Recording device

Abstract

To provide a technology which enables improvement of loadability of a recording medium with records made thereon in a loading part.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: recording means which makes records; a loading part on which the recording medium with records made thereon is loaded; discharge means which transports the recording medium with the records made thereon to the loading part; a passage formation part which is disposed facing the loading part above the loading part and forms a discharge passage of the recording medium with the loading part; and a discharge port located at a downstream end of the discharge passage in a recording medium transport direction. In the discharge port, the passage formation part extends to the downstream side in the transport direction farther than the loading part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] A recording device has been proposed that includes a loading section for loading recorded recording media. A user can remove the recording media from an outlet connected to the loading section. Recording media may curl depending on their characteristics and the environment in which they are used. Roll sheets are particularly prone to curling. When a curled recording medium is transported onto the loading section, the loading ability decreases, which may cause a jam or the recording medium to pop out of the loading section. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that provides a member that guides the recording medium to be discharged to the loading section, thereby improving the loading ability. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that provides a rotating member that prevents the recording medium from popping out of the loading section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-48530 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-5983 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a recording device that outputs a recording medium longer than the overall length of the stacking section, such as a recording device that cuts and discharges a roll sheet, the recording medium is stacked in a state where a part of the recording medium protrudes from the stacking section. In such a recording device, there is room for improvement in terms of the stacking capacity of the recording medium, for example, because the end of the recording medium rides up on the top surface of the device, reducing the stacking capacity of the stacking section.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for improving the stackability of a stacking section for recording media on which recording has been performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, A recording means for recording; a loading section on which recorded recording media are loaded; a discharge unit that conveys the recording medium on which recording has been performed to the stacking unit in a conveying direction; a passage forming section disposed above the stacking section and facing the stacking section, forming a discharge passage for the recording medium together with the stacking section, the passage forming section including a first section and a plurality of second sections provided downstream of the first section in the transport direction; a guide member that is supported at a downstream end of the second portion in the transport direction so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and that guides downward the recording medium discharged from the discharge passage; Equipped with the first portion is formed continuously in a direction intersecting the transport direction, The plurality of second portions are formed to be spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting the transport direction, downstream ends of the second portions in the conveying direction are located downstream of a downstream end of the stacking section in the conveying direction. A recording device is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for improving the stacking property of a stacking section for recording media on which recording has been performed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. [Figure 4] 2A is a partially cutaway perspective view of the upper portion of the recording device in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example in which a sheet rides up on the upper portion of the recording device. [Diagram 5] 13A to 13F are diagrams showing examples of sheet guiding modes. [Figure 6]10A is a diagram showing an example of a sheet protruding, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the upper part of a recording device according to another example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the recording device in the example of FIG. 6(B). [Figure 8] 13A to 13F are diagrams showing examples of sheet guiding modes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment <Outline of the recording device> FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a recording device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the recording device 1. Arrow X indicates the width direction (left-right direction) of the recording device 1, arrow Y indicates the depth direction (front-back direction) of the recording device 1, and arrow Z indicates the up-down direction. Note that "recording" includes not only forming meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also forming images, patterns, patterns, etc. on a recording medium, regardless of whether they are meaningful or unmeaning, or processing the medium, regardless of whether they are manifested so that humans can visually perceive them. In addition, in this embodiment, a sheet of paper is assumed as the "recording medium" to be recorded, but it may also be a sheet of cloth, plastic film, etc.

[0011] A plurality of feeding units 2 are arranged vertically in multiple stages (two stages in this example) at the bottom of the recording device 1. Each feeding unit 2 forms a storage section that stores a rolled sheet R as a recording medium. Each feeding unit 2 has a support section 2a that supports the rolled sheet R rotatably around an axis in the X direction, and also includes a feeding mechanism (not shown) that pulls out the sheet from the rolled sheet R and feeds it to a conveying path RT. The conveying path RT is a sheet path defined by a guide structure (not shown), and extends from the feeding units 2 to the discharge port 9 while curving along the way. In the following description, the upstream side and downstream side are referred to as the upstream side and downstream side based on the sheet conveying direction.

[0012] In this embodiment, the discharge port 9 is located at the rear of the recording apparatus 1. The feeding unit 2 can be pulled out to the front from the recording apparatus 1, and the user can replace the roll sheet R from the front of the recording apparatus 1. Note that, although the roll sheet R is exemplified as the recording medium in this embodiment, the recording medium may also be a pre-cut sheet.

