Image recording device

Abstract

This device allows for both recording images without cutting the recording medium and cutting the recording medium after recording images onto it, and also makes it easier for the user to perform operations on the cutting section that cuts the recording medium. [Solution] In the printer 1, the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is transported forward to the output tray 3 by the transport roller 16. The printer 1 also transports the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 to the cutting unit 6 via the cutting transport path 55 by the first switchback roller 64. In the cutting unit 6, the recording paper S can be cut into any shape. The cutting unit 6 is located below the recording unit 2, the transport roller 6, the output tray 3, and the first switchback roller 64. The transport roller 6, the output tray 3, the first switchback roller 64, and the cutting unit 6 are located closer to the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than the recording unit 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , ,

[0003] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for recording images.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of an image recording apparatus for recording images, Patent Document 1 describes a recording and cutting composite apparatus that records an image on a medium and cuts the medium on which the image has been recorded. In the recording and cutting composite apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a cutting unit is disposed below a recording unit. The medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit is conveyed by a reversing guide roller to a medium support belt of the cutting unit such that the recording surface of the medium on which the image has been recorded faces downward. The cutting unit includes a cutting unit carriage, a cutter head, and a cutter. The cutting unit carriage is movable in a horizontal direction and orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the medium. The cutter head is mounted on the carriage so as to be movable up and down and rotatable about a vertical axis. The cutter is held by the cutter head. Then, with the lower end of the cutter penetrating the medium, the cutting unit carriage is moved and the medium support belt is driven to move the medium, thereby cutting the medium.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, the recording and cutting combined apparatus of Patent Document 1 cuts the medium on which the image is recorded in the cutting section, and it is not intended to discharge the medium on which the image is recorded without passing it through the cutting section. On the other hand, if the recording and cutting combined apparatus of Patent Document 1 were to be equipped with a discharge section in which the medium on which the image is recorded is transported and discharged without passing it through the cutting section, depending on the arrangement of the discharge section, the discharge section may get in the way, making it difficult for the user to perform tasks such as changing the cutter or removing the medium that has become stuck in the cutting section.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device that can perform both recording of images without cutting the recording medium and cutting the recording medium after recording the image onto the recording medium, and that allows the user to easily perform the cutting operation on the cutting section of the recording medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides an image recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium; a cutting unit for cutting the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit into a free shape; a discharge unit for discharging the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit without passing through the cutting unit; and a housing having the recording unit, the cutting unit, and the discharge unit inside. In the state in which the image recording apparatus is installed and in use, the discharge unit discharges the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit by transporting it in a predetermined direction intersecting the upward and downward directions. The housing comprises a first surface that intersects the predetermined direction and has an outlet for the discharge unit, and a second surface that is located in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction from the first surface and faces the first surface. The recording unit and the discharge unit are located above the cutting unit, and in the predetermined direction, the discharge unit and the cutting unit are located closer to the first surface than the recording unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, an image recording device can be realized that can cut a recording medium on which an image has been recorded into a desired shape without impairing the function of recording an image on the recording medium that is not cut by the cutting section. Furthermore, in order to make it easier for the user to take the recording medium that is normally transported and discharged in a predetermined direction by the discharge section, the image recording device is installed and used so that the first surface having the discharge port of the discharge section is in front of the user than the second surface. In the present invention, in a predetermined direction, the discharge section and the cutting section are located closer to the first surface than the recording section. Therefore, when the image recording device is arranged as described above, the cutting section is located in front of the user. As a result, the user can easily perform maintenance and other work on the cutting section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, perpendicular to the left-right direction. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the recording unit and other components as seen from above. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the cut section as seen from above. [Figure 5] (a) is a diagram showing the external appearance of the cutter cartridge, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the lower end of the cutter cartridge parallel to the axial direction when the entire cutter blade is covered by the holder, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the lower end of the cutter cartridge parallel to the axial direction when a portion of the cutter blade is exposed from the holder. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the switching unit as seen from the front. [Figure 7](a) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the left end of the guide member located in the first position and the configuration of the surrounding area; (b) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the left end of the guide member located in the second position and the configuration of the surrounding area; (c) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the right end of the guide member located in the first position and the configuration of the surrounding area; and (d) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the right end of the guide member located in the second position and the configuration of the surrounding area. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a printer. [Figure 9] (a) is a flowchart showing the process flow when performing single-sided recording, (b) is a flowchart showing the process flow when performing double-sided recording, (c) is a flowchart showing the process flow when performing single-sided recording after cutting, and (d) is a flowchart showing the process flow when performing double-sided recording after cutting. [Figure 10] (a) is a diagram illustrating the feeding of recording paper from the manual feed tray, and (b) is a diagram illustrating the feeding of recording paper from the paper cassette. [Figure 11] (a) is a diagram illustrating the state in which the trailing edge of the recording paper has been transported to a point ahead of the branching point of the reverse path in the paper output path, and (b) is a diagram illustrating the transport of the recording paper in the reverse path. [Figure 12] (a) is a diagram illustrating images recorded using standard single-sided and standard double-sided recording, and (b) is a diagram illustrating images and markers recorded using cut single-sided and cut double-sided recording. [Figure 13] (a) is a diagram illustrating the transport of recording paper to the switchback path, and (b) is a diagram illustrating the transport of recording paper from the switchback path to the cutting section. [Figure 14] This is a diagram illustrating a printer where the recording section and the cutting section overlap when viewed from above. [Figure 15](a) is a diagram for explaining the conveyance of a recording sheet to a switchback path in the printer of FIG. 14, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the conveyance of a recording sheet from the switchback path to a cutting part in the printer of FIG. 14. [Figure 16] It is a diagram for explaining a printer in which an operation panel is arranged on the upper surface of a housing. [Figure 17] It is a diagram for explaining a printer in which a recording sheet is conveyed to a cutting part with the recording surface facing downward.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0010] <Overall Configuration of Printer> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 1 of the present embodiment includes a housing 1A, a recording unit 2, a paper discharge tray 3, a manual feed tray 4, a paper cassette 5, a cutting part 6, and a conveyance part 7. In the present embodiment, the printer 1 corresponds to the "image recording apparatus" of the present invention.

[0011] Also, hereinafter, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upward direction, downward direction, forward direction, backward direction, left direction, and right direction will be defined and described. The upward direction and the downward direction are opposite to each other. The left direction and the right direction are opposite to each other. The forward direction and the backward direction are opposite to each other. The upward direction and the downward direction are orthogonal to the forward direction and the backward direction. The upward direction and the downward direction are orthogonal to the left direction and the right direction. The forward direction and the backward direction are orthogonal to the left direction and the right direction. In the present embodiment, the forward direction corresponds to the "predetermined direction" of the present invention. Also, the backward direction corresponds to the "direction opposite to the predetermined direction" of the present invention.

[0012] The housing 1A is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the housing 1A, a front surface 1A1 which is an end surface in the front direction and a rear surface 1A2 which is an end surface in the rear direction face each other in the front-rear direction. A recording unit 2, a paper discharge tray 3, a manual feed tray 4, a paper cassette 5, a cutting unit 6, etc. are provided in the housing 1A. In this embodiment, the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A corresponds to the "first surface" of the present invention. Also, the rear surface 1A2 of the housing 1A corresponds to the "second surface" of the present invention.

[0013] The recording unit 2 is a part for recording an image on the recording paper S. In this embodiment, the recording paper S corresponds to the "recording medium" of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 2 is arranged at the upper part of the housing 1A. Also, in the front-rear direction, the recording unit 2 is located between the front surface 1A1 and the rear surface 1A2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the recording unit 2 includes a head carriage 11, a sub-tank 12, a head 13, and a platen 14.

[0015] The head carriage 11 mounts the sub-tank 12 and the head 13 and is supported by two guide rails 19A, 19B extending in the left-right direction so as to be movable in the left direction and the right direction. The head carriage 11 is connected to a head carriage motor 106 shown in FIG. 8 via a belt or the like not shown and moves in the left direction and the right direction along the guide rails 19A, 19B as the head carriage motor 106 is driven.

