Media loading device

Abstract

There is a risk of improper loading of the media in the loading section. [Solution] The media loading device 100 includes a loading section 101 on support surfaces 106, 111 extending in the discharge direction A of the media 22, on which the media 22 is loaded, an upper frame 151 extending in the X-axis direction intersecting the discharge direction A, and a lower frame 161 extending in the X-axis direction. The loading section 101 includes the upstream side of the support surfaces 106, 111 in the discharge direction A, and an upstream section 105 supported by the upper frame 151, and the upstream side of the support surfaces 106, 111 in the discharge direction A The device has a downstream section 110 which is supported by the lower frame 161 and has a downstream side. When the direction perpendicular to the discharge direction A and the X-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction, the vertical distance D2 between the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 and the lower frame 161 is longer than the vertical distance D1 between the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105 and the upper frame 151. The downstream section 110 is supported by the lower frame 161 from below via the supported parts 116R and 116L of the downstream section 110.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a medium stacking apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a medium placing apparatus capable of stacking a plurality of media discharged from a discharge section of a processing apparatus. The medium placing apparatus includes a plurality of support sections, each supporting a medium discharged from the discharge section from a lower side in the direction of gravity with a support surface, the plurality of support sections being arranged in a width direction intersecting the discharge direction of the medium. Each support section extends in the discharge direction and is inclined so as to become lower in the direction of gravity from the upstream side to the downstream side in the discharge direction. The plurality of support sections are provided at intervals in the width direction by being connected to a member extending in the width direction intersecting the discharge direction. The member extending in the width direction extends to both outer sides of the plurality of support sections in the width direction. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2023-093896 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, in the medium placing apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the member extending in the width direction extends to both outer sides of the plurality of support sections, the leading end of the medium may be curled due to contact with the end of the discharged medium on both outer sides of the plurality of support sections. Therefore, if the medium is curled on the support section and floats above the support surface, there is a possibility that poor stacking of the medium occurs on the support section. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] The media loading device is a media loading device on which media to be discharged from a processing device in the discharge direction is loaded, and comprises a loading section on a support surface that supports the media and extends in the discharge direction, on which the media is loaded such that at least one end in the width direction intersecting the discharge direction hangs down below the support surface, a pair of legs arranged on both sides of the loading section in the width direction, an upper frame extending in the width direction and connecting the pair of legs, and a lower frame extending in the width direction and connecting the pair of legs, wherein the lower frame is located downstream in the discharge direction with respect to the position where the upper frame connects the pair of legs The pair of legs are connected at the base, and the loading section has an upstream section which has the upstream side of the support surface in the discharge direction and is supported by the upper frame, and a downstream section which has the downstream side of the support surface in the discharge direction and is supported by the lower frame, and when the direction perpendicular to the discharge direction and the width direction is defined as the vertical direction, the vertical distance between the support surface of the downstream section and the lower frame is longer than the vertical distance between the support surface of the upstream section and the upper frame, and the downstream section is supported by the lower frame from below via the supported portion of the downstream section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a recording device to which a media loading device according to this embodiment can be connected. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the media loading device according to this embodiment connected to the recording device. [Figure 3] A side view of the media loading device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] A perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the media loading device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] A side view showing the schematic configuration of the media loading device according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a top view showing the schematic configuration of the media loading device according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view showing the S7-S7 section shown in Figure 5. [Figure 8] A partial perspective view showing the schematic configuration around the receiving portion of the lower frame. [Figure 9] A side view showing the schematic configuration of a media loading device with the lower loading section in the storage position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The media loading device 100 according to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The media loading device 100 of this embodiment is a media loading device capable of loading multiple media 22 discharged from the discharge section 53 of the recording device 10 shown in Figure 1. The recording device 10 is an example of a processing device. The media loading device 100 of this embodiment can be connected to the recording device 10, but it may also be connected to a processing device other than a recording device, such as an image reading device.

[0008] In each figure, identical components are denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant explanations may be omitted. In this specification, "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" do not necessarily mean exactly the same.

[0009] For example, in this specification, when "same," "identical," or "simultaneous" is used, it includes cases where measurement errors are taken into consideration. Also, for example, when "same," "identical," or "simultaneous" is used, it includes cases where manufacturing variations of the components are taken into consideration.

[0010] In this specification, the terms "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" include cases where they are the same to the extent that their function is not impaired. Therefore, for example, "the dimensions of both are the same" means that, taking into account measurement errors and manufacturing variations of the components, the difference between the two dimensions is within ±5 percent of the dimension of one, and particularly preferably within ±3 percent.

[0011] In each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three mutually orthogonal spatial axes. In this specification, the directions along these axes are referred to as the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction. When specifying directions, a positive direction is denoted as "+" and a negative direction as "-", and positive and negative signs are used in the direction notation. In each figure, the direction pointed to by the arrow is described as the + direction, and the opposite direction of the arrow is described as the - direction.

[0012] The Z-axis direction indicates the direction of gravity, the +Z direction indicates vertically upward, and the -Z direction indicates vertically downward. A plane containing the X and Y axes is described as the XY plane, a plane containing the X and Z axes is described as the XZ plane, and a plane containing the Y and Z axes is described as the YZ plane. The XY plane is the horizontal plane. The three spatial axes X, Y, and Z, which are not limited to positive and negative directions, are described as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

[0013] The X-axis direction is horizontal along the installation surface, which is the horizontal plane on which the recording device 10 is installed. The X-axis direction is the width direction of the recording device 10, and is the width direction of the recording medium 22. The Y-axis direction is horizontal along the installation surface on which the recording device 10 is installed. The Y-axis direction is the depth direction of the recording device 10.

