Image recording apparatus

Abstract

To prevent a liquid from adhering to an electronic apparatus located inside an image recording apparatus even if the liquid enters the image recording apparatus while suppressing an increase in the size of the image recording apparatus.SOLUTION: The multifunction peripheral 10 includes a printer 11 configured to record an image on a recording sheet 12, and a scanner 90 configured to read an image of the recording sheet 12. The printer 11 includes a printer housing 51 having an opening on at least one side in the left-right direction, and a right cover 54 that closes the opening of the printer housing 51. The scanner 90 includes a scanner housing 91 supported on an upper portion of the inner frame 51. The right cover 54 covers at least a part of the 124A of the right surface of the scanner housing 91. The scanner housing 91 includes a right bottom rib 135 protruding downward from a boundary 175 between the right surface side 124A and the lower surface side 123A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of an image recording device that records an image on a sheet is the printing device described in Patent Document 1. The printing device described in Patent Document 1 has a drainage path that guides liquid that has entered the internal space of the housing from a paper outlet opening on the top surface of the housing to the outside of the housing. Specifically, the drainage path has a liquid receiving section that receives the liquid that has entered from the paper outlet, a first flow path that guides the liquid received in the liquid receiving section toward the outer edge, a second flow path that guides the liquid guided in the first flow path toward the bottom surface of the housing, and a drainage port that discharges the liquid guided in the second flow path to the outside of the housing. This prevents the liquid from splashing on a substrate or other object placed in the internal space of the housing and causing problems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-030097 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The printing device described above has a problem in that the housing becomes large because it is provided with a drainage path that guides the liquid that has entered through the paper discharge port to the drainage port.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to prevent an image recording device from becoming larger, while making it difficult for liquid to adhere to electronic devices located inside the image recording device even if liquid enters the image recording device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The present disclosure relates to an image recording device. The image recording device includes a printer that records an image on a sheet and a scanner that reads the image on the sheet. The printer has a printer housing that is open on at least one side, left or right, and a side cover that covers the opening of the printer housing. The scanner has a scanner housing supported on an upper portion of the printer housing. The side cover covers at least a portion of the side of the scanner housing. The scanner housing has a first rib that protrudes downward from the boundary between the side and the bottom surface.

[0007] Because the side cover covers at least a portion of the side of the scanner housing, if, for example, liquid such as coffee spills onto the image recording device from above, the liquid may seep into the gap between the side of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover. Liquid that seeps into the gap between the side of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover flows down due to gravity along the side of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover. Liquid that reaches the bottom edge of the side of the scanner housing may move toward the inside of the underside of the scanner housing due to surface tension and then fall. This could result in the liquid falling from the underside of the scanner housing coming into contact with, for example, the electronic equipment of a printer, causing a malfunction. With the above configuration, the liquid is prevented from moving over the first rib toward the underside of the scanner housing, and instead falls downward from the first rib due to gravity. Therefore, the first rib can control the location where the liquid falls, making it less likely for the liquid to adhere to, for example, the electronic equipment of a printer. The first rib is configured to simply protrude downward from the boundary between the side and bottom surfaces of the scanner housing, which prevents the image recording device from becoming larger than in a configuration in which liquid that has entered the gap between the side of the scanner housing and the side cover is guided to the outside of the image recording device through a drainage path.

[0008] (2) The first rib may extend in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction. A lower surface of the first rib may have an inclined surface inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. The inclined surface may have a lower edge located at the lowest position.

[0009] Liquid that reaches the first rib flows along the inclined surface of the first rib and collects at the lower edge. The liquid that collects at the lower edge falls downward from the lower edge due to gravity. This makes it easy to drop the liquid in the intended position in the front-to-rear direction.

[0010] (3) The first rib may have a lower surface extending along a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, and a vertical surface extending along a top-bottom direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. The lower surface and the vertical surface may be connected.

[0011] The liquid that reaches the first rib tends to fall downward due to gravity from the position where the lower surface and the vertical surface connect, making it easy to make the liquid fall in the intended position.

[0012] (4) The image recording device may further include a support plate located below the scanner housing in the internal space of the printer housing and supporting an electronic device. The support plate may have a cutout portion that penetrates the support plate in the vertical direction and does not overlap the electronic device when viewed from the vertical direction. The cutout portion may overlap the lower edge when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0013] Liquid falling due to gravity from the lower edge of the first rib passes through the notch, and therefore falls without adhering to the support plate or electronic device even if the support plate or electronic device is located below the scanner housing.

[0014] (5) The side cover may have an engaging portion extending in the left-right direction. The scanner housing may have an engaged portion located on the lower surface and engaging with the engaging portion, and a flat surface located on the lower surface around the engaged portion, where the first rib is not located and is continuous with the side surface. The flat surface may not overlap with the support plate when viewed from above.

[0015] The side cover is positioned relative to the scanner housing by the engagement of the engaging portion and the engaged portion. Because the first rib is not located on the flat surface, liquid flowing down the side of the scanner housing may move from the side to the flat surface. In the above configuration, the flat surface and the support plate do not overlap when viewed from above, so even if liquid falls from the flat surface, the liquid will not adhere to the support plate or the electronic device.

[0016] (6) A plurality of the inclined surfaces may be positioned in the front-rear direction. The lower edge may be positioned on each of the inclined surfaces.

[0017] Liquid that seeps into the gap between the side of the scanner housing and the side cover is likely to fall onto the intended location.

[0018] (7) The side cover may have a second rib located above the first rib and protruding in the left-right direction from an inner surface of the side cover.

[0019] The second rib narrows the gap between the side surface of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover, reducing the flow rate of liquid that flows downward from the second rib.

[0020] (8) The scanner housing may have a second rib located above the first rib and protruding in the left-right direction from the side surface of the scanner housing.

[0021] The second rib narrows the gap between the side surface of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover, reducing the flow rate of liquid that flows downward from the second rib.

[0022] (9) An upper surface of the second rib may be inclined with respect to the front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction so as to extend downward toward one side of the front-rear direction.

[0023] Liquid that has entered the gap between the side of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover tends to flow in one direction, forward or backward, along the upper surface of the second rib, making it easy to adjust the position at which the liquid reaches the first rib.