[0016] Here, printer 1 is equipped with a cartridge mounting section 21. The cartridge mounting section 21 is located at the front of the upper part of the housing 1A and is positioned to the right of the output tray 3, paper cassette 5, and cutting section 6. The cartridge mounting section 21 comprises four cartridge mounting sections 21 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The cartridge mounting section 21 has an opening at the front, allowing ink cartridges 22 to be inserted and removed from the front 1A1 side of housing 1A. In other words, printer 1 can insert ink cartridges 22 through the openings on the front 1A1 of housing 1A and the openings on the cartridge mounting section 21. The four cartridge mounting sections 21 are equipped with removable ink cartridges 22 containing black, yellow, cyan, and magenta ink, in order from left to right. Although a detailed explanation is omitted here, at least one of the openings on the front 1A1 of housing 1A and the openings on the cartridge mounting section 21 may be covered by a cover.

[0017] The four ink cartridges 22, each mounted in one of the four cartridge mounting sections 21, are connected to the sub-tank 12 via a tube 23. The ink in the ink cartridges 22 is supplied to the sub-tank 12 via the tube 23.

[0018] The print head 13 is connected to the bottom surface of the sub-tank 12. The print head 13 has a nozzle surface 13A with multiple nozzles 10 on its lower side, and ejects ink supplied from the sub-tank 12 through the nozzles 10. More specifically, the multiple nozzles 10 are arranged in the front-to-back direction to form a nozzle row 9. In addition, four rows of nozzle rows 9 are arranged in the left-to-right direction on the nozzle surface 13A. From the multiple nozzles 10, black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks are ejected in order, starting from those forming the nozzle row 9 located to the right.

[0019] The platen 14 is located below the head 13. The platen 14 supports the recording paper S from below.

[0020] The output tray 3 is the part where the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is ejected and placed when the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is not cut in the cutting unit 6. The output tray 3 is located at the front end of the upper part of the housing 1A and is located in front of the recording unit 2. An output port 1C is formed on the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A. The output tray 3 extends in the front-to-back direction, both in front of and behind the output port 1C. As a result, the portion of the output tray 3 behind the output port 1C is located inside the housing 1A, and the portion in front of the output port 1C is located in front of the housing 1A. In this embodiment, the output tray 3 corresponds to the "output tray" of the present invention.

[0021] The manual feed tray 4 is a tray on which recording paper S is supplied to the recording unit 2. The manual feed tray 4 is a so-called MPF or multipurpose tray and can hold one sheet of recording paper S or multiple sheets stacked vertically. The manual feed tray 4 is located at the top of the housing 1A and behind the recording unit 2 and the transport rollers 15. As a result, the manual feed tray 4 is located further from the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than the recording unit 2 in the front-to-back direction. Also, the manual feed tray 4 is located above the paper cassette 5 and behind the paper cassette 5. The manual feed tray 4 is connected to the housing 1A at its front, and the surface on which the recording paper S is placed extends downwards towards the front. In other words, the surface on which the recording paper S is placed is inclined so that the front is downwards with respect to the horizontal plane. The recording paper S placed on the manual feed tray 4 is supplied into the interior of the housing 1A from the front of the manual feed tray.

[0022] The paper cassette 5 is a tray on which recording paper S supplied to the recording unit 2 is placed. The paper cassette 5 is located at the top of the housing 1A and is detachably mounted in the cassette mounting section 1B, which is located below the recording unit 2, the transport roller 15, the transport roller 16, and the manual feed tray 4. Specifically, the paper cassette 5 can be inserted into and removed from the cassette mounting section 1B from the front. The paper cassette 5 holds one sheet of recording paper S, or multiple sheets stacked vertically. In this embodiment, the paper cassette 5 corresponds to the "paper feed tray" of the present invention.

[0023] <Cut section> The cutting section 6 is a part for cutting the recording paper S on which the image is recorded into any shape. Any shape other than a straight line is a predetermined shape such as a circle, square, or star. It is also possible to cut the paper into a predetermined shape along the outline of the recorded image. The cutting section 6 can also cut the recording paper S in a straight line. The cutting section 6 is located at the bottom of the housing 1A and is situated between the front 1A1 and rear 1A2 of the housing 1A. In other words, the cutting section 6 is positioned below the recording section 2, the output tray 3, the manual feed tray 4, and the paper cassette 5. Furthermore, the cutting section 6 is positioned in front of the recording section 2. That is, in the front-to-back direction, the cutting section 6 is positioned closer to the front 1A1 of the housing 1A than to the recording section 2. In this embodiment, the cutting position by the cutter 42, which will be described later, is below the nozzle surface 13A of the head 13 and closer to the front 1A1 of the housing 1A than the center position of the nozzle surface 13A. Furthermore, the cutting section 6 is located below and to the left of the cartridge mounting section 21. As a result, when viewed from above, the cartridge mounting section 21 does not overlap with the cutting section 6.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the cutting section 6 includes a cutter cartridge 31, a cutter carriage 32, a sensor 33, and a cutting section roller 34.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5(a) to (c), the cutter cartridge 31 comprises a housing 41, a cutter 42, and a holder 43. The housing 41 is cylindrical in shape.

[0026] The cutter 42 has a base 42A and a cutter blade 42B. The base 42A is cylindrical in shape. The base 42A is attached to the lower end of the housing 41 via a bearing 44. The bearing 44 has its axis oriented in the vertical direction. As a result, the cutter 42 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the housing 41, around the axis of the cylindrical base 42A which is parallel to the vertical direction. The cutter blade 42B is connected to the lower end of the base 42A. The cutter blade 42B is thin and plate-like in shape. The lower end of the cutter blade 42B is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0027] The holder 43 is cylindrical in shape. The holder 43 is held at the lower end of the housing 41 so as to be movable upward and downward. At least a portion of the cutter blade 42B is located inside the cylindrical holder 43. A spring 45 is also positioned between the housing 41 and the upper end of the holder 43. The holder 43 is biased downward by the spring 45.

[0028] The cutter carriage 32 is supported so as to be movable to the left and right by two guide rails 39A and 39B that extend in the left-right direction and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The cutter carriage 32 is connected to a cutter carriage motor 108 shown in Figure 8. As the cutter carriage motor 108 is driven, the cutter carriage 32 moves to the left and right along the guide rails 39A and 39B.

[0029] Furthermore, the cutter carriage 32 is provided with a cutter mounting section 46. The cutter cartridge 31 is mounted on the cutter mounting section 46 by fixing the housing 41 to the cutter mounting section 46.

[0030] Furthermore, the cutter mounting section 46 is connected to a lifting device 47 shown in Figure 8. The lifting device 47 moves the cutter mounting section 46 upward and downward. In conjunction with the upward and downward movement of the cutter mounting section 46, the cutter cartridge 31 also moves upward and downward.

[0031] The sensor 33 is mounted on the cutter carriage 32. The sensor 33 is used to detect the position of the area on the recording paper S that has been transported to the cutting section 6, as will be described later. The detection of the position of the area on the recording paper S where an image is recorded by the sensor 33 will be explained in detail later.

[0032] The cutting roller 34 is a roller whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction and is located behind the cutter cartridge 31 and cutter carriage 32. The cutting roller 34 is connected to the roller drive device 107 shown in Figure 8. The cutting roller 34 is driven by the roller drive device 107 and transports the conveyed recording paper S in the forward and backward directions.

[0033] Furthermore, a support member 35 is positioned at the bottom of the housing 1A. The support member 35 is a roughly rectangular plate-shaped member. The support member 35 is located below the cutting section 6. When viewed from above, the support member 35 extends from a position that overlaps with the cutting section 6 to a position further back from it. The support member 35 supports the recording paper S from below when the recording paper S is cut at the cutting section 6.

[0034] When cutting the recording paper S at the cutting section 6, the cutter cartridge 31 is lowered by lowering the cutter mounting section 46 using the lifting device 47. At this time, the cutter cartridge 31 is lowered until the cutter blade 42B of the cutter 42 penetrates the recording paper S, depending on the thickness of the recording paper S to be cut. Before lowering the cutter cartridge 31, as shown in Figure 5(b), the entire cutter blade 42B is located inside the holder 43. When the cutter cartridge 31 is lowered, the lower end of the holder 43 comes into contact with the recording paper S, and an upward force is applied to the holder 43. As a result, the holder 43 moves upward against the biasing force of the spring 45. Consequently, as shown in Figure 5(c), the tip of the cutter blade 42B is exposed from the holder 43 and penetrates the recording paper S.

