width direction of the medium P. The first opening 20b and the slit 20c are formed to be longer in the left-right direction than the maximum width of the medium P.

[0015] 3, the image recording device 1 includes a substrate 90. The substrate 90 is equipped with a control unit (not shown) and a storage unit (not shown). The control unit comprehensively controls each unit of the image recording device 1. The control unit includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) that manages input and output, and a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) that are logic circuits. The CPU is also called a processor. The storage unit includes a rewritable non-volatile memory, a volatile memory, or other memory. The CPU of the control unit reads out the programs stored in the non-volatile memory of the storage unit, and executes various processes using the volatile memory as a working area.

[0016] 3, the configuration of the image recording device 1 will be described in accordance with the order of paths such as a transport path T along which the medium P is transported. The medium P is, for example, a paper sheet or an envelope. A user places a medium P of a predetermined size, such as A4, in the storage section 15 and installs it inside the housing 13. The storage section 15 is a so-called tray, and is open at least at the top and back. The medium P is stored in the storage section 15 so that the width direction is the left-right direction of the image recording device 1.

[0017] The transport path T along which the medium P is transported is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Also, the reversing path R along which the medium P is reversed is indicated by a single dot chain line. The transport direction of the medium P on each path is indicated by an arrow. The feed roller 32 of the feed unit 31 can contact the uppermost medium P among the stacked media P through the upper and rear openings of the storage unit 15. The feed roller 32 rotates counterclockwise, so that the media P can be sent out one by one from the top to the transport path T.

[0018] The transport unit 48 can transport the medium P sent out from the feed roller 32 along the transport path T. The transport unit 48 is arranged in the transport path T in the order of a first roller pair 45, a second roller pair 46, and a third roller pair 47 from upstream to downstream in the transport direction. Note that, hereinafter, the upstream in the transport direction will be simply referred to as the upstream, and the downstream in the transport direction will be simply referred to as the downstream. The first roller pair 45 is disposed upstream of the recording unit 40. The second roller pair 46 is disposed between the recording unit 40 and the cutting unit 60 in the transport direction. The third roller pair 47 is disposed downstream of the cutting unit 60.

[0019] The first roller pair 45 has a first driving roller 45a and a first driven roller 45b. The second roller pair 46 has a second driving roller 46a and a second driven roller 46b. The third roller pair 47 has a third driving roller 47a and a third driven roller 47b. Each roller pair can transport the medium P by sandwiching it between the driving roller and the driven roller from above and below. Note that the driving rollers are disposed on the bottom and the driven rollers are disposed on the top, but they may be disposed upside down.

[0020] The first driven roller 45a, the second driven roller 46a, and the third driven roller 47a are driven by a conveying motor (not shown). These driven rollers are connected by gears or belts, etc., and can rotate synchronously. These driven rollers are molded from resin such as rubber. The first driven roller 45b, the second driven roller 46b, and the third driven roller 47b can rotate following the respective driving rollers that face each other. The first roller pair 45, the second roller pair 46, and the third roller pair 47 are linked together and can rotate simultaneously.

[0021] The first roller pair 45 is the first to transport the medium P sent out from the feed roller 32, and therefore requires the highest nip force among the three roller pairs, and the first driven roller 45b is also molded from a resin such as rubber. The second roller pair 46 and the third roller pair 47 are located downstream of the recording unit 40 described below, and it is preferable that they do not affect the recording results on the medium P. In addition, the second roller pair 46 and the third roller pair 47 do not require as much nipping force as the first roller pair 45. For this reason, the second driven roller 46b and the third driven roller 47b are configured with thin gear-shaped protrusions made of a metal such as stainless steel so as to reduce the area of ​​contact with the ink-covered medium P. Rollers with this type of shape are also known as jagged rollers.

[0022] The transport path member 34 forms a portion of the transport path T that curves between the storage unit 15 and the first roller pair 45. The transport path member 34 curves the transport path T, which extends upward from the storage unit 15, toward the front, and guides the transport path T to the first roller pair 45. The transport path member 34 is configured by disposing a first transport path member 34a on the upstream side and a second transport path member 34b on the downstream side. A hole 34c, which is a through hole, is formed between the first transport path member 34a and the second transport path member 34b.