[0024] (10) The side cover may have a third rib located on one side of the second rib in the front-rear direction and protruding from an inner surface of the side cover in the left-right direction. An upper surface of the third rib may be inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as to extend downward toward the other side in the front-rear direction.

[0025] Liquid that has entered the gap between the side of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover flows along the upper surfaces of the second and third ribs and then drops down through the gap between the second and third ribs, making it easy to adjust the position at which the liquid reaches the first rib.

[0026] (11) The scanner housing may have a third rib located on one side of the second rib in the front-rear direction and protruding from the side surface in the left-right direction. An upper surface of the third rib may be inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as to extend downward toward the other side in the front-rear direction.

[0027] Liquid that has entered the gap between the side of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover flows along the upper surfaces of the second and third ribs and then drops down through the gap between the second and third ribs, making it easy to adjust the position at which the liquid reaches the first rib.

[0028] (12) The scanner housing may include a scanner base that is open upward and has the side and bottom surfaces, a platen glass located inside the scanner base, and an upper cover attached to the scanner base with a portion of the platen glass exposed. The upper cover may include a first contact portion that contacts the platen glass and a second contact portion that is located between the side surface and the inner surface of the side cover and contacts the side surface.

[0029] The gap between the side surface of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover is narrowed by the second abutment portion, making it difficult for liquid to enter the gap between the side surface of the scanner housing and the inner surface of the side cover. Even if liquid does enter the gap, the liquid will gently flow down along the inner surface of the side cover and the side surface of the scanner housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to the present disclosure, even if liquid enters the inside of the image recording device, the liquid is less likely to adhere to electronic devices located inside the image recording device, while preventing the image recording device from becoming larger. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a multifunction peripheral 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the printer 11. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the appearance of the inner frame 51. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the scanner 90 as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multifunction device 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the scanner 90 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper end portion and its vicinity of the right cover 54 in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view showing the left surface 54A of the right cover 54. As shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper end portion and its vicinity of the left cover 55 in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction device 10 taken along a horizontal plane. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the cutout portion 138 in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing that the lower end edge 136B of the large rib 136 overlaps with the notch 138 when viewed from above and below. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the large rib 136. As shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the large rib 136. In FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing modified examples of the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217. In FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present disclosure can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. In the following description, the up-down direction is defined based on the state in which the multifunction device 10 is installed so that it can be used (the state in FIG. 1), the front-rear direction is defined with the side where the opening 13 is provided as the near side (front), and the left-right direction is defined when looking at the multifunction device 10 from the near side (front). The front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction are perpendicular to one another.

[0033] [Overall structure of the multifunction device 10] As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 includes a printer 11 and a scanner 90. More specifically, the printer 11 and the scanner 90 are stacked one on top of the other to form the multifunction device 10. The multifunction device 10 is an example of an image recording device. The multifunction device 10 has a function of recording images on both sides of recording paper 12 using an inkjet method. The recording paper 12 is an example of a sheet. Note that the multifunction device 10 may also record images on the recording paper 12 using a method other than the inkjet method, for example, an electrophotographic method.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 11 has a housing 14 with an opening 13 formed in a front surface 75. The housing 14 has a first transport path 65 and a second transport path 71 (see FIG. 2) therein, which will be described later. The housing 14 has, for example, a frame for supporting each component of the printer 11 and an exterior cover that externally covers each component of the printer 11. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the housing 14 has an internal frame 51, a front cover 52, a rear cover 53, a right cover 54, and a left cover 55. The internal frame 51 is an example of a printer housing.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3 , the internal frame 51 includes a bottom frame 51A and four support columns 51B. The bottom frame 51A is a generally rectangular frame that is elongated in the left-right direction. The four support columns 51B are column-shaped and extend upward from the top surface of the bottom frame 51A. The four support columns 51B are located near the four corners of the bottom frame 51A. The internal frame 51 defines a storage space 51C in which each component of the printer 11 is housed. The storage space 51C is open in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions. Specifically, the internal frame 51 has a front opening 221, a rear opening 222, an upper opening 223, a lower opening 224, a right opening 225, and a left opening 226. The front opening 221 opens the storage space 51C forward. The rear opening 222 opens the storage space 51C rearward. The upper opening 223 opens the storage space 51C upward. The lower opening 224 opens the storage space 51C downward, the right opening 225 opens the storage space 51C to the right, and the left opening 226 opens the storage space 51C to the left.

[0036] The inner frame 51 defines a tank housing space 51D in which an ink tank 112 that stores ink is housed. The tank housing space 51D is located at the right end portion forward of the center in the front-to-rear direction of the inner frame 51. A boss 17 protruding upward is provided from the upper end of each support pillar 51B. The upper ends of the four support pillars 51B support the scanner 90.

[0037] The scanner 90 performs a scanning operation to read an image recorded on the recording paper 12 and generate image data. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the scanner 90 has a scanner housing 91, a flatbed cover 93, and a reading sensor 92. The scanner 90 employs a so-called flatbed system. However, a so-called ADF (short for Auto Document Feeder) may also be disposed on the top surface of the flatbed cover 93.

[0038] 5 to 7 and 9, the scanner housing 91 includes a scanner base 76, a platen glass 77, and an upper cover 78. The scanner base 76 is box-shaped with an open-top rectangular parallelepiped internal space 91A. Specifically, the scanner base 76 includes a front wall 121, a rear wall 122, a bottom wall 123, a right wall 124, and a left wall 125.

[0039] The front wall 121 is located at the front end of the scanner base 76. The front wall 121 has a flat plate shape that extends in the vertical and horizontal directions. The rear wall 122 is located at the rear end of the scanner base 76. The rear wall 122 has a flat plate shape that extends in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0040] The bottom wall 123 is located at the lower end of the scanner base 76. The bottom wall 123 connects the lower end of the front wall 121 and the lower end of the rear wall 122. The bottom wall 123 has a flat plate shape that extends in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. As shown in FIG. 6 , the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 has four fitting holes 127 into which four bosses 17 that protrude upward from the upper ends of the support columns 51B of the internal frame 51 are fitted. The bottom wall 123 has a right engaged portion 131 that protrudes downward from the lower surface 123A. The right engaged portion 131 is located on the right edge of the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123. The right engaged portion 131 is located slightly forward of the center of the bottom wall 123 in the front-to-rear direction. The right engaged portion 131 protrudes downward from the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 so as to extend downward from the right edge of the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 toward the left. In other words, the right engaged portion 131 protrudes downward from the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 so that its vertical length increases toward the left.