[0035] Then, with the tip of the cutter blade 42B penetrating the recording paper S, the cutter carriage 32 is moved to the left or right depending on the shape to be cut from the recording paper S, and the cutter roller 34 moves the recording paper S forward or backward, thereby allowing the recording paper S to be cut into any shape. At this time, the cutter blade 42B and the recording paper S move relative to each other in the forward, backward, left, and right directions. As described above, the cutter 42 is rotatably supported with respect to the housing 41, so when the cutter blade 42B and the recording paper S move relative to each other, the cutter 42 rotates in accordance with the direction of relative movement.

[0036] <Conveying Section> The transport unit 7 is the part of the printer 1 that transports the recording paper S. As shown in Figure 2, the transport unit 7 includes a tray feeding path 51, a cassette feeding path 52, a paper discharge path 53, a reversal path 54, and a cut transport path 55 as paths through which the recording paper S is transported.

[0037] Furthermore, the transport unit 7 includes transport rollers 15 and 16, a tray feed roller 61, a pickup roller 62, a cassette feed roller 63, a first switchback roller 64, an upstream path roller 65, a second switchback roller 66, and a downstream path roller 67 as rollers for transporting the recording paper S. In addition, the cutting roller 34 that constitutes the cutting unit 6 also serves as a roller that constitutes the transport unit 7.

[0038] Here, all of these rollers have their axes oriented in the left-right direction. These rollers are driven by the roller drive device 107 shown in Figure 8 to transport the recording paper S. The roller drive device 107 has at least one motor for driving each of the rollers that make up the transport section 7. The roller drive device 107 also includes gears and the like that connect the at least one motor to each roller. The motor of the roller drive device 107 may be provided for one roller, or it may be provided in common for two or more rollers.

[0039] <Conveyor roller> The transport rollers 15 and 16 are rollers whose axial direction is in the left-right direction. Transport roller 15 is positioned behind the head 13 and platen 14. Transport roller 16 is positioned in front of the head 13 and platen 14. By driving the transport rollers 15 and 16 with the roller drive device 107, the recording paper S is transported forward. In this embodiment, transport roller 16 corresponds to the "discharge roller" of the present invention. Furthermore, the transport roller 16 and the above-mentioned paper discharge tray 3 together correspond to the "discharge section" of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cutting section 6 is positioned such that the cutting position by the cutter 42 is located in front of the center of the rotation axis of the transport roller 16. That is, in the front-rear direction, the cutting section 6 is located closer to the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than the transport roller 16.

[0040] <Tray paper feed path, tray paper feed roller> The tray feed path 51 is a transport path that carries recording paper S supplied from the manual feed tray 4 to the recording unit 2. The tray feed path 51 extends from the paper feed opening at the front of the manual feed tray 4 to a position below the head 13. The tray feed roller 61 is located above the mounting surface on the manual feed tray 4 where the recording paper S is placed. The recording paper S placed on the manual feed tray 4 is transported to the tray feed path 51 by the tray feed roller 61 driven by the roller drive device 107, and then transported to the recording unit 2 by the transport roller 16. At this time, if multiple sheets of recording paper S are stacked on the manual feed tray 4, the uppermost sheet of recording paper S is transported by the tray feed roller 61.

[0041] <Cassette paper feed path, pickup roller, cassette paper feed roller> The cassette paper feed path 52 is a transport path that carries the recording paper S supplied from the paper cassette 5 to the recording unit 2. The cassette paper feed path 52 extends upward from the rear end of the paper cassette 5, merges with the tray paper feed path 51 at the merging section 51A, and extends to a position below the head 13 of the recording unit 2. The pickup roller 62 is located above the mounting surface on which the recording paper S is placed in the paper cassette 5. The recording paper S placed in the paper cassette 5 is transported to the cassette paper feed path 52 by the pickup roller 62 driven by the roller drive device 107. At this time, if multiple sheets of recording paper S are stacked vertically in the paper cassette 5, the uppermost sheet of recording paper S is transported to the cassette paper feed path 52 by the pickup roller 62.

[0042] The cassette paper feed roller 63 is located in the cassette paper feed path 52. The recording paper S is transported to the cassette paper feed path 52 by the pickup roller 62, and then transported to the recording unit 2 by the cassette paper feed roller 63, which is driven by the roller drive device 107.

[0043] <Paper output path, reversal path, first switchback roller> The paper output path 53 is the path for outputting the recording paper S recorded in the recording unit 2 to the paper output tray 3. The paper output path 53 is located downstream of the tray feeding path 51 and the cassette feeding path 52 in the direction in which the recording paper S is transported, and extends from the connection point between the tray feeding path 51 and the cassette feeding path 52 to the paper output tray 3. The paper output path 53 is a path that extends forward from the recording unit 2. The reversal path 54 is a path for transporting the recording paper S recorded in the recording unit 2 back to the recording unit 2 after reversing its front and back sides. The reversal path 54 includes a path that branches off from the branching section 53A located between the recording unit 2 and the paper output tray 3 of the paper output path 53. From the branching section 53A, the reversal path 54 extends backward through below the recording unit 2 and merges with the cassette feeding path 52 at the merging section 52A. Then, the merged inversion path 54 and the cassette paper feed path 52 merge into the tray paper feed path 51 at the merging section 51A. The merged inversion path 54, cassette paper feed path 52, and tray paper feed path 51 extend to the recording unit 2.

[0044] Furthermore, a guide member 71 is provided at the branching section 53A. The guide member 71 is movable between a reversal guide position shown by a solid line in Figure 2 and a paper discharge guide position shown by a dashed line in Figure 2. The reversal guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the paper discharge path 53 to the reversal path 54. The paper discharge guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S along the paper discharge path 53. The guide member 71 is also biased from the paper discharge guide position toward the reversal guide position by a spring (not shown).

[0045] The first switchback roller 64 is located downstream of the branching point 53A of the paper discharge path 53. In other words, it is located forward of the branching point 53A of the paper discharge path 53. As a result, the center of the rotation axis of the first switchback roller 64 is located forward of the reversing path 54. That is, in the front-to-back direction, the first switchback roller 64 is located closer to the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than to the reversing path 54.

[0046] The roller drive unit 107 drives the transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64, thereby transporting the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 along the paper discharge path 53. At this time, the guide member 71 is pushed by the transported recording paper S and moves against the biasing force of a spring (not shown) from the inverted guide position toward the paper discharge guide position. This allows the recording paper S to be transported ahead of the guide member 71. At this time, the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 can also be transported to the paper discharge tray 3.

[0047] Furthermore, when the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is transported by the first switchback roller 64 until the rear end of the recording paper S reaches in front of the guide member 71, the guide member 71 is no longer pressed by the recording paper S and returns to the reverse guide position due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown). In this state, when the roller drive device 107 rotates the first switchback roller 64 in the reverse direction to transport the recording paper S backward, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 71 located in the reverse guide position and transported to the reverse path 54. In this embodiment, the first switchback roller 64 corresponds to the "switchback roller" of the present invention. Also, in this embodiment, the cutting position of the cutter 42 of the cutting unit 6 is located in front of the center of the rotation axis of the first switchback roller 64. That is, in the front-rear direction, the cutting unit 6 is located closer to the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than the first switchback roller 64. Further rollers for transporting the recording paper S may be arranged in the reverse path 54.

[0048] <Cutting and transport route> The cutting and transport path 55 is a transport path that transports the recording paper S recorded in the recording unit 2 to the cutting unit 6. The cutting and transport path 55 has an upstream path 55A, a switchback path 55B, and a downstream path 55C.

[0049] <Upstream Route> The upstream path 55A is a transport path that branches off from the branching point 54A of the reversal path 54 and transports the recording paper S to the switchback path 55B. The branching point 54A is located between the junction 52A with the cassette paper feed path 52 and the junction 51A with the tray paper feed path 51 of the reversal path 54. In other words, the branching point 54A is located above the junction 52A and below the junction 51A. The upstream path 55A extends rearward from the branching point 54A. The upstream path 55A is also located below the tray paper feed path 51. The upstream path 55A extends downward toward the manual feed tray 4.

[0050] <Switching Unit> In this embodiment, the printer 1 is equipped with a switching unit 80. The switching unit 80 is used to switch whether the recording paper S, which has been transported along the reversal path 54, is transported along the reversal path 54 towards the recording unit 2, or whether it is transported towards the upstream path 55A of the cutting transport path 55 and then transported to the cutting unit 6.

[0051] As shown in Figures 2, 6, and 7(a) to 7(d), the switching unit 80 includes a guide member 81, a rack and pinion mechanism 82, a switching motor 83, and a torque limiter 84.

