Recording device

Abstract

This technology provides a method for suppressing disruption in the stacking position of ejected recording media. [Solution] The system includes a loading means capable of loading recording media discharged in a first direction, and a regulating means for regulating the position of the leading edge of the recording media in the first direction on the loading surface on which the recording media discharged in the loading means are loaded, wherein the regulating means changes between a first posture in which the angle between the contact surface to which the leading edge of the discharged recording media abuts and the loading surface is a first angle, and a second posture in which the angle between the contact surface and the loading surface is a second angle that is larger than the first angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recording apparatus including a stacking section that stacks discharged recording media. Background Art

[0002] In a recording apparatus that discharges a recorded recording medium and stacks the recording medium on a stacking section, a technology of stacking a recording medium on an extendable stacking section is known. Patent Document 1 discloses that the stacking section is extended in accordance with the size of the recording medium. Prior Art Literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2021-70565 Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a recording medium is stacked over the end of the stacking section, and disorder in the stacking position has not been considered.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problem, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology capable of suppressing disorder in the stacking position of a discharged recording medium. Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To achieve the above objective, one embodiment of the recording device according to the present disclosure includes a loading means capable of loading recording media discharged in a first direction, and a regulating means for regulating the position of the leading edge of the recording media in the first direction on a loading surface on which the recording media discharged in the loading means are loaded, wherein the regulating means changes between a first posture in which the angle between the contact surface to which the leading edge of the discharged recording media abuts and the loading surface is a first angle, and a second posture in which the angle between the contact surface and the loading surface is a second angle greater than the first angle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it becomes possible to suppress disturbances in the stacking position of ejected recording media. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the internal configuration of the recording device. [Figure 2] Front view and top view of the recording unit. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the transport system for the recording unit. [Figure 4] A block diagram focusing on the control system for the loading section within the recording unit. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the loading section. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the range of motion of the front tray. [Figure 7] A diagram illustrating the sorting locations in the loading section. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the drive transmission unit. [Figure 9] A perspective view of the cam's configuration. [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating the movement of a reciprocating member using a cam. [Figure 11] A diagram illustrating the drive of the loading section based on the rotation direction of the drive source. [Figure 12] A flowchart illustrating the process of recording data. [Figure 13] A diagram showing the state of the loading unit after it has been driven during the recording process. [Figure 14]A diagram illustrating discharge of a recording medium onto a loading surface of a loading unit. [Figure 15] A perspective configuration diagram of a leading end regulating portion. [Figure 16] A cross-sectional view of the leading end regulating portion. [Figure 17] A perspective configuration diagram of a support member. [Figure 18] A diagram illustrating a change in posture of the leading end regulating portion caused by movement of the loading unit. [Figure 19] A diagram illustrating a change in posture of the leading end regulating portion caused by movement of the loading unit. [Figure 20] A diagram illustrating another configuration for expanding and contracting the loading unit. [Figure 21] A diagram illustrating another configuration for moving the loading unit in the X direction. [Figure 22] A diagram illustrating a configuration for sorting recording media loaded on the loading unit. [Figure 23] A diagram illustrating another configuration for sorting recording media loaded on the loading unit.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a recording apparatus, a control method, and a program will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the present disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution means of the present disclosure. In addition, the positions, shapes, and the like of the constituent elements described in the embodiments are merely illustrative, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure only thereto.

[0010] In this embodiment, a multifunction printer is described as an example of a recording device, which has a recording function that ejects ink as a recording material onto a recording medium using an inkjet method, and a reading function that reads a document placed on a document glass. The recording method is not limited to the inkjet method, but may be any known method, such as electrophotography. The recording material that can be ejected by the recording device according to this embodiment is not limited to ink, but includes various known recording materials used for recording, such as processing liquids that perform predetermined processing on the ejected ink.

[0011] In this specification, when the recording medium is facing the side from which the recorded data is ejected, the direction from the left to the right of the recording device is described as the X direction, the direction from the back (rear) side of the recording device to the front (front) side is described as the Y direction, and the direction from the bottom side of the recording device to the top is described as the Z direction. Thus, the X, Y, and Z directions are directions from one side to the other and are mutually orthogonal. In this specification, each direction is indicated with a "+" (plus) sign when it is moving from one side to the other, and with a "-" (minus) sign when it is moving from the other side to the one side.

[0012] <<First Embodiment>> First, a recording device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 19.

[0013] (Recording device configuration) The schematic configuration of the recording device according to this embodiment will now be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the recording device. Figure 2(a) is a front view of the recording unit, and Figure 2(b) is a top view of the recording unit. Note that in Figure 1, some components are omitted for ease of understanding.

[0014] The recording device 1 is a multifunction device comprising a recording unit 10 that records data onto a recording medium, and a scanner unit (not shown) positioned above the recording unit 10 for reading documents. In the recording device 1, various processes related to recording and reading operations are performed individually or in conjunction between the recording unit 10 and the scanner unit.

[0015] The scanner unit is equipped with an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) and an FBS (Flatbed Scanner), and can read documents automatically fed by the ADF and documents placed on the FBS platen by the user. In this embodiment, the recording device 1 is a multifunction device equipped with a recording unit 10 and a scanner unit, but it may also be configured without a scanner unit.

[0016] The recording unit 10 includes a first paper feed unit 11, a second paper feed unit 12, and a third paper feed unit 13 for feeding recording media (see Figure 1). The recording unit 10 also includes a transport unit 2 for transporting the recording media fed from each paper feed unit, a recording head 3 for ejecting ink onto the recording media transported by the transport unit 2 to record data, and a loading unit 4 for stacking the recorded recording media. Furthermore, the recording unit 10 includes a maintenance unit 5 for performing maintenance on the recording head 3, and a drive unit 6 for driving the first paper feed unit 11, the second paper feed unit 12, the third paper feed unit 13, and the maintenance unit 5.

[0017] The recording unit 10 includes a liquid storage unit 34 for storing ink supplied to the recording head 3, and an ink discharge unit 51 for storing ink discharged from the maintenance unit 5 (see Figures 2(a) and 2(b)). The recording unit 10 also includes a control unit 71 (see Figure 4) that controls the overall operation of the recording device 1, including the drive control of the transport unit 2, the recording head 3, the loading unit 4, and the drive unit 6. Furthermore, the recording unit 10 includes an operation unit 8 that allows user input operations and displays various information. The operation unit 8 is provided with operation buttons 81 for inputting operation information to the recording device 1 and a display panel 82 for displaying operation information. In the recording device 1, each of the above components is fastened to the housing 9 to constitute the recording unit 10.

[0018] In the recording unit 10, the operation unit 8 and the liquid storage unit 34 are positioned above the loading unit 4. More specifically, the operation unit 8 and the liquid storage unit 34 are positioned such that a portion of each overlaps with the loading unit 4 in the XY plane (see Figure 2(b)). The operation unit 8 and the liquid storage unit 34 are positioned with a gap between them and the loading unit 4 in the Z direction (see Figure 2(a)). In this embodiment, the operation unit 8 is positioned on one side (left side) in the X direction, and the liquid storage unit 34 is positioned on the other side (right side) in the X direction. The positions of the operation unit 8 and the liquid storage unit 34 in the X direction may be reversed.

[0019] Furthermore, in the recording unit 10, the operation unit 8 and the liquid storage unit 34 are located on the other side (forward side) in the Y direction from the paper discharge roller pair 26, that is, downstream in the transport direction of the recording medium discharged by the paper discharge roller pair 26. In addition, in the recording unit 10, the maintenance unit 5 is located within the movement area of ​​the recording head 3 and on the other side in the X direction from the stacking unit 4. More specifically, a portion of the maintenance unit 5 is located in a position that overlaps with the stacking unit 4 in the YZ plane (see Figure 3(a)). Furthermore, in the recording unit 10, the ink discharge unit 51 is located below the stacking unit 4. More specifically, a portion of the ink discharge unit 51 is located in a position that overlaps with the stacking unit 4 in the XY plane (see Figures 2(a) and 3(a)).

[0020] (Conveyor unit and paper feed unit) Next, the configuration of the transport system of the recording unit 10 will be described. Figure 3 shows the configuration of the transport system of the recording unit 10, where (a) shows the state before the loading unit 4 is extended, and (b) shows the state after the loading unit 4 is extended.

[0021] <Conveying Section> The transport unit 2 includes a transport roller pair 22 that transports recording media fed from each paper feeding unit to a recording position where recording is possible by the recording head 3, and a paper discharge roller pair 26 that discharges the recording media after recording by the recording head 3. The transport roller pair 22 includes a transport roller 22a driven by a transport motor 21 (see Figure 1) and a pinch roller 22b that is pressed against and driven by the transport roller 22a. In the transport roller pair 22, the recording media is pinched (nipped) between the transport roller 22a and the pinch roller 22b for transport. The paper discharge roller pair 26 includes a paper discharge roller 26a driven by a transport motor 21 and a spur 26b that is pressed against the paper discharge roller 26a. In the paper discharge roller pair 26, the recording media is pinched between the paper discharge roller 26a and the spur 26b for transport. In this embodiment, the paper discharge roller pair 26 functions as a paper discharge unit that discharges recording media from the loading unit 4.

[0022] Furthermore, the transport unit 2 includes a first intermediate roller pair 126 that transports recording media fed from the second paper feeding unit 12 and the third paper feeding unit 13 to the transport roller pair 22, and a second intermediate roller pair 136 that transports recording media fed from the third paper feeding unit 13 to the first intermediate roller pair 126. The first intermediate roller pair 126 includes a first intermediate roller 126a driven by the drive unit 6, and a first driven roller 126b that presses against and is driven by the first intermediate roller 126a. In the first intermediate roller pair 126, the recording media is held and transported between the first intermediate roller 126a and the first driven roller 126b. Furthermore, the second intermediate roller pair 136 includes a second intermediate roller 136a driven by the drive unit 6, and a second driven roller 136b that presses against and is driven by the second intermediate roller 136a. In the second intermediate roller pair 136, the recording medium is held and transported between the second intermediate roller 136a and the second driven roller 136b.

[0023] Furthermore, when the recording media fed from each paper feed unit passes the detection lever 24 located upstream of the transport roller pair 22 in the transport direction, the transport roller pair 22 aligns the positions of the left and right leading edges of the recording media in the width direction relative to the transport direction. In other words, the transport roller pair 22 corrects any skew of the recording media in the transport direction.

[0024] <Paper feed section> =1st paper feed section= The first paper feeding unit 11 includes a pressure plate 111 on which a recording medium is placed, and a first paper feeding roller unit 112 that feeds the recording medium placed on the pressure plate 111 to the transport roller pair 22. The first paper feeding roller unit 112 includes first paper feeding rollers 112a and 112b that feed the recording medium to the transport roller pair 22. The first paper feeding roller unit 112 also includes a separation roller 113 positioned opposite the first paper feeding roller 112b, which provides resistance to the recording medium fed by the first paper feeding roller 112b. The first paper feeding rollers 112a and 112b are driven by the driving force of the drive motor 61 (see Figure 1) of the drive unit 6.

[0025] In the first paper feeding section 11, the feeding of the recording medium P1 begins when the recording medium P1 loaded on the pressure plate 111 comes into contact with the first paper feeding roller 112a, which rotates under the drive of the drive motor 61. The recording medium P1 fed by the first paper feeding roller 112a is then fed by the first paper feeding roller 112b, which is located downstream of the first paper feeding roller 112a in the paper feeding direction. At this time, the separation roller 113, which is located opposite the first paper feeding roller 112b, feeds only the topmost sheet of the recording medium P1 fed by the first paper feeding roller 112b to the transport roller pair 22.

[0026] =2nd paper feed section= The second paper feeding unit 12 includes a cassette case 121 for housing a recording medium, a second paper feeding roller 123 for feeding the recording medium housed in the cassette case 121, and a separation unit 125 for applying resistance to the recording medium fed by the second paper feeding roller 123. The second paper feeding roller 123 is driven by the driving force of the drive motor 62 (see Figure 1) of the drive unit 6, which is transmitted via a gear train (not shown).

[0027] In the second paper feeding unit 12, the second paper feeding roller 123, which rotates in contact with the recording medium P2 housed in the cassette case 121 under the drive of the drive motor 62, starts feeding the recording medium P2 to the first intermediate roller pair 126. The separating unit 125 applies resistance to the recording medium P2 fed by the second paper feeding roller 123 in the feeding direction. As a result, even if multiple recording mediums P2 are fed by the second paper feeding roller 123, the separating unit 125 ensures that only the topmost recording medium P2 is fed to the first intermediate roller pair 126. The recording medium P2 fed to the first intermediate roller pair 126 is then transported to the transport roller pair 22 by the first intermediate roller pair 126.