[0023] A media sensor 50 capable of detecting a medium P on the transport path T is provided on the second transport path member 34b of the transport path member 34. The media sensor 50 may be a photosensor that detects the medium P. The media sensor 50 may be configured with a lever that can come into contact with the medium P, and a mechanical switch or photosensor that detects the movement of the lever when it comes into contact with the medium P. The medium sensor 50 is capable of detecting the medium P located on the transport path T, upstream of the first roller pair 45.

[0024] The recording unit 40, which is a head that records on the medium P, is located opposite the medium support unit 36 ​​from above, between a first roller pair 45 and a second roller pair 46. The recording unit 40 has a discharge surface 42 having a plurality of nozzles N capable of discharging liquid such as ink supplied from the ink cartridge 18 described above. The discharge surface 42 is located opposite the medium support unit 36. The medium P is transported by the transport unit 48 and reaches a position where it is supported from below by the medium support unit 36. A first surface S1 of the medium P faces the ejection surface 42 of the recording unit 40. A second surface S2 of the medium P is the surface opposite to the first surface S1 and is the surface supported by the medium support unit 36. The recording unit 40 is mounted on a recording unit carriage (not shown) that can move left and right by a recording unit motor (not shown). The recording unit 40 records an image on the first surface S1 of the medium P by ejecting ink from the nozzles N while moving left and right by the recording unit carriage.

[0025] The reversal path member 37 has two surfaces, an upper surface and a lower surface, which face each other vertically, and forms a reversal path R between these two surfaces. The switching unit 38 located downstream is provided at the front end of the upper surface of the reversing path member 37 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending left and right. Moreover, the switching unit 39 located upstream is provided at the rear end of the lower surface of the reversing path member 37 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending left and right. The switching units 38, 39 can move between a transport position indicated by a solid line and a reversal position indicated by a dashed line. The movement of the switching units 38, 39 switches the path along which the medium P is transported. The movement of the switching units 38, 39 is performed by a plunger (not shown) using an electromagnet, a switching unit motor (not shown), or the like.

[0026] When the switching unit 39 is in the transport position, the upstream transport path T widens. The medium P can be smoothly transported from the storage unit 15 along the transport path T without being hindered by the switching unit 39. Also, when the switching unit 38 is in the transport position, the medium P can be smoothly transported along the transport path T from the second roller pair 46 to the third roller pair 47 without being hindered by the switching unit 38.

[0027] When the medium P is turned over, the conveying section 48 temporarily stops when the rear end of the medium P, which is the upstream end of the medium P, leaves the second roller pair 46 of the conveying section 48 and passes through the switching section 38. At this time, a downstream, front part of the medium P is sandwiched between the third roller pair 47 of the conveying section 48 and can be conveyed in the opposite direction to the conveying direction. The upstream rear end of the medium P has already been detected by the medium sensor 50 when it passes through the transport path member 34. Based on the detection of the medium sensor 50, the control unit of the substrate 90 can cause the transport unit 48 to stop the rear end of the medium P at a position where it has passed through the switching unit 38.

[0028] Next, the switching units 38 and 39 move to the inverted position. The switching unit 38 rotates and its leading end advances to the transport path T. In this state, the transport unit 48 including the third roller pair 47 is driven in the opposite direction to that during transport, and the third roller pair 47 transports the medium P in the opposite direction to the transport direction. That is, the transport unit 48 rotates in the reverse direction. The switching unit 38 prevents the rear end of the medium P from proceeding back along the transport path T, and widens the reversing path R, guiding the medium P so that the rear end of the medium P is led to the reversing path R. After this, the original rear end of the medium P becomes the leading edge and is transported along the reversing path R. Note that, hereinafter, the original rear end of the medium P will also be referred to as the rear end of the medium P.

[0029] The medium P is transported rearward along the reversing path R by the transport unit 48. The medium P is transported by the third roller pair 47 until the rear end of the medium P reaches the first roller pair 45. The rear switching unit 39 is also in the inverting position, widening the inverting path R. After passing through the inverting path R, the rear end of the medium P changes path from the inverting path R to the transport path T and is transported smoothly.