[0052] The guide member 81 is positioned below the tray paper feed path 51. The guide member 81 has a first portion 81A, a second portion 81B, and a third portion 81C.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the first portion 81A extends in the front-rear direction. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the first portion 81A has guide portions 81D and 81E. Guide portion 81D is located at the left end of the first portion 81A, protruding downward and extending in the front-rear direction. The left end face of guide portion 81D has a groove 81D1 that extends in the front-rear direction. Guide portion 81E is located at the right end of the first portion 81A, protruding downward and extending in the front-rear direction. The right end face of guide portion 81E has a groove 81E1 that extends in the front-rear direction.

[0054] Here, the housing 1A comprises a frame 89A located to the left of the guide member 81 and a frame 89B located to the right of the guide member 81. A guide rail 89A1 is provided on the right side of frame 89A, projecting to the right and extending in the front-rear direction. The guide rail 89A1 is fitted into a groove 81D1 of the guide portion 81D. A guide rail 89B1 is provided on the left side of frame 89B, projecting to the left and extending in the front-rear direction. The guide rail 89B1 is fitted into a groove 81E1 of the guide portion 81E.

[0055] Furthermore, since the guide rail 89A1 is fitted into the groove 81D1 of the guide portion 81D, and the guide rail 89B1 is fitted into the groove 81E1 of the guide portion 81E, the guide member 81 is supported by the guide rails 89A1 and 89B1 so that it can move in the forward and backward directions.

[0056] Furthermore, two positioning protrusions 89A2 and 89A3 are positioned on the right side of frame 89A, projecting to the right. Positioning protrusion 89A2 is located behind the guide portion 81D of guide member 81. Positioning protrusion 89A3 is located in front of the guide portion 81D of guide member 81. Additionally, two positioning protrusions 89B2 and 89B3 are positioned on the left side of frame 89B, projecting to the left. Positioning protrusion 89B2 is located behind the guide portion 81E of guide member 81. Positioning protrusion 89B3 is located in front of the guide portion 81E of guide member 81.

[0057] As a result, the guide member 81 is movable between a first position shown by the solid line in Figure 2 and in Figures 7(a) and (c), and a second position shown by the dashed line in Figure 2 and in Figures 7(b) and (d). When the guide member 81 is in the first position, the rear end of the guide portion 81D contacts the positioning projection 89A2, and the rear end of the guide portion 81E contacts the positioning projection 89B2. This restricts the rearward movement of the guide member 81. The second position is a position forward of the first position. When the guide member 81 is in the second position, the front end of the guide portion 81D contacts the positioning projection 89A3, and the front end of the guide portion 81E contacts the positioning projection 89B3. This restricts the forward movement of the guide member 81.

[0058] The second section 81B is located between the first section 81A and the third section 81C in the front-rear direction and connects the first section 81A and the third section 81C. The third section 81C is fixed to the front end of the second section 81B, and the rear end of the second section 81B is fixed to the front end of the first section 81A. The second section 81B extends forward such that its front end is lower than its rear end. In other words, it extends with an inclination so that it is positioned lower as it moves forward. The third section 81C is connected to the front end of the second section 81B. The third section 81C has a guide surface at its front that guides the transported recording paper S. The guide surface is formed on the front surface of the portion that extends upward and downward from the connection point with the second section 81B. The third section 81C is located downstream of the point where the cassette paper feed path 52 and the reversal path 54 merge. Furthermore, the guide surface of the third section 81C forms part of the rear wall of the transport path that carries the recording paper S.

[0059] When the guide member 81 is in the first position, the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 is guided by the guide surface of the third section 81C and continues to be transported along the reversal path 54. When the guide member 81 is in the second position, the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 passes below the third section 81C and is transported to the upstream path 55A of the cutting transport path 55.

[0060] The rack and pinion mechanism 82 includes two rack gears 91A and 91B, two pinion gears 92A and 92B, gears 93A, 93B, 94 and 95, and shafts 96 and 97.

[0061] The rack gear 91A is located at the lower end of the guide portion 81D of the first portion 81A. The rack gear 91B is located at the lower end of the guide portion 81E of the first portion 81A. The rack gears 91A and 91B extend in the front-rear direction. The pinion gear 92A is located below the rack gear 91A and meshes with the rack gear 91A. The pinion gear 92B is located below the rack gear 91B and meshes with the rack gear 91B.

[0062] Gear 93A is located below pinion gear 92A and meshes with it. Gear 93B is located below pinion gear 92B and meshes with it. Gears 93A, 93B, and 94 are fixed to a shaft 96 whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The shaft 96 is rotatably supported by frames 89A and 89B. The shaft 96 extends to the left of frame 89A. Gear 94 is fixed to the portion of the shaft 96 that is to the left of frame 89A. Gear 95 is located below gear 94 and meshes with it. Gear 95 is fixed to a shaft 97 whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The shaft 97 is rotatably supported by frame 89A.

[0063] Furthermore, the shaft 97 is connected to the rotating shaft 83A of the switching motor 83 via a torque limiter 84. When the switching motor 83 is driven, torque is applied from the rotating shaft 83A to the shaft 97 via the torque limiter 84. At this time, the torque limiter 84 limits the torque applied from the rotating shaft 83A to the shaft 97 so that it does not exceed a threshold. Since the configuration of the torque limiter 84 itself is publicly known, further detailed explanation of the torque limiter 84 is omitted here.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the switching motor 83 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 83A, the torque applied from the rotating shaft 83A to the shaft 97 via the torque limiter 84 is transmitted in the following order to the gears 95, 94, 93A, pinion gear 92A, and rack gear 91A. This torque is also transmitted in the following order to the gears 95, 94, 93B, pinion gear 92B, and rack gear 91B.

[0065] When the rotating shaft 83A is rotated in one direction, the guide member 81 moves backward from the second position toward the first position. When the rotating shaft 83A is further rotated in the same direction while the guide member 81 has moved backward to the first position, with the guide portion 81D in contact with the positioning projection 89A2 and the guide portion 81E in contact with the positioning projection 89B2, the torque applied to the guide member 81 is limited by the torque limiter 84.

[0066] On the other hand, when the rotating shaft 83A is rotated in the opposite direction to the first direction, the guide member 81 moves forward from the first position toward the first position. When the rotating shaft 83A rotates further in the opposite direction while the guide member 81 has moved backward to the second position, and the guide portion 81D is in contact with the positioning projection 89A3 and the guide portion 81E is in contact with the positioning projection 89B3, the torque applied to the guide member 81 is limited by the torque limiter 84.

[0067] <Switchback route> The switchback path 55B is a transport path that performs a switchback, exchanging the leading and trailing ends of the recording paper S transported from the upstream path 55A, and then transports the switched-back recording paper S to the downstream path 55C.

[0068] The switchback path 55B is formed by the portion of the tray forming member 8 below the manual feed tray 4. As a result, the switchback path 55B is located behind the upstream path 55A and below the manual feed tray 4. The switchback path 55B extends inclined in the front-to-back direction, becoming downward as it moves forward, similar to the manual feed tray 4. In other words, the transport path for transporting the recording paper S in the switchback path 55B extends inclined so that the front is lower relative to the horizontal plane. It can also be said that the switchback path 55B extends along the surface on which the recording paper S is placed on the manual feed tray 4. Furthermore, a portion of the switchback path 55B is defined by the media support surface 8A and the opposing surface 8B of the tray forming member 8. The media support surface 8A is formed by the lower portion of the tray forming member 8 and is the surface that supports the recording paper S from below. The opposing surface 8B is formed by the upper part of the tray forming member 8, which acts as a partition separating the manual feed tray 4 from the switchback path 55B, and faces the media support surface 8A. When the recording paper S is located in the switchback path 55B, a portion of the front of the recording paper S is covered by the media support surface 8A and the opposing surface 8B, while a portion of the rear of the recording paper S is exposed. At the switchback position on the switchback path 55B, a portion of the recording paper S protrudes behind the rear end of the manual feed tray 4. Alternatively, at the switchback position, a portion of the recording paper S protrudes above the upper end of the manual feed tray 4. In other words, the switchback path 55B has an opening that allows a portion of the recording paper S to protrude to the outside. This prevents jamming of the recording paper S when switching back paper longer than a predetermined length.

