Feeding tray and image recording device

Abstract

To suppress the damage of a roll medium due to a pair of rollers.SOLUTION: An image recording device is equipped with a feeding tray 1 that can store a roll body R winding paper in a roll-shape, and has a pair of returning rollers 18 and 19 for nipping and carrying roller paper Rp that is paper unwound from the roll body R, and a moving mechanism 9 that moves the one returning roller 19 of the pair of returning rollers 18 and 19 between a nip position and a release position where the nip pressure of the pair of returning rollers 18 and 19 is smaller than that at the nip position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a feed tray capable of accommodating a roll of sheet-like medium, and an image recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a facsimile (image recording device) equipped with a paper feed cassette (feed tray) that can be detachably attached to the facsimile body and can accommodate a roll of long paper. In this facsimile, roll paper (roll medium), which is paper unwound from a roll, is set on a transport roller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-264556 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a user loads a roll medium between the pair of rollers, or when a user rewinds the roll medium that is nipped between the pair of rollers, the roll medium may be damaged by being bent or torn.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a feed tray and an image recording device that can suppress damage to a roll medium caused by a pair of rollers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The feed tray of the present invention is capable of accommodating a roll body in which sheet-like medium is wound into a roll, and is equipped with a pair of rollers for nipping and transporting the roll medium, which is the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body, and a moving mechanism for moving the pair of rollers between a nip position and a release position in which the nip pressure applied by the pair of rollers is smaller than that at the nip position.

[0007] The image recording device of the present invention is capable of accommodating a roll body in which sheet-like medium is wound into a roll, and is equipped with a feed tray having a pair of rollers for nipping and transporting the roll medium, which is the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body, a feed roller that feeds the roll medium from the feed tray, a recording unit that records an image on the roll medium fed by the feed roller and sent out of the feed tray, and a moving mechanism that moves the pair of rollers between a nip position and a release position where the nip pressure applied by the pair of rollers is smaller than that at the nip position. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the feeding tray and image recording device of the present invention, by setting the pair of rollers to the release position, damage to the roll medium caused by the pair of rollers can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the feed tray when it is attached to the printer. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the feeding tray taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the rotation mechanism, in which (a) shows the state in which the feed tray is in the inner position, (b) shows the state in which the feed tray is in the middle of being moved from the inner position to the outer position, and (c) shows the state in which the feed tray is in the middle of being moved from the outer position to the inner position. [Diagram 5]4 is a side view of the holder shown in FIG. 3, in which (a) shows a state in which the return roller is in a nip position, and (b) shows a state in which the return roller is in a release position. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the relative movement between the feed tray and the housing, in which (a) shows the state where the feed tray is in the inner position, (b) shows the state where the feed tray is between the inner position and the outer position, and (b) shows the state where the feed tray is in the outer position. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a feed tray according to a second embodiment of the present invention is attached to a printer. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the state of relative movement between the feed tray and the housing shown in FIG. 7, in which (a) shows a state in which the feed tray is in the inner position, and (b) shows a state in which the feed tray is not in the inner position. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a feeding tray according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a state in which a return roller is in a nip position, and (b) shows a state in which the return roller is in a release position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] First Embodiment A printer 100 (image recording device of the present invention) according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. The up-down, front-back, and left-right directions shown in Fig. 1 are the up-down, front-back, and left-right directions of the printer 100.

[0011] (Overall configuration of the printer 100) The printer 100 mainly comprises a housing 100a, a feeding mechanism 3, a transport mechanism 4, a cutter 5, a head 6 (corresponding to the "recording unit" of the present invention), a paper discharge tray 7, a rotating mechanism 8 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), a moving mechanism 9 (see FIG. 3), and a control unit 10. The feeding mechanism 3 has a feeding tray 1, a feeding roller 2, and a separation piece 31.

[0012] The feed tray 1 is detachably attached to the lower part of the housing 100a. The feed tray 1 is disposed below the head 6 within the housing 100a. The paper discharge tray 7 is disposed in front of the head 6 and above the feed tray 1 within the housing 100a. The feed tray 1 is insertable and removable from the housing 100a in the front-rear direction through an opening 101 formed in the front wall of the housing 100a. The paper discharge tray 7 is insertable and removable from the housing 100a in the front-rear direction through an opening 102 formed in the front wall of the housing 100a.

[0013] The feed tray 1 can accommodate both the cut paper Kp and the roll R. The roll R is a paper longer than the cut paper Kp wound in a roll shape around the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical core member Rc. The paper is an example of a sheet-like medium. The cut paper Kp is paper cut to a standard size, and in this embodiment, the cut paper Kp is A4 size paper. The feed tray 1 is provided with a pair of return rollers 18, 19 for nipping the roll paper Rp unwound from the roll R and transporting it in a direction to rewind it back onto the roll R, as described below. The rotation mechanism 8 is for rotating the return roller 18. The movement mechanism 9 is for moving the return roller 19. The specific configurations of the rotation mechanism 8 and the movement mechanism 9 will be described later.