[0030] When the rear end of the medium P is detected by the medium sensor 50, the control unit of the substrate 90 transports the medium P to a position where the rear end of the medium P reaches the first roller pair 45 of the transport unit 48, and then temporarily stops the transport unit 48. The switching units 38 and 39 return to the transport positions. Thereafter, the conveying section 48 switches the drive and drives in the same manner as during the initial conveying. That is, the conveying section 48 returns from the reverse rotation to the original rotation.

[0031] As in the beginning, the first roller pair 45 of the transport section 48 can transport the medium P in the transport direction along the transport path T. The other roller pairs are similar. In this manner, the medium P is turned over. As a result, the second surface S2 of the medium P is now positioned opposite the ejection surface 42 of the recording unit 40. The recording unit 40 can perform recording on the second surface S2 of the medium P.

[0032] Next, the cutting unit 60 is located, in the transport direction, between the second roller pair 46 and the third roller pair 47. In addition, the cutting unit 60 is provided downstream of the recording unit 40 in the transport direction of the medium P. The cutting unit 60 includes a movable blade 61 which is a first cutter, a fixed blade 62 which is a second cutter, and a moving unit 70. The movable blade 61 is disk-shaped and is also called a round blade. The fixed blade 62 is plate-shaped. That is, the cutting unit 60 includes a movable blade 61 that cuts the medium P, and a fixed blade 62 that faces the movable blade 61. The movable blade 61 is not limited to a round blade, and may be, for example, a cutter blade.

[0033] The cutting unit 60 includes a moving unit 70. The moving unit 70 includes a cutter carriage 71 that carries the movable blade 61. In the following, the cutter carriage 71 will be simply referred to as the carriage 71. The carriage 71 moves in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the medium P and also the scanning direction of the movable blade 61. That is, the carriage 71 carries the movable blade 61 and moves the movable blade 61 in the scanning direction.

[0034] The movable blade 61 also moves together with the carriage 71, and can cut the medium P between it and the fixed blade 62. That is, the cutting unit 60 moves back and forth in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction, and can cut the medium P transported by the transport unit 48. Such a cutting unit 60 is called an automatic cutter, as opposed to a manual cutter in which the medium P is cut manually.

[0035] The medium P cut by the cutting unit 60 is placed on the lower mounting unit 16. The downstream front portion of the cut medium P is placed on the first mounting unit 16m. The upstream rear portion of the cut medium P is placed on the second mounting unit 16r. Further, the slit 20c of the cutter cover 20 is disposed between the second roller pair 46 and the cutting section 60 in the conveyance direction.

[0036] Next, the configuration of the cutting unit 60 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 4, the cutting unit 60 includes a movable blade 61, a fixed blade 62, and a moving unit 70. The moving unit 70 includes a carriage 71, a carriage guide 72, pulleys 73 and 74, an endless belt 75, a carriage motor 76, and a sensor 80. A pulley 74 is disposed on the left end of the carriage guide 72, and a pulley 73 is disposed on the right end of the carriage guide 72. An endless belt 75 is stretched between the pulleys 73 and 74. The pulley 73 is fixed to the drive shaft of a carriage motor 76. The carriage 71 is attached to the endless belt 75.

[0037] When the carriage motor 76 is driven, the pulleys 73 and 74 rotate and the endless belt 75 rotates. At this time, the carriage 71 attached to the endless belt 75 moves left and right. The movable blade 61 mounted on the carriage 71 also moves. The movable blade 61 is rotatably supported by a gear shaft 77 mounted on the carriage 71. The fixed blade 62 is provided with a side wall 62b extending vertically, and a side wall 62c continuing from the side wall 62b. A knob 78, which is a convex portion that protrudes upward, is provided on the upper portion of the carriage 71. A user can grasp the knob 78 with his / her fingers and move the carriage 71 left and right.