[0069] <Downstream Route> The downstream path 55C is a transport path that transports the recording paper S transported from the switchback path 55B to the cutting section 6. The downstream path 55C is located in front of and below the switchback path 55B, and also below the upstream path 55A. The downstream path 55C extends in a direction that is inclined with respect to the front-to-back direction, becoming downward as it moves forward, from its position in front of the switchback path 55B to the upper surface of the support member 35 located below the cutting section 6. In other words, the downstream path 55C extends at an incline so that the front is lower with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0070] Furthermore, guide members 72 are positioned between the upstream path 55A and the downstream path 55C and the switchback path 55B in the front-rear direction. The guide members 72 are configured to be movable between a downstream guide position, shown by a solid line in Figure 3, and an upstream guide position, shown by a dashed line in Figure 3. The downstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C. The upstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B. The guide members 72 are also biased from the upstream guide position toward the downstream guide position by a spring or the like (not shown).

[0071] <Upstream path roller, second switchback roller, downstream path roller> The upstream path roller 65 is located in the upstream path 55A. The second switchback roller 66 is located in the switchback path 55B. The downstream path roller 67 is located in the downstream path 55C.

[0072] The recording paper S is transported from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B by the roller drive device 107, which drives the upstream path roller 65 and the second switchback roller 66, causing them to rotate in one direction. As the recording paper S is transported from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B, the guide member 72 is pushed by the recording paper S and moves from the downstream guide position to the upstream guide position against the biasing force of a spring (not shown). When the rear end of the recording paper S being transported from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B passes the guide member 72, the guide member 72 is no longer pushed by the recording paper S and returns to the downstream guide position due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown).

[0073] Furthermore, by driving the second switchback roller 66 with the roller drive device 107 and rotating it in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned one direction, the recording paper S on the switchback path 55B can be fed forward and downward. The recording paper S fed out from the switchback path 55B in this way is guided by the guide member 72 located at the downstream guide position and is transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C.

[0074] Furthermore, by driving the downstream path roller 67 with the roller drive device 107, the recording paper S that has been transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C can be transported through the downstream path 55C to the upper surface of the support member 35, and further transported along the upper surface of the support member 35 to the cutting section 6.

[0075] In this embodiment, the combination of the cutting and conveying path 55, rollers 65, 66, 67, guide member 72, and switching unit 80 corresponds to the "cutting and conveying section" of the present invention.

[0076] <Electrical configuration of the printer> Next, the electrical configuration of printer 1 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in addition to the above-mentioned configuration, printer 1 is equipped with an operation panel 99, a scanner 98, and a circuit board 109.

[0077] The control panel 99 is located at the top of the front panel 1A1 of the housing 1A. The control panel 99 has a display unit and an operation unit. The display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation unit is, for example, hard keys, a touch panel provided on the display unit, etc.

[0078] The scanner 98 is located on the top surface 1A3 of the housing 1A. The scanner 98 is for scanning documents. The configuration of the scanner 98 itself is well known, so a detailed explanation is omitted here. In addition, the printer 1 may be capable of so-called copying, where the image scanned by the scanner 98 is recorded in the recording unit 2. Furthermore, the printer 1 may be capable of saving the image data scanned by the scanner 98 to the memory 104 (described later), the storage of a PC (not shown) connected to the printer 1, etc.

[0079] The circuit board 109 is positioned above the paper output tray 3 and the cutting section 6. When viewed from above, the circuit board 109 overlaps with the paper output tray 3 and the cutting section 6. The control unit 100 shown in Figure 8 is provided on the circuit board 109.

[0080] The control unit 100 consists of a CPU 101, ROM 102, RAM 103, memory 104, ASIC 105, etc. CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. ROM stands for Read Only Memory. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. ASIC stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The control unit 100 controls the motors of the head carriage motor 106, head 13, roller drive unit 107, cutter carriage motor 108, lifting device 47, switching motor 83, operation panel 99, scanner 98, etc. The control unit 100 also receives signals from the sensor 33. Furthermore, when the user operates the operation panel 99, a signal corresponding to the user's operation is transmitted to the control unit 100.

[0081] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may be configured such that only the CPU 101 performs the various processing, or only the ASIC 105 performs the various processing, or the CPU 101 and ASIC 105 perform the various processing in cooperation. Also, the control unit 100 may be configured such that one CPU 101 performs the processing independently, or multiple CPUs 101 share the processing. Also, the control unit 100 may be configured such that one ASIC 105 performs the processing independently, or multiple ASICs 105 share the processing.

[0082] <Control during recording> Next, we will explain the control by the control unit 100 when recording an image on the recording paper S in the printer 1.

[0083] Printer 1 can selectively perform one of the following: normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, or cut double-sided recording. Normal single-sided recording is the operation of recording an image on only one side of the recording paper S and not cutting the recording paper S at the cutting unit 6. Normal double-sided recording is the operation of recording an image on both sides of the recording paper S and not cutting the recording paper S at the cutting unit 6. Cut single-sided recording is the operation of recording an image on only one side of the recording paper S and cutting the recording paper S at the cutting unit 6. Cut double-sided recording is the operation of recording an image on both sides of the recording paper S and cutting the recording paper S at the cutting unit 6.

[0084] <Control during normal single-sided recording> The control by the control unit 100 when performing normal single-sided recording will now be explained. When performing normal single-sided recording, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(a). For example, when a recording instruction signal indicating normal single-sided recording is input via operation of the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(a) begins.

[0085] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(a) in detail, the control unit 100 first performs the paper feeding process (S101). In the paper feeding process of S101, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to supply recording paper S from the manual feed tray 4 to the recording unit 2 through the tray feed path 51 to the tray feed roller 61, as shown in Figure 10(a). Alternatively, in the paper feeding process of S101, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to supply recording paper S from the paper cassette 5 to the recording unit 2 through the cassette feed path 52 to the pickup roller 62 and the cassette feed roller 63, as shown in Figure 10(b). Whether to supply recording paper S to the recording unit 2 from the manual feed tray 4 or the paper cassette 5 is determined based on, for example, a recording instruction, setting information stored in advance in the memory 104, etc.

[0086] Next, the control unit 100 performs recording processing (S102). In the recording processing of S102, the control unit 100 repeatedly performs recording path processing and paper transport processing to record an image on the recording paper S. Recording path processing is the process of controlling the head carriage motor 106 to move the head carriage 11 to the left or right, while controlling the head 13 to eject ink from multiple nozzles 10 toward the recording paper S. Paper transport processing is the process of controlling the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S forward a predetermined distance on the transport rollers 15 and 16.

[0087] Next, the control unit 100 performs the recording paper ejection process (S103) and terminates the process. In the recording paper ejection process of S103, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image is recorded to the paper ejection tray 3 via the transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64. As a result, the recording paper S on which the image is recorded is ejected without passing through the cutting unit 6.

[0088] <Control during normal double-sided recording> The control by the control unit 100 when performing normal double-sided recording will now be explained. When performing normal double-sided recording, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(b). For example, when a recording instruction signal for normal double-sided recording is input via operation of the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(b) is started.

[0089] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(b) in detail, the control unit 100 performs the same paper feeding process as in S101 (S201). Next, the control unit 100 performs the first recording process (S202). The first recording process in S202 is the same process as the recording process in S102. The first recording process records an image on one side of the recording paper S.

[0090] Next, the control unit 100 performs a paper reversal process (S203). In the paper reversal process in S203, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S, on which an image is recorded on one side, to the transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64, as shown in Figure 11(a), until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 53A. After that, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the first switchback roller 64 in the reverse direction, transporting the recording paper S, on which an image is recorded on one side, to the rear. As a result, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 71 located at the reversal guide position, as indicated by the symbol Sa in Figure 11(b), and transported from the paper discharge path 53 to the reversal path 54. In other words, the recording paper S is switched back. At this time, the guide member 81 is located at the first position. As a result, the recording paper S transported along the inversion path 54 is supplied back to the recording unit 2 with its front and back sides reversed, as indicated by the symbol Sb in Figure 11(b).

[0091] Next, the control unit 100 performs a second recording process (S204). The second recording process in S204 is the same as the recording process in S102. The second recording process records an image on the other side of the recording paper S. Subsequently, the control unit 100 performs a recording paper ejection process similar to that in S103 (S205), and the process ends.