[0041] The right wall 124 connects the right end of the front wall 121, the right end of the rear wall 122, and the right end of the bottom wall 123. The right wall 124 has a flat plate shape that extends in the front-to-back and up-down directions. The left wall 125 connects the left end of the front wall 121, the left end of the rear wall 122, and the left end of the bottom wall 123. The left wall 125 has a flat plate shape that extends in the front-to-back and up-down directions.

[0042] The scanner base 76 is fixed to the internal frame 51 by fitting bosses 17 protruding upward from the upper ends of the support columns 51B into four fitting holes 127 in the bottom wall 123. This closes the upper opening 223 of the internal frame 51. As shown in FIG. 5, a right surface 124A (see FIG. 7) of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 is substantially aligned with the right end 115 of the internal frame 51 in the left-right direction. A left surface 125A (see FIG. 9) of the left wall 125 of the scanner base 76 is substantially aligned with the left end 116 of the internal frame 51 in the left-right direction.

[0043] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the scanner base 76 has a right bottom rib 135 that protrudes downward from a boundary 175 between the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124. The right bottom rib 135 extends in the front-to-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the bottom wall 123. The right bottom rib 135 is an example of a first rib. The right surface 124A is an example of a side surface. Specifically, the right bottom rib 135 has a large rib 136 and a small rib 137. The large rib 136 is located in the center of the bottom wall 123 in the front-to-rear direction. The large rib 136 protrudes downward further than the small rib 137. The large rib 136 extends in the front-to-rear direction from a position slightly forward of the center of the bottom wall 123 in the front-to-rear direction to a position slightly rearward of the center of the bottom wall 123 in the front-to-rear direction. The lower surface of the large rib 136 has an inclined surface 136A that slopes downward with respect to the front-to-rear direction. The inclined surface 136A is inclined so as to extend downward toward the rear. As a result, the inclined surface 136A has a lower edge 136B located at the lowest point. The lower edge 136B is located at the rear end of the inclined surface 136A. The lower edge 136B is located slightly rearward of the center of the bottom wall 123 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0044] The small rib 137 continues from the rear end of the large rib 136 to the rear end of the bottom wall 123. The small rib 137 continues from the front end of the large rib 136 to the front end of the bottom wall 123. The small rib 137 is bent in a generally U-shape so as to surround the periphery of the right engaged portion 131. In other words, the small rib 137 is not located on the right edge of the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 where the right engaged portion 131 is located. The periphery of the right engaged portion 131 on the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 is a flat surface 123B that is continuous with the right surface 124A of the right wall 124. The flat surface 123B is located forward of the guide rails 56 and 57, which will be described later. In other words, the flat surface 123B does not overlap with the guide rails 56 and 57, which will be described later, when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0045] 9, the scanner base 76 has a left bottom rib 191 that protrudes downward from the boundary 177 between the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 and the left surface 125A of the left wall 125. The length of the left bottom rib 191 in the up-down direction is longer than the length of the right bottom rib 135 in the up-down direction. The left bottom rib 191 is an example of a first rib.

[0046] The platen glass 77 is located above the scanner base 76. The platen glass 77 is located inside the scanner base 76. The platen glass 77 has a flat plate shape that extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The platen glass 77 supports a document on its upper surface. The platen glass 77 is made of a light-transmitting material.

[0047] The upper cover 78 is a member for attaching the platen glass 77 to the scanner base 76. As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the upper cover 78 has a glass contact portion 141 and a base contact portion 142. The glass contact portion 141 is fixed to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the platen glass 77, leaving the document support surface on the upper surface of the platen glass 77 exposed. The glass contact portion 141 is in the shape of a rectangular frame that contacts the entire outer periphery of the upper surface of the platen glass 77. The glass contact portion 141 has a flat plate shape that extends in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. The glass contact portion 141 is an example of a first contact portion.

[0048] The base contact portion 142 extends downward from the entire outer periphery of the glass contact portion 141. Specifically, the base contact portion 142 has a front contact portion 142A, a rear contact portion 142B, a right contact portion 142C, and a left contact portion 142D. The front contact portion 142A is located at the front edge of the glass contact portion 141. The front contact portion 142A has a flat plate shape that extends in the up-down and left-right directions. The front contact portion 142A is fixed to the front wall 121 of the scanner base 76 while abutting against the front surface of the front wall 121. The rear contact portion 142B is located at the rear edge of the glass contact portion 141. The rear contact portion 142B has a flat plate shape that extends in the up-down and left-right directions. The rear contact portion 142B is fixed to the rear wall 122 of the scanner base 76 while abutting against the rear surface of the rear wall 122. The right contact portion 142C is located on the right edge of the glass contact portion 141. The right contact portion 142C has a flat plate shape that extends in the front-rear and up-down directions. The right contact portion 142C is fixed to the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 while abutting against the right surface 124A of the right wall 124. The right contact portion 142C is an example of a second abutment portion. The right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 is an example of a side surface of the scanner housing 91. The left contact portion 142D is located on the left edge of the glass contact portion 141. The left contact portion 142D has a flat plate shape that extends in the front-rear and up-down directions. The left contact portion 142D is fixed to the left wall 125 of the scanner base 76 while abutting against the left surface of the left wall 125.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 5, the FB cover 93 covers the platen glass 77 from above. The FB cover 93 is supported by the upper cover 78 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis along the left-right direction (see Fig. 6). The FB cover 93 is rotatable between a closed position in which it covers the platen glass 77 from above and an open position in which it exposes the platen glass 77 above.

[0050] The reading sensor 92 is disposed in an internal space 91A of the scanner housing 91. The reading sensor 92 is positioned below the platen glass 77 so as to face the platen glass 77. The reading sensor 92 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction between a standby position (the left end in FIG. 5) and a return position (the right end in FIG. 5). In the process of being moved from the standby position to the return position, the reading sensor 92 reads an image recorded on a document supported on the upper surface of the platen glass 77.