[0038] The sensor 80 is, for example, a rotary encoder. The control unit of the substrate 90 can determine the position of the carriage 71 and the movement of the carriage 71 based on the detection information of the sensor 80. Note that, hereinafter, the control unit determining the position of the carriage 71 and the movement of the carriage 71 based on the detection information of the sensor 80 will also be expressed simply as the sensor 80 detecting the position of the carriage 71 and the movement of the carriage 71, with the control unit and detection information omitted. The sensor 80 detects the rotation of the pulley 74, thereby detecting the position of the carriage 71 and the movement of the carriage 71. The position of the carriage 71 and the movement of the carriage 71 detected by the sensor 80 are also the position of the movable blade 61 and the movement of the movable blade 61.

[0039] If the reference position of the carriage 71 is the left end of the carriage guide 72, when the carriage 71 moves rightward from the reference position, it cuts the medium P with the movable blade 61. After cutting, the carriage 71 moves leftward to return, and stops when it reaches the reference position. The reference position of the carriage 71 is also called the home position. The control unit of the board 90 moves the carriage 71 to the left in the initialization operation of the carriage 71. The control unit can determine as the reference position the position where the carriage 71 hits the housing 13 or the like and the sensor 80 no longer detects the movement of the carriage 71. A home position sensor may be installed at the reference position to detect the reference position. The reference position may also be the right end of the carriage guide 72. In that case, the medium P may be cut by the movable blade 61 when the carriage 71 moves leftward.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the movable blade 61 is mounted on a carriage 71, and the carriage 71 is attached to an endless belt 75 and moves. At this time, the gear 86 mounted on the carriage 71 rotates in mesh with a rack 87 fixed to the housing 13. At the same time, the gear shaft 77 of the gear 86 also rotates. The gear shaft 77 of the gear 86 also serves as the shaft of the movable blade 61. In other words, the movable blade 61 is composed of the gear shaft 77 that is coaxial with the gear 86. As the gear 86 rotates, the movable blade 61 attached to the gear shaft 77 also rotates. The movable blade 61, which is moved while rotating by the carriage 71, slides against the plate-shaped fixed blade 62 at the cutting position CP, and can cut the medium P between the movable blade 61 and the fixed blade 62.

[0041] Here, a description will be given of what a user should do when the medium P becomes jammed in the cutting unit 60. When the medium P becomes jammed, the torque of the carriage motor 76 may not be enough to move the carriage 71. Note that a jam of the medium P inside a device such as the image recording device 1 is also called a paper jam or a so-called paper jam. In this case, the user can move the knob 78 in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the medium P. A first opening 20b, which is a first slit penetrating into the inside along the scanning direction, is formed in the upper part of the cutter cover 20. The knob 78 protrudes from the inside of the cutter cover 20 to the outside through the first opening 20b.

[0042] The knob 78 is exposed from the first opening 20b and can be grasped by the user. Even if the torque of the carriage motor 76 is not enough to move the carriage 71 due to a paper jam, the user can move the carriage 71 using the knob 78. As the knob 78 moves, the movable blade 61 also moves together with the carriage 71, allowing the jammed medium P to be cut in the width direction.

[0043] In addition, the cutter cover 20 has a slit 20c that is provided in parallel with the first opening 20b at the top and penetrates the inside along the scanning direction. A user can insert a tool cutter through the slit 20c of the cutter cover 20. The slit 20c is located upstream of the first opening 20b. The tool cutter can reach the position of the fixed blade 62 of the cutting unit 60, and can reach the position of the jammed medium P. Then, the user can move the tool cutter in the left-right direction along the slit 20c to cut the jammed medium P in the width direction. If the user is unable to cut the jammed medium P by moving the knob 78, the user can cut it using a machine cutter.

[0044] A first recess 20a recessed downward from the upper surface is formed in the cutter cover 20. The space formed by the first recess 20a makes it easier for the user to operate the knob 78 and the work cutter with their hands. Moreover, the first recess 20a allows the height position of the top of the knob 78 to be lower than the upper surface of the cutter cover 20. Therefore, the knob 78 does not interfere with the cutter cover 20 and the reading unit 21.

[0045] After the user operates the knob 78 or the work cutter to cut the jammed medium P, the cut medium P remains near the cutting unit 60. At least an upstream portion of the medium P cut in the width direction is sandwiched between the second roller pair 46. Furthermore, a portion of the upstream medium P may be sandwiched between the first roller pair 45. In FIG. 6, for the convenience of the description following FIG. 7 described later, a state in which a portion of the medium P on the upstream side is sandwiched between the first roller pair 45 is shown, but the same is true in the case of the second roller pair 46.