[0028] =3rd paper feed section= The third paper feeding unit 13 includes a cassette case 131 for housing a recording medium, a third paper feeding roller 133 for feeding the recording medium housed in the cassette case 131, and a separation unit 135 for applying resistance to the recording medium fed by the third paper feeding roller 133. The third paper feeding roller 133 is driven by the driving force of the drive motor 62 (see Figure 1) of the drive unit 6, which is transmitted via a gear train (not shown).

[0029] In the third paper feeding unit 13, the third paper feeding roller 133, which rotates in contact with the recording medium P3 housed in the cassette case 131 under the drive of the drive motor 62, starts feeding the recording medium P3 to the second intermediate roller pair 136. The separating unit 135 applies resistance to the recording medium P3 fed by the third paper feeding roller 133 in the paper feeding direction. As a result, even if multiple recording mediums P3 are fed by the third paper feeding roller 133, the separating unit 135 ensures that only the topmost recording medium P3 is fed to the second intermediate roller pair 136. The recording medium P3 fed to the second intermediate roller pair 136 is then transported to the transport roller pair 22 by the second intermediate roller pair 136 and the first intermediate roller pair 126.

[0030] (Recording head) Next, the recording head 3 will be described. In the recording unit 10, the recording head 3 is mounted on a carriage 31 that is slidably supported on a chassis 33 extending in the X direction and is configured to reciprocate in the X direction (see Figures 2(b) and 3(a)). As a result, the recording head 3 is able to reciprocate in the X direction via the carriage 31. The recording medium, which is transported by the transport roller pair 22, is supported by a platen 25 located opposite the recording head 3. The recording head 3 then performs recording by ejecting ink onto the recording medium supported by the platen 25 while moving in the X direction via the carriage 31.

[0031] When recording is performed on only one side of the recording medium, the recorded recording medium is discharged to the stacking section 4 via the paper discharge roller pair 26. On the other hand, when recording is performed on both sides of the recording medium, the transport motor 21 is rotated in the reverse direction from the state in which the rear end of the recording medium, after recording on one side has been completed, is held by the paper discharge roller pair 26. As a result, the paper discharge roller pair 26 and the transport roller pair 22 rotate in the opposite direction to when the recording medium is transported in the transport direction, and the recording medium, with its rear end held by the paper discharge roller pair 26, is transported to the reverse transport path F. In this explanation, the rear end of the recording medium means the rear end of the recording medium in the transport direction (+Y direction), and the front end of the recording medium means the front end of the recording medium in the transport direction.

[0032] Then, when the leading edge of the recording medium, which has been transported to the inverted transport path F, passes the transport roller pair 22, the transport motor 21 is switched to forward rotation. After that, when it is transported by the first intermediate roller pair 126 and passes the detection lever 24, the transport roller pair 22 performs diagonal correction again. From here on, the same operation as recording on one side of the recording medium is performed, and after recording on the other side of the recording medium, the recording medium with recordings on both sides is ejected to the stacking section 4 by the paper ejection roller pair 26.

[0033] As will be described in more detail later, in this embodiment, during recording, the stacking section 4, which holds the recording media ejected via the paper ejection roller pair 26, automatically extends in the +Y direction (see Figure 3(b)). As a result, the stacking section 4, which was mostly inside the housing 9 before extension, protrudes outside the housing 9, securing an area where the ejected recording media can be stably stacked. The stacking section 4 is detachable from the housing 9. By removing the stacking section 4 from the housing 9, the user can insert their hand into the housing 9 and remove any recording media jammed in the transport path.

[0034] (Loading section) Next, the loading section 4 will be described. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the recording device 1. In the following explanation, the loading section 4 will be the main focus, so Figure 4 mainly shows the control configuration for the loading section 4, and other configurations are omitted. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the loading section 4, where (a) is a perspective view from the front right upper diagonal, and (b) is a perspective view from the rear upper diagonal. Figure 6 shows the position of the loading section 4 after extension and after contraction, where (a) shows the storage position of the front tray 42 after the loading section 4 has been contracted, and (b) shows the loading position of the front tray 42 after the loading section 4 has been extended. Figure 7 shows the two sorting positions of the loading section 4, where (a) shows the first sorting position and (b) shows the second sorting position.

[0035] The stacking section 4, which holds the recording media ejected by the paper ejection roller pair 26, automatically extends when recording begins, expanding the area that supports the ejected recording media. Furthermore, when a recording media is removed from the stacking section 4, it automatically retracts, reducing its area. The stacking section 4 also has a function to sort the ejected recording media by moving in a direction (X direction) that intersects (orthogonal in this embodiment) the extension / retraction direction of the stacking section 4 (Y direction). In the recording unit 10, the automatic retraction of the stacking section 4 is performed not only when a recording media is removed from the stacking section 4, but also when instructed by the user via the operation unit 8, when no recording operation is performed for a predetermined time, and when switching to low-power mode.

[0036] The recording unit 10 includes a control unit 71, a storage unit 72, a detection unit 73, an operation unit 8, a loading unit 4, a drive transmission unit 43, and a drive source 44 (see Figure 4).

[0037] The control unit 71 completes the movement of the stacking unit 4 in the X direction and the extension in the Y direction from the time it receives a recording command until the recording medium is transported and ejected into the stacking unit 4. Furthermore, when the recording medium is removed from the stacking unit 4, the control unit 71 begins to move the stacking unit 4 in the X direction and contract it in the Y direction. As will be described in detail later, the stacking unit 4 moves in the X direction to the first sorting position (described later) and then extends. During the extension of the stacking unit 4, the front tray 42 constituting the stacking unit 4 moves from the storage position (described later) to the stacking position (described later). The stacking unit 4 also moves in the X direction to a second sorting position (described later) different from the first sorting position and then contracts. During the contraction of the stacking unit 4, the front tray 42 constituting the stacking unit 4 moves from the stacking position to the storage position. This control reduces the influence of external forces on the recording medium caused by the movement of the stacking unit 4 during paper ejection. In other words, the reduction in the alignment of the printed and stacked recording media can be suppressed, and the visibility of the sorted recording media is improved when sorting them. In addition, since the stacking section 4 expands and contracts automatically, there is no burden on the user, and usability is improved. Details of the drive control, such as the movement and extension of the stacking section 4 by the control unit 71, will be described later.

[0038] The operation unit 8 is equipped with operation buttons 81 and a display panel 82 (see Figure 1). By operating the operation unit 8, the user can select whether or not to sort the recording media and issue instructions to move the loading unit 4. The recording unit 10 can also perform sorting of recording media and movement of the loading unit 4 based on information set in a job, for example. The storage unit 72 stores various programs for operating the loading unit 4. Based on input from the user via the operation unit 8, the control unit 71 reads a program corresponding to the input result and controls the drive of the loading unit 4. The storage unit 72 also holds the detection results of the detection unit 73.

[0039] The detection unit 73 is equipped with multiple sensors. Specifically, it is equipped with a sensor that detects the rotation of the drive source 44 (see Figure 2(a)) for driving the loading unit 4. This sensor is composed of a rotary encoder and is installed on the rotation axis of the drive source 44 that generates rotational drive. This sensor converts the rotation angle of the drive source 44 into a number of steps and transmits it to the control unit 71. The control unit 71 reads the number of steps required for a predetermined operation of the loading unit 4 from the storage unit 72, and when the number of steps transmitted from the sensor reaches a predetermined number of steps, it determines that the predetermined operation of the loading unit 4 has been completed and stops the drive source 44. In this embodiment, the sensor is configured by providing an encoder on the rotation axis of the drive source 44, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be provided on the rotation axis of a predetermined transmission member that constitutes the drive transmission unit 43 (see Figure 2(a)) that transmits the driving force of the drive source 44 to the loading unit 4.

[0040] Furthermore, the detection unit 73 is equipped with a sensor that detects the position of the loading unit 4 after a predetermined operation. This sensor can be, for example, a mechanical switch, a photosensor, or a rotary encoder of the drive source 44. In addition, the detection unit 73 is equipped with a sensor that detects whether or not a recording medium is loaded onto the loading unit 4. This sensor allows for the detection of the timing for contracting the loading unit 4.

[0041] The loading section 4 includes a rear tray 41 and a front tray 42 (see Figures 5(a) and 5(b)). The rear tray 41 is configured to reciprocate in the X direction, which intersects with the direction in which the recording medium is ejected (+Y direction). The rear tray 41 is located inside the housing 9, and the other end 41a in the Y direction is located behind the front 9a of the housing 9 in the Y direction (see Figure 6(b)).

[0042] The rear tray 41 has a rear end restricting portion 411 that protrudes upward from the loading surface 4a of the loading section 4 on which the recording media are loaded, restricting the movement of the loaded recording media in the -Y direction (rearward side). The rear end restricting portion 411 extends in the X direction and has a contact surface 411a to which the rear end (upstream end in the +Y direction) of the loaded recording media can contact. The contact surface 411a is formed, for example, perpendicular to the loading surface 4a, and in this embodiment, it is a surface parallel to the XZ plane. In this embodiment, the rear end restricting portion 411 is located directly below the paper discharge roller pair 26, in other words, vertically downward (see Figures 3(a) and 3(b)). For example, the contact surface 411a may be located vertically downward from the rotation center of the paper discharge roller 26a. Also, in this embodiment, the rear tray 41 is movable in the X direction but not in the Y direction. Therefore, the position of the rear end restricting portion 411 (contact surface 411a) does not change in the Y direction.

[0043] The front tray 42 is supported by the rear tray 41 and is configured to reciprocate in the Y direction within the rear tray 41. This allows the front tray 42 to reciprocate in the X direction via the rear tray 41. The front tray 42 has a tip restricting portion 421 that protrudes upward near the other end (front side) in the Y direction, restricting the movement of the loaded recording media in the +Y direction. Specifically, the tip restricting portion 421 is erected on the loading surface 4a of the loading section 4 near the downstream end in the extension direction (+Y direction) of the loading section 4. The tip restricting portion 421 has a contact surface 421a to which the leading edge (downstream end in the +Y direction) of the loaded recording media can abut. The contact surface 421a is formed, for example, perpendicular to the loading surface 4a, and in this embodiment, it is a surface parallel to the XZ plane.

[0044] The front tray 42 has two inclined portions 502 that extend diagonally upward and forward at the other end in the Y direction, and a notch 504 formed between the two inclined portions. The front end restrictor 421 is erected on the loading surface 4a of the front tray 42 on which the recording media to be discharged are stacked, and the inclined portions 502 are located on the front side of the front end restrictor 421. The inclined portions 502 are provided to restrict the range of motion of the front end restrictor 421. The configuration is such that the front end restrictor 421 will not be damaged even if the user touches and pushes it when removing the recording media stacked in the loading section 4. Note that the configuration of the two inclined portions 502 and the notch 504 may be omitted on the front tray 42.

[0045] The tip restricting portion 421 is provided at two locations on the front end of the front tray 42, corresponding to the two inclined portions 502. That is, the tip restricting portion 421 is provided at intervals in the X direction on the front end of the front tray 42. Note that the tip restricting portion 421 is not limited to two locations. For example, it is possible to provide three or more tip restricting portions along the X direction on the front end of the front tray 42 without providing the notches 504, or to extend one tip restricting portion 421 over the entire area in the X direction.

[0046] The front tray 42 is configured to be movable between a storage position and a loading position (see Figures 6(a) and 6(b)). The storage position is a position in the XY plane where most of the front tray 42 overlaps with the rear tray 41 and is stored below the rear tray 41 (see Figure 6(a)). The loading position is a position where the front tray 42 is pulled out from the storage position and can cooperate with the rear tray 41 to load recording media (see Figure 6(b)). That is, when the loading section 4 extends, the front tray 42 moves from the storage position in the +Y direction to the loading position. Also, when the loading section 4 retracts, the front tray 42 moves from the loading position in the -Y direction to the storage position. In this embodiment, in the storage position, a portion of the front area of ​​the front tray 42, including the inclined portion 502 and the tip restricting portion 421, protrudes beyond the front surface 9a of the housing 9 in the Y direction (see Figure 6(a)). With this configuration, when the front tray 42 is in the storage position, the majority of the loading section 4 is located inside the housing 9, which reduces the installation space required for the recording device 1.

[0047] Regarding the loading position, multiple different positions can be taken in the Y direction depending on the size of the recording medium. Specifically, the loading position is set so that the length L (see Figure 14(a)) from the pair of paper discharge rollers 26 to the contact surface 421a of the front end restricting section 421 in the Y direction approximately matches the size of the recording medium being used (length in the Y direction). Alternatively, the loading position may be set so that the length L from the contact surface 411a of the rear end restricting section 411 to the contact surface 421a of the front end restricting section 421 in the Y direction approximately matches the length of the recording medium being used in the Y direction. Approximately matching the size of the recording medium means not only matching the length of the recording medium in the Y direction, but also matching within a predetermined range. It is preferable that the length L from the pair of paper discharge rollers 26 (contact surface 411a) to the contact surface 421a is longer than the length of the recording medium in the Y direction by a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is, for example, a value greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.