[0014] The +Y direction is the direction from the rear wall 14 to the front wall 13 of the recording device 10, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front wall 13 to the rear wall 14 of the recording device 10.

[0015] The first side wall 15, which is a side wall in the +X direction, becomes the left side wall of the recording device 10, and the second side wall 16, which is a side wall in the -X direction, becomes the right side wall of the recording device 10. The Z-axis direction is the normal direction to the installation surface on which the recording device 10 is installed, and is the height direction of the recording device 10.

[0016] In the following explanation, the direction in which the medium 22 moves when being transported or discharged may be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream." For illustrative purposes, the size of each component may differ from the actual size. Note that in Figures 4 to 7, the holding portion 120 is omitted for illustrative purposes.

[0017] <Embodiment> First, the schematic configuration of the recording apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 10 is installed via casters 11. The recording apparatus 10 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 12 that is long in the X-axis direction. The housing 12 includes a front wall 13, a rear wall 14, a first side wall 15, a second side wall 16, and an upper wall 17.

[0018] In the recording apparatus 10, the direction in which the base frame 65 and the upper wall 17 face each other is the height direction of the recording apparatus 10. The direction in which the first side wall 15 and the second side wall 16 face each other is the width direction of the recording apparatus 10. The direction in which the front wall 13 and the rear wall 14 face each other is the depth direction of the recording apparatus 10.

[0019] Inside the housing 12, there are provided a recording unit 30 including a recording head 34 that performs recording on a medium 22, and an accommodating portion 20 that accommodates a roll body 25 formed by winding the medium 22 in a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, inside the housing 12, a conveying portion (not shown) that conveys the medium 22, a cutting portion (not shown) that cuts the medium 22, and the like are provided.

[0020] A plurality of openings are provided in the front wall 13 of the housing 12. On the front wall 13, a roll body accommodating port 27 for accommodating the roll body 25 is provided at a position on the -Z direction side that is closer to the base frame 65 in the Z-axis direction. On the front wall 13, a discharge portion 53 for discharging the recorded medium 22 is provided at a position on the +Z direction side of the roll body accommodating port 27.

[0021] A cylindrical roll body 25 formed by winding a long medium 22 around a core member 23 is detachably accommodated in the accommodating portion 20 through the roll body accommodating port 27. In the present embodiment, the accommodating portion 20 is configured to be capable of accommodating two roll bodies 25 that are long in the X-axis direction in a state where they are arranged side by side in the Z-axis direction.

[0022] A pair of holding members 28 that rotatably hold the roll body 25 with respect to the accommodating portion 20 are attached to both ends of the roll body 25. When the roll body 25 is rotationally driven, the medium 22 wound around the roll body 25 is fed out in the -Y direction toward the rear wall 14 side in the housing 12.

[0023] The medium 22, which is sent out toward the rear wall 14, is transported by the transport unit, changing its orientation toward the rear wall 14 in the +Z direction and being transported toward the support base 31 in the +Y direction. The medium 22 that has been transported to the support base 31 by the transport unit is then transported toward the front wall 13 in the +Y direction on the support base 31.

[0024] The recording head 34 is mounted on a carriage 33 that moves along a guide member 32. The recording head 34 is located on the support base 31 side relative to the carriage 33. The recording head 34 is configured to reciprocate along the guide member 32 together with the carriage 33.

[0025] The recording head 34 is connected to an ink cartridge 35 by a flexible tube (not shown). The recording head 34 records onto the medium 22, which is supported by a support base 31, by ejecting ink while moving in the X-axis direction. The recorded medium 22 is cut by a cutting section (not shown).

[0026] The recording device 10 includes an input unit 59. The input unit 59 is provided on the upper surface of the upper wall 17 of the housing 12. The input unit 59 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device with a touch panel, and is used when a user inputs various types of information.

[0027] The media stacking device 100 according to this disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 9. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the media stacking device 100 of this embodiment is provided so as to be connectable to the recording device 10. The media stacking device 100 has a configuration that allows multiple media 22 (see Figure 3) discharged from the discharge section 53 of the recording device 10 in the discharge direction A to be stacked on the support surfaces 106, 111 (see Figure 3) of the stacking section 101. The stacking section 101 is capable of stacking media 22 so that at least one end in the width direction intersecting the discharge direction A of the discharged media 22 hangs down below the support surfaces 106, 111.

[0028] The media loading device 100 of this embodiment includes an upstream section 105 and a downstream section 110, a leg section 130, a downstream loading section 170, a pressing section 120, and an edge guide 191 that constitute the loading section 101.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upstream section 105 supports the medium 22 being discharged downstream from the discharge section 53 in the discharge direction A from below with a support surface 106. The upstream section 105 is attached to the upper frame 151 (see Figure 4) which constitutes the leg section 130. At the upstream section 105, the medium 22 is often in the process of being discharged from the discharge section 53. Therefore, even if the widthwise end of the medium 22 comes into contact with the upper frame 151, it is pushed downstream and loaded again downstream of the upper frame 151 so that the widthwise end of the medium 22 hangs downwards.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105 is inclined so that the downstream side is located in the -Z direction from the upstream side in the discharge direction A. The dimension W1 (see Figure 6) between the two ends of the support surface 106 that supports the media 22 in the X-axis direction is set to be smaller than the width dimension of the largest media 22 (not shown) among the media 22 being discharged.