[0013] The sheet pulled out from the roll sheet R is supplied to a position facing the recording head 4 via the transport unit 3. The transport unit 3 includes a transport roller 3a which is a drive roller, and a nip roller 3b which is a driven roller that is in pressure contact with the transport roller 3a. The sheet is sandwiched between the transport roller 3a and the nip roller 3b, and is transported in the direction of the arrow on the transport path RT by the rotation of these rollers.

[0014] The recording head 4 is disposed downstream of the transport unit 3. The recording head 4 of this embodiment is an inkjet head that records an image on a sheet by ejecting ink. The recording head 4 ejects ink from ejection ports using ejection energy generating elements such as electrothermal conversion elements (heaters) and piezoelectric elements. The recording device 1 of this embodiment is a serial scan type inkjet recording device, and the recording head 4 is mounted on a carriage 5. The carriage 5 is configured to reciprocate in the X direction (width direction of the sheet) by a drive mechanism (not shown). The sheet is transported in the Y direction in the vicinity of the recording head 4. An image is recorded on the sheet by alternately repeating intermittent transport of the sheet by the transport unit 3, movement of the carriage 5, and ejection of ink by the recording head 4.

[0015] In this embodiment, a serial scan type recording device is exemplified, but the present invention is also applicable to a full line type recording device. In this case, a long recording head extending in the width direction of the sheet is used as the recording head 4. Then, while the sheet is continuously transported, an image is recorded on the sheet by ejecting ink from the recording head. In addition, in this embodiment, an inkjet recording device is exemplified, but the present invention is also applicable to recording devices of other recording formats.

[0016] A cutting unit 6 is disposed downstream of the recording head 4. The cutting unit 6 cuts the sheet, on which an image is recorded, in the width direction of the sheet after it is pulled out from the roll sheet R. A discharge unit 7 is disposed downstream of the cutting unit 6. A transport path RT from the recording unit 4 to the discharge unit 7 is U-shaped (inverted C-shaped when viewed from the side in FIG. 2).

[0017] The discharge unit 7 includes a discharge roller 7a, which is a drive roller, and a nip roller 7b that is in pressure contact with the discharge roller 7a. A stacking section 8 is disposed downstream of the discharge unit 7, and the discharge unit 7 transports the sheet on which an image has been recorded by the recording head 4 to the stacking section 8. During the process of transporting the sheet to the stacking section 8 by the discharge unit 7, the sheet is cut by the cutting unit 6 into a cut sheet, which passes through the discharge unit 7 and is stacked on the stacking section 8. The stacking section 8 forms a tray that receives the multiple sheets discharged from the discharge unit 7, and is disposed inside the recording device 1.

[0018] The passage forming portion 10 is disposed opposite the stacking portion 8 in the Z direction, and together with the stacking portion 8, forms a discharge passage RT0 (part of the conveying passage RT) from the discharge unit 7 to the discharge port 9. Both sides of the discharge passage RT0 in the X direction are closed, and the user cannot access the discharge passage RT0 from the outside. The discharge port 9, which is the downstream end of the discharge passage RT0, is formed by a gap between the downstream ends of the passage forming portion 10 and the stacking portion 8 at the rear of the recording device 1. The passage forming portion 10 also forms the upper portion (top portion) of the recording device 1. The passage forming portion 10 is formed so as to guide the sheet to the downstream side of the discharge passage RT0 while suppressing the floating or jamming of the sheet discharged from the discharge unit 7. The passage forming portion 10 and the stacking portion 8 form a discharge passage RT0 that is approximately horizontal at the rear in the Y direction and inclined upward and rearward at the front in the Y direction.

[0019] The gap between the loading section 8 and the path forming section 10 is related to the number of sheets that can be loaded on the loading section 8. For example, in a specification for loading 100 sheets with a thickness of 0.1 mm, the gap between the loading section 8 and the path forming section 10 is 10 mm or more. In particular, sheets that are pulled out and cut from the roll sheet R have a tendency to curl at the leading edge. The gap between the loading section 8 and the path forming section 10 is designed in anticipation of such curling. For example, to prevent the sheets from curling on the loading section 8, the gap between the loading section 8 and the path forming section 10 can be designed to be equal to or smaller than the radius of the core of the roll sheet R.