[0048] In this embodiment, the loading positions include four positions corresponding to standard sizes: A4, A5, B5, and LETTER. The loading positions are not limited to these four positions. In this embodiment, for example, these four positions are used as a reference and may be changed depending on the environment in which the recording device is used, the type of recording medium, and the recording pattern (amount of ink applied).

[0049] Recording media may expand due to liquid absorption (water absorption) and swelling when exposed to high humidity or when the recording pattern involves a large amount of ink, resulting in an increase in the length in the Y direction. Conversely, when exposed to low humidity or when the recording pattern involves very little ink, the internal moisture is removed, causing the recording media to shrink, resulting in a decrease in the length in the Y direction.

[0050] Therefore, the loading position corresponding to the size of the recording medium may be changed according to the operating environment of the recording device 1 and the amount of ink applied to the recording medium based on the recording pattern. The operating environment of the recording device 1 can be detected, for example, by a temperature and humidity sensor (not shown) provided in the recording device 1. The recording pattern (amount of ink applied to the recording medium) can be obtained, for example, from recording data indicating ink ejection / non-ejection, which is generated based on the input image data in the image processing unit provided in the recording device 1.

[0051] In other words, in high-humidity environments or when the recording pattern involves a large amount of ink being applied to the recording medium, the stacking position is moved to the +Y direction side from the position corresponding to the size of the recording medium being used. That is, in this case, the stacking position is changed in a way that increases the extension of the front tray 42. On the other hand, in low-humidity environments or when the recording pattern involves a small amount of ink being applied to the recording medium, the stacking position is moved to the -Y direction side from the position corresponding to the size of the recording medium being used. That is, in this case, the stacking position is changed in a way that decreases the extension of the front tray 42.

[0052] Furthermore, resin-coated paper specifically for photo printing is less susceptible to changes due to the usage environment and recording pattern. On the other hand, paper made of cellulose tends to expand and increase in length when it absorbs water. Therefore, when using a recording medium that is less susceptible to size changes due to the usage environment and ink application amount, such as the resin-coated paper mentioned above, the stacking position should not be changed. Conversely, when using a recording medium that is prone to size changes due to the usage environment and ink application amount, such as paper made of cellulose, the stacking position should be moved to the +Y direction side from the position corresponding to the size of the recording medium being used. In other words, in this case, the stacking position is changed in a direction that increases the amount of expansion of the front tray 42. For the sake of ease of understanding, the following explanation will describe the case where the stacking position corresponding to the size of the recording medium is not changed according to the usage environment, ink application amount, and usage environment.

[0053] Furthermore, the stacking unit 4 is configured to move between two sorting positions for sorting the discharged recording media by the movement of the rear tray 41 in the X direction. Specifically, the stacking unit 4 is movable in the X direction between a first sorting position (see Figure 7(a)) where the center position Os of the stacking unit 4 is located to one side of the center position Om of the discharged recording media, and a second sorting position (see Figure 7(b)) where the center position Om is located to the other side of the center position Om. The stacking unit 4 is configured to sort the discharged recording media at positions shifted in the X direction by stacking recording media at the first sorting position and stacking recording media at the second sorting position. In other words, the first sorting position and the second sorting position are located at a predetermined distance apart in the X direction.

[0054] In this embodiment, the distance from the center position Os to the center position Om at the first sorting position may be the same as the distance from the center position Os to the center position Om at the second sorting position. Alternatively, the distance from the center position Os to the center position Om at the first sorting position may be different from the distance from the center position Os to the center position Om at the second sorting position. The distance required for sorting, that is, the distance between the first sorting position and the second sorting position, may be, for example, 30 mm or more and 50 mm or less. The positions in which the loading unit 4 can remain are not limited to the first sorting position and the second sorting position. For example, in cases where sorting of recording media is not performed during recording processing, or when recording is not performed, the loading unit 4 may be configured to be located at a central position where the center position Os and the center position Om overlap.

[0055] (Drive transmission section) Next, the drive transmission unit 43 will be described. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the drive transmission unit 43. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cam, which is a component of the drive transmission unit 43. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the loading unit 4 in the X direction by the cam.

[0056] The drive transmission unit 43 includes a drive train 431 composed of a plurality of drive transmission members that transmit rotational drive from the drive source 44, and a support member 432 that can move in the Y direction by the driving force transmitted via the drive train 431 (see Figure 8). The drive transmission unit 43 also includes a reciprocating member 433 that can move in the X direction by the driving force transmitted via the drive train 431, and a case (not shown) that holds the drive source 44 and the drive train 431.

[0057] The support member 432 is equipped with a rack portion 4321 extending in the Y direction. This rack portion 4321 meshes with a pinion 4311, which is one of the drive transmission members constituting the drive train 431. As a result, the support member 432 can move in the Y direction by the driving force transmitted from the drive train 431. Specifically, the drive train 431 is composed of multiple gears, including the pinion 4311. The driving force transmitted from the drive source 44 is transmitted to the pinion 4311 via a predetermined gear in the drive train 431, and the driving force transmitted to the pinion 4311 causes the support member 432 to move in the Y direction.

[0058] One end of the drive train 431 is connected to the drive source 44. The other end of the drive train 431 is located a cam 4312 that engages with the reciprocating member 433. The cam 4312 comprises a circular plate portion 4312c, a gear portion 4312a formed on one surface of the plate portion 4312c, and a cam portion 4312b formed on the other surface of the plate portion 4312c (see Figure 9). The cam 4312 rotates around an axis Oc parallel to the Z direction passing through the center of the plate portion 4312c as the driving force from the drive source 44 is transmitted to the gear portion 4312a. In this embodiment, the cam portion 4312b is substantially triangular in shape, and the sides connecting adjacent vertices of the triangle are gently curved so as to protrude outward (see Figure 10(a)). Furthermore, the cam portion 4312b is formed eccentrically with respect to the center of rotation on the other surface of the plate portion 4312c such that a predetermined vertex P is located on the axis Oc.

[0059] The reciprocating member 433 has an engaging portion 4333 into which the cam portion 4312b engages. The engaging portion 4333 has a first sliding surface 4331 and a second sliding surface 4332 formed thereon, which are slidable for the engaging cam portion 4312b and are opposed to each other at a predetermined distance in the X direction. The predetermined distance corresponds to the length of the cam portion 4312b in the X direction. The first sliding surface 4331 and the second sliding surface 4332 are formed parallel to the Y direction. As described above, the cam portion 4312b is eccentric with respect to the rotation center of the cam 4312. Therefore, when the cam 4312 rotates, the cam portion 4312b slides against the first sliding surface 4331 or the second sliding surface 4332, moving the reciprocating member 433 in the +X direction or the -X direction (see Figure 10).

[0060] For example, suppose the rotation of cam 4312 causes cam portion 4312b to rotate from a predetermined position (the position shown in Figure 10(a)) in the direction of arrow A (see Figure 10(b)). In this case, cam portion 4312b slides on the first sliding surface 4331, moving the reciprocating member 433 from one side to the other in the X direction (-X direction) (see Figure 10(b)). Also, suppose the rotation of cam 4312 causes cam portion 4312b to rotate from a predetermined position in the direction of arrow B (see Figure 10(c)). In this case, cam portion 4312b slides on the second sliding surface 4332, moving the reciprocating member 433 from one side to the other in the X direction (+X direction) (see Figure 10(c)).

[0061] The support member 432 is connected to the front tray 42. Therefore, the front tray 42 moves in the Y direction in conjunction with the movement of the support member 432 in the Y direction. The reciprocating movement member 433 is connected to the rear tray 41. Therefore, the rear tray 41 moves in the X direction in conjunction with the movement of the reciprocating movement member 433 in the X direction, and the front tray 42 also moves in the X direction via the rear tray 41. At this time, the front tray 42 moves in the X direction on the support member 432. In other words, the support member 432 is capable of moving the front tray 42 in the Y direction and supports the front tray 42 so that it can move in the X direction in conjunction with the movement of the rear tray 41. Therefore, when the front tray 42 moves in the X direction in conjunction with the movement of the rear tray 41, the support member 432 does not move in the X direction, and only the supported front tray 42 moves in the X direction. In this embodiment, a support member 432 is connected to the front tray 42 and a reciprocating movement member 433 is connected to the rear tray 41, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, a rack portion 4321 may be formed on the front tray 42 to provide the function of the support member 432 to the front tray 42, or an engagement portion 4333 may be formed on the rear tray 41 to provide the function of the engagement portion 4333 to the rear tray 41. Thus, in this embodiment, the drive transmission unit 43 and the drive source 44 function as a movement mechanism that moves the loading unit 4 in the X and Y directions.

[0062] (Outline of the movement of the rear and front trays) Next, we will describe the general movement of the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the general movement of the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42.

[0063] A delay section is provided in the drive transmission path in the Y direction of the drive train 431. Specifically, the drive train 431 is configured to start the movement of the front tray 42 in the Y direction after the movement of the rear tray 41 in the X direction is completed. More specifically, when the rotation direction of the drive source 44 is the first direction, the rear tray 41 is moved to the first sorting position, and the front tray 42 is also moved to the first sorting position via the rear tray 41. Subsequently, further rotation of the drive source 44 in the first direction causes the front tray 42 to extend relative to the rear tray 41, that is, the front tray 42, which is in the storage position, is moved in the +Y direction and moved to the loading position. When the rotation direction of the drive source 44 is the second direction, which is the opposite direction to the first direction, the rear tray 41 is moved to the second sorting position, and the front tray 42 is also moved to the second sorting position via the rear tray 41. Subsequently, further rotation of the drive source 44 in a second direction causes the front tray 42 to contract relative to the rear tray 41, that is, the front tray 42, which is in the loading position, is moved in the -Y direction and moved to the storage position.

[0064] In this embodiment, the drive transmission unit 43 moves the rear tray 41 in the X direction and then moves the front tray 42 in the Y direction, but it is not limited to this. For example, the front tray 42 may be moved in the Y direction and then the rear tray 41 may be moved in the X direction. Furthermore, various known transmission mechanisms, such as link mechanisms, may be used as the configuration for transmitting the driving force of the drive source 44. In addition, the recording unit 10 may be equipped with multiple drive sources, so that the movement of the rear tray 41 in the X direction and the movement of the front tray 42 in the Y direction are carried out by driving forces from different drive sources. Note that the movement of the rear tray 41 in the X direction and the movement of the front tray 42 in the Y direction are not limited to the drive source 44, but may also be carried out manually by the user.

[0065] (Recording process) Next, we will explain the recording process, which involves recording onto a recording medium while simultaneously sorting the recording medium in the stacking unit 4 after recording. Figure 12 is a flowchart detailing the recording process, which involves recording onto a recording medium while simultaneously sorting the recording medium in the stacking unit 4 after recording. Figure 13 shows the state of the stacking unit 4 after movement. Figures 14(a) to (c) illustrate the discharge of recording media onto the stacking surface 4a of the stacking unit 4, and Figure 14(d) shows the extension amount (stacking position) of the front tray 42 according to the size of the recording medium.

[0066] The series of processes shown in the flowchart of Figure 12 are performed by the control unit 71 expanding the program code stored in the program memory (not shown) of the storage unit 72 into the data memory (not shown) of the storage unit 72 and executing it. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps in Figure 12 may be performed by hardware such as an ASIC or electrical circuit. In this specification, the symbol S in the description of each process in the flowchart means a step in that flowchart. In the description of the recording process using Figure 12, the case in which the recording process is performed by the recording device 1 based on a job that performs recording to generate N bundles of M recording media, where one bundle is considered one bundle.

[0067] When the recording process begins, first, in S1202, the control unit 71 moves the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the first sorting position. In S1202, the drive source 44 is rotated in the first direction to move the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42, which are located in their initial positions (see Figure 13(a)), in the -X direction to the first sorting position (see Figure 13(b)). Next, in S1204, the control unit 71 moves the front tray 42 from the storage position to the loading position. In S1204, with the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 in the first sorting position, the drive source 44 is rotated further in the first direction to move the front tray 42 in the +Y direction from the storage position to the loading position (see Figure 13(c)).

[0068] As described above, in this embodiment, the loading position changes according to the size of the recording medium. Specifically, the front tray 42 is moved to a position where the length L from the pair of paper discharge rollers 26 (contact surface 411a) to the contact surface 421a in the Y direction approximately matches the size of the recorded recording medium (length in the Y direction). Therefore, when recording on a recording medium P4 whose length in the Y direction is a predetermined length, the loading position is located ΔY downstream in the +Y direction compared to the loading position when recording on a recording medium P5 whose length in the Y direction is ΔY shorter than the predetermined length (see Figure 14(d)).