[0014] The feed roller 2 feeds the roll paper Rp or cut paper Kp unwound from the roll R from the feed tray 1. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the cut paper Kp and the roll paper Rp, they will be referred to as "paper P."

[0015] The feed roller 2 is supported at the tip of an arm 2b and rotates when a feed motor (not shown) is driven. The arm 2b is supported rotatably on a support shaft 2c. The arm 2b is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so that the feed roller 2 approaches the bottom surface 12 of the feed tray 1. When the feed motor is driven under the control of the control unit 10, the feed roller 2 rotates and a conveying force is applied in a direction from the front to the rear to the paper P in contact with the feed roller 2. This causes the paper P to be sent out from the feed tray 1. The arm 2b is configured to be able to retreat upward when the feed tray 1 is attached to or detached from the housing 100a.

[0016] The separation piece 31 is intended to prevent double feeding when the cut paper Kp is fed from the feed tray 1. The separation piece 31 is located downstream of the feed tray 1 in the feeding direction of the paper P by the feed roller 2 (direction from the front to the rear: simply referred to as the "feeding direction" in the following explanation). The separation piece 31 is inclined so that the rear end is located higher than the front end. The paper P that is fed from the feed tray 1 and comes into contact with the separation piece 31 is guided diagonally upward.

[0017] The conveying mechanism 4 has an intermediate roller pair 41, a conveying roller pair 42, a paper discharge roller pair 43, and a guide member 44. The intermediate roller pair 41 is composed of a drive roller that rotates by driving an intermediate motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates with the drive roller. When an intermediate motor (not shown) is driven by the control of the control unit 10, the intermediate roller pair 41 rotates while sandwiching the paper P to convey the paper P. The intermediate roller pair 41 is located above the separation piece 31. The intermediate roller pair 41 conveys the paper P upward while sandwiching the paper P that is guided diagonally upward by the separation piece 31 after being sent out from the feed tray 1 by the feed roller 2. The guide member 44 is located above the intermediate roller pair 41. The guide member 44 guides the paper P conveyed upward by the intermediate roller pair 41 forward.

[0018] The conveying roller pair 42 is composed of a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a conveying motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates with the drive roller. The paper discharge roller pair 43 is composed of a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a paper discharge motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates with the drive roller. When the conveying motor and the paper discharge motor (not shown) are driven by the control of the control unit 10, the conveying roller pair 42 and the paper discharge roller pair 43 rotate while sandwiching the paper P to convey the paper P. The conveying roller pair 42 is located behind the head 6, and the paper discharge roller pair 43 is located in front of the head 6. The conveying roller pair 42 sandwiches the paper P guided forward by the guide member 44 and conveys it forward. The paper discharge roller pair 43 sandwiches the paper P conveyed forward by the conveying roller pair 42 and conveys it forward.

[0019] The cutter 5 is located between the separation piece 31 and the pair of intermediate rollers 41. The cutter 5 is made up of, for example, a disk-shaped rotating blade and a driven blade. Alternatively, the cutter 5 may be made up of a rotating blade and a fixed blade. The rotating blade of the cutter 5 is rotated by driving a cutting motor (not shown) and the cutter 5 moves back and forth in the left-right direction. The roll paper Rp that has been unwound from the roll body R and transported is cut in the width direction of the roll paper Rp by the cutter 5 when the cutting motor is driven under the control of the control unit 10.

[0020] The head 6 includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) formed on the lower surface, and a driver IC (not shown). The head 6 records an image on the paper P that is fed by the feed roller 2, sent out from the feed tray 1, and conveyed by the conveying mechanism 4. When the driver IC is driven under the control of the control unit 10, ink is ejected from the nozzles, and an image is formed on the paper P when the paper P conveyed by the conveying mechanism 4 passes an image recording position facing the lower surface of the head 6. The head 6 may be either a line type that ejects ink from the nozzles while being fixed in position, or a serial type that ejects ink from the nozzles while moving in the left-right direction. The paper P on which the image is formed by the head 6 is received in the paper output tray 7.

[0021] The control unit 10 is connected to the feed motor, intermediate motor, transport motor, discharge motor, cutting motor, and driver IC via an internal bus (not shown). The control unit 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM stores programs and data for the CPU to perform various controls. The RAM temporarily stores data used when the CPU executes a program.

[0022] (Feed Tray 1 Configuration) Next, the configuration of the feed tray 1 will be described with further reference to Figures 2 to 6. Note that in Figure 2, which is a top view of the feed tray 1 attached to the printer 100, a cover 16, which will be described later, is omitted for ease of explanation.

