Recording apparatus

The recording device addresses the challenge of jammed sheets by using movable guide members and a tray system to create a spacious access point and stabilize sheet transport, facilitating easy and stable jam removal.

JP2026013289APending Publication Date: 2026-01-28BROTHER KOGYO KK
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024113636
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-07-16
Publication Date
2026-01-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing printers face difficulties in accessing and removing jammed sheets due to support mechanisms that narrow the opening space and overlapping conveyance paths, making it hard to clear paper jams effectively.

Method used

A recording device with movable guide members and a tray system that allows for a larger access opening and stable sheet transport, featuring a guide member that rotates and engages with the housing to facilitate easy jam removal, and a biasing mechanism to stabilize the guide member during sheet feeding.

Benefits of technology

Enables easy and stable removal of jammed sheets by providing a spacious access point and preventing rattling during sheet transport, enhancing user convenience and operational stability.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a recording device capable of easily removing a jammed sheet.SOLUTION: A multifunction machine 10 includes a housing 14, a first guide member 54 defining a first conveyance path 65 in the housing 14, and a rear rotation unit 74 defining a second conveyance path 71 below the first guide member 54. The second conveyance path 71 is connected to the first conveyance path 65 at the downstream position and the upstream position of the first conveyance path 65, and the first guide member 54 is movable between the first position at which the recording sheet 12 is guided and the second position positioned below the first position by the rotation of the downstream side of the first guide member 54 in the conveyance direction 15 around the shaft 31. The rear rotation unit 74 is movable between the third position at which the recording sheet 12 is guided along the second conveyance path 71 and the fourth position at which the second conveyance path 71 is opened, by the upstream portion of the rear rotation unit 74 in the conveyance direction 15 being rotated about the second rotation shaft 43, and the rear rotation unit 74 at the third position has the engagement portion 84 which protrudes from the rear rotation unit 74 along the direction parallel to the second rotation shaft 43 and which is engaged with the casing 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recording device capable of recording an image on a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a printer equipped with a platen unit. The platen unit supports recording paper transported through a main body transport path. The platen unit is supported so that it can rotate up and down in the printer around the upstream end in the paper transport direction. The platen unit is movable between a print execution position and an open position that is farther away from the print head than the print execution position, allowing easy access to areas where paper jams may occur. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-16598 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The printer described in Patent Document 1 requires a support mechanism inside the housing to fix the platen unit in the print execution position and to make it movable to the open position. For example, a support mechanism is envisioned that supports the platen unit from below when it is rotated to the print execution position. In this case, the support mechanism is positioned near the opening space to support the rotating tip of the platen unit. This narrows the opening space even when the platen is open, making it difficult for the user to remove jammed recording paper.

[0005] Furthermore, if the reversing conveyance path is positioned so that it overlaps the main conveyance path vertically, it is assumed that a member for supporting the recording paper on the reversing conveyance path will be provided. In this case, the space below the reversing conveyance path will be further reduced, making it more difficult for the user to secure space to remove recording paper jammed in the main conveyance path and the reversing conveyance path.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a recording device that allows jammed sheets to be easily removed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) A recording device according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a first guide member located within the housing and defining a first transport path, and a second guide member located below the first guide member and defining a second transport path. The second conveying path is connected to the first conveying path at a downstream position downstream in the conveying direction of the first conveying path and an upstream position upstream, and the first guide member is movable between a first position where it guides a sheet conveyed through the first conveying path and a second position located lower than the first position by rotating the downstream side of the first conveying path in the conveying direction from the first pivot shaft around a first pivot shaft, and the second guide member is movable between a third position where it guides a sheet conveyed through the second conveying path and a fourth position where it opens the second conveying path by rotating the upstream side of the second conveying path in the conveying direction from the second pivot shaft around a second pivot shaft, and when positioned at the third position, the second guide member has an engaging portion that protrudes from the second guide member along a direction parallel to the second pivot shaft and engages with the housing.

[0008] The engaging portion is a mechanism that protrudes from the second guide member in a direction parallel to the second rotation shaft and engages with the housing. This allows the engaging portion and its movable range to be compact in the vertical and front-to-rear directions. This allows the opening for accessing the second transport path to be relatively large in the vertical direction, making it easier for the user to remove jammed sheets.

[0009] (2) The recording device further includes a tray that supports sheets, a feed roller that transports the sheets supported on the tray to the first transport path, and an arm that rotatably supports the feed roller at one end and is connected to the second guide member at the other end and is rotatable around an axis parallel to the second rotation shaft. The engagement portion is movable between a release position where it is disengaged from the housing and an engagement position where it is engaged with the housing, the second guide member further has a biasing member that biases the engagement portion toward the engagement position, the housing has an abutment surface that abuts against the engagement portion biased by the biasing member, and a restricting portion that restricts movement of the second guide member at the third position above the third position and in a direction away from the second rotation shaft, and the abutment surface is inclined downwardly of the engagement portion as it approaches the second guide member.