[0031] The downstream section 110 is provided downstream of the upstream section 105 in the discharge direction A, and supports the medium 22 moving from the upstream section 105 downstream in the discharge direction A from below with a support surface 111. The downstream section 110 is composed of a plurality of medium support sections 110a, 110b and a connecting section 114 that constitute the support surface 111.

[0032] The multiple media support sections 110a and 110b have a rectangular bar shape that extends along the discharge direction A. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the multiple media support sections 110a and 110b are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction. The X-axis direction is an example of a width direction that intersects with the discharge direction A of the media 22.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, four media support sections 110a and two media support sections 110b are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction. Three of the four media support sections 110a are aligned in the X-axis direction and are positioned at the center and both ends of the downstream section 110 in the X-axis direction.

[0034] One of the two media support portions 110b is positioned in the center between the central media support portion 110a and the media support portion 110a at the -X direction in the X-axis direction.

[0035] The other media support portion 110b of the two media support portions 110b is positioned in the center between the central media support portion 110a and the media support portion 110a at the +X direction in the X-axis direction.

[0036] The remaining media support portion 110a of the four media support portions 110a is positioned in the X-axis direction between the media support portion 110a at the +X end and the other media support portion 110b.

[0037] As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the support surface 111 of the downstream portion 110 is composed of a support surface 111a, which is the +Z direction side of the media support portion 110a, and a support surface 111b, which is the +Z direction side of the media support portion 110b.

[0038] As shown in Figure 7, the support surface 111b of the media support portion 110b is located on the -Z side when viewed from a direction along the X axis, compared to the support surface 111a of the media support portion 110a.

[0039] The media support sections 110a, 110b, and the support surfaces 111a, 111b of the media support sections 110a, 110b, extend along the discharge direction A and are inclined so that the downstream side of the discharge direction A is located in the -Z direction more than the upstream side.

[0040] Thus, the support surfaces 106 and 111 of the loading section 101 in this embodiment extend along the discharge direction A, which is inclined in a direction where the downstream side is located in the -Z direction from the upstream side. Therefore, the medium 22 can be moved using gravity, and the medium 22 can be moved efficiently without using power or other means.

[0041] The inclination angle of the support surfaces 106 and 111 with respect to the horizontal plane is set, for example, between 10 and 30 degrees. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the support surfaces 106 and 111 with respect to the horizontal plane is set to 15 degrees.

[0042] The downstream section 110 of the loading section 101 has media support sections 110a and 110b arranged approximately alternately with a gap in the X-axis direction. By arranging media support sections 110a and 110b, which have support surfaces 111a and 111b with different positions in the Z-axis direction, the downstream section 110 of the loading section 101 can support the media 22 sent from upstream so that it has a wavy shape, or so-called corrugated shape, when viewed from the direction along the discharge direction A.

[0043] By making the medium 22 sent from upstream corrugated, the rigidity of the medium 22 is improved, thereby suppressing a decrease in transportability caused by deformation such as bending of the medium 22 in the discharge direction A. This prevents the transported medium 22 from getting caught on the support surface 111 or the medium 22 already loaded on the support surface 111. Therefore, the loading section 101 of this embodiment can suitably load various types of medium 22 without using power or the like.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the -X end of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 is located on the +X side relative to the -X end of the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105. The -X end of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 is the -X end of the support surface 111a of the media support section 110a, which is located at the -X end.

[0045] The +X-direction end of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 is located on the -X-direction side relative to the +X-direction end of the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105. The +X-direction end of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 is the +X-direction end of the support surface 111a of the media support section 110a, which is located at the +X-direction end.

[0046] Therefore, the dimension W2 between the two ends of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 in the X-axis direction is smaller than the dimension W1 between the two ends of the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105 in the X-axis direction. As a result, the area supporting the medium 22 in the width direction becomes narrower, and the length over which the widthwise end of the medium 22 hangs down also becomes longer.

[0047] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the upstream end 112a of the media support section 110a, which is the upstream end in the discharge direction A, is connected to the upper frame 151. The upstream end 112b of the media support section 110b, which is the upstream end in the discharge direction A, is connected to the upper frame 151.

[0048] The connection between each upstream end 112a, 112b and the upper frame 151 defines the position of the upstream end of the downstream section 110 in the X-axis direction relative to the upstream section 105 and the upper frame 151.

[0049] Furthermore, the upstream ends 112a and 112b of the downstream section 110 are connected to the upper frame 151 to such an extent that the downstream end, which is the downstream end of the downstream section 110 in the discharge direction A, can move in the X-axis direction relative to the upstream end of the downstream section 110.

[0050] The downstream end 113a of the media support section 110a, which is the downstream end in the discharge direction A, and the downstream end 113b of the media support section 110b, which is the downstream end in the discharge direction A, are connected to the connecting section 114. The connecting section 114 is composed of a connecting member 115 and a supported section 116.