[0023] As described above, the feed tray 1 is configured to be insertable and removable in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing 100a. The position when the feed tray 1 is at the rearmost side (downstream side in the feeding direction) in the housing 100a is defined as the inner position. When the feed tray 1 is at the inner position, the feed roller 2 feeds the paper P and an image can be recorded. The position when the feed tray 1 is at the front side (upstream side in the feeding direction) of the inner position and at least a part of the feed tray 1 is outside the housing 100a is defined as the outer position.

[0024] The feed tray 1 has a box shape that opens upward. The bottom surface 12, which is the upper surface of the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1, has a first surface 12a, a second surface 12b, and a third surface 12c. The first surface 12a is a horizontal surface located at the end of the bottom surface 12 on the downstream side in the feed direction. The feed roller 2 can abut against the first surface 12a of the bottom surface 12. The second surface 12b is a horizontal surface located on the upstream side of the first surface 12a in the feed direction and below the first surface 12a. The third surface 12c is an inclined surface that connects the end of the first surface 12a on the upstream side in the feed direction and the end of the second surface 12b on the downstream side in the feed direction.

[0025] The feed tray 1 mainly includes a roll body support portion 15, a cover 16, a partition plate 17, and a pair of return rollers 18, 19.

[0026] The roll body support part 15 supports the roll body R in a position in which the axial direction coincides with the left-right direction. The roll body support part 15 has a support base 15a and two rollers 15b, 15c. The support base 15a extends along the left-right direction. The rollers 15b, 15c both extend in the left-right direction and are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The rollers 15b, 15c are both supported on the upper end part of the support base 15a so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. The rollers 15b, 15c support the roll body R from below while being in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the lower part of the roll body R.

[0027] A gap G is formed between the lower surface of the support base 15a and the bottom surface 12 of the feed tray 1. The roll paper Rp pulled out from the roll body R passes through the gap G and is pulled out from the front side of the support base 15a to the rear side of the support base 15a.

[0028] The cover 16 covers the storage space for the roll body R. The cover 16 is composed of a rear part 16a that covers the rear of the roll body R supported by the support base 15a, and an upper part 16b that covers the upper part of the roll body R supported by the support base 15a. The rear part 16a extends in a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The upper part 16b is connected to the upper end of the rear part 16a and extends in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction. The cover 16 can be rotated rearward about a rotation shaft 16c that extends in the left-right direction and is located at the lower end of the rear part 16a. By rotating the cover 16, which is in a position to cover the roll body R supported by the support base 15a, rearward, the storage space for the roll body R above the support base 15a can be opened.

[0029] The partition plate 17 is disposed so as to face the second surface 12b of the bottom surface 12 of the feed tray 1. The partition plate 17 is provided on the downstream side of the roll body support part 15 in the feed direction. The partition plate 17 is located at its front end and can rotate up and down about a rotation shaft 17a extending in the left-right direction. The space between the partition plate 17 and the bottom surface 12 of the feed tray 1 forms a feed path for the roll paper Rp unwound from the roll body support part 15.

[0030] The partition plate 17 can support from below a plurality of cut sheets Kp that are placed in a stacked state. The cut sheets Kp supported by the partition plate 17 are placed across the top surface of the partition plate 17 and the first surface 12a of the bottom surface 12. In this embodiment, the cut sheets Kp, which are A4 size paper and have a rectangular shape composed of short and long sides, are placed on the partition plate 17, i.e., on the feed tray 1, with the short side aligned in the feeding direction. When the roll sheet Rp unwound from the roll R is sent out from the feed tray 1 to form an image, the cut sheets Kp are removed from above the partition plate 17.

[0031] When cut paper Kp is placed on the partition plate 17, the feed roller 2 comes into contact with the cut paper Kp to feed the cut paper Kp. When cut paper Kp is not placed on the partition plate 17 and roll paper Rp is placed on the first surface 12a of the bottom surface 12 of the feed tray 1, the feed roller 2 comes into contact with the roll paper Rp to feed the roll paper Rp.

[0032] The pair of return rollers 18, 19 are disposed below the rear portion 16a of the cover 16. The pair of return rollers 18, 19 are arranged vertically side by side. The pair of return rollers 18 can rotate about a rotation shaft 18a extending in the left-right direction. The return roller 19 can rotate about a rotation shaft 19a extending in the left-right direction. The upper return roller 18 of the pair of return rollers 18, 19 is a drive roller rotated by the above-mentioned rotation mechanism 8. The lower return roller 19 of the pair of return rollers 18, 19 is a driven roller that rotates together with the return roller 18. The return roller 19 is biased upward by a spring 97 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0033] 3, both ends of the rotation shafts 18a, 19a of the pair of return rollers 18, 19 are rotatably supported by the side walls 13, 14 located at both left and right ends of the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. One end (the left end in FIGS. 2 and 3) of the rotation shaft 18a of the return roller 18 penetrates the side wall 13 and protrudes to the outside of the side wall 13 (the opposite side to the other side wall 14).