[0069] Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of extension of the loading section 4 differs depending on the size of the recording medium. For this reason, in S1204, based on the detection result of a sensor in the detection unit 73 that detects the position of the loading section 4 after a predetermined operation, it is determined whether the front tray 42 has moved to the loading position set according to the size of the recording medium. Specifically, for example, the front tray 42 is moved to the loading position according to the size of the recording medium based on the detection result of the rotary encoder of the drive source 44. Alternatively, the front tray 42 may be moved to the loading position according to the size of the recording medium based on the detection result of a mechanical switch or a photosensor.

[0070] Here, the drive transmission unit 43 is configured such that when the rear tray 41 is in the first sorting position, even if the drive force is transmitted by the rotation of the drive source 44 in the first direction, the cam 4312 does not rotate any further. For this reason, even if the drive source 44 rotates in the first direction while the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 are in the first sorting position in S1204, the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 do not move from the first sorting position in the -X direction.

[0071] Next, in S1206, the control unit 71 sets the variable n, which indicates the number of copies representing the bundle of recording media to be sorted, to "1". Then, in S1208, the control unit 71 sets the variable m, which indicates the number of recording media to be recorded on, to "1". After that, in S1210, the control unit 71 performs recording on the mth recording media of the nth bundle. The recording unit 10 performs a recording operation by ejecting ink while moving the recording head 3 in the X direction onto a predetermined area supported by the platen 25 of the recording media transported by the transport unit 2. Next, the transport unit 2 transports the recording media by a predetermined amount corresponding to the length in the Y direction of the predetermined area, and then performs the recording operation again. In this way, the recording unit 10 records onto the recording media by repeatedly performing the recording operation and the transport operation alternately. Therefore, as recording progresses, the recording media being recorded is transported in the +Y direction, and when recording is completed, it is ejected, unfolded, and stacked on the stacking unit 4 at the first sorting position.

[0072] Then, in S1212, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the recording medium has been ejected. In S1212, for example, the determination is made based on the detection result of the sensor in the detection unit 73 that detects the ejection of the recording medium, and the number of ejected recording media is counted. The ejected recording media are loaded into the stacking unit 4 located at the first sorting position (see Figure 13(d)).

[0073] When a recording medium is ejected, the contact surface 421a is positioned such that, depending on the size of the recording medium, the length L between it and the ejection roller pair 26 (contact surface 411a) in the Y direction approximately matches the size of the recording medium being ejected (length in the Y direction). Therefore, the recording medium being recorded by the recording head 3 (see P4 in Figure 14(a)) does not come into contact with the contact surface 421a at the stacking section 4 (see Figure 14(a)).

[0074] Then, when recording by the recording head 3 is completed and the rear end of the recording medium (the upstream end in the +Y direction) reaches the paper discharge roller pair 26, the front end of the recording medium has not yet come into contact with the contact surface 421a (see Figure 14(b)). Subsequently, as soon as the rear end of the recording medium is discharged from the paper discharge roller pair 26, the front end of the recording medium comes into contact with the contact surface 421a, and the rear end of the recording medium faces the contact surface 411a (see Figure 14(c)). As a result, the recording medium discharged into the stacking section 4 is accommodated between the front end restricting section 421 and the rear end restricting section 411.

[0075] In this way, by moving the front tray 42 to a stacking position corresponding to the size of the recording medium, the gliding distance from when the recording medium is ejected from the paper ejection roller pair 26 until it stops on the stacking surface 4a of the stacking section 4 is optimized according to the size of the recording medium. In other words, the gliding distance is shortened according to the size of the recording medium. This suppresses disorder in the stacking position of the ejected recording medium in the stacking section 4. In addition, although the reaction force generated when the recording medium comes into contact with the contact surface 421a may cause the recording medium to move in the -Y direction or tilt in the XY plane, the movement of the recording medium is restricted by the front end restricting section 421 and the rear end restricting section 411. This improves the alignment of the ejected recording medium in the stacking section 4.

[0076] Furthermore, in order to reduce the impact noise when the recording medium comes into contact with the contact surface 421a, the tip restricting portion 421 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber, or an elastic material may be attached to the contact surface 421a. In addition, the surface shape of the contact surface 421a may be made of a recessed and convex shape extending in the X direction and an uneven shape arranged alternately in the Z direction to suppress the recording medium from riding up onto the tip restricting portion 421 when it comes into contact with the contact surface 421a. Alternatively, a return portion may be provided near the upper end of the contact surface 421a to restrict the recording medium from riding up onto the tip restricting portion 421 when it comes into contact with the contact surface 421a.

[0077] Furthermore, it is desirable that the height (length in the Z direction) of the tip restricting portion 421 (contact surface 421a) coincides with or is lower than the position where the recording medium is nipped by the paper discharge roller 26a and the spur 26b. This is to prevent the recording medium loaded in the loading section 4 from being pulled into the paper discharge roller pair 26 when performing double-sided recording. As a countermeasure against the recording medium loaded in the loading section 4 being pulled into the paper discharge roller pair 26 during double-sided recording, for example, a sensor that detects overloading of recording media in the loading section 4 may be provided.

[0078] In this embodiment, the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 are moved to the first sorting position, and the front tray 42 is moved to the stacking position before recording to the first recording medium of the first part begins, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The above-described movement of the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 only needs to be completed at least before the first recording medium of the first part is ejected into the stacking section 4, and this movement and the recording to the first recording medium of the first part may be performed in parallel. Note that "until the first recording medium of the first part is ejected into the stacking section 4" means, for example, until the first recording medium of the first part is ejected and placed on the stacking section 4.

[0079] Alternatively, for example, the initial operation after starting up the recording device 1 may be to move the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the first sorting position, and move the front tray 42 to the loading position. Or, the timing of receiving a job on the recording device 1 may be to move the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the first sorting position, and move the front tray 42 to the loading position.

[0080] Subsequently, in S1214, it is determined whether the number of ejected recording media has reached a predetermined number. In S1214, it is determined whether the count of ejected recording media has reached a predetermined number. Alternatively, in S1214, it may be determined whether the number of sheets m has reached a predetermined number. In this case, the count of ejected recording media is not performed in S1212. The predetermined number is set, for example, based on information set in the job. That is, in this embodiment, the predetermined number is "M", and in S1214, it is determined whether m = M.

[0081] In S1214, if it is determined that the number of printed recording media has not reached a predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1216, where the control unit 71 increments m and returns to S1210. Alternatively, if it is determined in S1214 that the number of printed recording media has reached a predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1218, where the control unit 71 determines whether the number of copies n has reached a predetermined number. The predetermined number of copies is set, for example, based on information set in the job. In this embodiment, the predetermined number of copies is "N", and in S1218, it is determined whether n = N.

[0082] In S1218, if it is determined that the number of copies n has reached a predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1220, where the control unit 71 determines whether or not a recording medium has been removed from the stacking unit 4. In S1220, the determination is made based on the detection result of the sensor in the detection unit 73 that detects whether or not a recording medium is stacked in the stacking unit 4. In S1220, if it is determined that a recording medium has not been removed from the stacking unit 4, the process of S1220 is repeated. At this time, the operation unit 8 may notify the user via the display panel 82 to remove the recording medium from the stacking unit 4. Also, in S1220, if it is determined that a recording medium has been removed from the stacking unit 4, the process proceeds to S1222, where the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 are moved to the second sorting position. In S1222, the drive source 44 is rotated in the second direction to move the rear tray 41 and front tray 42, which are located at the first sorting position, in the +X direction to the second sorting position, and the process proceeds to S1246, which will be described later.

[0083] Furthermore, if it is determined in S1218 that the number of copies n has not reached the predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1224, where the control unit 71 moves the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the second sorting position (see Figure 13(e)). The specific processing content of S1224 is the same as that of S1222 described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Next, in S1226, the control unit 71 increments the variable n. Also, in S1228, the control unit 71 sets the variable m to "1". After that, in S1230, the control unit 71 records onto the m-th sheet of the n-th copy of the recording medium. As the recording progresses, the recording medium is transported in the +Y direction, and when the recording is finished, it is ejected, unfolded, and stacked on the stacking unit 4 at the second sorting position. Then, in S1232, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the recording medium has been ejected. The recording media ejected here are loaded onto the recording media loaded in the loading section 4 at the first sorting position, and are loaded at a position offset in the X direction from the recording media loaded at the first sorting position (see Figure 13(f)).

[0084] Even during recording in S1230, similar to recording in S1210, the contact surface 421a is positioned such that the length L between it and the paper discharge roller pair 26 (contact surface 411a) in the Y direction approximately matches the size of the paper discharged recording medium, depending on the size of the recording medium. Therefore, as soon as the rear end of the recording medium (the upstream end in the +Y direction) is discharged from the paper discharge roller pair 26, the front end of the recording medium (the downstream end in the +Y direction) comes into contact with the contact surface 421a, and the rear end of the recording medium faces the contact surface 411a.

[0085] In this way, by moving the front tray 42 to a stacking position corresponding to the size of the recording medium, the gliding distance from when the recording medium is ejected from the paper discharge roller pair 26 until it stops on the stacking surface 4a of the stacking section 4 is optimized according to the size of the recording medium. This suppresses irregularities in the stacking position of the ejected recording medium on the stacking section 4. In addition, although the reaction force generated when the recording medium contacts the contact surface 421a may cause the recording medium to move in the -Y direction or tilt in the XY plane, the movement of the recording medium is restricted by the front end restricting section 421 and the rear end restricting section 411. This improves the alignment of the ejected recording medium.

[0086] In this embodiment, recording to the first recording medium of the nth part is performed after moving the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the second sorting position, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The movement of the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the second sorting position only needs to be completed by the time the first recording medium of the nth part is ejected to the stacking unit 4, and this movement and the recording to the first recording medium of the nth part may be performed in parallel. Note that "until the first recording medium of the nth part is ejected to the stacking unit 4" means, for example, until the first recording medium of the nth part is ejected and placed on the recording mediums stacked on the stacking unit 4.

[0087] Subsequently, in S1234, it is determined whether the number of ejected recording media has reached a predetermined number. If it is determined in S1234 that the number of ejected recording media has not reached a predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1236, where the control unit 71 increments m and returns to S1230. If it is determined in S1234 that the number of ejected recording media has reached a predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1238, where the control unit 71 determines whether the number of copies n has reached a predetermined number. Note that the specific processing content of S1232 to S1238 described above is the same as that of S1212 to S1218 described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0088] In S1238, if it is determined that the number of copies n has not reached the predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1240, where the control unit 71 increments n. Then, in S1242, the control unit 71 moves the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the first sorting position and returns to S1208. In S1242, the drive source 44 is rotated in the first direction to move the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42, which are located at the second sorting position, in the -X direction to the first sorting position.

[0089] In this embodiment, after moving the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the first sorting position in S1242, the process returns to S1208 to record onto the first recording medium of the nth part, but it is not limited to this. The movement of the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 to the first sorting position in S1242 only needs to be completed by the time the first recording medium of the nth part is ejected to the stacking unit 4, and this movement and the recording onto the first recording medium of the nth part may be performed in parallel.

[0090] Furthermore, in S1238, if it is determined that the number of copies n has reached a predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1244, where the control unit 71 determines whether or not the recording medium has been removed from the stacking unit 4. The specific processing content of S1244 is the same as that of S1220 described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. In S1244, if it is determined that the recording medium has not been removed from the stacking unit 4, the process of S1244 is repeated. At this time, the control unit 8 may notify the user via the display panel 82 to remove the recording medium from the stacking unit 4. In S1244, if it is determined that the recording medium has been removed from the stacking unit 4, the process proceeds to S1246, where the control unit 71 moves the front tray 42 from the stacking position to the storage position, and terminates this recording process. When terminating the recording process, for example, the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 in the storage position are moved to their initial positions (see Figure 13(a)).

[0091] In S1246, with the rear tray 41 and front tray 42 in the second sorting position, the drive source 44 is further rotated in the second direction to move the front tray 42 in the -Y direction, moving it from the loading position to the storage position. Here, the drive transmission unit 43 is configured such that when the rear tray 41 is in the second sorting position, even if the driving force is transmitted by the rotation of the drive source 44 in the second direction, the cam 4312 does not rotate any further. For this reason, even if the drive source 44 rotates in the second direction with the rear tray 41 and front tray 42 in the second sorting position in S1246, the rear tray 41 and front tray 42 do not move from the second sorting position in the +X direction.

[0092] Thus, in this embodiment, the control unit 71, the drive source 44, and the drive transmission unit 43 function as control means for controlling the movement of the loading unit 4, which is equipped with a rear tray 41 and a front tray 42.

[0093] (Advanced Regulation Department) In this embodiment, the tip restrictor 421 is configured to change its orientation in accordance with the movement of the loading section 4 in the X direction. The configuration of the tip restrictor 421 and the configuration for changing the orientation of the tip restrictor 421 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 15 to 19.