[0020] <Information on the recording media to be removed> FIG. 3 shows a state in which printed sheets S are stacked on the stacking section 8. In the illustrated example, a long sheet S longer than the overall length of the stacking section 8 (path length of the discharge path RT0) is stacked on the stacking section 8. A part (leading end) of the sheet S protrudes from the discharge outlet 9 and hangs down under its own weight. As described below, the recording device 1 of this embodiment is configured to improve stacking ability in response to such long sheets S. The sheet S has a surface S1 as its front and back sides and an opposite surface S2, and in the radial direction of the rolled sheet R, the surface S1 is the inner surface and the surface S2 is the outer surface. In the configuration of this embodiment, in the stacking section 8, the surface S1 is the upper surface of the sheet S and the surface S2 is the lower surface. During transport through the discharge path RT0, the curl direction of the leading end of the sheet S due to the curling tendency of the rolled sheet R is upward (clockwise in the side view of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3).

[0021] Please refer to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4(A). Fig. 4(A) is a partially cutaway perspective view of the upper part of the recording device 1. The passage forming part 10 has a fixed part 11 in the center in the Y direction, an opening / closing part 12 on the front side in the Y direction, and an extended part 13 on the rear side in the Y direction. The fixed part 11 and the opening / closing part 12 are formed continuously in the X direction, and the extended part 13 is formed intermittently in the X direction. In the present embodiment, the extended part 13 is formed in three places. The extended part 13 may also be formed continuously in the X direction. The fixed part 11, the opening / closing part 12, and the extended part 13 form the upper wall of the discharge passage RT0 and guide the sheet S in its conveying direction.

[0022] The fixed part 11 and the extension part 13 are immovable parts that cannot be opened or closed. The opening / closing part 12 is a movable part connected to the fixed part 11 via the hinge part 12a. The hinge part 12a forms a rotation axis in the X direction, and the opening / closing part 12 is freely rotatable around the rotation axis of the hinge part 12a. The opening / closing part 12 is provided with a handle 12b, and a user can open and close the opening / closing part 12 by grasping the handle 12b. When the opening / closing part 12 is rotated to the open position, the discharge passage RT0 is exposed, and the user can perform maintenance work such as clearing a jam. The extension part 13 is extended diagonally upward from the fixed part 11 toward the downstream side.

[0023] The stacking section 8 includes, from the upstream side to the downstream side, an inclined portion 8b, a horizontal portion 8a, and an extended portion 8c. When viewed in the Y direction, the inclined portion 8b, the horizontal portion 8a, and the extended portion 8c are arranged in this order from the front side to the rear side. The horizontal portion 8a and the inclined portion 8b are formed continuously in the X direction, and the extended portion 8c is formed intermittently in the X direction. In this embodiment, the extended portion 8c is formed in three places. The extended portion 8c may also be formed continuously in the X direction. The horizontal portion 8a, the inclined portion 8b, and the extended portion 8c form the bottom wall of the discharge passage RT0 and guide the sheet S in the conveying direction.

[0024] The inclined portion 8b is located opposite the opening / closing portion 12, and is inclined upward toward the rear in the Y direction from immediately behind the discharge unit 7. The horizontal portion 8a is located opposite the fixed portion 11, and extends approximately horizontally in the Y direction. The three extension portions 8c are located opposite to the three extension portions 13, respectively, and are inclined upward toward the rear in the Y direction.

[0025] The discharge passage RT0 formed by the passage forming portion 10 and the stacking portion 8 is inclined at an angle at each of the upstream and downstream portions and is a substantially horizontal passage at the center portion, and its downstream end DE is higher in the Z direction than its upstream end UE. Therefore, even if the leading end of the sheet S protrudes outside the recording device 1 and hangs down as illustrated in FIG. 3, the upstream end side portion of the sheet S is likely to remain on the inclined portion 8b. In addition, the inclination of the extension portion 8c also acts to return the sheet S to the upstream side, preventing the entire sheet S from dropping out of the recording device 1.

[0026] The gap between the extension portion 13 and the extension portion 8c may be wider than the gap between the fixed portion 11 and the opening / closing portion 12 and the horizontal portion 8a and the inclined portion 8b. 03, when the leading edge of the sheet S hangs down outside the recording device 1, the sheet S may bend at the downstream end of the extension 8c, resulting in a gap being generated between the sheet S and the extension 8c in this portion. As a result, when a large number of sheets S are stacked on the stacking section 8, the discharge passage RT 0 At the downstream end of the discharge passage RT 0 If the gap between the extension 13 and the extension 8c is widened, the discharge passage RT 0 This provides more space in the Z direction, making it possible to prevent such jams from occurring.