[0051] The front cover 52 closes the front opening 221 of the internal frame 51. As shown in FIG. 1, the front cover 52 constitutes the front surface of the housing 14. The front cover 52 is fixed to the front end of the internal frame 51 with screws. The front cover 52 has a flat plate shape that extends in the vertical and horizontal directions. The front cover 52 extends upward from the lower end of the internal frame 51 to the upper end of the front wall 121 of the scanner base 76. The front cover 52 defines an opening 13 that communicates with the storage space 51C from the front. A tank cover 161 is provided to the right of the front cover 52. The tank cover 161 is attached to the front end of the internal frame 51 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in the horizontal direction. The tank cover 161 is rotatable between a closed position that closes the tank storage space 51D and an open position that opens the tank storage space 51D.

[0052] The rear cover 53 closes the rear opening 222 of the internal frame 51. As shown in FIG. 1 , the rear cover 53 forms the rear surface of the housing 14. The rear cover 53 is fixed to the rear end of the internal frame 51 with screws. The rear cover 53 has a flat plate shape that extends in the vertical and horizontal directions. The rear cover 53 extends upward from the lower end of the internal frame 51 to the upper end of the rear wall 122 of the scanner base 76.

[0053] The right cover 54 closes the right opening 225 of the internal frame 51. As shown in FIG. 1, the right cover 54 constitutes the right surface of the housing 14. The right cover 54 is screwed to the right end 115 of the internal frame 51. The right cover 54 has a generally flat plate shape that extends in the up-down and front-to-back directions. As shown in FIG. 5, the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 is located slightly to the right of the right end 115 of the internal frame 51. The right cover 54 extends upward from the bottom end of the internal frame 51 to the top end of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76. In other words, the right cover 54 covers the entire right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 from the outside. This leaves a small right gap 211 between the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76. The right gap 211 is reduced by positioning the right abutment portion 142C of the upper cover 78 between the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76. The right cover 54 is an example of a side cover. It is sufficient that the right cover 54 covers at least a portion of the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 from the right side.

[0054] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the right cover 54 has a right engagement portion 215 extending leftward from its left surface. The right engagement portion 215 is located slightly forward of the center of the right cover 54 in the front-to-rear direction. The right engagement portion 215 is located at the top of the right cover 54. The right engagement portion 215 has a right recess 215A that is recessed downward. The right engagement portion 215 engages with the right engagement portion 131 of the bottom wall 123 of the scanner base 76 when the right engagement portion 131 is inserted from above into the right recess 215A. This positions the right cover 54 in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions.

[0055] The right cover 54 has an upper front rib 216 and an upper rear rib 217 that protrude leftward from its left surface. The upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 are positioned higher than the right engagement portion 215 and the right bottom rib 135. The upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 are positioned slightly lower than the lower end of the right abutment portion 142C. The left ends of the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 are close to the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76.

[0056] The upper front rib 216 is located forward of the center of the right cover 54 in the front-rear direction. The upper front rib 216 extends in the front-rear direction from a position overlapping with the front end of the right engagement portion 215 in the front-rear direction to the front end of the right cover 54. An upper surface 216A of the upper front rib 216 extends horizontally. The upper front rib 216 is an example of a second rib. The upper rear rib 217 is located rearward of the upper front rib 216 with a gap therebetween. The upper rear rib 217 extends in the front-rear direction from a position overlapping with the rear end of the right engagement portion 215 in the front-rear direction to the rear end of the right cover 54. An upper surface 217A of the upper rear rib 217 extends horizontally. The upper rear rib 217 is an example of a third rib.

[0057] The left cover 55 closes the left opening 226 of the internal frame 51. As shown in FIG. 1, the left cover 55 forms the left surface of the housing 14. The left cover 55 is screwed to the left end 116 of the internal frame 51. The left cover 55 has a generally flat plate shape that extends in the up-down and front-to-back directions. As shown in FIG. 5, the right surface 55A of the left cover 55 is located slightly to the left of the left end 116 of the internal frame 51. The left cover 55 extends upward from the bottom end of the internal frame 51 to the top end of the left wall 125 of the scanner base 76. This creates a small left gap 212 between the right surface 55A of the left cover 55 and the left surface 125A of the left wall 125 of the scanner base 76. The left abutment portion 142D of the upper cover 78 is positioned between the right surface 55A of the left cover 55 and the left surface 125A of the left wall 125 of the scanner base 76, thereby reducing the right gap 211. The left cover 55 is an example of a side cover.

[0058] The left cover 55 has an upper rib 151 that protrudes rightward from the right surface 55A. The upper rib 151 is located slightly below the lower end of the left abutment portion 142D. The upper rib 151 is located slightly above the lower end of the left bottom rib 191. The right end of the upper rib 151 is close to the left surface 191A of the left bottom rib 191. The upper rib 151 extends in the front-to-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the left cover 55. The upper rib 151 is an example of a second rib.

[0059] The left cover 55 has a left engagement portion 281 extending rightward from the right surface 55A. The left engagement portion 281 is located below the upper rib 151. The left engagement portion 281 is located slightly rearward of the center of the left cover 55 in the front-to-rear direction. The left engagement portion 281 has a left recess 281A that is recessed downward. The left engagement portion 281 engages with a convex left engaged portion 282 located at the left end of the inner frame 51 when the left engaged portion 282 is inserted from above into the left recess 281A. This positions the left cover 55 in the front-to-rear and up-down directions.

[0060] The components of the printer 11 are arranged below the scanner 90 in the storage space 51C of the internal frame 51. Specifically, the printer 11 includes a feed tray 20, a feed unit 16, a first conveying path 65, a recording unit 24, and a second conveying path 71.

[0061] [Feed Tray 20] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the feed tray 20 can be inserted into and removed from the storage space 51C of the internal frame 51 through the opening 13. When the feed tray 20 is attached to the internal frame 51, the lower opening 224 of the internal frame 51 is closed. Recording paper 12 is supported on the feed tray 20. The recording paper 12 is an example of a sheet. A discharge tray 21 is supported above the feed tray 20. The recording paper 12 on which an image has been recorded by a recording unit 24 (described later) is supported on the upper surface of the discharge tray 21. The discharge tray 21 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 14 through the opening 13 together with the feed tray 20.