[0092] <Control during single-sided recording after cutting> The control by the control unit 100 when performing single-sided cutting recording will now be explained. When performing single-sided cutting recording, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(c). For example, when a recording instruction signal instructing single-sided cutting recording is input via operation of the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(c) is started.

[0093] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(c) in detail, the control unit 100 executes the same processes as S101 and S102, as in S301 and S302. As a result, an image is recorded on the recording paper S.

[0094] Here, in the recording process for normal single-sided recording and the first and second recording processes for normal double-sided recording described above, for example, as shown in Figure 12(a), an image P corresponding to the image data input along with the recording instruction is recorded on the recording paper S. In contrast, in the recording process of S302, for example, as shown in Figure 12(b), in addition to the image P corresponding to the image data input along with the recording instruction, a marker M that serves as a positioning reference when cutting the recording paper S is recorded on the recording paper S. Figure 12(b) shows the case where four markers M are recorded at the four corners of the recording paper S, but the number of markers M may be 1 to 3 or 5 or more. Also, the position where the markers M are recorded may be a position other than the four corners of the recording paper S. Also, Figure 12(b) shows the case where the markers M are L-shaped, but the markers M may be of a different shape.

[0095] Next, the control unit 100 performs the cutting and transport process (S303). In the cutting and transport process of S303, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image is recorded to the transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64, as shown in Figure 11(a), in the same way as in normal double-sided recording, until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 53A.

[0096] In the cutting and transport process of S303, the control unit 100 then controls the switching motor 83 to move the guide member 81 to the second position, and then controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image is recorded to the first switchback roller 64 backward. As a result, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 71 located at the inversion guide position, as shown by the symbol Sc in Figure 13(a), and transported from the paper discharge path 53 to the inversion path 54. In other words, the recording paper S is switched back. At this time, the guide member 81 is located at the second position. As a result, the recording paper S transported along the inversion path 54 is transported from the inversion path 54 to the upstream path 55A, as shown by the symbol Sd in Figure 13(a).

[0097] Furthermore, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S that has been transported along the upstream path 55A to the switchback position of the switchback path 55B via the upstream path 55A, as indicated by the symbol Se in Figure 13(a). Note that the recording paper S shown by the dashed line in Figure 2 represents the recording paper S located at the switchback position. The same applies to the recording paper S shown by the dashed line in Figure 14, which will be described later.

[0098] In the cutting and transport process of S303, the control unit 100 then controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the second switchback roller 66 in the opposite direction. As a result, the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C, as indicated by the letter Sf in Figure 13(b). In other words, the recording paper S is switched back. At this time, the control unit 100 also controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S, which has been transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C, through the downstream path 55C and the upper surface of the support member 35 to the cutting section 6, as indicated by the letter Sg in Figure 13(b). As a result of being transported in the cutting and transport process of S303, the recording paper S is transported to the cutting section 6 with the recording surface, on which the image was recorded in the recording process of S302, facing upwards.

[0099] Furthermore, when the recording paper S is transported to the switchback path 55B, the end Ea of the recording paper S is the front end of transport, and the opposite end Eb is the rear end of transport. In contrast, when the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 55B to the cutting section 6, the end Eb is the front end of transport, and the end Ea is the rear end of transport. In other words, in this embodiment, a switchback occurs in which the front and rear ends of the transport of the recording paper S are swapped when the recording paper S is transported to the switchback path 55B and when the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 55B to the cutting section 6.

[0100] Next, the control unit 100 performs the cutting process (S304). In the cutting process of S304, the control unit 100 controls the cutter carriage motor 108 to move the cutter carriage 32 to the left and right, and controls the roller drive device 107 to move the recording paper S forward and backward on the cutting roller 34, thereby causing the sensor 33 to detect the marker M on the recording paper S. Then, based on the left-right position of the cutter carriage 32 and the front-rear position of the recording paper S when the marker M is detected by the sensor 33, and the image data, the control unit 100 obtains the position of the area on the recording paper S where the image is recorded.

[0101] Then, in the cutting process of S304, the control unit 100 controls the lifting device 47 to lower the cutter cartridge 31 until the cutter blade 42B of the cutter 42 penetrates the recording paper S. In this state, the control unit 100 controls the cutter carriage motor 108 to move the cutter carriage 32 to the left and right according to the position of the area on the recording paper S in which the image is recorded, and controls the roller drive device 107 to move the recording paper S forward and backward on the cutting roller 34, thereby causing the cutter 42 to cut the recording paper S. For example, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 12(b), the recording paper S is cut along the outline of the recorded image P.

[0102] After the cutting process, the control unit 100 performs the cut and paper discharge process (S305). In the cut and paper discharge process of S305, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to discharge the recording paper S, which has been cut at the cutting unit 6, forward to the cutting unit roller 34.

[0103] <Control during recording on both sides of a cut surface> The control by the control unit 100 when performing double-sided cutting recording will now be explained. When performing double-sided cutting recording, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(d). For example, when a recording instruction signal instructing double-sided cutting recording is input via operation of the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(d) is started.

[0104] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(d) in detail, the control unit 100 executes the same processes as S201 to S204, specifically S401 to S404. As a result, an image is recorded on both sides of the recording paper S. However, in the first recording process of S402, for example, as shown in Figure 12(a), an image P is recorded on the recording paper S, and in the second recording process of S402, for example, as shown in Figure 12(b), both the image P and the marker M are recorded on the recording paper S.

[0105] Next, the control unit 100 executes the same processes as S303 to S305, from S405 to S407, and the process ends. In this case, the recording paper S is transported as described above by the cutting and transport process in S405, and is transported to the cutting unit 6 with the recording surface on which the image was recorded facing upwards in the second recording process in S403.

[0106] <Effects> In this embodiment, a printer can be realized that can cut the recording paper S, on which an image has been recorded, into any shape without impairing the function of recording an image on the recording paper S without cutting the recording paper S by the cutting unit 6. Furthermore, in order to make it easier for the user to remove the recording paper S that is normally transported forward and discharged into the output tray 3, the printer 1 has an output port 1C formed on the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A, and is used in such a way that the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A is in front of the user than the rear surface 1A2. In this embodiment, the transport roller 16, the output tray 3, and the cutting unit 6 are located closer to the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than the recording unit 2. Therefore, when the printer 1 is arranged as described above, the cutting unit 6 is located in front of the user. As a result, the user can easily perform maintenance and other tasks on the cutting unit 6.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the transport roller 16 is positioned closer to the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than to the recording unit 2. Therefore, the vertical length of the printer 1 can be shortened compared to the case where the cutting unit 6 overlaps with the transport roller 16 when viewed from above. In addition, the transport roller 16 is less likely to get in the way when the user performs maintenance or other tasks on the cutting unit 6.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printer 1 is equipped with a reversal path 54 and a first switchback roller 64. This allows the printer 1 to record images on both sides of the recording paper S. In addition, the cutting section 6 is located closer to the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A than the first switchback roller 64. Therefore, the vertical length of the printer 1 can be shortened compared to the case where the cutting section 6 overlaps with the first switchback roller 64 or the reversal path 54 when viewed from above. Also, the first switchback roller 64 and the reversal path 54 are less likely to get in the way when the user performs maintenance or other work on the cutting section 6.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the paper cassette 5 is located below the recording unit 2, the transport roller 16, and the output tray 3, and above the cutting unit 6. This allows the paper cassette 5 to be positioned using the space between the recording unit 2, the transport roller 16, and the output tray 3 and the cutting unit 6. In this case, the size of the printer 1 can be kept down.

[0110] Furthermore, in this case, since the paper cassette 5 is located above the cutting section 6, the paper cassette 5 is positioned above the mounting surface of the printer 1. This provides space for the user to reach below the paper cassette 5, making it easier for the user to reach for the paper cassette 5 and remove it from the housing 1A by pulling it forward.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the recording unit 2 is located above the cutting unit 6, while the manual feed tray 4 is located above the cutting unit 6. This allows for a shorter path length for transporting the recording paper S from the manual feed tray 4 to the recording unit 2 compared to when the manual feed tray 4 is located below the cutting unit 6. It also allows for a shorter path length for transporting the recording paper S from the manual feed tray 4 to the recording unit 2 compared to when the positions of the manual feed tray 4 and the cutting unit 6 overlap in the vertical direction. As a result, the time from when a recording command is input until the recording of the image on the recording paper S is completed can be shortened.