[0010] Even if the feeding arm is subjected to a load due to the feeding of sheets, the second guide member located at the third position can be prevented from rattling upward and away from the second pivot shaft, thereby stabilizing the feeding and transport of sheets.

[0011] (3) The regulating portion is located on the surface of the housing facing the second guide member and is an abutting piece that abuts against a protruding piece that protrudes from the second guide member in a direction along the second pivot axis, and the abutting piece is located above the protruding piece and away from the second pivot axis when the second guide member is located in the third position.

[0012] (4) The second guide member has a wall portion having an inner surface that expands around the second rotating shaft in a direction along the second rotating shaft, and the wall portion has a shape in which a linear portion is interposed between two semicircular shapes when viewed from a direction along the second rotating shaft, and a portion of the semicircular shape is cut out, and the diameter of the semicircular shape in the wall portion is larger than the maximum dimension in the radial direction of the second rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft has a shape in which a portion of the circular outer periphery is cut out when viewed from a direction along the second rotating shaft so that the portion cut out in the wall portion can be inserted.

[0013] The second guide member is supported in a state where it is loose relative to the second pivot shaft, so that in a mechanism that receives a load from the feed arm due to sheet feeding, the second guide member can be smoothly rotated relative to the housing without requiring high assembly precision.

[0014] (5) The engaging portion has an inclined surface that faces upward and in the direction urged by the urging member when located at the third position, and the inclined surface abuts against the housing when the second guide member moves from the fourth position to the third position, guiding the engaging portion toward the release position against the urging force of the urging member.

[0015] When moving the second guide member from the fourth position to the third position, the user can feel the urging force of the urging member acting on the inclined surface gradually increase, making it easy for the user to recognize whether the second guide member is at the third position even when the position of the second guide member is not visible.

[0016] (6) The engaging portions are located on one side and the other side of the second guide member along the second rotation shaft, and the biasing member biases the respective engaging portions toward the engaging positions.

[0017] Since the second guide member is supported by the housing at the two engaging portions, the second guide member is less likely to tilt with respect to the second rotation shaft, and therefore the sheet can be stably transported in the second transport path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present disclosure, jammed sheets can be easily removed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [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 vertical cross-sectional view showing the printer unit 11. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a part of the housing 14 positioned opposite the rear turning unit 74 in the third position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the engagement portion 84 positioned inside the rear turning unit 74 in the third position, as viewed from the front. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the engaging portion 84 shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6A is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the rear turning unit 74 is turnably supported, and FIG. 6B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the second turning shaft 43 is detached from the wall portion 318. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the first guide member 54 positioned at the first position and the rear turning unit 74 at the third position. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the first guide member 54 in the first position when the positioning thereof is released, and the rear turning unit 74 in the third position. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the engaging portion 84 in the release position together with the housing 14. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view showing the rear turning unit 74 in the fourth position together with the contact piece 301 and the protruding piece 319. As shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the inclined surface 324 of the engagement portion 84 abuts against the edge portion 305. As shown in FIG. [Figure 12] Figure 12(A) is a schematic diagram showing the protruding piece 319a and the abutting piece 301a of the multifunction device 10 of variant example 1 when the rear rotating unit 74 is in the third position, and Figure 12(B) is a schematic diagram showing the rear rotating unit 74 when it is in the fourth position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] 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 of FIG. 1 in which the multifunction device 10 is installed so that it can be used, the front-rear direction is defined with the side where the opening 13 is provided as the front side, and the left-right direction is defined when looking at the multifunction device 10 from the front side.

[0021] [Overall structure of the multifunction device 10] As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 is generally formed in the shape of a thin rectangular parallelepiped, with a printer unit 11 provided at the bottom. The multifunction device 10 is an example of a recording device. The multifunction device 10 has various functions such as a print function, a facsimile function, and a copy function. As the print function, 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.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer unit 11 has a housing 14 with an opening 13 formed in a front surface 75. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 14 has a first transport path 65 and a second transport path 71 inside. The housing 14 is, for example, an exterior cover that houses each component of the printer unit 11 in its internal space. The printer unit 11 includes a feed tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a feed unit 16, a recording unit 24, a pair of transport rollers 59, a pair of discharge rollers 44, a pair of reversing rollers 45, a pair of re-transport rollers 30, a flap 49, a first guide member 54, and a rear turning unit 74. The feed tray 20 is an example of a tray, and the rear turning unit 74 is an example of a second guide member.

[0023] 3 shows a portion of the housing 14 located outside the rear turning unit 74 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 14 has an abutment surface 300, an abutment piece 301, and a second turning shaft 43. The abutment piece 301 is an example of a restricting portion.