[0046] 6, an emergency knob 49 is attached to the shaft 45c of the first driven roller 45b of the first roller pair 45, which is a rotating shaft. The first driven roller 45b and the knob 49 are connected by the same shaft 45c. The knob 49 is exposed from the second opening 20e. When the user turns the knob 49 counterclockwise, the first driven roller 45b connected by the shaft 45c also rotates counterclockwise.

[0047] As described above, the first roller pair 45, the second roller pair 46, and the third roller pair 47 are linked together. When the first driven roller 45b rotates counterclockwise, these roller pairs also rotate simultaneously. As a result, the medium P between the first drive roller 45a and the first driven roller 45b can be transported backward in the removal direction F. Furthermore, if the medium P is on the second roller pair 46, it can be transported backward toward the first roller pair 45.

[0048] A second recess 20d is formed in the cutter cover 20. The space formed by the second recess 20d makes it easier for a user to operate the knob 49 by hand. In addition, the second recess 20d allows the knob 49 to be positioned so as not to interfere with the cutter cover 20 and the reading unit 21. Note that a portion of the medium P on the downstream side that has been cut by the user is pinched by the third roller pair 47. The third roller pair 47 does not have as much nipping force as the first roller pair 45. Before operating the knob 49, the user can easily pull out the portion of the medium P on the downstream side from the side of the third roller pair 47, where the nipping force is lower, through the housing opening 17.

[0049] The knob 49 may be attached to the first driven roller 45a of the first roller pair 45. The medium P can be transported in the same manner as when the knob 49 is attached to the first driven roller 45b. As described above, the first roller pair 45, the second roller pair 46, and the third roller pair 47 are connected, so that the knob 49 may be attached to the second roller pair 46 or the third roller pair 47.

[0050] That is, in at least one of the first roller pair 45, the second roller pair 46, and the third roller pair 47, a knob 49 capable of rotating the rotation shaft of one of the rollers constituting the roller pair can be provided on the rotation shaft. Also, the user can turn the knob 49 clockwise to transport a portion of the medium P on the downstream side to the housing opening 17 and remove it.

[0051] 7, a door 33 that is an openable and closable door portion is provided on the rear surface of the housing 13 of the apparatus main body 12. When the door 33 is opened, a transport path member 34 is exposed. As described above, the transport path member 34 forms a curved transport path T between the storage unit 15 and the first roller pair 45. The transport path member 34 has the first transport path member 34a disposed upstream in the transport direction and the second transport path member 34b disposed downstream. In FIG. 7, the second transport path member 34b is hidden inside the housing 13.

[0052] A through hole 34c is formed between the first transport path member 34a and the second transport path member 34b. The hole 34c is located at the same height as the first roller pair 45. As described later, the hole 34c is an opening that allows a user to remove a jammed medium P. That is, in the transport path member 34 that is a portion of the transport path T corresponding to the upstream side of the first roller pair 45 in the transport direction, the hole 34c that is a through hole penetrating into the interior is formed at the same height position as the first roller pair 45.

[0053] As described above with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the user can turn the knob 49 counterclockwise to smoothly transport a portion of the cut upstream medium P backward in the removal direction F, from the first roller pair 45 toward the hole 34c of the transport path member 34. This medium P is transported to the position of the hole 34c of the transport path member 34, and can be exposed from the hole 34c. A user can easily remove this medium P by grabbing it with their hand from the hole 34c. This can prevent the medium P from being torn off and remaining behind when the user pulls the jammed medium P. Additionally, a hole 34d communicating with hole 34c is formed in housing 13. Hole 34d is a small cutout into which a finger can be inserted. The inner peripheral surface of hole 34d has a curved surface. Hole 34d is exposed by opening door 33. A user can easily pick up medium P by inserting a finger from hole 34d toward hole 34c, and medium P can be easily removed from inside housing 13 to the outside.