[0051] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the connecting member 115 extends in the X-axis direction at a position that is in the -Z direction of the support surfaces 111a and 111b of the media support parts 110a and 110b. The connecting member 115 has a round bar shape. The downstream end 113a of each media support part 110a and the downstream end 113b of each media support part 110b are connected to the connecting member 115. The downstream ends 113a and 113b of the multiple media support parts 110a and 110b are connected to each other by the connecting member 115.

[0052] The connecting member 115 is provided with a supported portion 116 extending from the connecting member 115 in the -Z direction. That is, the supported portion 116 is provided at the downstream end of the downstream portion 110 in the discharge direction A. The supported portion 116 includes supported portions 116R and 116L. Supported portions 116R and 116L are provided on the connecting member 115 with a gap in the X-axis direction.

[0053] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the supported portion 116R is provided at a position adjacent in the +X direction to the downstream end 113a of the media support portion 110a, which constitutes the -X end of the downstream portion 110. The supported portion 116L is provided at a position adjacent in the -X direction to the downstream end 113a of the media support portion 110a, which constitutes the +X end of the downstream portion 110.

[0054] The lower ends of each supported portion 116R, 116L, which are the ends on the -Z direction side, are supported by receiving portions 163R, 163L provided on the lower frame 161 that constitutes the leg portion 130. Thus, the downstream portion 110 that constitutes the loading portion 101 has the supported portion 116 located at the downstream end in the discharge direction A supported by the lower frame 161.

[0055] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the leg portion 130 supports the upstream portion 105 and the downstream portion 110, and the downstream loading portion 170, which constitute the loading portion 101. The leg portion 130 is composed of the leg 131, the upper frame 151, and the lower frame 161.

[0056] Leg 131 includes legs 131R and 131L. Legs 131R and 131L are composed of an upper part 132, a lower part 133, and a support column 134. The upper part 132 extends along the discharge direction A.

[0057] The lower section 133 extends in the Y-axis direction. The support column 134 extends from the lower section 133 in the +Z direction and connects the center of the lower section 133 to the center of the upper section 132. Casters 181 are provided at positions near the -Y direction and near the +Y direction on the lower surface of the lower section 133, which is the -Z direction surface.

[0058] The upper frame 151 and the lower frame 161 connect the legs 131R and 131L. The legs 131R and 131L are connected by the upper frame 151 and the lower frame 161, with a gap in the X-axis direction.

[0059] The upper frame 151 extends along the X-axis. The upper frame 151 connects the upper parts 132 of legs 131R and 131L. The upper parts 132 of legs 131R and 131L are connected by the upper frame 151 at a position upstream of the center of the upper part 132 in the discharge direction A.

[0060] The lower frame 161 is composed of a connecting portion 162 and a receiving portion 163. The connecting portion 162 has a rectangular bar shape extending along the X-axis. The connecting portion 162 of the lower frame 161 connects the lower parts 133 of the legs 131R and 131L. The lower parts 133 of the legs 131R and 131L are connected by the connecting portion 162 of the lower frame 161 at a position that is the center of the lower part 133 in the Y-axis direction.

[0061] The receiving portion 163 extends from the connecting portion 162 in the +Y direction. The receiving portion 163 receives the supported portion 116 of the downstream portion 110. The receiving portion 163 includes receiving portions 163R and 163L. Receiving portions 163R and 163L are spaced apart in the X-axis direction.

[0062] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, a holding portion 164 and a guiding portion 165 are provided at the +Y ends of the receiving portions 163R and 163L. Casters 181 are provided on the lower surfaces of the receiving portions 163R and 163L, which are the -Z surfaces, at positions near the +Y ends.

[0063] The retaining portion 164 is provided at the +Y direction ends of the receiving portions 163R and 163L. The retaining portion 164 is a groove-shaped recess extending in the Y-axis direction. The lower ends of the supported portions 116R and 116L fit into the retaining portion 164 of the receiving portions 163R and 163L, thereby supporting the supported portions 116R and 116L from the -Z direction side.

[0064] The lower ends of the supported parts 116R and 116L are supported by the holding part 164 from the -Z direction side, thereby defining the position of the downstream end of the downstream part 110 in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the lower ends of the supported parts 116R and 116L fit into the holding part 164 of the receiving parts 163R and 163L, thereby restricting the movement of the lower ends of the supported parts 116R and 116L in the X-axis direction.

[0065] The movement of the lower ends of the supported parts 116R and 116L in the X-axis direction is restricted by a set restricting force, thereby defining the position of the downstream end of the downstream part 110 in the X-axis direction. This restricting force is set such that, for example, if an external force greater than a set value in the X-axis direction acts on the downstream end of the downstream part 110, the lower ends of the supported parts 116R and 116L will slip out of the holding part 164 in the X-axis direction. In other words, the receiving parts 163R and 163L support the supported parts 116R and 116L so that they can move in the X-axis direction.

[0066] The guide portion 165 is an inclined surface that extends outward on both sides in the X-axis direction from the opening of the holding portion 164, and its position is inclined upward as it moves away from the opening of the holding portion 164. The guide portion 165 guides the lower ends of the supported portions 116R and 116L that are in contact with the guide portion 165 toward the holding portion 164.

[0067] For example, if an external force exceeding a set value in the X-axis direction acts on the downstream end of the downstream section 110, the lower ends of the supported sections 116R and 116L may come loose from the holding section 164. Even if the lower ends of the supported sections 116R and 116L come loose from the holding section 164, they will still come into contact with the guide section 165 due to gravity.