[0024] The contact surface 300 presses the engaging portion 84 upward from below to prevent the engaging portion 84 from shifting relative to the main body portion 320, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 4, the contact surfaces 300 are located on the left and right sides of the housing 14. The contact surface 300 located on the left side of the housing 14 and the contact surface 300 located on the right side have symmetrical shapes with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and at the center of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction. The following describes the contact surface 300 located on the right side of the housing 14, and a description of the left side will be omitted. Similarly, a description of the overlapping portions on the left side of the contact piece 301 and the second pivot shaft 43 will be omitted.

[0025] The housing 14 has an opposing surface 303 that faces a side surface 302 facing the left-right direction of the rear turning unit 74 in the third position, which guides the recording paper 12 transported through the first transport path 65. The abutment surface 300 is located on the opposing surface 303. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the opposing surface 303 has a recess 304 that opens upward and inward in the left-right direction and faces the engagement portion 84 when the rear turning unit 74 is in the third position. The abutment surface 300 is located within the recess 304. The abutment surface 300 faces upward and inward in the left-right direction and is inclined downward from the engagement portion 84 as it approaches the rear turning unit 74 in the third position. An edge 305 is located at the lower end of the recess 304.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the abutment piece 301 is located on the opposing surface 303. In this embodiment, the abutment piece 301 abuts against a protruding piece 319 that protrudes from the rear pivot unit 74. The abutment piece 301 is located rearward of the recess 304. The abutment piece 301 has a rearward surface 307 that faces rearward and a downward surface 308 that faces downward. The rearward surface 307 is a surface that extends in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The downward surface 308 is a surface that extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The rearward surface 307 is continuous at its upper end with the front end of the downward surface 308.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the second rotating shaft 43 is a shaft that rotatably supports the rear turning unit 74. The second rotating shafts 43 are located on the left and right sides of the housing 14. The second rotating shafts 43 are located rearward of the abutment pieces 301. The second rotating shafts 43 extend inward along the left-right direction from a position that is outward in the left-right direction from the side surface 302 of the rear turning unit 74. When viewed from the left-right direction, the second rotating shaft 43 has a circular shape with a portion of the outer periphery cut out. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(A), when viewed from the left-right direction, the second rotating shaft 43 has a shape surrounded by two arc-shaped arc portions 310 and two parallel linear portions 311.

[0028] [Feed Tray 20] 1 and 2, the feed tray 20 can be inserted into the housing 14 through the opening 13 and can be removed from the housing 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the feed tray 20 supports recording paper 12. The discharge tray 21 is supported above the feed tray 20. The upper surface of the discharge tray 21 supports recording paper 12 on which an image has been recorded by a recording unit 24, which will be described later. The discharge tray 21 can be inserted into the housing 14 through the opening 13 together with the feed tray 20 and can be removed from the housing 14.

[0029] 2, where the feed tray 20 is inserted into the housing 14, and a removal position where the feed tray 20 is removed from the housing 14. In conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 20 from the removal position to the insertion position, a slider (not shown) moves from the front position to the rear position. In conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 20 from the insertion position to the removal position, a slider (not shown) moves from the rear position to the front position.

[0030] [Feeding section 16] As shown in FIG. 2, the feed unit 16 is located above the feed tray 20 in the insertion position. The feed unit 16 is supported by the rear pivot unit 74. 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 pivotally supported at the tip of the feed arm 26. The feed arm 26 is rotatable around the support shaft 28 provided at the base end. The feed arm 26 rotates around an axis parallel to the second pivot shaft 43. This allows the feed roller 25 to come into contact with and separate from the recording paper 12 supported by the feed tray 20.

[0031] The feed roller 25 rotates by transmitting the driving force of a transport motor (not shown) through 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.

[0032] [First conveying path 65] 2, in the internal space of 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 upward while curving 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.

[0033] 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 at the position where the recording unit 24 is arranged by a nozzle surface 89 of the recording unit 24, a first guide surface 52 positioned opposite the nozzle surface 89, and an upper surface 80 of the flap 49. 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.

[0034] [Records 24] The recording unit 24 is located downstream of the transport rollers 60 and upstream of the discharge rollers 62 in the transport direction 15. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40 and a recording head 38. The recording head 38 is mounted on the carriage 40. Ink is supplied to the recording head 38 from an ink cartridge (not shown). 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 first guide member 54. This causes an image to be recorded on the recording paper 12 that has been transported along the straight portion 34 in the transport direction 15 and is supported by the first guide member 54.

[0035] [Pair of conveying rollers 59, pair of discharge rollers 44, and pair of reversing rollers 45] 2, a conveying roller pair 59 is arranged upstream of the recording unit 24 in the conveying direction 15 in the straight section 34. A discharge roller pair 44 is arranged downstream of the recording unit 24 in the conveying direction 15 in the straight section 34. A reversing roller pair 45 is arranged downstream of the discharge roller pair 44 in the straight section 34 in the conveying direction 15.