[0062] [Feeding section 16] As shown in FIG. 2, the feed unit 16 is located above the feed tray 20 when inserted into the housing 14. The feed unit 16 is supported by a first support 104 disposed above the feed tray 20. The feed unit 16 includes a feed roller 25, a feed arm 26, a drive transmission mechanism 27, and a support shaft 28. The feed roller 25 is supported at the tip end of the feed arm 26. The feed arm 26 is rotatable in the direction of arrow 29 around the support shaft 28 provided at the base end. The support shaft 28 is supported by the first support 104, which will be described later. The feed roller 25 is capable of contacting and separating from the recording paper 12 supported by the feed tray 20.

[0063] The feed roller 25 rotates by receiving the driving force of a transport motor (not shown) via a drive transmission mechanism 27 made up of multiple meshed gears. As a result, of the recording sheets 12 supported on the feed tray 20, the uppermost recording sheet 12 in contact with the feed roller 25 is fed to the first transport path 65. The feed roller 25 may be rotated by receiving the driving force from a motor provided separately from the transport motor.

[0064] [First conveying path 65] Inside the housing 14, a first conveying path 65 extends from the rear end of the feed tray 20. The first conveying path 65 includes a curved portion 33 and a straight portion 34. The curved portion 33 extends while curving upward from the rear end of the feed tray 20, and is connected to the straight portion 34 behind a pair of conveying rollers 59, which will be described later. The straight portion 34 extends in the front-rear direction from the connection position with the curved portion 33 to a pair of reversing rollers 45, which will be described later.

[0065] The curved portion 33 is defined by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that face each other at a predetermined distance. The straight portion 34 is defined by the recording unit 24 and a platen 42 that face each other at a predetermined distance at the position where the recording unit 24 is disposed. The straight portion 34 is defined behind the recording unit 24 by a conveying roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The straight portion 34 is defined in front of the recording unit 24 by the platen 42, a discharge roller 62 and a spur roller 63 that face each other, a flap 49, and a reversing roller 67 and a spur roller 68 that face each other.

[0066] The recording paper 12 supported on the feed tray 20 is fed to the curved portion 33 by the feed roller 25, and is transported from the curved portion 33 to the straight portion 34 along the transport direction 15 indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 2.

[0067] [Records 24] The recording unit 24 is provided above the straight section 34. A platen 42 is located below the straight section 34 so as to face the recording unit 24 in the vertical direction. The platen 42 supports the recording paper 12 on the first transport path 65.

[0068] The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40 and a recording head 38. .tree The carriage 40 is supported by two guide rails 56, 57 spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The two guide rails 56, 57 are located rearward of the center of the inner frame 51 in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, the two guide rails 56, 57 are located rearward of the flat surface 123B on the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the two guide rails 56, 57 do not overlap with the flat surface 123B when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The two guide rails 56, 57 extend in the left-right direction from the right end to the left end of the inner frame 51. The two guide rails 56, 57 are supported at both left-right ends of the inner frame 51.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 11, the front guide rail 57 has a notch 138 at its right end that penetrates in the vertical direction. The notch 138 is a space formed by cutting the front guide rail 57 from the right end to the left. The notch 138 has a rectangular shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the vertical direction. The portion of the notch 138 to the right of the center in the left-to-right direction does not overlap with the carriage motor 181 (described later) when viewed from the vertical direction. As shown in FIGS. 6, 10, and 12, the notch 138 overlaps with the lower edge 136B of the right bottom rib 135 when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0070] The carriage 40 can be reciprocated in the left-right direction by a belt drive mechanism 171. As shown in FIG. 10, the belt drive mechanism 171 has a carriage motor 181, a drive pulley 182, a driven pulley 183, and a belt 184. The carriage motor 181 is fixed to the right end of the lower surface of the front guide rail 57. The drive shaft of the carriage motor 181 extends upward. As shown in FIG. 11, a portion of the carriage motor 181 overlaps with a portion of the cutout 138 that is to the left of the center in the left-right direction when viewed from above. The carriage motor 181 is an example of an electronic device. The front guide rail 57 is an example of a support plate.

[0071] The drive pulley 182 is rotatably supported at the right end on the upper surface of the front guide rail 57. A rotation shaft 182A of the drive pulley 182 extends in the vertical direction. The rotation shaft 182A of the drive pulley 182 is connected to the drive shaft of the carriage motor 181. The driven pulley 183 is rotatably supported at the left end on the upper surface of the front guide rail 57. A rotation shaft 183A of the driven pulley 183 extends in the vertical direction. A belt 184 is stretched over the drive pulley 182 and the driven pulley 183. A portion of the belt 184 is fixed to the carriage 40. As a result, the driving force of the carriage motor 181 is transmitted to the belt 184, allowing the carriage 40 to move back and forth in the left and right directions.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 2, the recording head 38 is mounted on the carriage 40. Ink is supplied to the recording head 38 from an ink tank 112. Nozzles 39 are formed on the underside of the recording head 38. When the carriage 40 moves left and right, the recording head 38 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 39 toward the platen 42. As a result, an image is recorded on the recording paper 12 that is transported along the straight section 34 in the transport direction 15 and supported by the platen 42.

[0073] [Transport roller pair 59, discharge roller pair 44, and reversing roller pair 45] A conveying roller pair 59 is arranged upstream of the recording unit 24 in the straight section 34 in the conveying direction 15. A discharge roller pair 44 is arranged downstream of the recording unit 24 in the straight section 34 in the conveying direction 15. A reversing roller pair 45 is arranged downstream of the discharge roller pair 44 in the straight section 34 in the conveying direction 15.

[0074] The conveying roller pair 59 includes a conveying roller 60 disposed below the straight portion 34 and a pinch roller 61 disposed above the straight portion 34 facing the conveying roller 60. The conveying roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 are rotatably supported by the internal frame 51. The conveying roller pair 59 can sandwich the recording paper 12 on the first conveying path 65. The discharge roller pair 44 includes a discharge roller 62 disposed below the straight portion 34 and a spur roller 63 disposed above the straight portion 34 facing the discharge roller 62. The discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63 are rotatably supported by the internal frame 51. The discharge roller pair 44 can sandwich the recording paper 12 on the first conveying path 65. The reversing roller pair 45 includes a reversing roller 67 disposed below the straight portion 34 and a spur roller 68 disposed above the straight portion 34 facing the reversing roller 67. The reversing roller 67 and the spur roller 68 are rotatably supported by the inner frame 51. The pair of reversing rollers 45 can hold the recording paper 12 on the first conveying path 65 between them.