[0094] <Structure of the Advanced Regulation Department> Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the tip restricting section 421, where (a) is a perspective view from above on the rear side and (b) is a perspective view from above on the front side. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the tip restricting section 421 in the YZ plane. Figure 16(a) shows the first position of the tip restricting section 421 where the contact surface 421a of the restricting member 4221 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Figure 16(b) shows the second position of the tip restricting section 421 where the contact surface 421a is inclined from the first position such that the upper end of the contact surface 421a is located further forward than the lower end.

[0095] In this embodiment, two front-end restricting sections 421 are attached to the front tray 42, and they have the same configuration. The front-end restricting section 421 includes a restricting member 4221 having a contact surface 421a that the leading edge of the recording medium being discharged contacts, and a support member 4222 attached to the front tray 42 and rotatably supporting the restricting member 4221. The front-end restricting section 421 also includes a rotating member 4223 that is rotatably supported by the support member 4222 and rotates the restricting member 4221. Furthermore, the front-end restricting section 421 includes a first biasing member 4224 that generates a biasing force between the support member 4222 and the rotating member 4223, and a second biasing member 4225 that generates a biasing force between the rotating member 4223 and the restricting member 4221.

[0096] The support member 4222 is provided with three claw portions 4222A, 4222B, and 4222C for fixing the tip restrictor portion 421 to the front tray 42. The claw portions 4222A, 4222B, and 4222C are elastic. The front tray 42 is provided with fitting portions (not shown) into which each of the claw portions 4222A, 4222B, and 4222C can be fitted. The tip restrictor portion 421 is fixed to the front tray 42 by fitting the claw portions 4222A, 4222B, and 4222C into their respective fitting portions.

[0097] The support member 4222 is provided with a bearing 4222D that rotatably supports the shaft 4221A provided on the restricting member 4221, and a bearing 4222E that rotatably supports the shaft 4221B provided on the restricting member 4221. The support member 4222 is also provided with a bearing 4222F that rotatably supports the shaft 4223A provided on the rotating member 4223, and a bearing 4222G that rotatably supports the shaft 4223B provided on the rotating member 4223. The bearings 4222D, 4222E, 4222F, and 4222G are each formed so that their centers are located on an axis parallel to the X-axis.

[0098] The restricting member 4221 is provided with a shaft 4221A that is rotatably fitted into the bearing 4222D, and a shaft 4221B that is rotatably fitted into the bearing 4222E. The centers of the shafts 4221A and 4221B are formed coaxially. As a result, when the shafts 4221A and 4221B are fitted into the corresponding bearings 4222D and 4222E, the restricting member 4221 is rotatably supported with respect to the support member 4222.

[0099] The rotating member 4223 is provided with a shaft 4223A that is rotatably fitted into the bearing 4222F, and a shaft 4223B that is rotatably fitted into the bearing 4222G. The centers of the shafts 4223A and 4223B are formed coaxially. As a result, when the shafts 4223A and 4223B are fitted into the corresponding bearings 4222F and 4222G, the rotating member 4223 is supported by the support member 4222 so as to be rotatable coaxially with the regulating member 4221.

[0100] A first biasing member 4224, which is made of a coil spring, is attached to the rotating member 4223 by being wound around the shaft 4223A. One end 4224A of the first biasing member 4224 is supported by the spring attachment portion 4223D of the rotating member 4223, and the other end (not shown) of the first biasing member 4224 is supported by the support member 4222. The biasing force of the first biasing member 4224 constantly applies a force to the rotating member 4223 that causes it to rotate around the X axis in the direction of arrow E (see Figures 15(b) and 16(a)) around the shafts 4223A and 4223B.

[0101] Furthermore, a second biasing member 4225, which is made of a coil spring, is attached to the rotating member 4223 and wrapped around the shaft 4223B. One end 4225A of the second biasing member 4225 is supported by the spring attachment portion 4223F of the rotating member 4223 (see Figure 15(b)), and the other end 4225B of the second biasing member 4225 is supported by the spring attachment portion 4221C of the restricting member 4221 (see Figure 15(a)). The biasing force of the second biasing member 4225 constantly applies a force to the restricting member 4221 that causes it to rotate around the shafts 4221A and 4221B in the direction of arrow K (see Figures 15(b) and 16(a)).

[0102] The rotating member 4223 is provided with a contact portion 4223G that can come into contact with the contact portion 4221D of the restricting member 4221 (see Figure 15(a)). The restricting member 4221 is also provided with a contact portion 4221D that can come into contact with the contact portion 4223G of the rotating member 4223 (see Figure 15(b)). The contact portion 4223G comes into contact with the contact portion 4221D from one side in the Y direction (the rear side). The contact portion 4223G and the contact portion 4221D are maintained in contact with each other by the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224 and the second biasing member 4225.

[0103] With this configuration, the restricting member 4221 can rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member 4223, with the contact portion 4221D in contact with the contact portion 4223G, at the same rotation angle as the rotation angle of the rotating member 4223. As a result, the tip restricting portion 421 can change between a first position where the contact surface 421a is perpendicular to the horizontal plane (see Figure 16(a)) and a second position where the contact surface 421a is inclined from the first position (see Figure 16(b)). Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, with this configuration, when a force is applied in the direction of arrow G, the restricting member 4221 can move away from the contact portion 4223G and rotate independently in the direction of arrow F against the biasing force of the second biasing member 4225 (see Figure 16(a)).

[0104] The rotating member 4223 is provided with a contact portion 4223H that is formed to protrude downward and slidably contacts the cam surface 4322 (4323) (see Figure 17(a)), which will be described later (see Figure 15(a)). The contact portion 4223H includes a contact surface 4223HA that contacts the cam surface 4322 (4323) when the tip restricting portion 421 is in a first position, and a contact surface 4223HB that contacts the cam surface 4322 (4323) when the tip restricting portion 421 is in a second position (see Figure 16). As will be described in detail later, the position of the tip restricting portion 421 is determined by the contact surface of the contact portion 4223H with the cam surface 4322 (4323).

[0105] <Configuration for changing the stance of the advanced regulatory department> Next, the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323, which are configured for changing the orientation of the tip restricting section 421, will be described. Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the support member 432 equipped with the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a partial enlarged view of the frame XVIIb in (a), and (c) is a partial enlarged view of the frame XVIIc in (a).

[0106] Near the front end of the support member 432, cam surfaces 4322 and 4323 are provided at positions corresponding to the tip restricting portion 421 fixedly attached to the front tray 42 (see Figure 17(a)). The support member 432, which can move the front tray 42 in the Y direction, supports the front tray 42 so that it can move in the X direction via the reciprocating member 433 and the rear tray 41. Therefore, the cam surface 4322 is provided at a position corresponding to the tip restricting portion 421 attached to the left side of the front tray 42 supported by the support member 432, and is positioned so that the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 on the tip restricting portion 421 can contact it. Furthermore, the cam surface 4323 is positioned at a location corresponding to the tip restricting portion 421 attached to the right side of the front tray 42 supported by the support member 432, and is positioned so that the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 can contact the tip restricting portion 421.

[0107] Then, the rotation of the rotating member 4223 in the direction of arrow E (see Figures 15(b) and 16(a)) due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224 maintains the contact state of the contact portion 4223H with the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323. Consequently, as the front tray 42 moves in the X direction, the contact portion 4223H slides on the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323, and the contact position on the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323 changes.

[0108] The cam surfaces 4322 and 4323 each extend in the X direction and are recessed towards the upstream side in the +Y direction at approximately the center. In this embodiment, the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323 are erected perpendicular to the XY plane.

[0109] Specifically, the cam surface 4322 has flat sections 4322A and 4322B formed at both ends in the X direction (see Figure 17(b)). Flat sections 4322A and 4322B are formed at positions that overlap each other in the Y direction and are planes parallel to the XZ plane. In addition, the cam surface 4322 has a flat section 4322C formed at approximately the center position in the X direction. Flat section 4322C is located on one side (rear side) in the Y direction from flat sections 4322A and 4322B and is a plane parallel to the XZ plane.

[0110] Furthermore, on the cam surface 4322, a wall portion 4322D is formed connecting the flat portion 4322A to the flat portion 4322C, and a wall portion 4322E is formed connecting the flat portion 4322C to the flat portion 4322B. Therefore, the wall portion 4322D is formed inclined with respect to the XZ plane so as to gradually advance upstream in the +Y direction from the flat portion 4322A to the flat portion 4322C. Also, the wall portion 4322E is formed inclined with respect to the XZ plane so as to gradually advance downstream in the +Y direction from the flat portion 4322C to the flat portion 4322B.

[0111] Furthermore, the cam surface 4323 has flat sections 4323A and 4323B formed at both ends in the X direction (see Figure 17(c)). Flat sections 4323A and 4323B are formed at positions that overlap each other in the Y direction and are planes parallel to the XZ plane. Additionally, the cam surface 4323 has a flat section 4323C formed at approximately the center position in the X direction. Flat section 4323C is located on one side in the Y direction from flat sections 4323A and 4323B and is a plane parallel to the XZ plane.

[0112] Furthermore, on the cam surface 4323, a wall portion 4323D is formed connecting the flat portion 4323A to the flat portion 4323C, and a wall portion 4322E is formed connecting the flat portion 4323C to the flat portion 4323B. Therefore, the wall portion 4323D is formed inclined with respect to the XZ plane so as to gradually advance upstream in the +Y direction from the flat portion 4323A to the flat portion 4323C. Also, the wall portion 4323E is formed inclined with respect to the XZ plane so as to gradually advance downstream in the +Y direction from the flat portion 4323C to the flat portion 4323B.

[0113] (Movement of the restricting member due to the movement of the loading section) Next, the movement of the restricting member 4221 accompanying the movement of the loading section 4 in the X direction will be explained. Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating the change in the posture of the tip restricting section 421 when the loading section 4 moves from the first sorting position to the central position. Figure 18(a) shows the posture of the tip restricting section 421 when the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position. Figure 18(b) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4322 when the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position. Figure 18(c) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4323 when the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position. Figure 18(d) shows the posture of the tip restricting section 421 when the loading section 4 is in the central position. Figure 18(e) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4322 when the loading section 4 is in the central position. Figure 18(f) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4323 when the loading portion 4 is in the central position.

[0114] Figure 19 illustrates the change in the posture of the tip restrictor 421 when the loading section 4 moves from the central position to the second sorting position. Figure 19(a) shows the posture of the tip restrictor 421 when the loading section 4 is in the central position. Figure 19(b) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4322 when the loading section 4 is in the central position. Figure 19(c) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4323 when the loading section 4 is in the central position. Figure 19(d) shows the posture of the tip restrictor 421 when the loading section 4 is in the second sorting position. Figure 19(e) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4322 when the loading section 4 is in the second sorting position. Figure 19(f) shows the contact position of the contact portion 4223H on the cam surface 4323 when the loading portion 4 is in the second sorting position.

[0115] In Figures 18 and 19, for the sake of ease of understanding, some components, such as the front tray 42, are omitted from the illustration, and the illustration focuses on the support member 432 and the tip restrictor 421, which are provided with cam surfaces 4322 and 4323. In the explanation using Figures 18 and 19, the tip restrictor 421 provided on the right side of the front tray 42 is referred to as tip restrictor 421R, and the tip restrictor 421 provided on the left side of the front tray 42 is referred to as tip restrictor 421L.

[0116] As described above, the loading section 4 (front tray 42) is configured to move in the X direction to a central position where it is located when no recording operation is being performed, and to a first sorting position and a second sorting position for sorting the recording media ejected during the recording operation.

[0117] When the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position (see Figure 18(a)), the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 in the left-side tip restricting section 421L is in contact with the flat portion 4322A of the cam surface 4322 (see Figure 18(b)). At this time, the contact surface 4223HA of the contact portion 4223H is in contact with the flat portion 4322A (see Figure 16(a)), and as a result, the tip restricting section 421L assumes a first posture in which the contact surface 421a is perpendicular to the horizontal plane (see Figure 18(a)). When the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position, the tip restricting section 421L maintains this first posture.

[0118] Furthermore, when the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position (see Figure 18(a)), the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 in the right-side tip restricting section 421R comes into contact with the flat portion 4323A of the cam surface 4323 (see Figure 18(c)). At this time, the contact surface 4223HA of the contact portion 4223H comes into contact with the flat portion 4323A (see Figure 16(a)), and as a result, the tip restricting section 421R assumes a first posture in which the contact surface 421a is perpendicular to the horizontal plane (see Figure 18(a)). When the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position, the tip restricting section 421R maintains this first posture.

[0119] Then, when the loading section 4 moves from the first sorting position to the central position, the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R are moved in the +X direction by the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224, while maintaining the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 in contact with the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323.