[0036] The conveying roller pair 59 includes a conveying roller 60 arranged below the straight portion 34 and a pinch roller 61 arranged above the straight portion 34 opposite the conveying roller 60. The discharge roller pair 44 includes a discharge roller 62 arranged below the straight portion 34 and a spur roller 63 arranged above the straight portion 34 opposite the discharge roller 62. The reversing roller pair 45 includes a reversing roller 67 arranged below the straight portion 34 and a spur roller 68 arranged above the straight portion 34 opposite the reversing roller 67.

[0037] The pinch roller 61 is biased toward the conveying roller 60 by a coil spring (not shown), so that the pair of conveying rollers 59 can nip the recording paper 12 .

[0038] The conveying roller 60, the discharge roller 62, and the reverse roller 67 rotate forward when a forward driving force from 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.

[0039] When the rollers 60, 62, and 67 rotate forward while the recording paper 12 is nipped between the roller pairs 59, 44, and 45, the nipped recording paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 15. On the other hand, when the rollers 60, 62, and 67 rotate backward, the nipped recording paper 12 is transported in the opposite direction to the transport direction 15.

[0040] [First guide member 54] As shown in FIG. 2, the first guide member 54 is located downstream of the conveying rollers 60 and upstream of the discharge rollers 62 in the conveying direction 15, below the first conveying path 65. The first guide member 54 has a conveying path component 42 and a pressure receiving member 55. The conveying path component 42 has a first guide surface 52 that defines the first conveying path 65. The first guide member 54 is movable between a first position where the first guide surface 52 guides the recording paper 12 conveyed through the first conveying path 65, and a second position that is located downward and away from the first position. When the first guide member 54 is in the first position, the conveying path component 42 and the pressure receiving member 55 are each positioned.

[0041] The transport path component 42 is supported rotatably around the shaft 31 of the transport roller 60. The transport path component 42 has an upstream end in the transport direction 15 supported by the shaft 31. The upward surface of the transport path component 42 faces the nozzle surface 89 of the recording unit 24 from below, with the straight portion 34 in between.

[0042] The pressure receiving member 55 has a connecting portion (not shown), and the connecting portion is loosely fitted into a connected portion (not shown) of the transport path component 42. The pressure receiving member 55 has a second guide surface 50 and a pinch roller 23.

[0043] When the first guide member 54 moves from the first position to the second position, its downstream end in the conveying direction 15 enters the second conveying path 71. When the first guide member 54 is in the second position, its downstream end in the conveying direction 15 is at the lowest position. The first guide member 54 in the second position is supported by a rear pivot unit 74 in a fourth position, which will be described later. When the slider is in the forward position, the first guide member 54 is positioned at the first position. When the first guide member 54 moves to the slider rear position, the support is released and the first guide member 54 moves away from the first position.

[0044] [Second conveying path 71] As shown in FIG. 2 , the second transport path 71 is a path that passes below the straight portion 34 and above the feed roller 25. The second transport path 71 is located on the opposite side of the straight portion 34 in the up-down direction with respect to the discharge roller 62. The second transport path 71 is located upstream of the pair of reversing rollers 45 in the transport direction 15 and downstream of the pair of discharge rollers 44 in the transport direction 15, and is a path that branches off from the straight portion 34 at a downstream position 101 that is downstream in the transport direction. The second transport path 71 is also a path that merges with the curved portion 33 at an upstream position 102 that is upstream of the pair of transport rollers 59 in the transport direction 15. The second transport path 71 is defined by the lower surface of a flap 49, the lower surface of a first guide member 54, and the upper surface of a rear rotating unit 74, which will be described later. In the second transport path 71, the recording paper 12 is transported in a reverse transport direction 106. The reverse conveying direction 106 is a direction from the downstream position 101 to the upstream position 102 on the second conveying path 71, and is indicated by a dashed line in FIG.

[0045] [Re-conveying roller pair 30] As shown in FIG. 2 , the re-conveying roller pair 30 is located in the second conveying path 71. The re-conveying roller pair 30 is located behind the discharge roller pair 44 in the front-rear direction. The re-conveying roller pair 30 includes a re-conveying roller 22 arranged below the second conveying path 71 and a pinch roller 23 arranged above the second conveying path 71 to face the re-conveying roller 22. The re-conveying roller 22 is arranged in a rear turning unit 74 (described later). The pinch roller 23 is arranged in the first guide member 54 (described above). The re-conveying roller 22 is driven by a motor (not shown). The pinch roller 23 is supported by the first guide member 54, and a portion of its outer circumferential surface protrudes from the second guide surface 50. The pinch roller 23 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the re-conveying roller 22. The re-conveying roller 22 is supported by the rear turning unit 74, and a portion of its outer circumferential surface protrudes from the third guide surface 76. The re-conveying roller 22 nip the recording paper 12 together with the pinch roller 23. The re-conveying roller 22 rotates forward regardless of whether the driving force of the motor is forward or reverse. When the re-conveying roller 22 rotates forward while the recording paper 12 is nipped between the re-conveying roller pair 30, the nipped recording paper 12 is transported in the reverse transport direction 106.