[0034] Here, the rotation mechanism 8 that rotates the return roller 18 will be described. The rotation mechanism 8 rotates the return roller 18 in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 1 from the inner position to the outer position. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the rotation mechanism 8 includes a rack 81, a roller gear 82, an idle gear 83, a sun gear 84, and a planetary gear 85. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rack 81 is disposed in a mechanism housing space 103 provided in a portion that covers the left side of the space in the housing 100a in which the feed tray 1 is installed. The mechanism housing space 103 is open on the side facing the feed tray 1 located in the inner position (the right side in Figs. 2 and 3). The rack 81 extends along the feed direction, and the surface on which a large number of teeth are provided faces upward.

[0035] The roller gear 82 is fixed to the rotating shaft 18a of the return roller 18 so as not to rotate relative to the roller gear 82. The roller gear 82 is attached to a portion of the rotating shaft 18a that protrudes outward from the side wall 13. The idle gear 83 is supported by the side wall 13 of the feeding tray 1 so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft along the left-right direction, and is located outside the side wall 13. The idle gear 83 is attached downstream of the roller gear 82 in the feeding direction and at a position where it meshes with the roller gear 82.

[0036] The sun gear 84 is supported by the side wall 13 of the feeding tray 1 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis along the left-right direction, and is located outside the side wall 13. The sun gear 84 is attached downstream of the idle gear 83 in the feeding direction. The planetary gear 85 meshes with the sun gear 84. When the sun gear 84 rotates, the planetary gear 85 rotates around the rotation axis of the sun gear 84 while rotating around its own rotation axis along the left-right direction. The rotation range of the planetary gear 85 around the rotation axis of the sun gear 84 is within a range in which its own rotation axis is located above the rotation axis of the sun gear 84.

[0037] When the feed tray 1 is in the inner position, the rack 81, the roller gear 82, the idle gear 83, the sun gear 84, and the planetary gear 85 are located in the mechanism accommodating space 103 of the housing 100a, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. At this time, the sun gear 84 meshes with the downstream end of the rack 81 in the feed direction, as shown in Figure 4(a).

[0038] Here, the operation of the rotation mechanism 8 will be described with reference to Fig. 4(a) to Fig. 4(c). When the feed tray 1 is in the inner position, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the planetary gear 85 is located downstream of the idle gear 83 in the feed direction and is located at a position where it does not mesh with the idle gear 83. When the feed tray 1 located in the inner position is pulled out from the housing 100a, the sun gear 84 meshing with the rack 81 rotates clockwise. As a result, the planetary gear 85 rotates counterclockwise around its own rotation axis. At the same time, the planetary gear 85 rotates clockwise around the rotation axis of the sun gear 84 (moves upstream in the feed direction). As a result, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the planetary gear 85 moves to a position where it meshes with the idle gear 83 located upstream of the planetary gear 85 in the feed direction.

[0039] By continuing to pull out the feeding tray 1 from the housing 100a, the idle gear 83 meshing with the planetary gear 85 rotates clockwise, and the roller gear 82 meshing with the idle gear 83 rotates counterclockwise. This causes the rotation shaft 18a of the return roller 18 to which the roller gear 82 is fixed to rotate counterclockwise. In other words, a driving force is transmitted to the return roller 18. Of the pair of return rollers 18, 19, the return roller 18 rotates counterclockwise, causing the return roller 19, which is a driven roller, to rotate clockwise. As a result, the roll paper Rp held by the pair of return rollers 18, 19 is transported in the direction in which it is rewound onto the roll body R (the direction opposite to the feeding direction).

[0040] When the feeding tray 1 removed from the housing 100a is inserted into the housing 100a, the sun gear 84 meshes with the upstream end of the rack 81 in the feeding direction. Then, by further inserting the feeding tray 1 into the housing 100a, the sun gear 84 meshing with the rack 81 rotates counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 4(c). As a result, the planetary gear 85 rotates clockwise around its own rotation axis. At the same time, the planetary gear 85 rotates counterclockwise around the rotation axis of the sun gear 84 (moves downstream in the feeding direction). Then, the planetary gear 85 moves to a position where it does not mesh with the idle gear 83 located upstream of the planetary gear 85 in the feeding direction. At this time, the driving force is not transmitted to the return roller 18.

[0041] Next, the moving mechanism 9 that moves the return roller 19 will be described. The moving mechanism 9 moves the return roller 19 between the nip position and the release position in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 1 between the inner position and the outer position. In this embodiment, the release position is a position where the return roller 18 and the return roller 19 are separated from each other, but the release position may be any position where the nip pressure by the pair of return rollers 18, 19 is smaller than that at the nip position. As shown in FIG. 3, the moving mechanism 9 has a holder 91 that supports the return roller 19, and a protrusion 104 on which a first cam surface 104a and a second cam surface 104b are formed.

[0042] 5(a) and (b), the holder 91 can rotate about a rotation shaft 91a extending in the left-right direction. When the holder 91 rotates, the return roller 19 supported by the holder 91 moves between the nip position and the release position. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the directions of each part of the movement mechanism 9 will be described based on the directions when the holder 91 is in a position where the return roller 19 is in the nip position (the state shown in FIG. 5(a)).