[0075] The conveying roller 60, the discharge roller 62, and the reverse roller 67 rotate forward when a forward driving force of a motor (not shown) is transmitted thereto, and rotate reversely when a reverse driving force is transmitted thereto. The pinch roller 61 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the conveying roller 60. The spur roller 63 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the discharge roller 62. The spur roller 68 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the reverse roller 67.

[0076] When the rollers 60, 62, and 67 rotate forward while the recording paper 12 is sandwiched between the roller pairs 59, 44, and 45, the sandwiched recording paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 15. On the other hand, when the rollers 60, 62, and 67 rotate backward, the sandwiched recording paper 12 is transported in the direction opposite to the transport direction 15.

[0077] [Second conveying path 71] 2, the second conveying path 71 is a path that passes below the straight portion 34 and above the feed roller 25. The second conveying path 71 is a path that branches off from the straight portion 34 at a branching position 101 that is downstream of the discharge roller pair 44 in the conveying direction 15 and upstream of the reversing roller pair 45 in the conveying direction 15. The second conveying path 71 is a path that merges with the curved portion 33 at a merging position 102 that is upstream of the conveying roller pair 59 in the conveying direction 15.

[0078] The second transport path 71 is defined by the flap 49 , the second support 105 , the lower surface 50 of the platen 42 , the upper surface 120 of the first support 104 , and the lower surface 19 A of the inner guide member 19 .

[0079] [Re-conveying roller pair 30] As shown in FIG. 2, the re-conveyance roller pair 30 is located on the second conveyance path 71. The re-conveyance roller pair 30 includes a re-conveyance roller 22 disposed below the second conveyance path 71, and a driven roller 23 disposed above the second conveyance path 71 facing the re-conveyance roller 22. The re-conveyance roller 22 is rotatably supported by a first support 104. The re-conveyance roller 22 is driven by a conveyance motor (not shown). The driven roller 23 is rotatably supported by a platen 42. The driven roller 23 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the re-conveyance roller 22. When the re-conveyance roller 22 rotates forward while the recording paper 12 is sandwiched between the re-conveyance roller pair 30, the sandwiched recording paper 12 is conveyed in a reverse conveyance direction 106.

[0080] [Flap 49] The flap 49 is located between the discharge roller pair 44 and the reversing roller pair 45 in the straight section 34. The flap 49 is located at a branch position 101. The flap 49 is configured to be rotatable between a first state and a second state. The first state is a state in which the flap 49 blocks the first conveying path 65. The second state (the state shown in FIG. 2) is a state in which the recording paper 12 conveyed in the conveying direction 15 passes through the straight section 34. The flap 49 is maintained in the first state by being biased upward by a coil spring (not shown).

[0081] [First support 104] The first support 104 is positioned between the platen 42 and the feed tray 20 in the vertical direction. The first support 104 has a box shape. The first support 104 is supported by the internal frame 51. An upper surface 120 of the first support 104 faces the lower surface 50 of the platen 42 and the lower surface 19A of the inner guide member 19, and defines a portion of the lower side of the second transport path 71.

[0082] [Second support 105] The second support 105 is located in front of the first support 104. The second support 105 faces the lower surface of the flap 49 and defines a part of the lower side of the second transport path 71.

[0083] [Double-sided image recording] Double-sided image recording is a process in which images are recorded on both the first side of the recording paper 12 and the second side opposite to the first side.

[0084] When double-sided image recording is instructed, the feed roller 25 rotates and sends the recording paper 12 from the feed tray 20 to the first conveying path 65. After passing through the curved portion 33 of the first conveying path 65, the recording paper 12 is conveyed along the straight portion 34 in the conveying direction 15 while being held between the pair of conveying rollers 59. Ink is ejected from the recording head 38 onto the first side (upper surface) of the recording paper 12 supported by the platen 42, thereby recording an image on the first side of the recording paper 12. After image recording is performed on the recording paper 12 conveyed along the straight portion 34 in the conveying direction 15 while being held between the pair of discharge rollers 44, the recording paper 12 comes into contact with the flap 49 in the first position. The flap 49 is pressed down against the biasing force of the coil spring 86 due to its contact with the recording paper 12. As a result, the flap 49 rotates to the second position.

[0085] The recording paper 12 that has passed the flap 49 is held by the reversing roller 67 and transported in the transport direction 15, and when the rear end of the recording paper 12 passes the flap 49, the flap 49 rotates from the second state to the first state.

[0086] Thereafter, when the reversing roller 67 is switched from forward rotation to reverse rotation, the reversing roller pair 45 transports the recording paper 12 in the direction opposite to the transport direction 15. The recording paper 12 transported in the direction opposite to the transport direction 15 is guided by the flap 49 in the first state and enters the second transport path 71.

[0087] The recording paper 12 that enters the second conveyance path 71 is further conveyed in the reverse conveyance direction 106 by the re-conveyance roller pair 30. The recording paper 12 that has been conveyed in the reverse conveyance direction 106 along the second conveyance path 71 passes through the junction position 102 and is conveyed again along the curved portion 33 in the conveyance direction 15. The recording paper 12 then reaches the conveyance roller pair 59. When the rollers 60, 62, and 67 are switched from reverse rotation to forward rotation, the recording paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 15 by the conveyance roller pair 59 and reaches below the recording unit 24. At this time, the second side of the recording paper 12 faces the recording head 38. The recording head 38 ejects ink onto the second side of the recording paper 12 to record an image. The recording paper 12, with images recorded on both sides, is then conveyed in the conveyance direction 15 by the discharge roller pair 44 and the reversal roller pair 45 and discharged to the discharge tray 21. When an image is recorded only on the first side of the recording paper 12, the reversing roller 67 continues to rotate in the forward direction without being switched to reverse rotation. As a result, the pair of reversing rollers 45 conveys the recording paper 12 in the conveying direction 15 and discharges it onto the discharge tray 21.