[0068] In this case, when the external force acting on the downstream end of the downstream section 110 ceases, the lower ends of the supported sections 116R and 116L slide down toward the holding section 164 along the inclined surface of the guide section 165. As a result, the lower ends of the supported sections 116R and 116L re-engage with the holding section 164, thereby restoring the position of the downstream end of the downstream section 110 in the X-axis direction to its original position. In addition, to prevent the supported sections 116R and 116L from coming off the guide section 165 when subjected to an external force in the X-axis direction, partition walls extending in the +Z direction may be provided at the ends of the receiving sections 163R and 163L in the X-axis direction.

[0069] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the upper frame 151 is positioned vertically downward on the -Z direction side with respect to the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105. The lower frame 161 is positioned on the +Y direction side, which is downstream in the discharge direction A, relative to the upper frame 151.

[0070] The connecting portion 162 of the lower frame 161 is positioned vertically downward on the -Z direction side with respect to the support surface 111 of the downstream portion 110. The connecting portion 162 is positioned on the -Z direction side with respect to the upper frame 151. In the discharge direction A, the connecting portion 162 is positioned on the -Y direction side, which is upstream of the downstream ends 113a and 113b, which are the downstream ends of the downstream portion 110.

[0071] As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the distance in the Z-axis direction between the connecting portion 162 of the lower frame 161 and the support surface 111 of the downstream portion 110 is set to be longer than the distance in the Z-axis direction between the upper frame 151 and the support surface 106 of the upstream portion 105.

[0072] In this case, when the direction perpendicular to the discharge direction A and the X-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction, the vertical distance between the lower frame 161 and the support surface 111 is longer than the vertical distance D1 between the upper frame 151 and the support surface 106. The vertical distance between the lower frame 161 and the support surface 111 is the vertical distance D2 between the lower frame 161 and the support surface 111a of the media support section 110a.

[0073] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the legs 131R are positioned at a distance in the -X direction from the -X end of the upstream section 105. The legs 131L are positioned at a distance in the +X direction from the +X end of the upstream section 105.

[0074] Leg 131R is positioned at a distance in the -X direction from the media support portion 110a which constitutes the -X end of the downstream portion 110. Leg 131L is positioned at a distance in the +X direction from the media support portion 110a which constitutes the +X end of the downstream portion 110. Therefore, the pair of legs 131R and 131L are positioned on both sides of the loading portion 101 in the X-axis direction.

[0075] Regardless of the size of the medium 22, the medium 22 is discharged from the recording device 10 to the medium loading device 100 such that the -X-direction end of the medium 22 (see the medium 22 shown by the dashed line in Figure 6) passes through the reference position in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the position of the reference position in the X-axis direction is set to be substantially the same as the +X-direction side of the upper part 132 of the leg 131R.

[0076] Therefore, regardless of the size of the medium 22, at least the -X-direction end of the medium 22 hangs outward in the X-axis direction of the support surface 111. This eliminates curls that form at the tip of the discharged medium 22 due to curling or other factors.

[0077] In this embodiment, the distance G1 in the X-axis direction between the -X-direction end of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 and the +X-direction side of the upper section 132 of the leg 131R is set to be less than half the X-axis dimension of the discharged medium 22. Therefore, the distance G1 is less than half the width dimension of the smallest medium 22 among the discharged medium 22.

[0078] The -X end of the support surface 111 is the media support portion 110a at the -X end of the downstream portion 110. More specifically, the -X end of the support surface 111 is the -X end of the support surface 111a of this media support portion 110a.

[0079] This makes it possible to prevent the medium 22 from falling from the support surface 111 of the loading section 101, even if the medium 22 has a small dimension in the X-axis direction and only its -X-direction end hangs outward in the X-axis direction of the support surface 111.

[0080] Furthermore, the distance in the Z-axis direction between the connecting portion 162 of the lower frame 161 and the -X end of the support surface 111 is set to be longer than the distance G1. In this case, the vertical distance between the connecting portion 162 of the lower frame 161 and the -X end of the support surface 111 is longer than the distance G1.

[0081] Furthermore, the vertical distance between the lower frame 161 and the support surface 111 is the vertical distance D2 between the lower frame 161 and the support surface 111a of the media support part 110a, as shown in Figure 7. This prevents the tip of the media 22, which has moved from the upstream part 105 to the downstream part 110, from curling again due to the end of the media 22 hanging outward in the X-axis direction of the support surface 111 contacting the lower frame 161.

[0082] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the downstream loading section 170 is provided downstream of the downstream section 110 in the discharge direction A, and supports the medium 22 moving downstream from the downstream section 110 in the discharge direction A from below with a support surface 171. The downstream loading section 170 is composed of a plurality of medium support sections 170a, 170b, and a connecting section 174.

[0083] The multiple media support sections 170a and 170b have a rectangular bar shape that extends along the discharge direction A. The multiple media support sections 170a and 170b are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction.

[0084] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, three media support sections 170a and two media support sections 170b are provided spaced apart in the X-axis direction. One of the three media support sections 170a is located downstream of the central media support section 110a in the discharge direction A, and is positioned in the center of the downstream loading section 170 in the X-axis direction.