[0120] In this movement, while the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R do not displace in the Y direction, the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323 are displaced upstream in the +Y direction from the flat sections 4322A and 4323A to the wall sections 4322D and 4323D, and then to the flat sections 4322C and 4323C. As a result, in the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R, the rotating member 4223 rotates in the direction of arrow E (see Figure 16(a)) due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224, and the rotation angle changes depending on the contact position with the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323. Then, this rotation of the rotating member 4223 in the direction of arrow E causes the restricting member 4221 to rotate in the direction of arrow F (see Figure 16(a)), causing the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R to transition from the first position to the second position.

[0121] Specifically, in the tip regulating section 421L, the contact section 4223H, which was located on the flat section 4322A, moves from the flat section 4322A along the wall section 4322D (see Figure 18(b)), and when the loading section 4 reaches the central position, it moves to the flat section 4322C (see Figure 18(e)). Here, the cam surface 4322 has a shape that gradually inclines towards the upstream side in the +Y direction as the wall section 4322D advances in the +X direction. Also, the flat section 4322C is located furthest upstream in the +Y direction on the cam surface 4322.

[0122] Therefore, during this movement, the rotating member 4223 rotates according to the position in the Y direction of the wall portion 4322D and the flat portion 4322C that it will come into contact with, due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224. That is, the rotating member 4223 gradually rotates in the direction of arrow E (see Figure 16(a)) along the wall portion 4322D. When the loading portion 4 reaches the central position, the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 is located on the flat portion 4322C (see Figure 18(e)), and the contact surface 4223HB is in contact with the flat portion 4322C (see Figure 16(b)). As a result, the tip restricting section 421L assumes a second orientation in which the contact surface 421a is tilted from the first orientation such that the upper end of the contact surface 421a is located forward of the lower end, that is, downstream in the direction in which the recording medium is ejected (see Figure 18(d)). When the loading section 4 is in the central position, the tip restricting section 421L maintains the second orientation.

[0123] Furthermore, in the tip regulating section 421R, the contact section 4223H, which was located on the flat section 4323A, moves from the flat section 4323A along the wall section 4323D (see Figure 18(c)) and moves to the flat section 4323C when the loading section 4 reaches the central position (see Figure 18(f)). Here, the cam surface 4323 has a shape that gradually inclines towards the upstream side in the +Y direction as the wall section 4323D advances in the +X direction. Also, the flat section 4323C is located furthest upstream in the +Y direction on the cam surface 4323.

[0124] Therefore, during this movement, the rotating member 4223 rotates according to the position in the Y direction of the wall portion 4323D and the flat portion 4323C that it will come into contact with, due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224. That is, the rotating member 4223 gradually rotates in the direction of arrow E (see Figure 16(a)) along the wall portion 4323D. When the loading portion 4 reaches the central position, the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 is located on the flat portion 4323C (see Figure 18(f)), and the contact surface 4223HB comes into contact with the flat portion 4322C (see Figure 16(b)). As a result, the tip restricting portion 421R takes on a second position in which the contact surface 421a is tilted from the first position such that the upper end of the contact surface 421a is located forward of the lower end (see Figure 18(d)). When the loading section 4 is in the central position, the tip restricting section 421L maintains the second posture.

[0125] Furthermore, when the loading section 4 moves from the central position to the first sorting position, the contact section 4223H moves in the opposite direction to the above-described direction on the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323, causing the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R to change from the second position to the first position.

[0126] Furthermore, when the loading section 4 moves from the central position to the second sorting position, the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R are moved in the +X direction by the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224, while maintaining the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 in contact with the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323.

[0127] In this movement, while the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R do not displace in the Y direction, the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323 are displaced downstream in the +Y direction from the flat sections 4322C and 4323C to the wall sections 4322E and 4323E, and then to the flat sections 4322B and 4323B. As a result, in the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R, the rotating member 4223 rotates in the direction of arrow H (see Figure 16(b)) due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224, and the rotation angle changes depending on the contact position with the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323. Then, this rotation of the rotating member 4223 in the direction of arrow H causes the restricting member 4221 to rotate in the direction of arrow J (see Figure 16(b)), and the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R transition from the second position to the first position.

[0128] Specifically, in the tip regulating section 421L, the contact section 4223H, located in the flat section 4322C, moves from the flat section 4322C along the wall section 4322E (see Figure 19(b)) and moves to the flat section 4322B when the loading section 4 reaches the second sorting position (see Figure 19(e)). Here, the cam surface 4322 has a shape that gradually slopes downstream in the +Y direction as the wall section 4322E advances in the +X direction. Also, the flat section 4322B, along with the flat section 4322A, is located furthest downstream in the +Y direction on the cam surface 4322.

[0129] Therefore, during this movement, the rotating member 4223 rotates against the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224, according to the position in the Y direction of the wall portion 4322E and the flat portion 4322B that it will come into contact with. That is, the rotating member 4223 gradually rotates along the wall portion 4322E in the direction of arrow H (see Figure 16(b)). When the loading section 4 reaches the second sorting position, the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 is in a state where the contact surface 4223HA is in contact with the flat portion 4322B (see Figure 16(a)). As a result, the tip restricting portion 421L takes on a first posture in which the contact surface 421a is perpendicular to the horizontal plane (see Figure 19(d)). When the loading section 4 is in the second sorting position, the tip restricting portion 421L maintains the first posture.

[0130] Furthermore, in the tip regulating section 421R, the contact section 4223H, which was located in the flat section 4323C, moves from the flat section 4323C along the wall section 4323E (see Figure 19(c)) and moves to the flat section 4323B when the loading section 4 reaches the second sorting position (see Figure 19(f)). Here, the cam surface 4323 has a shape that gradually slopes downstream in the +Y direction as the wall section 4323E advances in the +X direction. Also, the flat section 4323B, along with the flat section 4323A, is located furthest downstream in the +Y direction on the cam surface 4323.

[0131] Therefore, during this movement, the rotating member 4223 rotates according to the position in the Y direction of the wall portion 4323E and the flat portion 4323B that it will come into contact with, due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 4224. That is, the rotating member 4223 gradually rotates in the direction of arrow H (see Figure 16(b)) along the wall portion 4323E. When the loading section 4 reaches the second sorting position, the contact portion 4223H of the rotating member 4223 is located at the flat portion 4323B (see Figure 19(f)), and the contact surface 4223HA is in contact with the flat portion 4323B (see Figure 16(b)). As a result, the tip restricting portion 421R takes on a first position in which the contact surface 421a is perpendicular to the horizontal plane (see Figure 19(d)). When the loading section 4 is in the second sorting position, the tip restricting section 421L maintains the first posture.

[0132] Furthermore, when the loading section 4 moves from the second sorting position to the central position, the contact section 4223H moves in the opposite direction to the above-described direction on the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323, causing the tip restricting sections 421L and 421R to change from the first position to the second position.

[0133] When the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position and the second sorting position, the leading edge restricting section 421 assumes the first orientation, which prevents the recording media ejected into the loading section 4 from going over the restricting member 4221, and aligns the leading edges of the recording media with the contact surface 421a.

[0134] When the loading section 4 is in the first sorting position and the second sorting position, and a user removes a recording medium loaded in the loading section 4, the restricting member 4221 of the front restricting section 421 in the first position may come into contact with the recording medium. In this embodiment, the restricting member 4221 is configured to be rotatable and is biased in the direction of arrow K by the second biasing member 4225. Therefore, the restricting member 4221 can rotate in the direction of arrow F (see Figure 16(a)) independently of the rotating member 4223, against the biasing force of the second biasing member 4225. As a result, if a recording medium being removed from the loading section 4 comes into contact with the restricting member 4221, the restricting member 4221 will rotate in the direction of arrow F against the biasing force of the second biasing member 4225 and tilt forward. Therefore, when a recording medium being removed from the loading section 4 comes into contact with the restricting member 4221, and a force in the direction of arrow G acts on the restricting member 4221, the restricting member 4221 rotates in the direction of arrow F against the biasing force of the second biasing member 4225 and tilts forward (see the dashed line in Figure 16(a)). As a result, the restricting member 4221 does not obstruct the removal of the recording medium from the loading section 4, and work efficiency is not reduced.

[0135] In this embodiment, an inclined portion 502 is provided on the front tray 42 on the front side of the two tip restricting portions 421. Therefore, even if the recording medium or the user's hand comes into contact with the restricting member 4221 and the restricting member 4221 tilts independently in the direction of arrow F, it will come into contact with the inclined portion 502 and the tilt will be restricted to an angle greater than the inclination angle of the inclined portion 502. For this reason, in this embodiment, the inclined portion 502 functions as a configuration that restricts the restricting member 4221 from tilting beyond the necessary amount (rotation beyond a certain amount), thereby suppressing damage to the tip restricting portion 421.

[0136] In the recording device 1, the loading section 4 is positioned at the first sorting position or the second sorting position when the device is shipped from the factory or when the power is turned off. This positions the cam 4312 so that it is at top dead center relative to the first sliding surface 4331 or the second sliding surface 4332 (see Figures 10(b) and 10(c)), preventing the cam 4312 from rotating and the loading section 4 from moving when the loading section 4 is subjected to force in the X direction. In addition, in the recording device 1, for example, when the device is in standby mode, the loading section 4 is positioned in the center position and the tip regulating section 421 is set to the second position. This allows the inclination angle of the regulating member 4221 to approximate that of the inclined section 502, thereby suppressing damage to the regulating member 4221 due to unintentional contact.

[0137] At the first and second sorting positions, the contact surface 4223HA of the contact portion 4223H is in contact with the planar portions 4322A, 4322B, 4323A, and 4323B of the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323. As a result, in this embodiment, the angle between the contact surface 421a and the loading surface 4a is the first angle (a right angle in this embodiment). In contrast, at the central position, the contact surface 4223HB of the contact portion 4223H is in contact with the planar portions 4322C and 4323C of the cam surfaces 4322 and 4323, which are located upstream in the +Y direction from the planar portion 4322A, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, at the central position, the rotating member 4223 rotates and tilts in the direction of arrow E more than at the first sorting position and the second sorting position, and as a result, the angle between the contact surface 421a and the loading surface 4a becomes larger than the first angle.

[0138] Therefore, the central position is positioned so that the user can easily remove the recording medium from the stacking section 4, for example, when the ejection of the recording medium is complete. Accordingly, the angle between the contact surface 421a and the stacking surface 4a in the second orientation should be such that it does not interfere with the removal of the recording medium from the stacking section 4. Furthermore, when recording on a recording medium that is longer than the stacking section 4 in the transport direction (Y direction), the stacking section 4 may be positioned in the central position where the tip restricting section 421 is in the second orientation. This makes it less likely for the tip of the recording medium to get caught on the restricting member 4221 when a recording medium longer than the stacking section 4 in the Y direction is ejected, and makes it possible to stack the recording medium in the stacking section 4.

[0139] (Effects and Benefits) As described above, the recording device 1 is provided with a tip restricting section 421 at the front end of the front tray 42, which restricts the position of the leading edge of the recording medium being discharged by contacting the contact surface 421a. The tip restricting section 421 is configured to be displaceable between a first position in which the contact surface 421a, to which the leading edge of the recording medium being discharged contacts, is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and a second position in which the contact surface 421a is inclined from the first position so that the upper end of the contact surface 421a is located forward of the lower end. Furthermore, the position of the tip restricting section 421 changes in accordance with the movement of the stacking section 4 in the X direction, with the first position being used at the first and second sorting positions, and the second position being used at the central position.

[0140] As a result, when the stacking section 4 is located at the first sorting position and the second sorting position, the leading edges of the discharged recording media can be aligned with the contact surface 421a, thereby suppressing irregularities in the stacking position of the discharged recording media on the stacking surface 4a. Furthermore, by positioning the stacking section 4 in the central position when recording is completed, the recording media loaded in the stacking section 4 can be removed without interference from the leading edge restricting section 421.

[0141] Furthermore, in the tip restricting section 421, the restricting member 4221 constituting the contact surface 421a is configured to be independently rotatable forward (towards the user) in the first position. As a result, when removing recording media loaded in the loading section 4 at the first sorting position and the second sorting position in the recording device 1, the tip restricting section 421 (restricting member 4221) is less likely to obstruct the removal operation. Therefore, a decrease in work efficiency is suppressed, and the tip restricting section 421 is less likely to be damaged.

[0142] <<Second Embodiment>> Next, a recording device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 20. In the following description, components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the recording device according to the first embodiment described above will be referred to with the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment described above, and their detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0143] In the second embodiment, the loading section 4 of the first embodiment is configured to extend and retract in the Y direction via a drive mechanism provided on the side of the loading section 4, and to not move in the X direction. The configuration of the drive mechanism of the loading section 4 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0144] (Drive mechanism for the loading section) The drive mechanism for the loading section 4 according to this embodiment will now be described. Figure 20 shows the drive mechanism for extending and retracting the loading section 4 in the Y direction according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the loading section 4 is configured to extend and retract in the Y direction and includes a rack 1602 provided on the side surface of the loading section 4 and a drive member 1608 equipped with a pinion that meshes with the rack.