[0112] Furthermore, since the manual feed tray 4 and the cutting unit 6 are separated in the vertical direction, the vertical length of the printer 1 can be shortened while preventing interference between the manual feed tray 4 and the path for transporting the recording paper S to the cutting unit 6.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cutting section 6 is located in front of the recording section 2, while the support member 35 extends behind the cutting section 6. This allows the support member 35 to be positioned using the space behind the cutting section 6.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the output tray 3 is positioned in front of the recording unit 2, while the circuit board 109 is positioned above the output tray 3, overlapping with the output tray 3 when viewed from above. Therefore, the circuit board 109 is less likely to be soiled by the ink used for recording in the recording unit 2. Also, in this embodiment, the circuit board 109 overlaps with the cutting section 6 when viewed from above. Therefore, the length of the wiring member connecting the cutting section 6 and the circuit board 109 can be shortened.

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operation panel 99 is provided on the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A. This makes it easier for the user to operate the operation panel 99 when the printer 1 is installed and used so that the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A is facing the user.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the scanner 98 is located on the upper surface 1A3 of the housing 1A, it is easy for the user to operate the scanner 98.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cartridge mounting section 21 is configured so that the ink cartridge 22 can be attached to and detached from the front 1A1 side of the housing 1A. This makes it easier for the user to attach to and detach the ink cartridge 22 from the cartridge mounting section 21 when the printer 1 is installed and used with the front 1A1 of the housing 1A facing the user.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cartridge mounting portion 21 does not overlap with the cutting portion 6 when viewed from above. As a result, even if ink spills when attaching or detaching the ink cartridge 22 to the cartridge mounting portion 21, the cutting portion 6 is less likely to be soiled with ink.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the downstream path 55C of the cutting and transport path 55 is connected to the cutting section 6 from the rear. This makes it possible to avoid positioning the cutting and transport path 55 in front of the cutting section 6. As a result, when the printer 1 is installed and used with the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A facing the user, the user can easily remove the recording paper S that has been cut by the cutting section 6.

[0120] <Variation> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they are within the scope of the claims.

[0121] In the embodiment described above, the switchback path was located behind the recording unit 2, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, in Modification 1, as shown in Figure 14, the printer 110 has a cutting and transport path 111 which includes an upstream path 111A, a switchback path 111B, and a downstream path 111C.

[0122] The upstream path 111A branches off from the reversal path 54 at the branching section 54A and extends backward from the branching section 54A. Furthermore, the upstream path 111A curves downward midway and then curves further forward downward. In other words, the upstream path 111A extends backward, the transport path curves in a U-shape, and then extends forward. In addition, an upstream path roller 112 is provided for the upstream path 111A.

[0123] Furthermore, in the printer 110, the path member 116 is positioned below the paper cassette 5 and above the cutting section 6. Also, when viewed from above, the paper cassette 5 and the path member 116 overlap.

[0124] The switchback path 111B is formed between the paper cassette 5 and the path member 116 in the vertical direction. The lower surface of the paper cassette 5 is the upper wall surface of the switchback path 111B, and the upper surface of the path member 116 is the lower wall surface of the switchback path 111B.

[0125] As a result, the switchback path 111B is positioned below the paper cassette 5 and above the cutting section 6. The switchback path 111B extends forward from the front end opposite the branching section 54A of the upstream path 111A. More specifically, the switchback path 111B extends at an angle with respect to the front-to-back direction, becoming upward as it extends forward. In other words, the switchback path 111B extends at an angle such that the front is higher with respect to the horizontal plane. A second switchback roller 113 is also provided with respect to the switchback path 111B. Furthermore, when the paper cassette 5 is pulled forward from the housing 1A and removed from the housing 1A, the switchback path 111B and the second switchback roller 113, i.e., the switchback mechanism, are exposed. In other words, the second switchback roller 113 and the switchback path 111B are visible from the opening into which the paper cassette 5 is installed. Furthermore, the second switchback roller 113 and the switchback path 111B are accessible through the opening where the paper cassette 5 is installed. In addition, any jammed recording paper S in the switchback path 111B can be visually inspected and accessed through the opening where the paper cassette 5 is installed.

[0126] The downstream path 111C is located behind the switchback path 111B and below the upstream path 111A. The downstream path 111C extends backward and downward from its position behind the switchback path 111B, curves downward, and then curves further downward and forward to reach the upper surface of the support member 35. In other words, the downstream path 111C is a conveyor path that extends backward, curves in a U-shape, and extends forward. A downstream path roller 114 is also provided on the downstream path 111C.

[0127] Furthermore, a guide member 115 is positioned between the upstream path 111A and the downstream path 111C and the switchback path 111B in the front-rear direction. The guide member 115 is configured to be movable between a downstream guide position shown by a solid line in Figure 14 and an upstream guide position shown by a dashed line in Figure 14. The downstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the switchback path 111B to the downstream path 111C. The upstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B. The guide member 115 is also biased from the upstream guide position towards the downstream guide position by a spring or the like (not shown).

[0128] In the modified example 1, the control unit 100 can perform normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, and cut double-sided recording by processing according to the flowcharts in Figures 9(a) to (d), similar to the embodiment described above.

[0129] In Modification 1, the control unit 100, in the cutting and transport process of S303 and S405, transports the recording paper S until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 53A, similar to the embodiment described above. After that, the control unit 100 moves the guide member 81 to the second position and then controls the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded on the first switchback roller 64 backward. However, in Modification 1, as shown in Figure 15(a), the recording paper S is transported from the paper discharge path 53 to the reversal path 54, and further transported from the reversal path 54 to the upstream path 111A.

[0130] Furthermore, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to drive the upstream path roller 112 and the second switchback roller 113, thereby transporting the recording paper S that has been transported along the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B via the upstream path 111A. When the recording paper S is transported from the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B, the guide member 115 is pushed by the recording paper S and moves against the biasing force of the spring from the downstream guide position to the upstream guide position. In this way, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 115 from the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B. When the transport of the recording paper S to the switchback path 111B is complete, the guide member 115 returns to the downstream guide position due to the biasing force of the spring.

[0131] In the cutting and transport process of S303 and S405, the control unit 100 then controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the second switchback roller 113 in the opposite direction. As a result, as shown in Figure 15(b), the recording paper S is fed backward from the switchback path 111B. Furthermore, the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 111B to the downstream path 111C by being guided by the guide member 115 located at the downstream guide position. At this time, the control unit 100 also controls the roller drive unit 107 to drive the downstream path roller 67 and the cutting section roller 34. As a result, the recording paper S that has been transported to the downstream path 111C is transported to the cutting section 6 through the downstream path 111C and the upper surface of the support member 35.

[0132] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modification 1, the cutting section 6 was located in front of the transport roller 16 and the first switchback roller 64 for transporting the recording paper S on which the image is recorded to the output tray 3, but it is not limited to this.

[0133] For example, when viewed from above, a portion of the cutting section 6 may overlap with the first switchback roller 64. Alternatively, in the front-to-back direction, the cutting section 6 may be located between the recording section 2 and the first switchback roller 64. In this case, for example, when viewed from above, a portion of the cutting section 6 may overlap with the transport roller 16. Alternatively, in the front-to-back direction, the cutting section 6 may be located between the recording section 2 and the transport roller 16.

[0134] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modification 1, the paper cassette 5 was located below the recording unit 2, the transport roller 16, and the output tray 3, and above the cutting unit 6, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the paper cassette may be located above the recording unit 2, the transport roller 16, and the output tray 3. Alternatively, the paper cassette may be located below the cutting unit 6.

[0135] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modification 1, the manual feed tray 4 was located above the cutting section 6, but this is not limited to this. For example, the manual feed tray 4 may be located below the cutting section 6. Alternatively, the manual feed tray 4 and the cutting section 6 may include portions that are in the same position in the vertical direction.

[0136] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modification 1, the support member 35 had a portion located behind the cut portion 6, but this is not limited to this. For example, the downstream path 55C may extend to a position immediately behind the cut portion 6. Also, the support member 35 may extend from a position overlapping the cut portion 6 when viewed from above to a position further forward, and may not have a portion located behind the cut portion 6.

[0137] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modification 1, the circuit board 109 was located above the paper output tray 3 and the transport roller 16 and overlapped with the cutting portion 6 when viewed from above, but this is not limited to this. For example, the circuit board 109 may be located below at least one of the paper output tray 3 and the transport roller 16. Alternatively, the circuit board 109 may have a portion that is in the same vertical position as either the paper output tray 3 or the transport roller 16. Also, the circuit board 109 does not have to overlap with the cutting portion 6 when viewed from above.