[0046] [Flap 49] 2, the flap 49 is located between the discharge roller pair 44 and the reversing roller pair 45 in the straight section 34. When the flap 49 is located in the first state, it guides the recording paper 12 downstream in the conveying direction 15 in the first conveying path 65. When the recording paper 12 is conveyed along the straight section 34 and passes over the upper surface 80, and the reversing roller 67 is rotated in the reverse direction and the recording paper 12 is conveyed in the reverse direction, the flap 49 changes its position from the first state shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 to a second state positioned higher than the first state, and guides the recording paper 12 to the second conveying path 71.

[0047] [Rear rotation unit 74] 2, the rear turning unit 74 is located below the second conveying path 71 and above the feeding tray 20 in the insertion position. The rear turning unit 74 is supported rotatably about a second turning shaft 43 located below the shaft 31. The second turning shaft 43 is parallel to the shaft 31. The second turning shaft 43 supports the downstream end of the rear turning unit 74 in the reverse conveying direction 106.

[0048] The rear turning unit 74 is movable between a third position where the rear turning unit 74 uses a third guide surface 76 to guide the recording paper 12 being transported through the first transport path 65, and a fourth position where the rear turning unit 74 opens the second transport path 71. The third position is the position where the rear turning unit 74 has rotated the most clockwise around the second rotation shaft 43 in FIG. 2. The fourth position is the position where the rear turning unit 74 has rotated the most counterclockwise around the second rotation shaft 43, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0049] The rear rotation unit 74 rotatably supports the aforementioned feed arm 26. The rotational driving force of the re-conveyance roller 22 is transmitted to the feed roller 25 by a drive transmission mechanism 27 of the feed arm 26.

[0050] The rear turning unit 74 has a main body 320, the re-conveyance roller 22, the engaging portion 84 shown in Fig. 4, a coil spring 85, a wall portion 318, and a protruding piece 319. The coil spring 85 is an example of a biasing member.

[0051] The main body 320 is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction. When the rear turning unit 74 is in the third position, the main body 320 faces the lower surface of the first guide member 54 from below, with the second conveying path 71 between them.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 2, the engagement portion 84 is located at the upstream end of the main body 320 in the reverse conveying direction 106. As shown in FIG. 4, the engagement portions 84 are located on the left and right sides of the main body 320. The engagement portion 84 located on the left side of the main body 320 has a symmetrical shape to the engagement portion 84 located on the right side, similar to the contact surface 300 described above, and therefore will not be described here. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the description of the engagement portion 84 will be given with respect to the direction when the rear turning unit 74 is located in the third position. The engagement portion 84 is a member that is long in the left-right direction and narrow in the left-right direction. The engagement portion 84 is movable along the left-right direction. When the rear turning unit 74 is located in the third position, the engagement portion 84 moves between an engagement position where it protrudes from the main body 320 and engages with the housing 14 and a release position where it disengages from the housing 14 and is housed within the main body 320.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 4, the engagement portion 84 has a grip portion 321, a base end shaft 322, a receiving surface 323, and an inclined surface 324. The user places their finger on the grip portion 321 when moving the engagement portion 84 to the right against the biasing force of the coil spring 85. The grip portion 321 is formed in a concave shape on the surface of the engagement portion 84 facing forward. The grip portion 321 is located on the left side of the engagement portion 84. The edge of the grip portion 321 is rectangular. The grip portion 321 is exposed at a position on the front side of the rear turning unit 74 in the third position. The base end shaft 322 is located at the left end of the engagement portion 84. The coil spring 85 is fitted onto the base end shaft 322.

[0054] 5, the receiving surface 323 is located on the right side and below the engaging portion 84. The receiving surface 323 slopes upward toward the tip of the engaging portion 84. The receiving surface 323 is continuous with a lower surface 326 of the engaging portion 84 that faces downward. The receiving surface 323 comes into contact with the contact surface 300 of the housing 14 when the engaging portion 84 moves to the engaged position.