[0027] Next, FIG. 2 illustrates the position Y0 of the downstream end of the extension portion 8c and the position Y1 of the downstream end of the extension portion 13, with the position Y1 being located further back in the Y direction. That is, at the discharge port 9, the extension portion 13 of the passage forming portion 10 is extended downstream from the extension portion 8c of the stacking portion 8. The difference in distance between the positions Y0 and Y1 in the Y direction is, for example, equal to or greater than the diameter of the core of the roll sheet R. This can prevent the curled sheet S from climbing up onto the upper surface of the recording device 1. FIG. 4B illustrates, as a comparative example, an example in which the sheet S climbs up onto the extension portion 13 when the position Y0 of the downstream end of the extension portion 8c and the position Y1 of the downstream end of the extension portion 13 are at the same position in the Y direction. In such a situation, the discharge of the following sheet S is hindered by the preceding sheet S that has climbed up onto the extension portion 13, and a jam may occur.

[0028] Figures 5(A) to 5(F) show examples of guidance when discharging a sheet S with the configuration of this embodiment. Figure 5(A) shows a sheet S with its leading edge curled upward just before being discharged from the discharge opening 9. The leading edge of the sheet S abuts against the extension portion 13, preventing it from curling. Figure 5(B) shows a state in which discharging of the sheet S has progressed from the state shown in Figure 5(A). Because the extension portion 13 extends further rearward than the extension portion 8c, the leading edge of the sheet S is still abutting against the extension portion 13, but has passed through the extension portion 8c.

[0029] Fig. 5(C) shows a state in which the discharge of the sheet S has progressed further. As the leading edge of the sheet S leaves the extension portion 8c, the leading edge of the sheet S loses its guidance below. Therefore, while the leading edge of the sheet S abuts against the extension portion 13, the leading edge of the sheet S starts to bulge downward and curl due to its own weight. Therefore, the leading edge of the sheet S does not wrap around the top surface of the recording device 1 as in the example of Fig. 4(B).

[0030] Fig. 5(D) shows a state where the discharge of the sheet S has further progressed. The length of the sheet S discharged from the discharge port 9 becomes longer, and the leading edge of the sheet S starts to drop downward due to its own weight. Then, the leading edge of the sheet S changes and hangs down from the discharge port 9 as shown in Fig. 5(E) and Fig. 5(F). When the upstream end of the sheet S leaves the discharge unit 7, the discharge of the sheet S is completed and the sheet S comes to rest in the position shown in Fig. 5(F).

[0031] As described above, in this embodiment, even a long sheet S can be stably discharged, and the stacking property of the sheet S in the stacking portion 8 can be improved.

[0032] Second Embodiment During the discharge process of the sheet S, depending on the state of the sheet S, the amount of protrusion from the discharge outlet 9 may be large. Fig. 6(A) shows an example in which the sheet S protrudes from the discharge outlet 9 in a nearly horizontal position. If there is an obstacle such as a wall behind the discharge outlet 9, the sheet S may come into contact with it, and the sheet S may be damaged. If the recording device 1 is installed away from the obstacle, it is possible to prevent the sheet S from coming into contact with the obstacle, but this imposes restrictions on the installation of the recording device 1. In this embodiment, a configuration example in which the sheet S is guided downward from the discharge outlet 9 will be described.

[0033] Fig. 6B is a partially cutaway perspective view of the upper part of the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment, and Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The configuration different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0034] In the recording device 1 of this embodiment, a guide member 20 is provided at the downstream end of the passage forming portion 10. In the illustrated example, a guide member 20 is provided at the downstream end of each extension portion 13. The guide member 20 is a flat plate. Condition The guide member 20 is a member whose upper end is supported by the extension portion 13 via a hinge portion 21 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The hinge portion 21 constitutes a rotation axis in the X direction. The guide member 20 is provided so as to cover the discharge outlet 9, and is spaced apart from the extension portion 8c in the Y direction, so that the sheet S discharged from the discharge passage RT0 and coming into contact with the guide member 20 can be guided downward. The position Z1 in the Z direction of the lower end 22 of the guide member 20 is lower than the position Z0 in the Z direction of the downstream end of the extension portion 8c, so that the sheet S discharged from the discharge outlet 9 can be guided downward without omission.