[0043] The rotation shaft 91a of the holder 91 is provided at an end portion on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the holder 91. When the holder 91 is not in contact with a first cam surface 104a (described later), the holder 91 rotates such that a portion of the holder 91 downstream in the feeding direction from the rotation shaft 91a moves downward due to its own weight.

[0044] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the holder 91 is provided in an opening 11a extending in the left-right direction formed in the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. When the return roller 19 is in the nip position, the upper end of the return roller 19 supported by the holder 91 protrudes above the opening 11a. In other words, the upper end of the return roller 19 is located above the bottom surface 12, which is the upper surface of the bottom wall 11.

[0045] The holder 91 supports both ends of the rotating shaft 19a of the return roller 19. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, both ends of the rotating shaft 19a of the return roller 19 are inserted into an opening 91b formed in the holder 91. The opening 91b has a vertically elongated shape. Therefore, the rotating shaft 19a can move vertically within the opening 91b. Two springs 97 are disposed in the holder 91 to urge both ends of the rotating shaft 19a of the return roller 19 upward. As shown in FIG. 5(a), when the return roller 19 is in the nip position, the rotating shaft 19a is located at the lower end of the opening 91b against the urging force of the springs 97. As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the return roller 19 is in the release position, the rotating shaft 19a is located at the upper end of the opening 91b.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the outer surface of the holder 91 has a lower surface 92a and an inclined surface 92b. The lower surface 92a is a horizontal plane facing downward. The inclined surface 92b is connected to the downstream end of the lower surface 92a in the feeding direction, and is inclined so as to be positioned higher toward the downstream side in the feeding direction.

[0047] 3, a groove 11b is provided in the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1, which is open downward and extends along the feeding direction over the entire length of the bottom wall 11. The groove 11b intersects with an opening 11a extending in the left-right direction.

[0048] A protrusion 104 extending along the feeding direction is provided on a portion of the housing 100a that supports the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. The protrusion 104 fits into a groove 11b provided in the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. As shown in Figs. 6(a) and 6(b), the protrusion 104 has a first cam surface 104a and a second cam surface 104b. The first cam surface 104a is a horizontal surface facing upward. The second cam surface 104b is connected to the upstream end of the first cam surface 104a in the feeding direction, and is inclined so as to be positioned lower as it approaches the upstream side in the feeding direction. The first cam surface 104a and the second cam surface 104b move relatively to the feed tray 1 as the feed tray 1 moves between the inner position and the outer position.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 6(a), when the feed tray 1 is in the inner position, the protrusion 104 formed on the housing 100a is located upstream in the feed direction from the opening 11a of the feed tray 1 in which the holder 91 is provided. At this time, the holder 91 is rotated downward, and its lower end is located in the groove 11b. More specifically, the lower surface 92a and the inclined surface 92b of the holder 91 are located in the groove 11b. At this time, the return roller 19 supported by the holder 91 is in the release position.

[0050] When the feed tray 1 in the inner position is pulled out from the housing 100a, the protrusion 104 fitted in the groove 11b enters the opening 11a of the feed tray 1 at the intersection of the groove 11b and the opening 11a. When the protrusion 104 enters the opening 11a, the lower surface 92a of the holder 91 is pushed by the downstream end of the first cam surface 104a of the protrusion 104 in the feed direction. This causes the holder 91 to rotate upward. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the lower surface 92a of the holder 91 and the first cam surface 104a come into surface contact with each other, and the holder 91 is supported by the first cam surface 104a. At this time, the return roller 19 supported by the holder 91 is in the nip position.

[0051] As described above, the rotation mechanism 8 rotates the return roller 18 in the direction in which the roll paper Rp is rewound in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 1 from the inner position to the outer position. Therefore, when the feed tray 1 moves from the inner position to the outer position, the rotation mechanism 8 rotates the return roller 18 in the direction in which the roll paper Rp is rewound, and the movement mechanism 9 moves the return roller 19 to the nip position. Therefore, even if the leading end of the roll paper Rp cut by the cutter 5 protrudes from the feed tray 1 as shown in FIG. 6(a), by pulling out the feed tray 1 from the inner position, the roll paper Rp is nipped by the pair of return rollers 19 and transported in the rewinding direction (opposite the feeding direction) as shown in FIG. 6(b).

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6(c), when the feed tray 1 is pulled out from the housing 100a to a position where the protrusion 104 formed on the housing 100a is located downstream in the feed direction from the opening 11a of the feed tray 1 where the holder 91 is provided, the holder 91 is no longer supported by the first cam surface 104a. Therefore, the holder 91 is in a state of being rotated downward. At this time, the return roller 19 supported by the holder 91 moves downward in a direction away from the return roller 18 and reaches the release position. In this embodiment, the position of the feed tray 1 when the protrusion 104 is downstream in the feed direction from the opening 11a of the feed tray 1 is the outer position.