[0055] The inclined surface 324 is located on the right side and above the engagement portion 84. The inclined surface 324 is continuous with the right end of the upper surface 327 of the engagement portion 84, which faces upward. The inclined surface 324 is a surface that faces right and upward. The inclined surface 324 slopes to the right as it extends downward from the right end of the upper surface 327. The inclined surface 324 is a flat surface. The vertical dimension of the inclined surface 324 is greater than the vertical dimension of the receiving surface 323. The left-right dimension of the inclined surface 324 is greater than the left-right dimension of the receiving surface 323. When the engagement portion 84 is in the engagement position, the inclined surface 324 overlaps with the edge portion when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0056] 4, the coil spring 85 in this embodiment is located between the engagement portion 84 located on the left side of the main body 320 and the engagement portion 84 located on the right side. As a result, the coil spring 85 biases the engagement portion 84 located on the left side to the left, and biases the engagement portion 84 located on the right side to the right. Therefore, the engagement portion 84 can be moved to the release position against the biasing force of the coil spring 85 by manual operation by the user.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 3, 6(A), and 6(B), wall portion 318 is located on side surface 302 of main body portion 320. Wall portion 318 is located on the rear side of main body portion 320. Wall portion 318 protrudes to the right from side surface 302. Wall portion 318 has an inner surface 330. Inner surface 330 is located around the outer circumferential surface of second rotating shaft 43 and expands in a direction along second rotating shaft 43. When viewed from the right, inner surface 330 has two semicircles 331 and a linear portion 332 interposed between the semicircles 331, and one of the two semicircles 331 has a notch portion 333 formed by cutting out a portion of semicircle 331. 6(A) and 6(B), the two semicircles 331 have the same inner diameter R1, which is larger than the diameter R2 of the arc portion 310. As shown in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B), the cutout portion 333 allows the second rotating shaft 43 to be inserted from the outside of the wall portion 318 to the inner surface 330 of the wall portion 318. In other words, when viewed from the right, the minimum dimension D1 of the cutout portion of the cutout portion 333 is larger than the maximum dimension D2 between the two straight portions 311 of the second rotating shaft 43.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, the protruding piece 319 abuts against the abutment piece 301 when the rear pivot unit 74 is in the third position. The protruding piece 319 protrudes to the right from the side surface 302. The protruding piece 319 is located forward of the wall portion 318 and rearward of the engagement portion 84. The protruding piece 319 has an upward surface 337 facing upward and a forward surface 338 facing forward. The upward surface 337 is a surface that extends in the left-right and front-rear directions. The forward surface 338 is a surface that extends in the up-down and left-right directions. The forward surface 337 is continuous at its front end with the upper end of the forward surface 338.

[0059] [Jam Clearance] When a jam occurs, the printer unit 11 performs jam clearance as follows. As shown in Figure 7, when a jam occurs, the first guide member 54 is in the first position and the rear turning unit 74 is in the third position. Note that the following description of the operation of the engaging part 84 will also be given for the engaging part 84 located on the right side of the main body 320, and a description of the engaging part 84 located on the left side will be omitted. (1) Remove the feed tray 20. As the feed tray 20 is pulled out from the insertion position to the removal position, a slider (not shown) moves to the forward position, and the first guide member 54 is released from the first position, as shown in Fig. 8. This allows the first guide member 54 to move from the first position to the second position under its own weight. At this time, the rear turning unit 74 is maintained in the third position due to the engagement of the engagement portion 84 with the housing 14. The first guide member 54 is supported from below by the rear turning unit 74.

[0060] (2) The rear turning unit 74 is moved from the third position to the fourth position. As shown in FIG. 9 , a user inserts their hand through the opening 13 and operates the grip 321 of the rear turning unit 74 to move the engagement portion 84 from the engagement position to the release position, thereby disengaging the engagement portion 84 from the housing 14. As shown in FIG. 10 , the rear turning unit 74 rotates around the second turning shaft 43 due to its own weight, moving from the third position to the fourth position. During this process, the second turning shaft 43 receives a forward load from the feed arm 26, which is in contact with the recording paper 12 in the feed tray 20. This causes the second turning shaft 43 to slide against the inner surface 330. However, because the inner diameter R1 of the semicircle 331 is larger than the diameter R2 of the arc portion 310 and because a straight portion 332 is located between the semicircles 331, the second turning shaft 43 rotates without getting caught. The user can then pull out and remove the recording paper 12 jammed in the first transport path 65 or the second transport path 71.

[0061] (3) The rear turning unit 74 is returned from the fourth position to the third position. After clearing the jam, the user manually returns the rear turning unit 74 from the fourth position to the third position, engaging the engaging portion 84 with the housing 14. When the rear turning unit 74 is in the fourth position, the engaging portion 84 protrudes to the right from the main body 320 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 85. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11 , when the rear turning unit 74 moves from the fourth position to the third position, the inclined surface 324 abuts against the edge 305 of the housing 14. At this time, the edge 305 receives a rightward load from the engaging portion 84 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 85. When the user further presses the main body 320 from below, the engaging portion 84 moves to the left while sliding against the edge 305 on the inclined surface 324. As shown in FIG. 5 , the engaging portion 84 rides over the edge 305 and fits into the recess 304, returning to the engaged position. When the rear turning unit 74 moves from the fourth position to the third position, the user receives a biasing force that gradually increases as the engaging portion 84 moves leftward, allowing the user to recognize that the rear turning unit 74 is approaching the third position and that the engaging portion 84 is at the engaged position and has reached the third position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3 , the upward surface 337 of the protruding piece 319 abuts against the downward surface 308 of the abutting piece 301, and the forward surface 338 of the protruding piece 319 abuts against the rearward surface 307 of the abutting piece 301. Therefore, the upward and forward movement of the main body 320 is restricted, and the engaging portion 84, which is pressed diagonally upward by the abutting surface 300, does not rattle in the vertical direction relative to the main body 320.