[0035] The extension portion 13 has a guide surface 13a facing upward from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the guide member 20 has a guide surface 20a that is a vertical surface in a natural state (a state in which the sheet is not in contact) and forms an acute angle θ with the guide surface 13a. The acute angle θ between the guide surfaces 13a and 20a makes it possible to guide the leading end of the curled sheet S to the inside of these guide surfaces, and makes it possible to prevent the sheet S from protruding rearward from the discharge opening 9.

[0036] 8(A) to 8(F) show examples of guiding when discharging a sheet S with the configuration of this embodiment. FIG. 8(A) shows a sheet S with its leading edge curled upward just before being discharged from the discharge opening 9. The leading edge of the sheet S abuts against the guide member 20, and is prevented from protruding rearward from the discharge opening 9. FIG. 8(B) shows a state in which discharging of the sheet S has progressed from the state shown in FIG. 8(A). Since the leading edge of the sheet S is curled upward, the leading edge of the sheet S rises along the guide member 20 and reaches the vicinity of the hinge portion 21.

[0037] 8(C) shows a state in which the discharge of the sheet S has progressed further. Because the leading edge of the sheet S cannot move above the hinge portion 21, the leading edge of the sheet S begins to bulge downward and curl due to its own weight. At this time, the guide member 20 is pressed by the sheet S and rotates, thereby preventing the guide member 20 from jamming the sheet S.

[0038] Fig. 8(D) shows a state in which the discharge of the sheet S has further progressed. The length of the sheet S discharged from the discharge port 9 becomes longer, and the leading edge of the sheet S begins to drop downward due to its own weight. Then, the leading edge of the sheet S changes and hangs down from the discharge port 9 as shown in Figs. 8(E) and 8(F). When the upstream end of the sheet S leaves the discharge unit 7, discharge of the sheet S is complete and the sheet S comes to rest in the position shown in Fig. 8(F). The guide member 20 rotates due to its own weight and returns to its original position.

[0039] As described above, in this embodiment, the sheets S are prevented from protruding significantly behind the recording apparatus 1, and the stacking property of the sheets S on the stacking unit 8 can be improved.

[0040] Although the embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to clarify the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 recording device, 4 recording head, 7 discharge unit, 8 loading section, 9 discharge port, 10 passage forming section, 20 guide member

Claims

1. A recording means for recording; a loading section on which recorded recording media are loaded; a discharge unit that conveys the recording medium on which recording has been performed to the stacking unit in a conveying direction; a passage forming section disposed above the stacking section and facing the stacking section, forming a discharge passage for the recording medium together with the stacking section, the passage forming section including a first section and a plurality of second sections provided downstream of the first section in the transport direction; a guide member that is supported at a downstream end of the second portion in the transport direction so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction and that guides downward the recording medium discharged from the discharge passage, the first portion is formed continuously in a direction intersecting the transport direction, The plurality of second portions are formed to be spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting the transport direction, downstream ends of the second portions in the conveying direction are located downstream of a downstream end of the stacking section in the conveying direction. A recording apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, a storage section in which the roll sheet is stored; a cutting means for cutting the sheet pulled out from the roll sheet, The recording means is supplied with a sheet pulled out from the roll sheet, The stacking unit stacks sheets cut by the cutting unit as the recording medium. A recording apparatus comprising:

3. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, The discharge passage is The downstream end is located higher than the upstream end in the conveying direction. A recording apparatus comprising:

4. 3. The recording device according to claim 2, the sheet has a first surface and an opposing second surface; The first surface is a surface of the rolled sheet that is on an inner side in a radial direction of the rolled sheet, In the loading section, the upper surface of the sheet is the first surface. A recording apparatus comprising:

5. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, a downstream end of the passage forming portion has a first guide surface that faces upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction, The guide member has a second guide surface that forms an acute angle with the first guide surface. A recording apparatus comprising:

6. 6. The recording device according to claim 5, the second guide surface is a vertical surface when the recording medium is not in contact with the second guide surface; A recording apparatus comprising:

7. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, The lower end of the guide member is located lower than a discharge port located at the downstream end of the discharge passage. A recording apparatus comprising:

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