[0085] One of the two media support sections 170b is positioned downstream of the other media support section 110b in the discharge direction A. The other media support section 170b is positioned downstream of the other media support section 110b in the discharge direction A.

[0086] One of the three media support sections 170a is positioned adjacent to one of the media support sections 170b at a distance in the -X direction, and is located at the -X end of the downstream loading section 170 in the X-axis direction. One of the three media support sections 170a is positioned between the media support section 110a at the -X end and one of the media support sections 110b in the X-axis direction.

[0087] The remaining media support portion 170a of the three media support portions 170a is positioned downstream of the remaining media support portion 110a in the discharge direction A, which is located between the media support portion 110a at the +X end and the other media support portion 110b, and is positioned at the +X end of the downstream loading portion 170 in the X direction.

[0088] As shown in Figure 7, the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 is composed of a support surface 171a, which is the +Z direction side of the media support section 170a, and a support surface 171b, which is the +Z direction side of the media support section 170b.

[0089] The support surface 171a of the media support portion 170a continues downstream of the support surface 111a of the media support portion 110a in the discharge direction A and extends along the discharge direction A. The support surface 171b of the media support portion 170b continues downstream of the support surface 111b of the media support portion 110b in the discharge direction A and extends along the discharge direction A.

[0090] Therefore, the support surface 171b of the media support portion 170b is located on the -Z side when viewed from a direction along the X axis, compared to the support surface 171a of the media support portion 170a. The media support portions 170a and 170b, and the support surfaces 171a and 171b of the media support portions 170a and 170b, are inclined in a direction where the downstream side of the discharge direction A is located in the -Z direction more than the upstream side.

[0091] Thus, the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 in this embodiment extends along the discharge direction A, which is inclined in a direction where the downstream side is located in the -Z direction from the upstream side. Therefore, the medium 22 can be moved using gravity, and the medium 22 can be moved efficiently without using power or other means.

[0092] The downstream loading section 170 has media support sections 170a and 170b alternately spaced apart in the X-axis direction. By having the media support sections 170a and 170b alternately, the downstream loading section 170 can support the media 22 sent from upstream so that it has a corrugated shape when viewed from a direction along the discharge direction A.

[0093] By making the medium 22 sent from upstream corrugated, the rigidity of the medium 22 can be improved, thereby suppressing a decrease in transportability caused by deformation such as bending of the medium 22 in the discharge direction A.

[0094] This prevents the transported media 22 from getting caught on the support surface 171 or media 22 already loaded on the support surface 171. Therefore, the downstream loading section 170 of this embodiment, like the loading section 101, can suitably load various types of media 22 without using power or the like.

[0095] As shown in Figure 6, the -X end of the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 is located on the +X side relative to the -X end of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110. The -X end of the support surface 171 is the media support section 170a at the -X end of the downstream loading section 170. More specifically, the -X end of the support surface 171 is the -X end of the support surface 171a of this media support section 170a.

[0096] The +X end of the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 is located on the -X side relative to the +X end of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110. The +X end of the support surface 171 is the media support section 170a at the +X end of the downstream loading section 170. More specifically, the +X end of the support surface 171 is the +X end of the support surface 171a of this media support section 170a.

[0097] Therefore, the dimension W3 between the two ends of the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 in the X-axis direction is smaller than the dimension W2 between the two ends of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 in the X-axis direction.

[0098] The upstream ends 172a and 172b of the media support sections 170a and 170b, which are the upstream ends in the discharge direction A, are rotatably connected to the connecting member 115 of the downstream section 110, with the connecting member 115 extending in the X-axis direction as the axis of rotation.

[0099] As a result, the downstream loading section 170 is connected to the downstream section 110 of the loading section 101 so that it can move between the loading position shown in Figures 2 to 7 and the storage position shown in Figure 9 by rotating the connecting member 115 around the pivot axis.

[0100] The loading position is a position in which the downstream loading section 170 can load the medium 22 to be transported, and the storage position is a position in which the downstream loading section 170 is stored below the loading section 101 by rotating around the connecting member 115 as an axis.

[0101] In other words, the downstream loading section 170 is provided so as to be foldable relative to the loading section 101 with the connecting member 115 as its axis. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the media loading device 100 can load media 22 onto the loading section 101 even when the downstream loading section 170 is in the storage position.

[0102] As shown in Figure 4, the downstream ends of the media support sections 170a and 170b, which are the downstream ends in the discharge direction A, are connected to the connecting section 174. The connecting section 174 is composed of a connecting member 175 and support legs 176.

[0103] The connecting member 175 has a rectangular bar shape extending in the X-axis direction. The downstream ends of each media support portion 170a, 170b are connected to the connecting member 175. The downstream ends of multiple media support portions 170a, 170b are connected to each other by the connecting member 175.

[0104] The connecting member 175 is provided with support legs 176 extending from the connecting member 175 in the -Z direction. The support legs 176 include support legs 176R and 176L. Support leg 176R is provided near the -X end of the connecting member 175. Support leg 176L is provided near the +X end of the connecting member 175. Casters 181 are provided on the lower surface of each support leg 176R and 176L, which is the -Z direction surface.