[0054] There are cases where the movable blade 61 mounted on the carriage 71 of the cutting unit 60 cannot move due to the medium P being jammed in the cutting unit 60. According to the configuration of the image recording device 1 described above, the user can cut the jammed medium P by operating the knob 78 or the work cutter. Furthermore, the user can transport the cut medium P to the housing opening 17 or the hole 34c of the transport path member 34 and remove it by operating the knob 49. The cutting unit 60 becomes able to cut the medium P again.

[0055] 2. Method for controlling image recording device A control method for the image recording device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. It is assumed that the carriage 71 of the moving part 70 of the cutting unit 60 and the movable blade 61 of the cutting unit 60 mounted on the carriage 71 are in a predetermined reference position. Note that in the following, the carriage 71 will be omitted and the movable blade 61 will be mainly described, and the home position, which is the reference position, will be referred to as HP.

[0056] The control unit mounted on the substrate 90 performs a cutting operation by driving the carriage motor 76 of the moving unit 70 to move the movable blade 61 from the HP to the right to cut the medium P, as described above with reference to FIG. 4 (S100). At this time, the control unit detects the movement of the movable blade 61 by the sensor 80, and determines whether the movable blade 61 has moved across the entire width of the medium P and cut the medium P (S101).

[0057] When the control unit detects, by the sensor 80, that the movable blade 61 has moved across the entire width of the medium P and determines that the medium P has been cut (S101: YES), the process ends. On the other hand, when the control unit detects through the sensor 80 that the movable blade 61 has not moved across the entire width of the medium P and determines that the medium P could not be cut (S101: NO), it stops the carriage motor 76 and counts the number of times the cutting operation was performed. This is because there are cases where the movable blade 61 cannot move across the entire width of the medium P due to a jammed medium P. The control unit determines whether the number of cutting operations has reached M (S200). For example, M is 10.

[0058] When the control unit determines that the number of cutting operations has not reached M (S200: NO), the control unit repeats the cutting operation again (S100). That is, if the control unit is unable to cut the medium P, the control unit repeats the cutting operation until the number of cutting operations reaches M. This is because if the cutting unit 60 repeats the cutting operation, it may be possible to cut the medium P. On the other hand, when the control unit determines that the number of cutting operations has reached M (S200: YES), it drives the carriage motor 76 and performs an operation to move the movable blade 61 toward the HP (S201). At this time, the control unit can determine that the cutting unit 60 was not able to cut the medium P correctly. This is because there is a high possibility that the cutting unit 60 will not be able to cut the medium P even if it continues to repeat the cutting operation.

[0059] The control unit determines whether the movable blade 61 has returned to the HP and is at the HP using the sensor 80 (S202). When the control unit determines that the movable blade 61 is at the HP (S202: YES), the control unit transports the medium P a predetermined length by the transport unit 48 (S203). The predetermined length is a length that exceeds the position of the medium sensor 50 where the upstream end of the medium P is located on the transport path member 34.

[0060] The control unit determines whether the medium sensor 50 detects the medium P (S204). When the control unit determines that the medium P is detected by the medium sensor 50 (S204: YES), it displays the first display information via the input / output unit 14 (S205) and ends the process. Hereinafter, the first display information is simply referred to as the first display. When the transport unit 48 is able to transport the medium P correctly for the predetermined length, the upstream end of the medium P passes beyond the position of the medium sensor 50, and the medium P is in a position where it cannot be detected by the medium sensor 50.

[0061] On the other hand, if the medium P is in a position detected by the medium sensor 50, it means that the transport unit 48 has not been able to properly transport the predetermined length. In this case, the control unit can determine that a paper jam has occurred in the transport unit 48. The first display displayed by the input / output unit 14 is a display of an error that a paper jam has occurred in the transport unit 48. The first display may also include a display of an error that the medium P has not been properly cut in the cutting unit 60.

[0062] When the control unit determines that the transport unit 48 has properly transported the predetermined length and that the medium P is not detected by the medium sensor 50 (S204: NO), the control unit displays the second display information via the input / output unit 14 (S206) and ends the process. Hereinafter, the second display information will be simply referred to as the second display. The second display shows an error message indicating that the medium P could not be cut correctly in the cutting unit 60.