[0053] When the feed tray 1 located at the outer position is inserted into the housing 100a, the inclined surface 92b of the holder 91 is pushed by the second cam surface 104b of the protrusion 104. This causes the holder 91 to rotate upward. Thereafter, the lower surface 92a of the holder 91 and the first cam surface 104a come into surface contact with each other, and the holder 91 is supported by the first cam surface 104a.

[0054] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, the printer 100 of the first embodiment is capable of accommodating the roll body R in which paper is wound into a roll, and is equipped with a feed tray 1 having a pair of return rollers 18, 19 for nipping and transporting the roll paper Rp, which is paper unwound from the roll body R, and a movement mechanism 9 for moving one of the pair of return rollers 18, 19 between a nip position and a release position where the nip pressure by the pair of return rollers 18, 19 is smaller than that at the nip position. Therefore, by setting the pair of return rollers 18, 19 to the release position, damage to the roll paper Rp by the pair of return rollers 18, 19 can be suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, in the printer 100 of the above-described embodiment, the pair of return rollers 18, 19 are configured to be rotatable so as to transport the roll paper Rp in the direction in which the roll paper Rp is rewound onto the roll body R. Therefore, by setting the pair of return rollers 18, 19 to the release position, it is possible to prevent the roll paper Rp from being damaged by the pair of return rollers 18, 19 when the roll paper Rp is sent out.

[0056] Furthermore, the printer 100 of the above-described embodiment includes a rotation mechanism 8 that rotates the return roller 18 of the pair of return rollers 18, 19. The feed tray 1 is movable between an inner position inside the housing 100a and an outer position outside the housing 100a, and the rotation mechanism 8 rotates the return roller 18 in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 1 from the inner position to the outer position. After an image is recorded on the roll paper Rp, the leading end of the roll paper Rp cut by the cutter 5 protrudes from the feed tray 1. In this state, if the feed tray 1 is removed from the housing 100a and then reattached to the housing 100a, the leading end of the roll paper Rp may come into contact with a component inside the housing 100a, causing the roll paper Rp to bend. In the printer 100 of this embodiment, when the feed tray 1 is removed from the housing 100a, the feed tray 1 moves from an inner position to an outer position, thereby rotating the return roller 18 and rewinding the roll paper Rp onto the roll body R.

[0057] Additionally, in the printer 100 of the above embodiment, the movement mechanism 9 moves the return roller 19 between the nip position and the release position in conjunction with the movement between the inner position and the outer position of the feed tray 1. Therefore, since the return roller 19 moves in conjunction with the movement between the inner position and the outer position of the feed tray 1, there is no need to perform an operation to move the return roller 19 separately from the attachment / detachment operation of the feed tray 1, and operability is good.

[0058] Furthermore, in the printer 100 of the above embodiment, the movement mechanism 9 sets the return roller 19 to the release position when the feed tray 1 is in the inner position. Therefore, when the feed tray 1 is in the inner position and the roll paper Rp is transported in the direction in which the roll body R is unwound, the return roller 19 is in the release position. Therefore, the pair of return rollers 18, 19 can prevent an increase in the transport load of the roll paper Rp. This can prevent an increase in the motor torque required to transport the roll paper Rp, a decrease in printing speed, and a deterioration in image quality.

[0059] Additionally, in the printer 100 of the above embodiment, the movement mechanism 9 sets the return rollers 19 to the release position when the feed tray 1 is in the outer position. Therefore, when the feed tray 1 is in the outer position and the roll body R is stored in the feed tray 1 and the roll paper Rp is set on the pair of return rollers 18, 19, the pair of return rollers 18, 19 are in the release position, so that it is possible to prevent the leading edge of the roll paper Rp from hitting the pair of return rollers 18, 19 and bending.

[0060] <Second embodiment> Next, a printer 300 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. The printer 300 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the movement mechanism 209. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals will be used for components having the same configuration as the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0061] The moving mechanism 209 is for moving the upper return roller 18 of the pair of return rollers 18, 19. The moving mechanism 209 moves the return roller 18 between the nip position and the release position. The moving mechanism 209 has a protrusion 304 provided on the housing 300a.