[0105] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pressing portion 120 includes pressing portions 121 and 122. The pressing portion 121 is provided so as to be able to contact the medium 22, which is supported by the upstream portion 105 and the downstream portion 110 of the loading portion 101, from the upper side in the +Z direction. By contacting the medium 22 that is lifting away from the support surfaces 106 and 111, the pressing portion 121 suppresses deformation such as curling of the medium 22 to within an acceptable range.

[0106] The pressing portion 122 is provided so as to be able to contact the medium 22 supported by the downstream loading portion 170 from above, on the +Z direction side. The pressing portion 122 is provided at the downstream end of the pressing portion 121 in the discharge direction A, so as to be able to rotate around a rotation axis along the X direction.

[0107] The pressing portion 122 can move between the pressing position shown in Figure 3 and the storage position shown in Figure 9 by rotation. In the pressing position, the pressing portion 122 contacts the medium 22 that is lifted from the support surface 171, thereby suppressing deformation such as curling of the medium 22 to within an acceptable range. When the pressing portion 122 is rotated to the storage position located above the pressing portion 121, the pressing portion 120 becomes folded.

[0108] The edge guide 191 is detachably mounted on the downstream section 110 or the downstream loading section 170. The position of the edge guide 191 in the discharge direction A can be changed by the user. The edge guide 191 defines the position of the leading edge in the discharge direction A of the medium 22 sent to the loading section 101 or the downstream loading section 170.

[0109] Therefore, the media loading device 100 of this embodiment can suitably change the position of the edge guide 191 according to the size of the media 22 used, and can suitably load the media 22.

[0110] As described above, the media loading device 100 according to this embodiment provides the following advantages.

[0111] The media loading device 100 is a media loading device 100 on which media 22 discharged from the recording device 10 in discharge direction A are loaded. The media loading device 100 includes a loading section 101 on which the media 22 are loaded. The loading section 101 loads the media 22 on a support surface 111 extending in the discharge direction A, such that at least one end in the X-axis direction intersecting the discharge direction A hangs down below the support surface 111. The media loading device 100 includes a pair of legs 131R, 131L positioned on both sides of the loading section 101 in the X-axis direction. The media loading device 100 includes an upper frame 151 extending in the X-axis direction and connecting the pair of legs 131R, 131L. The media loading device 100 includes a lower frame 161 extending in the X-axis direction and connecting the pair of legs 131R, 131L.

[0112] The lower frame 161 connects the pair of legs 131R and 131L at a position downstream in the discharge direction A relative to the position where the upper frame 151 connects the pair of legs 131R and 131L. The loading section 101 has an upstream section 105 which has the upstream side of the support surfaces 106 and 111 in the discharge direction A, and the upstream section 105 is supported by the upper frame 151. The loading section 101 has a downstream section 110 which has the downstream side of the support surfaces 106 and 111 in the discharge direction A, and the downstream section 110 is supported by the lower frame 161.

[0113] When the direction perpendicular to the discharge direction A and the X-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction, the vertical distance D2 between the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 and the lower frame 161 is longer than the vertical distance D1 between the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105 and the upper frame 151. The downstream section 110 is supported by the lower frame 161 from the -Z direction side via the supported sections 116R and 116L of the downstream section 110.

[0114] According to this, it is possible to suppress the curling of the tip of the medium 22 again due to the end of the medium 22 hanging outward in the X-axis direction of the support surface 111 contacting the lower frame 161. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of improper loading of the medium 22 in the loading section 101 caused by curling formed at the tip of the medium 22. Furthermore, according to this, a configuration can be easily realized in the vertical direction where the distance D2 between the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 and the lower frame 161 is longer than the distance D1 between the support surface 106 of the upstream section 105 and the upper frame 151.

[0115] The lower frame 161 has receiving portions 163R and 163L that support the supported portions 116R and 116L, and the receiving portions 163R and 163L support the supported portions 116R and 116L so that they can move in the X-axis direction. This makes it possible to mitigate the impact that the loading portion 101 receives from external forces acting on the downstream portion 110 from the X-axis direction.

[0116] The pair of legs 131R, 131L and the receiving parts 163R, 163L are equipped with casters 181. This allows the media loading device 100 to be easily moved.

[0117] The downstream section 110 has a plurality of media support sections 110a, 110b that extend in the discharge direction A and constitute a support surface 111. The plurality of media support sections 110a, 110b are spaced apart in the X-axis direction, and each media support section 110a, 110b is connected to the others by a connecting member 115. This makes it possible to reduce the weight of the loading section 101.

[0118] The connecting member 115 is provided with supported portions 116R and 116L that are supported by the lower frame 161 from the -Z direction. This allows multiple media support portions 110a and 110b to be supported together.

[0119] The media loading device 100 further includes a downstream loading section 170 connected to a connecting member 115 and extending in the discharge direction A following the downstream section 110. The downstream loading section 170 is foldable relative to the loading section 101 with the connecting member 115 as its axis.

[0120] According to this, the media loading device 100 can be made compact by folding the downstream loading section 170, while still being able to load long media 22.

[0121] The media loading device 100 according to the above embodiment of this disclosure is based on having the configuration described above, but it is of course possible to make partial changes or omissions to the configuration without departing from the gist of this disclosure. The above embodiment and the other embodiments described below can be implemented in combination with each other to the extent that they do not contradict the technical context. Other embodiments are described below.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the dimension W2 between the two ends of the support surface 111 of the downstream portion 110 in the X-axis direction does not have to be smaller than the dimension W1 between the two ends of the support surface 106 of the upstream portion 105 in the X-axis direction. For example, dimension W1 may be the same as dimension W2.