[0088] [Effects of the embodiment] In the multifunction peripheral 10, the right cover 54 covers the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 from the outside, so as shown in FIG. 7 , a small right gap 211 is formed between the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76. For this reason, for example, if a liquid such as coffee spills into the multifunction peripheral 10 from above, the liquid may enter the right gap 211. The liquid that enters the right gap 211 flows down due to gravity along the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 and the left surface 54A of the right cover 54. The liquid that reaches the lower end of the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 attempts to move toward the inside of the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 of the scanner base 76 due to surface tension. However, the right bottom rib 135, which protrudes downward from the boundary 175 between the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124, prevents the liquid from moving inward toward the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123, causing the liquid to fall downward from the right bottom rib 135 due to gravity. As a result, the position to which the liquid falls is controlled by the right bottom rib 135, and the liquid is less likely to adhere to components of the printer 11 located below the scanner 90 (e.g., the carriage motor 181). Because the right bottom rib 135 only protrudes downward from the boundary 175 between the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124, the size of the multifunction device 10 is reduced compared to a configuration in which, for example, liquid that has entered the right gap 211 is guided to the outside of the multifunction device 10 via a drainage path.

[0089] In the multifunction peripheral 10, the lower surface of the large rib 136 in the right bottom rib 135 has an inclined surface 136A that slopes downward toward the rear, as shown in FIG. 6 . The inclined surface 136A has a lower edge 136B located at the lowest point. Therefore, when liquid that falls along the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 reaches the large rib 136, the liquid moves rearward along the inclined surface 136A and then falls from the lower edge 136B due to gravity. This makes it easy to control the position where the liquid falls in the front-to-rear direction.

[0090] In the multifunction device 10, the portion of the cutout 138 to the right of the center in the front-to-rear direction does not overlap with the carriage motor 181 in a top-to-bottom view, as shown in FIG. 6, 10, and 12. The right portion of the cutout 138 overlaps with the lower edge 136B of the large rib 136 in a top-to-bottom view. Liquid that falls due to gravity from the lower edge 136B of the right bottom rib 135 passes through the right portion of the cutout 138, and therefore falls without adhering to the guide rail 57 or the carriage motor 181, even if the guide rail 57 and the carriage motor 181 are located below the scanner housing 91. This makes it less likely that the carriage motor 181 will be damaged by liquid.

[0091] In the multifunction peripheral 10, the right engaged portion 131 located on the bottom wall 123 of the scanner base 76 is inserted from above into the right recess 215A of the right engaging portion 215 located on the left surface 54A of the right cover 54, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the right engaging portion 215 engages with the right engaged portion 131. This positions the right cover 54 in the front-to-rear and up-down directions. As shown in Fig. 6, the periphery of the right engaged portion 131 on the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 is a flat surface 123B that is continuous with the right surface 124A of the right wall 124. In other words, the right edge of the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 where the right engaged portion 131 is located does not have a right bottom rib 135. Therefore, liquid flowing down along the right surface of right wall 124 of scanner base 76 may move from a portion of right surface 124A of right wall 124 adjacent to flat surface 123B to flat surface 123B. In multifunction peripheral 10, flat surface 123B does not overlap with guide rails 56, 57 when viewed from above and below, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, so even if liquid falls from flat surface 123B, the liquid does not adhere to guide rails 56, 57 or carriage motor 181. Therefore, carriage motor 181 is less likely to be damaged by liquid.

[0092] 6, in the multifunction device 10, the small ribs 137 of the right bottom rib 135 are continuous so as to surround the periphery of the right engaged portion 131 on the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123. Therefore, the small ribs 137 prevent the liquid that has moved from the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 to the flat surface 123B due to surface tension from moving further inward of the bottom wall 123.

[0093] 7 and 8, the right cover 54 has an upper front rib 216 and an upper rear rib 217 that protrude leftward from the left surface 54A. The left ends of the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 are close to the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76. Therefore, the right gap 211 between the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 and the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 is narrowed by the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217. Therefore, even if liquid enters the right gap 211, the amount of liquid flowing downward from the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 is small.

[0094] In the multifunction device 10, the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 are positioned with a gap in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, liquid that has entered the right gap 211 tends to fall between the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217. Therefore, the position where the liquid falls can be easily controlled in the front-to-rear direction.

[0095] 7 , in the multifunction peripheral 10, the right abutment portion 142C of the upper cover 78 abutting against the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 is located between the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 and the left surface 54A of the right cover 54. Therefore, the right gap 211 between the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 and the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 is narrowed by the right abutment portion 142C, making it difficult for liquid to enter the right gap 211. Even if liquid does enter the right gap 211, the liquid will gently flow down along the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76.

[0096] [Variations] In the multifunction device 10, the inclined surface 136A of the large rib 136 of the right bottom rib 135 is inclined so as to extend downward toward the rear, but it may be inclined so as to extend downward toward the front. The large rib 136 may be omitted. In this case, the small rib 137 of the right bottom rib 135 may extend in the front-to-rear direction from the front end to the rear end at the boundary 175 between the lower surface 123A of the bottom wall 123 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124.

[0097] In the multifunction device 10, the large rib 136 has an inclined surface 136A that slopes downward toward the rear, but it may also have a rectangular shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction, as shown in Fig. 13. Specifically, the large rib 136 may have a lower surface 136C that extends along the front-to-rear direction, and vertical surfaces 136D, 136D that are connected to both ends of the lower surface 136C in the front-to-rear direction and extend along the up-down direction. In this way, liquid that reaches the large rib 136 tends to fall downward by gravity from a corner 137D where the lower surface 136C and the vertical surface 136D connect, making it easier to control the position where the liquid falls.

[0098] In the multifunction device 10, the portion of the cutout 138 to the left of the center in the left-right direction overlaps with the carriage motor 181 when viewed from above, as shown in Fig. 11 , but it does not have to overlap with the carriage motor 181 when viewed from above. In other words, the entire cutout 138 does not have to overlap with the carriage motor 181 when viewed from above. Also, the cutout 138 may be omitted.

[0099] 7, the right engaging portion 215 of the right cover 54 engages with the right engaged portion 131 located on the underside 123A of the bottom wall 123 of the scanner base 76 by inserting the right engaged portion 131 from above into the right recess 215A. However, the present invention is not limited to this as long as the right cover 54 can be positioned in the front-to-rear and up-down directions. For example, the right engaging portion 215 extending leftward from the left side 54A of the right cover 54 may be inserted into a recess of the right engaged portion 131 that opens rightward to engage with the right engaged portion 131. Also, the right engaging portion 215 and the right engaged portion 131 may be omitted.