[0062] Two protrusions 304 are provided on a portion of the housing 300a that supports the bottom wall 211 of the feed tray 201. As shown in FIG. 7, the two protrusions 304 are provided at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction, and both extend along the feed direction. As shown in FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), the protrusion 304 has an upper surface 304a and an inclined surface 304b. The upper surface 304a is a horizontal surface facing upward. The inclined surface 304b is connected to the upstream end of the upper surface 304a in the feed direction, and is inclined so as to be positioned lower as it approaches the upstream side in the feed direction.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 7, the feed tray 201 is provided with two grooves 211b into which the two protrusions 304 fit when the feed tray 201 is in the housing 300a. Each groove 211b extends from a position where the return roller 18 is disposed in the feed direction to an end of the feed tray 201 on the downstream side in the feed direction. Both of the two grooves 211b open downward. One of the two grooves 211b is formed across the bottom wall 211 and the side wall 213 of the feed tray 201, and the other is formed across the bottom wall 211 and the side wall 214 of the feed tray 201.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 7, both ends of the rotating shaft 18a of the return roller 18 are fitted into the openings 213a, 214a formed in the side walls 213, 214, respectively. The openings 213a, 214a each have a shape that is long in the vertical direction. Therefore, the rotating shaft 18a can move up and down within the openings 213a, 214a. The rotating shaft 18a is biased downward by a spring 297. The openings 213a, 214a intersect with the groove 211b.

[0065] When the feed tray 1 is in the inner position, the protrusion 304 formed on the housing 300a is located at the position where the openings 213a, 214a and the groove 211b intersect. At this time, as shown in Fig. 8(a), the protrusion 304 enters the openings 213a, 214a into which the rotating shaft 18a of the return roller 18 is fitted, and the upper surface 304a of the protrusion 304 presses the rotating shaft 18a upward. The return roller 18 is pressed upward so as to move away from the return roller 19, and is in the release position.

[0066] When the feed tray 1 moves from the inner position, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the protrusion 304 moves downstream of the openings 213a and 214a in the feed direction. At this time, the rotation shaft 18a of the return roller 18 is no longer pressed upward by the protrusion 304, and moves downward by the urging force of the spring 297. The return roller 18 is in the nip position. In this embodiment, the position of the feed tray 1 when the protrusion 304 is downstream of the openings 213a and 214a of the feed tray 201 in the feed direction is the outer position. When the feed tray 1 located in the outer position is returned to the inner position, the inclined surface 304b of the protrusion 304 pushes the rotation shaft 18a of the return roller 18 up to the upper surface 304a.

[0067] (Effects of the second embodiment) As described above, the printer 300 of the second embodiment, like the printer 100 of the first embodiment, can prevent damage to the roll paper Rp caused by the pair of return rollers 18, 19 by setting the pair of return rollers 18, 19 to the release position.

[0068] <Third embodiment> Next, a feed tray 401 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The feed tray 401 of the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of a moving mechanism 409. Hereinafter, components having the same configuration as the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0069] The moving mechanism 409 is for moving the upper return roller 18 of the pair of return rollers 18, 19. The moving mechanism 409 moves the return roller 18 between the nip position and the release position. The moving mechanism 409 is composed of a cover 416 that covers the storage space for the roll body R in the feed tray 401.

[0070] The return roller 18 is supported at the lower end of the rear portion 416a of the cover 416. The cover 416 is rotatable rearward about a rotation shaft 416c extending in the left-right direction located above the position where the return roller 18 is supported in the rear portion 416a. The cover 216 is movable between a covering position where the storage space of the roll body R is covered and an opening position where the storage space of the roll body R is opened by rotating about the rotation shaft 416c.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 8(a), when the cover 416 is in the covering position, the return roller 18 is in the nip position. As shown in Fig. 8(b), when the cover 416 moves from the covering position to the open position, the return roller 18 moves in a direction away from the return roller 19 and is in the release position.

[0072] (Effects of the third embodiment) As described above, the feed tray 401 of the third embodiment, like the printer 100 of the first embodiment, can suppress damage to the roll paper Rp caused by the pair of return rollers 18, 19 by setting the pair of return rollers 18, 19 in the release position.

[0073] In the feeding tray 401 of the third embodiment, the moving mechanism 409 moves the return roller 18 in conjunction with the movement of the cover 416, which is movable between a covering position that covers the storage space in which the roll body R is stored and an opening position that opens the storage space. The moving mechanism 409 places the return roller 18 in the nip position when the cover 416 is in the covering position, and places the return roller 18 in the release position when the cover 416 is in the open position. Therefore, when the roll body R is stored in the feeding tray 1 and the roll paper Rp is set on the pair of return rollers 18 and 19 with the cover 416 in the open position, the pair of return rollers 18 and 19 are in the release position, so that it is possible to prevent the leading end of the roll paper Rp from hitting the pair of return rollers 18 and 19 and bending. In addition, since the return roller 18 moves in conjunction with the movement of the cover 416, there is no need to perform an operation to move the return roller 18 separately from the opening and closing operation of the cover 416, and operability is good.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on the drawings, the specific configuration should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0075] In the above-described first to third embodiments, the pair of return rollers 18, 19 moved by the movement mechanism 9 (209, 409) are rollers configured to rotate so as to transport the roll paper Rp in the direction of rewinding it onto the roll body R, but this is not limited to the above. In other words, the pair of rollers configured to rotate so as to transport the roll paper Rp in the direction of unwinding and sending it out from the roll body R may be moved by the movement mechanism. If the pair of rollers are sending rollers, for example, when a user rotates the roll body R to rewind the roll paper Rp that is nipped between the pair of rollers, the roll paper Rp may be pulled and torn. By moving the pair of rollers to the release position by the movement mechanism, damage to the roll paper Rp caused by the pair of rollers can be suppressed.