[0062] When the rear turning unit 74 moves from the fourth position to the third position, the pinch roller 23 is pressed by the re-conveyance roller 22. As a result, the first guide member 54 is pushed up from the second position to a position close to the first position shown in FIG.

[0063] (4) Insert the feed tray 20. In conjunction with the feeding tray 20 being pushed into the opening 13, the slider moves to the rear position, and the first guide member 54 is positioned at the first position, returning to the state shown in FIG.

[0064] [Effects of the embodiment] Because the engaging portion 84 has a mechanism for protruding in a direction parallel to the left-right direction and engaging with the housing 14, the engaging portion 84 and the movable range of the engaging portion 84 are compact in the rotation direction about the second rotation axis. Therefore, the internal space for the user to access the second conveying path 71 can be designed to be relatively large in the vertical direction, making it easy for the user to insert their hand to remove jammed recording paper 12.

[0065] As the recording paper 12 is fed, the feed arm 26 receives an upward and forward load from the feed roller 25. Therefore, the rear rotating unit 74 in the third position, on which the feed arm 26 is pivotally supported, receives an upward and forward load. In the housing 14, the abutting piece 301 that abuts from above and from the front against the protruding piece 319 of the rear rotating unit 74 is located, so that the rear rotating unit 74 in the third position is prevented from rattling upward and forward. As a result, the feeding and transport of the recording paper 12 is stabilized.

[0066] The rear turning unit 74 is supported in a rattling state relative to the second turning shaft 43. More specifically, the inner diameter R1 of the semicircle 331 on the inner surface 330 is larger than the diameter R2 of the arc portion 310. For this reason, even if the assembly precision of the position of the inner surface 330 of the wall portion 318 relative to the position of the axis of the second turning shaft 43 is not high and the rear turning unit 74 receives a load from the feed arm 26 due to the feeding of the recording paper 12, the rotation will be unimpeded and will rotate smoothly.

[0067] When the rear turning unit 74 is moved from the fourth position to the third position, the user can feel the urging force of the coil spring 85 acting on the inclined surface 324 gradually increase. This makes it easy for the user to recognize whether the rear turning unit 74 is in the third position even when the position of the rear turning unit 74 cannot be visually confirmed.

[0068] The rear turning unit 74 is supported by the housing 14 at two engagement portions 84 located on the left and right sides of the main body 320. This makes it difficult for the rear turning unit 74 to tilt relative to the second turning shaft 43. This allows the recording paper 12 to be transported stably in the second transport path 71.

[0069] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, the protruding piece 319 is located on the rear turning unit 74, and the abutting piece 301 is located on the housing 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As shown in Fig. 12(A), the protruding piece 319a may be located on the housing 14, and the abutting piece 301a may be located on the rear turning unit 74.

[0070] In this case, the protruding piece 319a protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the opposing surface 303 of the housing 14, and the abutting piece 301a is formed in a concave shape on the side surface 302 of the rear turning unit 74.

[0071] The protruding piece 319a abuts against the abutment piece 301a when the rear turning unit 74 is in the third position. The protruding piece 319a is located in front of the second turning shaft 43 and behind the recess 304 in the housing 14. The protruding piece 319a has a downward surface 337a facing downward and a forward surface 338a facing forward. The downward surface 337a is a surface that extends in the left-right and front-rear directions. The forward surface 338a is a surface that extends in the up-down and left-right directions. The downward surface 337a is continuous at its front end with the lower end of the forward surface 338a.

[0072] The abutment piece 301a abuts against the protruding piece 319a. The abutment piece 301a is located forward of the wall portion 318 and rearward of the engagement portion 84. The abutment piece 301a opens in the left-right and upward directions. The abutment piece 301a has a rearward surface 307a facing rearward and an upward surface 308a facing upward. The rearward surface 307a is a surface that extends in the up-down and left-right directions. The upward surface 308a is a surface that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The rearward surface 307a is continuous at its lower end with the front end of the upward surface 308a.

[0073] 12(A) from the fourth position shown in Fig. 12(B) to the third position shown in Fig. 12(A), the downward surface 337a abuts against the upward surface 308a of the contact piece 301a. At this time, the forward surface 338a of the protruding piece 319a abuts against the rearward surface 307a of the contact piece 301a. Therefore, even if the rear turning unit 74 receives a load from the feed roller 20 and rattles in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions, its movement with respect to the housing 14 is restricted. [Other variations]

[0074] In the above embodiment, the case where the engaging portion 84 is biased in the left-right direction by the coil spring 85 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The coil spring 85 may be an elastic member such as rubber or silicone, for example.