[0123] In the above embodiment, the dimension W3 between the two ends of the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 in the X-axis direction does not have to be smaller than the dimension W2 between the two ends of the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 in the X-axis direction. For example, dimension W3 may be the same as dimension W2.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 does not have to be composed of the support surfaces 111a of the four media support sections 110a and the support surfaces 111b of the two media support sections 110b. For example, the support surface 111 may be composed of the support surfaces 111a of the seven media support sections 110a and the support surfaces 111b of the five media support sections 110b. In this case, the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 may be composed of the support surfaces 171a of the five media support sections 170a and the support surfaces 171b of the three media support sections 170b.

[0125] Alternatively, the support surface 111 of the downstream section 110 may be composed of either the media support section 110a or the media support section 110b. For example, the support surface 111 may be composed of the support surfaces 111a of six media support sections 110a. In this case, the vertical positions of the multiple support surfaces 111a constituting the support surface 111 will be the same. Also in this embodiment, the support surface 171 of the downstream loading section 170 may be composed of the support surfaces 171a of six media support sections 170a. In this case, the vertical positions of the multiple support surfaces 171a constituting the support surface 171 will be the same.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the receiving portions 163R and 163L of the lower frame 161 do not necessarily have to support the supported portions 116R and 116L of the downstream portion 110 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. For example, the supported portions 116R and 116L of the downstream portion 110 may be fixed immovably to the receiving portions 163R and 163L of the lower frame 161.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the downstream loading section 170 does not necessarily have to be connected to the downstream section 110 of the loading section 101 so as to be movable between a loading position and a storage position by rotating the connecting member 115 around the pivot axis. For example, the downstream loading section 170 may be supported on the loading section 101 so as to be movable between a loading position where the transported medium 22 can be loaded and a storage position located below the loading section 101 by moving along the discharge direction A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 10...Recording device, 11...Caster, 12...Housing, 13...Front wall, 14...Rear wall, 15...First side wall, 16...Second side wall, 17...Top wall, 20...Storage section, 22...Media, 23...Core member, 25...Roll body, 27...Roll body storage opening, 28...Holding member, 30...Recording section, 31...Support base, 32...Guide member, 33...Carriage, 34...Recording head, 35... Cartridge, 53... Discharge section, 59... Input section, 65... Base frame, 100... Media loading device, 101... Loading section, 105... Upstream section, 106, 111, 111a, 111b... Support surface, 110... Downstream section, 110a, 110b... Media support section, 112a, 112b... Upstream end, 113a, 113b... Downstream end, 114... Connection section, 115... Connection Members, 116, 116L, 116R...supported parts, 120, 121, 122...pressing parts, 130...leg parts, 131, 131L, 131R...legs, 132...upper part, 133...lower part, 134...support column part, 151...upper frame, 161...lower frame, 162...connecting part, 163, 163L, 163R...receiving parts, 164...holding part, 165...guiding part, 170... Downstream loading section, 171, 171a, 171b... Support surface, 170a, 170b... Media support section, 172a, 172b... Upstream end, 174... Connection section, 175... Connecting member, 176, 176L, 176R... Support leg, 181... Caster, 191... Edge guide, A... Discharge direction, D1, D2... Distance, G1... Distance, W1, W2, W3... Dimensions.

Claims

1. A media loading device on which a medium is loaded to be discharged from a processing device in the discharge direction, A support surface for supporting the medium, the support surface extending in the discharge direction, and a loading section on which the medium is loaded such that at least one end in the width direction intersecting the discharge direction hangs down below the support surface, The loading section is provided with a pair of legs positioned on both sides in the width direction, An upper frame extending in the width direction and connecting the pair of legs, A lower frame extending in the width direction and connecting the pair of legs, Equipped with, The lower frame connects the pair of legs at a position downstream in the discharge direction relative to the position where the upper frame connects the pair of legs. The aforementioned loading section is, An upstream portion comprising the upstream side of the support surface in the discharge direction, the upstream portion being supported by the upper frame, A downstream portion comprising the downstream side of the support surface in the discharge direction, the downstream portion being supported by the lower frame, It has, When the direction perpendicular to the discharge direction and the width direction is defined as the vertical direction, the vertical distance between the support surface of the downstream section and the lower frame is longer than the vertical distance between the support surface of the upstream section and the upper frame. The downstream portion is supported by the lower frame from below via the supported portion of the downstream portion. A media loading device characterized by the following features.

2. The lower frame has a receiving portion that supports the supported portion, The receiving portion supports the supported portion so that it is movable in the width direction. The media loading device according to claim 1.

3. The pair of legs and the receiving part have casters. The media loading device according to feature 2.

4. The downstream portion has a plurality of media support portions that extend in the discharge direction and constitute the support surface, The plurality of media support parts are arranged at intervals in the width direction, Each of the media support parts is connected to the others by a connecting member. The media loading device according to claim 1.

5. The connecting member is provided with a supported portion that is supported by the lower frame from below. The media loading device according to feature 4.

6. The connecting member is connected to the downstream loading section, which further extends in the discharge direction following the downstream section, The downstream loading section is foldable relative to the loading section, with the connecting member as the axis. The media loading device according to feature 4.

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