[0138] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and Modification 1, the operation panel 99 was located on the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A, but this is not the only possible configuration. In Modification 2, as shown in Figure 16, the operation panel 121 in the printer 120 is located on the upper surface 1A3 of the housing 1A, in the portion in front of the scanner 98.

[0139] In the modified example 2, the control panel 121 is located on the top surface 1A3 of the housing 1A, making it easier for the user to operate the control panel 121.

[0140] Alternatively, the control panel may be provided on a different part of the housing 1A, such as the left or right side of the housing 1A. Furthermore, the printer may not have a control panel and may be configured so that it can be operated by operating a PC, smartphone, or the like connected to the printer.

[0141] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 was equipped with a scanner 98 on the upper surface 1A3 of the housing 1A, but this is not limited to the printer. The printer does not need to be equipped with a scanner.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the cartridge mounting portion 21 was positioned above the cutting portion 6 and arranged so as not to overlap with the cutting portion 6 when viewed from above, but this is not limited to this. For example, the cartridge mounting portion 21 may be positioned above the cutting portion 6 and overlapping with the cutting portion 6 when viewed from above. Alternatively, for example, the cartridge mounting portion 21 may be positioned below the cutting portion 6. Alternatively, for example, the cartridge mounting portion 21 and the cutting portion 6 may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0143] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the cutting and transport path 55 includes a portion located behind the recording unit 2. The cutting and transport path 55 is connected to the cutting unit 6 from the rear. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the cutting and transport path may extend downward from a position that overlaps with the recording unit 2 when viewed from above. In other words, the cutting and transport path does not have to include a portion located behind the recording unit 2. Also, in this case, the cutting and transport path may be connected to the cutting unit 6 from almost directly above.

[0144] Furthermore, in the above example, the reversal path branched off from the paper output path and merged with the tray feed path, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the reversal path may branch off from the tray feed path and merge with a more upstream portion of the tray feed path. In other words, the entire reversal path may be located behind the recording unit 2. In this case, after recording the image onto the recording paper S, the recording paper S with the recorded image can be transported to the reversal path by transporting it backward using the transport rollers 15 and 16.

[0145] Furthermore, in the above example, the recording paper S on which the image was recorded in the single-sided cutting recording and the recording paper on which the image was recorded in the second recording process in the double-sided cutting recording were transported to the cutting section 6 so that they were the upper surfaces at the cutting section 6, but this is not the only example.

[0146] For example, in Modification 3, as shown in Figure 17, in the printer 130, the cutting and transport path 131 extends rearward from the branching section 54A, bends downward midway, and then bends further downward and forward to extend to the upper surface of the support member 35. In addition, transport rollers 132 and 133 are provided at two separate sections of the cutting and transport path 141, respectively.

[0147] In the third modified example, the control unit 100 can perform normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, and cut double-sided recording by processing according to the flowcharts in Figures 9(a) to (d), similar to the embodiments described above.

[0148] However, in the case of Modification 3, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to drive the transport rollers 132 and 133 during the paper inversion process in S203 and S403, thereby transporting the recording paper S that has been transported from the inversion path 54 to the cutting transport path 131 along the cutting transport path 131 to the upper surface of the support member 35. In this case, when single-sided recording is performed, the recording paper S is transported to the cutting section 6 such that the recording surface on which the image is recorded becomes the lower surface at the cutting section 6. Also, when double-sided recording is performed, the recording paper S is transported to the cutting section 6 such that the recording surface on which the image is recorded during the second recording process becomes the lower surface at the cutting section 6.

[0149] Furthermore, although the sensor 33 was provided on the cutter carriage 32 in the above-described embodiment, it is not limited to this. For example, the sensor 33 may be attached to the part of the housing 1A where the cutting portion 6 is located.

[0150] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the sensor 33 detected a marker M recorded on the recording paper S along with the image P, but it is not limited to this. The sensor 33 may also detect the image P recorded on the recording paper S.

[0151] Furthermore, the sensor 33 may not even be necessary. In this case, for example, if the variation in the position of the recording paper S when it is transported to the cutting unit 6 is sufficiently small, the cutting unit 6 can appropriately cut the image based on the image data of the image being recorded.

[0152] Furthermore, in the above example, recording paper S could be supplied to the recording unit 2 from the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5, but this is not limited to this. The printer does not need to have at least one of the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5.

[0153] Furthermore, in the above examples, the recording unit was equipped with a so-called serial head that ejects ink from nozzles while moving leftward and rightward with the carriage, but it is not limited to this. For example, the recording unit may be equipped with a so-called line head that extends along the entire length of the recording paper S in the left-right direction.

[0154] Furthermore, in the above examples, the recording unit was composed of a so-called inkjet printer that records an image on the recording paper by ejecting ink from a nozzle toward the recording paper, but it is not limited to this. For example, the recording unit may record an image on the recording paper by coating the recording paper with toner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 1,110,120,130: Printer 1A: Enclosure 1A1:Front 1A2: Rear 1A3:Top surface 1C: Outlet 2: Records Department 3: Paper output tray 4: Manual feed tray 5: Paper cassette 6: Cutting section 16: Conveyor roller 21: Cartridge mounting section 22: Ink Cartridges 35: Support member 54: Reversal path 55,111,131: Cutting and transport routes 64: First switchback roller 97: Circuit board 98: Scanner 99,121: Control Panel

Claims

1. A recording unit that records images onto a recording medium, A cutting unit for cutting the recording medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit into any shape, An ejection unit that ejects the recording medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit without passing it through the cutting unit, An image recording device comprising a housing having the recording unit, the cutting unit, and the discharge unit inside, When the aforementioned image recording device is installed and in use, The discharge unit discharges the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit by transporting it in a predetermined direction intersecting the vertical direction. The aforementioned enclosure is The system comprises a first surface that intersects the predetermined direction and has an outlet for the discharge portion, and a second surface that is located in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction from the first surface and faces the first surface, The recording unit and the discharge unit are located above the cutting unit. An image recording apparatus characterized in that, in the predetermined direction, the discharge section and the cutting section are located closer to the first surface than the recording section.

2. The aforementioned discharge section is An output tray for arranging the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit, The recording unit has an image recorded on it, and a discharge roller that transports the recording medium to be recorded toward the discharge tray in a predetermined direction, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the predetermined direction, the cutting portion is located closer to the first surface than the discharge roller.

3. An inversion path for inverting the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit and then supplying it to the recording unit again, The system includes a switchback roller located in the predetermined direction closer to the first surface than the inversion path, which transports the recording medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit toward the inversion path, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the predetermined direction, the cutting portion is located closer to the first surface than the switchback roller.

4. The recording medium to be supplied to the recording unit is housed in a paper feed tray which is detachably mounted in the housing in a predetermined direction, and the recording tray is provided in the recording unit. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the paper feed tray is located below the recording unit and the output unit, and above the cutting unit.

5. The system includes a manual feed tray located in the predetermined direction, at a position further from the first surface than the recording unit, on which the recording medium to be supplied to the recording unit can be placed, The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the manual feed tray is located above the cutting section.

6. The system includes a support member that supports the recording medium to be cut by the cutting portion from below, The aforementioned support member is Located below the recording unit and the discharge unit, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a portion located further from the first surface than the cut portion in the predetermined direction.

7. The circuit board for driving the cutting section is provided, The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit board is located above the discharge section and overlaps with the discharge section and the cutting section when viewed from above.

8. It includes an operation panel operated by the user, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the operation panel is located on the first surface of the housing.

9. It includes an operation panel operated by the user, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control panel is located on the upper surface of the housing.

10. It is equipped with a scanner for reading documents, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the scanner is located on the upper surface of the housing.

11. The recording unit performs the recording process by ejecting ink from the nozzle onto the recording medium. The system includes a cartridge mounting section into which an ink cartridge containing ink for supplying ink to the recording unit is removably mounted, The cartridge mounting section is The system is configured to allow the ink cartridge to be attached to and detached from the first surface side in the predetermined direction. The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that it does not overlap with the cut portion when viewed from above.

12. The system includes a transport path for transporting the recording medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit to the cutting unit, The aforementioned transport path is Including a portion located further from the first surface than the recording section in the predetermined direction, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is connected to the cutting portion from the direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

Images