[0063] When the control unit determines that the movable blade 61 has not returned to the HP and is not at the HP (S202: NO), it stops the carriage motor 76 and determines whether the number of times that it has attempted to move the movable blade 61 to the HP has reached N (S300). This is because there are cases where the movable blade 61 cannot return to the HP due to a jammed medium P. For example, N times is less than M times, and is 5 times. When the control unit determines that the number of times that the movable blade 61 has been attempted to move to the HP does not reach N times (S300: NO), the control unit repeats moving the movable blade 61 to the HP again (S201). This is because if the moving unit 70 repeatedly moves the movable blade 61, it may return to the HP.

[0064] On the other hand, when the control unit determines that the number of attempts to move the movable blade 61 to the HP has reached N times (S300: YES), the control unit displays third display information via the input / output unit 14 (S301). Hereinafter, the third display information will be simply referred to as the third display. This is because there is a high possibility that the movable blade 61 will not be able to return to the HP even if the movable blade 61 is repeatedly moved any further. The control unit is unable to move the movable blade 61 correctly to the HP and is able to determine that the medium P has become clogged in the cutting unit 60.

[0065] The third display has content that prompts the user to move knob 78 to cut the jammed medium P, and then move knob 78 to the left HP. The third display may include content that prompts the user to insert a work cutter into slit 20c and move it to cut the jammed medium P. The third display may include content that prompts the user to turn knob 49 to remove the cut medium P. The third display may also include content that prompts the user to, after cutting and removing the jammed medium P, operate the input / output unit 14 to input that the jammed medium P has been cut and removed.

[0066] That is, when the movable blade 61 does not return to the HP, the control unit stops the carriage motor 76 to stop driving the cutting unit 60 based on the detection information of the sensor 80, and displays a message to operate the knob 78. The control unit can clearly suggest to the user how to handle a paper jam, improving the convenience of the image recording device 1 for the user.

[0067] The user can visually confirm the third display through the input / output unit 14. Based on the third display, the user can move the knob 78 to move the movable blade 61 together with the carriage 71 and cut the jammed medium P. At this time, the user can also insert a work cutter into the slit 20c and move it to cut the jammed medium P. The user can turn the knob 49 to remove the cut medium P. After cutting and removing the jammed medium P, the user can move the knob 78 to the left HP. Thereafter, the user operates the input / output unit 14 to input information that the jammed medium P has been cut and removed.

[0068] The control unit determines, based on an input from the user via the input / output unit 14, whether the user has operated the knob 78 or the like (S302). When the control unit determines that the user has not operated the knob 78 or the like (S302: NO), it repeats the display of the third display (S301). On the other hand, when the control unit determines that the user has operated the knob 78 or the like (S302: YES), the control unit determines whether the movable blade 61 is at the HP as a result of the operation of the knob 78 or the like using the sensor 80 (S303).

[0069] When the control unit determines that the movable blade 61 is not on the HP (S303: NO), the control unit displays the fourth display information via the input / output unit 14 (S304) and ends the process. Hereinafter, the fourth display information will be simply referred to as the fourth display. The fourth display is a content that displays an error message to the effect that the movable blade 61 could not be returned to the HP even when the user operated the knob 78 or the like. The fourth display may also include a content that displays an error message to the effect that the medium P is jammed in the cutting unit 60. The fourth display may also include a content that displays an error message to the effect that the medium P could not be properly cut in the cutting unit 60.

[0070] On the other hand, when the control unit determines that the movable blade 61 is at the HP (S303: YES), the process proceeds to the above-described process of transporting the medium P by the transport unit 48 (S203). The subsequent process is the same as described above.

[0071] According to the above-described embodiment, the image recording device 1 having the cutter cover 20 includes a transport unit 48 that transports a medium P along a transport path T, a recording unit 40 that records an image on the transported medium P, and a cutting unit 60 that is provided downstream of the recording unit 40 in the transport direction of the medium P and moves back and forth in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction to cut the transported medium P. The cutting unit 60 has a movable blade 61 that cuts the medium P while moving, a fixed blade 62 that faces the movable blade, a carriage 71 that carries the movable blade 61 and moves the movable blade 61 in the scanning direction, and a knob 78 that is provided on the upper part of the carriage 71 and protrudes upward. A first opening 20b penetrating into the cutter cover 20 along the scanning direction is formed in the upper portion of the cutter cover 20, and the knob 78 protrudes from the inside of the cutter cover 20 to the outside through the first opening 20b.