[0075] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the coil spring 85 is located between the engaging portion 84 located on the left side of the main body 320 and the engaging portion 84 located on the right side, and biases them in directions away from each other, but this configuration is not limited to this. There may be two coil springs, each biasing the engaging portion 84 on the right and left sides of the main body 320. In this case, the engaging portion 84 on the left side of the main body 320 may be biased leftward by a coil spring fixed to a partition or the like located near the center of the main body 320, and the engaging portion 84 on the right side of the main body 320 may be biased rightward by another coil spring fixed to a partition or the like.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, an example has been described in which the engaging portions 84 are located on the left and right sides of the main body portion 320 and protrude from and are housed in the left-right direction from the main body portion 320, respectively. However, this configuration is not limiting. The engaging portions 84 may be located on either the left or right side of the main body portion 320. For example, one end of one biasing member may be fixed to a partition or the like located on the left side of the main body portion 320, and the other end may be fitted into the base end portion 322 of the engaging portion 84. In this case, the engaging portion 84 protrudes from and is housed in an opening located on the right side surface 302 of the main body portion 320, and moves between an engaged position and a released position.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the wall portion 318 protrudes from the side surface 302 of the main body portion 320, and the second rotation shaft 43 is rotatably supported on the inner surface 330 of the wall portion 318, but this configuration is not limiting. The inner surface 330 and the second rotation shaft 43 may be circular when viewed from the right. Furthermore, the second rotation shaft 43 may be a shaft that extends from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction with respect to the main body portion 320. The main body portion 320 may be rotatably supported by a through-hole through which the second rotation shaft 43 passes.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the recording unit 24 is located between the pair of conveying rollers 59 and the pair of discharging rollers 44, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The recording unit 24 may be located in any position where it can record an image on the recording paper 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10. Multifunction printer or recording device 12 Recording paper or sheet 14. Enclosure 20. Feeding tray or tray 25 Feeding roller 26... arm or feed arm 31··· shaft or first rotating shaft 43... Second rotating shaft 54 First guide member 74 Rear rotating unit or second guide member 84 Engagement part 85 Coil spring or biasing member 300...Abutting surface 301, 301a···Abutment piece or restricting part 303: Opposing surface or surface facing side surface 302 318...Wall section 319,319a...Protruding piece 324...Slope surface 330...Inside

Claims

1. The housing and a first guide member located within the housing and defining a first transport path; a second guide member located below the first guide member and defining a second conveying path, the second transport path is connected to the first transport path at a downstream position on the downstream side and an upstream position on the upstream side in a transport direction of the first transport path, the first guide member is movable between a first position where the first guide member guides a sheet conveyed through the first conveyance path and a second position located below the first position by rotating a downstream side of the first guide member in the conveyance direction of the first conveyance path from the first rotation shaft around the first rotation shaft; the second guide member is movable between a third position where the second guide member guides a sheet conveyed through the second conveyance path and a fourth position where the second guide member opens the second conveyance path by rotating a portion of the second guide member upstream of the second guide member in the conveyance direction of the second conveyance path relative to the second rotation shaft around the second rotation shaft; the second guide member, when positioned at the third position, has an engaging portion that protrudes from the second guide member along a direction parallel to the second rotation axis and engages with the housing.

2. the sheet conveying device further includes a tray that supports sheets, a feed roller that conveys the sheets supported on the tray to the first conveying path, and an arm that rotatably supports the feed roller at one end and is connected to the second guide member at the other end and is rotatable around an axis parallel to the second rotation axis, the engaging portion is movable between a release position where it is disengaged from the housing and an engagement position where it is engaged with the housing, the second guide member further includes a biasing member that biases the engaging portion toward the engaging position, the housing has an abutment surface that abuts against the engaging portion biased by the biasing member, and a restricting portion that restricts movement of the second guide member at the third position upward from the third position and in a direction away from the second rotation shaft, 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface is inclined downwardly from the engaging portion as it approaches the second guide member.

3. the restricting portion is a contact piece located on a surface of the housing facing the second guide member and contacting a protruding piece protruding from the second guide member in a direction along the second rotation shaft, 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the contact piece is located above the protruding piece and away from the second rotation shaft when the second guide member is located at the third position.

4. the second guide member has a wall portion having an inner surface that expands around the second rotation shaft in a direction along the second rotation shaft, the wall portion has a shape in which a linear portion is interposed between two semicircular shapes when viewed from a direction along the second rotation shaft, and a part of the semicircular shape is cut out, a diameter of the semicircular shape of the wall portion is larger than a maximum dimension in a radial direction of the second rotating shaft, 4. The recording device according to claim 3, wherein the second rotating shaft has a circular shape with a portion of its outer periphery cut out when viewed from a direction along the second rotating shaft so that the second rotating shaft can be inserted into the portion cut out in the wall portion.

5. the engaging portion has an inclined surface that faces upward and in a direction to be biased by the biasing member when the engaging portion is located at the third position, 3. The recording device according to claim 2, wherein the inclined surface abuts against the housing when the second guide member moves from the fourth position to the third position, and guides the engagement portion toward the release position against the biasing force of the biasing member.

6. the engaging portions are located on one side and the other side of the second guide member along the second rotation shaft, 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the biasing member biases each of the engaging portions toward the engaging position.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Printer

    JP2015016598A