[0145] More specifically, a rack 1602 is formed on the other side (right side) of the loading section 4 in the X direction. The rack 1602 comprises a first rack section 1602a formed over substantially the entire right side surface of the rear tray 41, and a second rack section 1602b formed over substantially the entire right side surface of the front tray 42. In the first rack section 1602a, a groove 1604 is formed in front of the first tooth. In other words, the right side surface of the rear tray 41 has a region where teeth are not provided in a portion of the front side. Both the first rack section 1602a and the second rack section 1602b are formed with the tooth tips pointing to the right. Also, both the first rack section 1602a and the second rack section 1602b have the same tooth pitch.

[0146] A drive member 1608 is fixedly provided on the housing 9, which is equipped with a gear 1606 that functions as a pinion that meshes with the rack 1602. The gear 1606 consists of two concentric gears, 1606a and 1606b, stacked vertically (in the Z direction). Both gears 1606a and 1606b have the same pitch and diameter. The upper gear 1606a meshes with the first rack portion 1602a, and the lower gear 1606b meshes with the second rack portion 1602b. When the loading portion 4 is housed within the housing 9, gear 1606b meshes with the second rack portion 1602b, but the tooth tip of gear 1606a is positioned in the groove portion 1604, and it does not mesh with the first rack portion 1602a.

[0147] (Expansion and contraction of the loading section) In the above configuration, when the loading section 4 extends in the Y direction, the drive motor (not shown), which serves as a drive source and is provided on the drive member 1608, rotates in the forward direction, and the driving force generated by the drive motor is transmitted to the gear 1606 via a plurality of gears (not shown). As a result, gears 1606a and 1606b rotate in the direction of arrow C. The drive member 1608 is equipped with the drive motor and a plurality of gears that transmit the driving force generated by the drive motor to the gear 1606.

[0148] When gears 1606a and 1606b rotate in the direction of arrow C, the front tray 42 moves in the +Y direction in the loading section 4 when it is in the storage position due to the second rack section 1602b which meshes with gear 1606b. When the loading section 4 is in the storage position, the gear 1606b and the first rack section 1602a are not meshed, so the rear tray 41 does not move in the +Y direction.

[0149] Subsequently, when the front tray 42 moves a predetermined amount in the +Y direction, the rear tray 41 moves in the +Y direction in conjunction with the movement of the front tray 42. This movement of the rear tray 41 causes the first rack section 1602a to mesh with the gear 1606a, and the rotation of the gear 1606a in the direction of arrow C causes the rear tray 41 to move in the +Y direction via the first rack section 1602a. When the rear tray 41 moves in the +Y direction, the front tray 42 moves in the +Y direction along with the movement of the rear tray 41, so that the front tray 42 moves to a position where it does not overlap with the gear 1606 in the Y direction. As a result, the second rack section 1602b and the gear 1606b no longer mesh.

[0150] The amount of movement of the loading section 4 in the +Y direction, i.e., the amount of extension, will vary depending on the size of the recording medium used. The amount of extension is controlled, for example, based on a sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the amount of rotation of a drive motor or a gear provided on the drive member 1608.

[0151] Furthermore, when the loading section 4 contracts in the Y direction, the drive motor provided on the drive member 1608 rotates in the opposite direction, and the driving force generated by the drive motor is transmitted to the gear 1606 via multiple gears. As a result, gears 1606a and 1606b rotate in the direction of arrow D. When gears 1606a and 1606b rotate in the direction of arrow D, the rear tray 41 moves in the -Y direction due to the first rack section 1602a which meshes with gear 1606a. At this time, the front tray 42 moves in the -Y direction along with the movement of the rear tray 41 in the -Y direction.

[0152] Subsequently, when the gear 1606a is positioned in the groove 1604, the rear tray 41 stops moving in the -Y direction, but the second rack portion 1602b engages with the gear 1606b. As a result, the rotation of the gear 1606b causes the front tray 42 to move in the -Y direction, and this movement of the front tray 42 in the -Y direction moves both the front tray 42 and the rear tray 41 to their storage positions. In this embodiment, the steps of moving to the first sorting position and moving to the second sorting position in the recording process are omitted.

[0153] (modified version) Although not specifically mentioned in the above description, the system may be configured to allow selection between an automatic mode in which the loading section 4 automatically extends and retracts using the above-described drive mechanism, and a manual mode in which the user manually extends and retracts the loading section 4. In this case, in manual mode, for example, the gear 1606 in the drive member 1608 may not mesh with the gear that transmits the driving force.

[0154] In the above description, the loading section 4 is configured not to move in the X direction, but the system is not limited to this, and the loading section 4 may be configured to move in the X direction using various known technologies. Also, in the above description, the rear tray 41 and the front tray 42 are configured to move in the Y direction, but the system is not limited to this. The rear tray 41 may be configured not to move in the Y direction, and only the front tray 42 may move in the Y direction by the drive mechanism described above.

[0155] <<Third Embodiment>> Next, a recording device according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 21. In the following description, components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the recording device according to the first embodiment described above will be referred to with the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment described above, and their detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0156] In the third embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the loading section 4 of the first embodiment is moved in the X direction by a drive mechanism and does not extend or retract in the Y direction by the drive mechanism. The configuration of the drive mechanism of the loading section 4 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0157] (Drive mechanism for the loading section) The drive mechanism for the loading section 4 according to this embodiment will now be described. Figure 21 shows the drive mechanism for moving the loading section 4 in the X direction according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the loading section 4 is configured to move in the X direction and includes a roller 1702 that rotates the rear tray 41 so that it can move in the X direction, and a drive motor 1704 that drives the roller. In this embodiment, the front tray 42 is configured to be extendable and retractable relative to the rear tray 41 only by manual operation.

[0158] More specifically, the bottom surface of the rear tray 41 is provided with a plurality of rollers 1702 that allow the rear tray 41 to move in the X direction within the housing 9. In this embodiment, each roller 1702 is positioned on the bottom surface of the rear tray 41 in a location that does not restrict the manual extension and retraction of the front tray 42. The rollers 1702 move, for example, on rails (not shown) that extend in the X direction and are provided on the housing 9.

[0159] Furthermore, the bottom surface of the rear tray 41 is provided with a drive motor 1704 driven by the control unit 71, and a transmission unit 1706 that transmits the driving force generated by the drive motor 1704 to the roller 1702. The drive motor 1704 and the transmission unit 1706 are also positioned on the bottom surface of the rear tray 41 in a location that does not restrict the manual extension and retraction of the front tray 42. The front tray 42 may also have a sensor that detects when it is in the loading position or storage position. This movement may be manually pulled out by the user. With the front tray 42 moved from the storage position to the loading position, the rear tray 41 is moved in the X direction to sort the recording media.

[0160] (Movement of the loading section) The drive motor 1704 rotates based on a drive signal from the control unit 71, which causes the drive gear 1708 to rotate, and this drive is transmitted to the drive transmission gear 1710. The rotation of the drive transmission gear 1710 is then transmitted via the drive transmission belt 1712 to a gear 1716 connected to the shaft 1714 that connects the roller 1702. As a result, the shaft 1714 rotates, and the roller 1702 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft 1714. This rotation of the roller 1702 causes the rear tray 41 to move in the +X and -X directions. The direction of movement of the rear tray 41 is changed according to the rotation direction of the drive motor 1704. For example, when the drive motor 1704 rotates in the forward direction, the rear tray 41 moves in the +X direction, and when it rotates in the reverse direction, the rear tray 41 moves in the -X direction.

[0161] In this embodiment, during the recording process, in the step where the front tray 42 is moved to the loading position and storage position, for example, the display panel 82 of the operation unit 8 is configured to notify the user to move the front tray 42 to the loading position or storage position.

[0162] (modified version) In the above description, a transmission unit 1706 consisting of a roller 1702, a drive motor 1707, and a drive transmission gear 1710 is provided on the bottom surface of the rear tray 41, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a movable unit configured to move in the X direction may be provided, and the rear tray 41 may be fixedly positioned on the movable unit.

[0163] In the above description, the loading section 4 is configured not to automatically extend or retract in the Y direction, but the system is not limited to this configuration, and the loading section 4 may be configured to automatically extend or retract using various known technologies.

[0164] <<Fourth Embodiment>> Next, a recording device according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 22 and 23. In the following description, detailed explanations of components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the recording device according to the first embodiment described above will be omitted, as the same reference numerals used in the first embodiment will be used.

[0165] The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the recording media to be discharged are sorted by a configuration separate from the stacking section 4. The configuration for sorting the recording media to be discharged will be described in detail below.

[0166] (Configuration for sorting the recording media that are ejected) Figure 22 illustrates an example of a sorting mechanism for recording media being discharged. Figure 22(a) shows the sorting mechanism for the first bundle of recording media. Figure 22(b) shows the sorting mechanism for the second bundle of recording media. Figure 22(c) shows the sorting mechanism for the third bundle of recording media.

[0167] In this embodiment, the recording device 1 is equipped with an alignment member 1802 capable of aligning the X-direction edges of the recording medium discharged from the paper discharge roller pair 26. The alignment member 1802 comprises a pair of alignment members 1802a and 1802b, which are arranged to face each other and whose spacing can be changed in the X-direction.

[0168] The aligning members 1802a and 1802b are made of plate-like bodies. The lower part of the aligning member 1802a is provided with an aligning section 1804a for aligning recording media discharged into the stacking section 4, and the lower part of the aligning member 1802b is provided with an aligning section 1804b for aligning the recording media in cooperation with the aligning section 1804a. The aligning sections 1804a and 1804b have flat surfaces on their opposing sides. Multiple recording media stacked in the stacking section 4 are pressed against their edges in the X direction by these aligning sections 1804a and 1804b, thereby aligning their positions in the X direction.

[0169] Alignment member 1802a is provided with a relief portion 1806a located above the alignment portion 1804a, on one side in the X direction relative to the alignment portion 1804a. Alignment member 1802b is provided with a relief portion 1806b located above the alignment portion 1804b, on the other side in the X direction relative to the alignment portion 1804b. As a result, the relief portions 1806a and 1806b are spaced wider in the X direction than the spacing between the alignment portions 1804a and 1804b. Furthermore, the width of the relief portions 1806a and 1806b in the X direction narrows as they extend downward from a predetermined position, and at their lower ends they are connected to the alignment portions 1804a and 1804b, respectively. As a result, in the alignment member 1802, the recording medium ejected between the relief sections 1806a and 1806b is more easily guided between the alignment sections 1804a and 1804b.

[0170] The alignment member 1802 is positioned in the housing 9 so that it can perform various operations described later. The operation of the alignment member 1802 is controlled by the control unit 71. The alignment member 1802 may be configured to be detachable or non-detachable.

[0171] On the upper surface of the loading section 4 where the recording medium is loaded, a recess 1808a is provided on one side in the X direction, into which the tip of the alignment member 1802a can enter. On the other side of the same upper surface, a recess 1808b is provided on the X direction, into which the tip of the alignment member 1802b can enter. In this embodiment, the recesses 1808a and 1808b are provided on the rear tray 41.

[0172] During the recording process, when recording is performed on the first recording medium, the alignment members 1802a and 1802b wait at a first receiving position where the alignment sections 1804a and 1804b are spaced apart by a predetermined amount longer than the width (length in the X direction) of the recording medium. At this time, the front tray 42 is in the loading position. Also at this time, the tips of the alignment members 1802a and 1802b are inserted into the recesses 1808a and 1808b, respectively (see Figure 22(a)).

[0173] The recording media ejected from the paper ejection roller pair 26 enter between the relief portions 1806a, 1806b of the alignment members 1802a, 1802b, which are waiting at the first receiving position, and are ejected to the upper surface of the stacking section 4 by their own weight. At this time, the alignment members 1802a, 1802b accept the recording media that are ejected with some variation in the X direction at the relief portions 1806a, 1806b, which have a wide gap in the X direction, and guide the recording media to the gap between the alignment portions 1804a, 1804b. After the first recording is completed, the alignment members 1802a, 1802b move the alignment member 1802a in the +X direction to narrow the gap between the alignment portions 1804a, 1804b, and press the stack of recording media loaded on the stacking section 4 in the +X direction to align them.