[0072] With the image recording device 1 configured as described above, even if the medium P is jammed in the cutting section 60 or the like and the carriage 71 cannot be moved by the torque of the carriage motor 76, the user can move the carriage 71 using the knob 78. As the knob 78 moves, the movable blade 61 also moves together with the carriage 71, and the jammed medium P can be cut in the width direction. A user can transport the cut medium P to the housing opening 17 or the hole 34c of the transport path member 34 by operating the knob 49 or the like, and remove the medium P.

[0073] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and may be changed, replaced, deleted, etc. without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1...image recording device, 12...device body, 13...housing, 14...input / output section, 20...cutter cover, 20a...first recess, 20b...first opening, 20c...slit, 20d...second recess, 20e...second opening, 20f...lid, 21...reading section, 33...door, 34...transport path member, 34a...first transport path member, 34b...second transport path member, 34c...hole, 40...recording section, 45...first roller pair, 46...second roller pair, 47 ...Third roller pair, 48...conveying section, 49...knob, 50...media sensor, 60...cutting section, 61...movable blade, 62...fixed blade, 70...moving section, 71...cutter carriage, 72...carriage guide, 73, 74...pulley, 75...endless belt, 76...carriage motor, 77...gear shaft, 78...knob, 80...sensor, 90...substrate, CP...cutting position, P...media, S1...first surface, S2...second surface, T...conveying path.

Claims

1. An image recording device having a cutter cover, A transport unit that transports the medium along a transport path; a recording unit that records an image on the transported medium; a cutting unit that is provided downstream of the recording unit in a transport direction of the medium and moves back and forth in a scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction to cut the transported medium, The cutting portion is a first cutter that cuts the medium while moving; a second cutter facing the first cutter; a cutter carriage that carries the first cutter and moves the first cutter in the scanning direction; a protrusion provided on an upper portion of the cutter carriage and protruding upward; A first slit is formed in an upper portion of the cutter cover and penetrates the cutter cover in the scanning direction. The convex portion protrudes from the inside to the outside of the cutter cover through the first slit.

2. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, a portion of the cutter cover where the first slit is formed has a recess that is recessed downward from an upper surface of the cutter cover, An image recording device, wherein a height position of a top of the convex portion is lower than a height position of the upper surface.

3. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, The image recording device further comprises a cover portion capable of opening and closing the recess portion.

4. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, an image recording device having a second slit provided in an upper portion of the cutter cover in parallel with the first slit and penetrating therethrough along the scanning direction;

5. 5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, The conveying unit is a first roller pair disposed upstream of the recording unit in the transport direction; a second roller pair disposed between the recording unit and the cutting unit in the transport direction; a third roller pair disposed downstream of the cutting portion in the conveying direction, The second slit is disposed between the second roller pair and the cutting unit in the transport direction.

6. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, A display unit capable of displaying information; a sensor for detecting the position of the cutter carriage; A control unit, An image recording device, wherein the control unit stops driving the cutting unit and displays a message to operate the convex portion based on detection information from the sensor when the first cutter does not return to a predetermined position.

7. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, The conveying unit is a first roller pair disposed upstream of the recording unit in the transport direction; a second roller pair disposed between the recording unit and the cutting unit in the transport direction; a third roller pair disposed downstream of the cutting portion in the conveying direction, An image recording device, in which a handle portion capable of rotating one of the rotation shafts constituting the roller pair is provided on at least one of the first roller pair, the second roller pair, and the third roller pair.

8. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, The conveying unit is a first roller pair disposed upstream of the recording unit in the transport direction; a second roller pair disposed between the recording unit and the cutting unit in the transport direction; a third roller pair disposed downstream of the cutting portion in the conveying direction, a through hole penetrating the inside of the conveying path at the same height position as the first roller pair in a portion corresponding to the upstream of the first roller pair in the conveying direction; and a door portion capable of opening and closing the through hole.

Images