[0100] In the multifunction device 10, one large rib 136 is provided on the right bottom rib 135, but two or more large ribs 136 may be positioned side by side in the front-to-rear direction. In FIG. 14, two large ribs 136 are aligned side by side in the front-to-rear direction. The front large rib 136 has an inclined surface 136A that slopes downward toward the front. This makes it easier for liquid to fall from the lower edge 136B of the inclined surface 136A of each large rib 136, making it easier to control the fall position of liquid that has entered the right gap 211 between the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0101] In the multifunction peripheral 10, the upper surface 216A of the upper front rib 216 extends horizontally. However, as shown in FIG. 15 , it may be inclined relative to the front-to-rear direction so as to extend downward toward the rear. In this case, the upper surface 217A of the upper rear rib 217 may be inclined relative to the front-to-rear direction so as to extend downward toward the front. In this way, liquid that has entered the right gap 211 between the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 and the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 tends to flow in the front-to-rear direction along the upper surfaces 217A of the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217, and therefore tends to fall from between the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217. This makes it easier to control the position where the liquid falls.

[0102] In the multifunction peripheral 10, the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 extend leftward from the left surface 54A of the right cover 54. However, as shown in FIG. 16 , they may extend rightward from the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76. In this case, the right ends of the upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 may be adjacent to the left surface 54A of the right cover 54. The upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 may be spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction. The upper surface 216A of the upper front rib 216 may extend horizontally or may be inclined relative to the front-to-rear direction so as to slope downward toward the rear. The upper surface 217A of the upper rear rib 217 may extend horizontally or may be inclined relative to the front-to-rear direction so as to slope downward toward the front. The upper front rib 216 and the upper rear rib 217 may also be omitted.

[0103] In the multifunction device 10, the right cover 54 has the upper rear rib 217 positioned rearward of the upper front rib 216 with a gap therebetween, but the upper rear rib 217 may be continuous with the upper front rib 216.

[0104] In the multifunction peripheral 10, the right contact portion 142C of the top cover 78 of the scanner housing 91 is located between the right surface 124A of the right wall 124 of the scanner base 76 and the left surface 54A of the right cover 54 and is fixed to the right surface 124A of the right wall 124, but it may also be fixed to the left surface of the right wall 124. Also, the top cover 78 may be omitted. In this case, the scanner base 76 and the platen glass 77 may be integrally connected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10. Multifunction printer (image recording device) 11. Printer 12. Recording paper (sheet) 51 Internal frame (printer housing) 54 Right cover (side cover) 57 Guide rail (support plate) 76···Scanner base 77 Platen Glass 78···Top cover 90···Scanner 91 Scanner housing 123A...Bottom surface 123B...Flat surface 124A...Right side (side) 131...Right engaged part (engaged part) 135 Right bottom rib (first rib) 136A...Slope surface 136B···Bottom edge 136C...bottom surface 136D...Vertical surface 141 Glass contact portion (first contact portion) 142C...Right contact part (second contact part) 175...boundary 181 Carriage motor (electronic equipment) 215 Right engagement part (engagement part) 216···Upper front rib (second rib) 216A...Top surface 217···Upper rear rib (third rib) 217A...Top surface 225 Right opening (opening)

Claims

1. a printer for recording an image on a sheet; a scanner for reading an image of the sheet, The above printer is a printer housing that is open on at least one of the left and right sides; a side cover that closes the opening of the printer housing, the scanner has a scanner housing supported on top of the printer housing; the side cover covers at least a portion of a side surface of the scanner housing; The scanner housing has a first rib that protrudes downward from the boundary between the side surface and the bottom surface of the image recording apparatus.

2. The first rib extends in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, a lower surface of the first rib has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface has a lower edge positioned at the lowest position.

3. the first rib has a lower surface extending along a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and a vertical surface extending along a top-bottom direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface and the vertical surface are connected to each other.

4. a support plate positioned below the scanner housing in the interior space of the printer housing and supporting an electronic device; the support plate has a notch that penetrates along the vertical direction and does not overlap with the electronic device when viewed from the vertical direction; 3. The image recording device according to claim 2, wherein the notch overlaps with the lower edge when viewed from above.

5. The side cover has an engaging portion extending in the left-right direction, The scanner housing is an engaged portion located on the lower surface and engaging with the engaging portion; a flat surface located around the engaged portion on the lower surface, where the first rib is not located and which is continuous with the side surface, The image recording device according to claim 4 , wherein the flat surface does not overlap the support plate when viewed from above.

6. a plurality of the inclined surfaces are positioned in the front-rear direction, 3. The image recording device according to claim 2, wherein the lower edge is located on each of the inclined surfaces.

7. 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the side cover has a second rib located above the first rib and protruding in the left-right direction from an inner surface of the side cover.

8. 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the scanner housing has a second rib located above the first rib and protruding in the left-right direction from the side surface of the scanner housing.

9. 9. The image recording device according to claim 7, wherein the upper surface of the second rib is inclined relative to the front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction so as to extend downward in one direction in the front-rear direction.

10. the side cover has a third rib located on one side of the second rib in the front-rear direction at an interval and protruding from an inner surface of the side cover in the left-right direction, 10. The image recording device according to claim 9, wherein an upper surface of the third rib is inclined relative to the front-rear direction so as to extend downward toward the other side in the front-rear direction.

11. the scanner housing has a third rib located on one side of the second rib in the front-rear direction with a gap therebetween and protruding from the side surface in the left-right direction; 10. The image recording device according to claim 9, wherein an upper surface of the third rib is inclined relative to the front-rear direction so as to extend downward toward the other side in the front-rear direction.

12. The scanner housing is a scanner base that is open upward and has the side surface and the bottom surface; a platen glass located inside the scanner base; an upper cover attached to the scanner base with a portion of the platen glass exposed; The above upper cover is a first contact portion that contacts the platen glass; 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second contact portion positioned between the side surface and the inner surface of the side cover, the second contact portion contacting the side surface.

Images