[0174] Next, when moving to the second part of recording, the alignment members 1802a and 1802b are moved to a second receiving position, which is shifted by a predetermined amount in the +X direction relative to the first receiving position of the first part. At this time, the tip of the alignment member 1802a is positioned on the recording medium of the first part, and the tip of the alignment member 1802b is positioned in the recess 1808b (see Figure 22(b)). The recording medium discharged from the paper discharge roller pair 26 then enters between the relief portions 1806a and 1806b of the alignment members 1802a and 1802b waiting at the second receiving position, and is discharged onto the stack of recording mediums of the first part by its own weight. After the recording of the second part is completed, the aligning members 1802a and 1802b move aligning member 1802b in the -X direction to narrow the gap between aligning parts 1804a and 1804b, and press and align the stack of recording media piled on top of the stack of recording media from the first part in the -X direction.

[0175] Furthermore, when moving to the third recording stage, the alignment members 1802a and 1802b are moved to the first receiving position. At this time, the tip of the alignment member 1802b is positioned on the recording medium of the second stage, and the tip of the alignment member 1802a is positioned in the recess 1808a (see Figure 22(c)). The recording medium discharged from the paper discharge roller pair 26 then enters between the relief portions 1806a and 1806b of the alignment members 1802a and 1802b waiting at the first receiving position, and is discharged onto the stack of recording mediums of the second stage by its own weight. After the recording of the third stage is completed, the alignment members 1802a and 1802b move the alignment member 1802a in the +X direction to narrow the gap between the alignment portions 1804a and 1804b, and press the stack of recording mediums stacked on top of the stack of recording mediums of the second stage in the +X direction to align them. In this way, the recording device 1 can sort bundles of recording media according to the number of copies.

[0176] (Another configuration for sorting the output storage media) Furthermore, the configuration for sorting the discharged recording media is not limited to the alignment member 1802 described above. For example, the discharge roller pair 26 may be configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the discharge direction of the recording media, so that when discharging to the stacking section 4, the recording media can be sorted by shifting their position to at least two locations (see Figure 23). Figure 23 illustrates another configuration for sorting the discharged recording media, where (a) illustrates discharge at the first position and (b) illustrates discharge at the second position.

[0177] Specifically, the paper output roller pair 26 is configured to be movable in the X direction. When an odd-numbered copy of the recording medium M1 is being output, the paper output roller pair 26 ejects the recording medium M1 and moves to a first position, for example, located relatively to the right, at which point the recording medium M1 is output to the stacking section 4. As a result, the outputted recording medium M1 is output to a position in the stacking section 4 corresponding to the first position (see Figure 23(a)). Similarly, when an even-numbered copy of the recording medium M2 is being output, the paper output roller pair 26 ejects the recording medium M2 and moves to a second position, for example, located relatively to the left, at which point the recording medium M2 is output to the stacking section 4. As a result, the outputted recording medium M2 is output to a position in the stacking section 4 corresponding to the second position (see Figure 23(b)). Regarding the specific configuration for moving the paper output roller pair 26 to different positions when ejecting the recording medium depending on the number of copies, various known technologies can be used, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0178] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiments may be modified as shown in (1) to (10) below.

[0179] (1) Although not specifically described in the above embodiment, the recording device 1 can select, by input from the operation unit 8 or the like, a recording process that records on the recording medium and sorts the recording medium after recording (see Figure 12), and a recording process that does not perform the sorting. In the case of a recording process that does not perform sorting, for example, after moving to the first sorting position, the recording medium continues to be ejected with the front tray 42 moved to the stacking position. Also, in the case of a recording process that does not perform sorting, for example, if it is determined in S1218 that the number of copies n has not reached a predetermined number, the process proceeds to S1240. Furthermore, in the case of a recording process that does not perform sorting, for example, S1202 and S1222 may be omitted.

[0180] In the above embodiment, the case where the instruction "sort into N sections of M sheets each" is input by the job or operation unit 8 was explained using the flowchart in Figure 12. However, in actual recording operations, even if M and N are known, it may be specified that sorting should not be performed. In such cases, a configuration for switching whether or not to transmit the driving force of the drive source 44 to the engagement unit 4333 should be provided in advance, and if sorting is not performed, the loading unit 4 should not move between the first sorting position and the second sorting position.

[0181] (2) In the above embodiment, the drive transmission unit 43 is configured such that when the rear tray 41 is in the first sorting position, the cam 4312 does not rotate any further even when the driving force is transmitted by the rotation of the drive source 44 in the first direction. However, the drive transmission unit 43 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the drive transmission unit 43 may be configured such that when the rear tray 41 is in a predetermined position on one side of the X direction from the first sorting position, the cam 4312 does not rotate any further even when the driving force is transmitted by the rotation of the drive source 44 in the first direction. In this case, in the recording process shown in Figure 12, after moving the rear tray 41 to the predetermined position, the drive source 44 is further rotated in the first direction to move the front tray 42 from the storage position to the loading position. Then, by rotating the drive source 44 in the second direction, the rear tray 41 is moved in the +X direction to the first sorting position. At this time, the position of the rear tray 41 is determined based on the detection result of the sensor in the detection unit 73 that detects the position of the loading unit 4 after a predetermined operation.

[0182] (3) In the above embodiment, the drive transmission unit 43 is configured such that when the rear tray 41 is in the second sorting position, the cam 4312 does not rotate any further even when the driving force is transmitted by the rotation of the drive source 44 in the second direction. However, the drive transmission unit 43 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the drive transmission unit 43 may be configured such that when the rear tray 41 is in a predetermined position on the other side in the X direction from the second sorting position, the cam 4312 does not rotate any further even when the driving force is transmitted by the rotation of the drive source 44 in the second direction.

[0183] (4) In the above embodiment, the front tray 42 is configured such that a portion of the area on the end 42a side protrudes forward from the housing 9 in the Y direction when in the storage position (see Figure 6(a)), but it is not limited to this. The front tray 42 may be configured so that it does not protrude forward from the housing 9 when in the storage position. In this case, the front tray 42 will be completely housed within the housing 9 when in the storage position. Also, in the above embodiment, the loading section 4 sorts the discharged recording media by loading them at two locations, a first sorting position and a second sorting position, but the sorting positions are not limited to two locations. For example, the discharged recording media may be sorted at three or more different positions in the X direction.

[0184] (5) In the above embodiment, the recording device 1 is a so-called serial scan type recording device that records on a conveyed recording medium by ejecting ink while moving the recording head 3 in the X direction, but it is not limited to this. A recording device to which this disclosure can be applied may be a so-called line type recording device that records on a recording medium conveyed in the Y direction by a recording head that is capable of ejecting ink in the X direction within a range corresponding to the size of the recordable recording medium.

[0185] (6) In the above embodiment, the first sorting position is such that the center position Os in the X direction of the stacking unit 4 is located on one side in the X direction of the center position Om of the recording medium to be discharged, and the second sorting position is such that the center position Os is located on the other side in the X direction of the center position Om. However, the first and second sorting positions are not limited to these. For example, either the first or second sorting position may be such that the center position Os coincides with the center position Om. Also, in the above embodiment, the initial position located when no recording is taking place is such that the center position Os of the stacking unit 4 coincides with the center position Os of the recording medium to be discharged, but this is not limited to this. The initial position may be the first sorting position, the second sorting position, or a predetermined position other than the first and second sorting positions.

[0186] (7) In the above embodiment, when the recording medium is removed from the stacking section 4, the stacking section 4 is moved in the +X direction to move the front tray 42 from the stacking position to the storage position, but the embodiment is not limited to this. After the recording medium is removed from the stacking section 4, the user may manually move the front tray 42 from the stacking position to the storage position. In this case, the user has to move the front tray 42 after the recording medium has been removed, but in this step, the user only has to push the front tray 42 in, so the burden on the user is relatively small and the usability is not significantly reduced.

[0187] (8) In the above embodiment, the case in which the instruction to "sort into N sections of M sheets each" is set in the job has been described. However, the job may also be in a form in which a command to change the sorting position is interposed between the image data of a predetermined page and the image data of the next page. In this case, the control unit 71 should sequentially execute operations in accordance with the received command, such as recording and ejecting according to the image data of the predetermined page, changing the sorting position, and recording and ejecting according to the image data of the next page.

[0188] (9) In the above embodiment, the rear tray 41 is configured to have a rear end restricting portion 411 that faces the rear end of the discharged recording medium and has a contact surface 411a that can come into contact with the rear end, but it is not limited to this configuration. The rear tray 41 may be configured without the rear end restricting portion 411.

[0189] (10) The above embodiments and the various forms shown in (1) to (9) above may be combined as appropriate.

[0190] The above disclosure of embodiments includes the following configurations and methods. (Composition 1) A loading means capable of loading recording media discharged in a first direction, The loading surface on which the recording media discharged to the loading means are loaded includes a restricting means for restricting the position of the leading edge of the recording media in the first direction, The recording device is characterized in that the regulating means changes between a first posture in which the angle between the contact surface to which the leading edge of the discharged recording medium abuts and the loading surface is a first angle, and a second posture in which the angle between the contact surface and the loading surface is a second angle that is larger than the first angle. (Configuration 2) The first posture is one in which the contact surface is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, The recording device according to configuration 1, characterized in that the second posture is a posture in which the contact surface is inclined more than the first posture such that the upper end of the contact surface is located downstream in the first direction from the lower end. (Composition 3) The system further comprises a support means that supports the loading means so as to be movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction, The recording device according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the support means has a surface that contacts the regulating means provided on the loading means, and changes the orientation of the regulating means in accordance with the change in the contact position of the regulating means in accordance with the movement of the loading means in the second direction. (Composition 4) The aforementioned regulatory means are The first member on which the contact surface is formed, A second member that rotatably supports the first member, The device comprises a third member that is rotatably supported by the second member and biases the first member in a predetermined direction by a first biasing means, The recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that the surface extends in the second direction such that a contact state with the third member is maintained by a biasing force acting on the third member. (Composition 5) The aforementioned surface is The first aspect of the aforementioned regulatory means is the first posture, The regulating means comprises a second surface that assumes the second posture, The first surface is provided on one side and the other side of the surface in the second direction, The recording device according to claim 4, characterized in that the second surface is provided between two of the first surfaces. (Composition 6) The recording device according to configuration 4 or 5, characterized in that the first member is biased by the second biasing means in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, thereby maintaining contact with the third member. (Composition 7) The recording device according to any one of configurations 4 to 6, characterized in that the loading means further comprises a restricting part that restricts the rotation of the first member by a certain amount or more in the predetermined direction. (Composition 8) The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that the regulating means is provided at both ends of the loading means in a second direction intersecting the first direction. (Composition 9) The aforementioned loading means is, The aforementioned restricting means is provided, and the first loading section is movable in the first direction, A recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, comprising a second loading section that is movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction together with the first loading section. (Composition 10) The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that the regulating means is in a second position when in standby mode. (Composition 11) The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the regulating means is in a first position when the factory is shipped and when the power is turned off. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0191] 1. Recording device 4 Loading section 421 Advanced Regulatory Department

Claims

1. A loading means capable of loading recording media discharged in the first direction, The loading surface on which the recording media discharged to the loading means are loaded includes a restricting means for restricting the position of the leading edge of the recording media in the first direction, The recording device is characterized in that the regulating means changes between a first posture in which the angle between the contact surface to which the leading edge of the ejected recording medium abuts and the loading surface is a first angle, and a second posture in which the angle between the contact surface and the loading surface is a second angle that is larger than the first angle.

2. The first posture is one in which the contact surface is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second posture is a posture in which the contact surface is inclined more than the first posture such that the upper end of the contact surface is located downstream in the first direction from the lower end.

3. The system further comprises a support means that supports the loading means so as to be movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction, The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the support means has a surface that contacts the regulating means provided on the loading means, and changes the orientation of the regulating means in accordance with the change in the contact position of the regulating means in accordance with the movement of the loading means in the second direction.

4. The aforementioned regulatory means are The first member having the aforementioned contact surface, A second member that rotatably supports the first member, The device comprises a third member that is rotatably supported by the second member and biases the first member in a predetermined direction by a first biasing means, The recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that the surface extends in the second direction such that a contact state with the third member is maintained by a biasing force acting on the third member.

5. The aforementioned surface is The first aspect of the regulating means is the first posture, The regulating means comprises a second surface that assumes the second posture, The first surface is provided on one side and the other side of the surface in the second direction, The recording device according to claim 4, characterized in that the second surface is provided between two of the first surfaces.

6. The recording device according to claim 4, characterized in that the first member is biased by the second biasing means in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, thereby maintaining contact with the third member.

7. The recording device according to claim 4, wherein the loading means further comprises a restricting part that restricts the rotation of the first member by a certain amount or more in the predetermined direction.

8. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the regulating means is provided at both ends of the loading means in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

9. The aforementioned loading means is, The aforementioned restricting means is provided, and the first loading section is movable in the first direction, The recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a second loading section that is movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction together with the first loading section.

10. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned regulating means is in a second position when the device is in standby mode.

11. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the regulating means is set to the first position when the device is shipped from the factory and when the power is turned off.

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