[0076] In the above-described first to third embodiments, the rotating mechanism 8 rotates the upper return roller 18 of the pair of return rollers 18, 19, but this is not limiting. The rotating mechanism 8 may rotate the lower return roller 19.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the rotating mechanism 8 rotates the return roller 18 in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 1 from the inner position to the outer position, but the mechanism for driving the return roller 18 is not limited to this. That is, the return roller 18 may be rotated by, for example, a motor.

[0078] The present invention can be applied to image recording devices in general that are equipped with a feed tray capable of accommodating a roll body. That is, for example, the present invention can be applied not only to inkjet printers equipped with a head that ejects ink from a nozzle, but also to electrophotographic printers equipped with a recording unit of a laser type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoconductor to a laser, or an LED type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoconductor to an LED. In addition, the sheet-like medium is not limited to paper, and may be cloth or the like as long as it is in sheet form. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1, 201, 401 Feeding Tray 2 Feeding roller 6 Head (recording section) 8 Rotation mechanism 9, 209, 409 Movement mechanism 18, 19 Return roller (roller) 100, 300 Printer (image recording device) 104a First cam surface (cam surface) 304 Protrusion 416 Cover

Claims

1. a feed tray capable of accommodating a roll of sheet-like medium wound in a roll shape, the feed tray having a pair of rollers for nipping and transporting the roll medium, which is the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll; a feed roller that feeds the roll medium from the feed tray; a recording unit that records an image on the roll medium fed by the feeding roller and sent out from the feeding tray; a moving mechanism that moves the pair of rollers between a nip position and a release position where a nip pressure by the pair of rollers is smaller than that at the nip position, The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of rollers are rotatably configured to transport the roll medium in a direction in which the roll medium is rewound onto the roll body after an image is recorded by the recording unit.

2. A pair of conveying rollers that convey the roll medium sent out from the feed tray toward the recording unit; and a cutter that cuts the roll medium. 2 . The image recording device according to claim 1 , wherein the cutter is disposed between the pair of rollers and the pair of transport rollers in the transport direction of the roll medium.

3. A housing and A rotation mechanism for rotating one of the pair of rollers, the feed tray is movable between an inner position within the housing and an outer position outside the housing; 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism rotates the one roller in conjunction with movement of the feeding tray from the inner position to the outer position.

4. a feed tray capable of accommodating a roll of sheet-like medium wound in a roll shape, the feed tray having a pair of rollers for nipping and transporting the roll medium, which is the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll; a feed roller that feeds the roll medium from the feed tray; a recording unit that records an image on the roll medium fed by the feeding roller and sent out from the feeding tray; a moving mechanism that moves the pair of rollers between a nip position and a release position where a nip pressure by the pair of rollers is smaller than that at the nip position, The pair of rollers is configured to be rotatable so as to transport the roll medium in a direction in which the roll medium is rewound onto the roll body, A housing and A rotation mechanism for rotating one of the pair of rollers, the feed tray is movable between an inner position within the housing and an outer position outside the housing; the rotation mechanism rotates the one roller in association with movement of the feed tray from the inner position to the outer position; The image recording apparatus, wherein the moving mechanism moves the pair of rollers between the nip position and the release position in conjunction with movement of the feed tray between the inner position and the outer position.

5. 5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the moving mechanism places the pair of rollers in the release position when the feed tray is located in the inner position.

6. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the moving mechanism places the pair of rollers in the release position when the feed tray is located at the outer position.

7. 7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the moving mechanism brings the pair of rollers into the nip position while the feeding tray moves from the inner position to the outer position.

8. The pair of rollers are arranged vertically side by side, 8. The image recording device according to claim 7, wherein the moving mechanism moves a lower roller of the pair of rollers in conjunction with movement of the feed tray between the inner position and the outer position.

9. The moving mechanism includes: A cam surface provided on the housing; a holder provided on the feed tray and supporting the lower roller; 9. The image recording device according to claim 8, wherein the holder is capable of contacting the cam surface, and is actuated by relative movement between the cam surface and the feed tray as the feed tray moves between the inner position and the outer position.

10. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the moving mechanism brings the pair of rollers into the nip position when the feeding tray is not located at the inner position.

11. The pair of rollers are arranged vertically side by side, 11. The image recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the moving mechanism moves an upper roller, which is located at the upper end of the pair of rollers, in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray between the inner position and the outer position.

12. The image recording device according to claim 11, characterized in that the moving mechanism is provided in the housing and has a protrusion that presses the upper roller in a direction away from the lower roller, which is the lower of the pair of rollers, when the feed tray is located in the inner position.

13. a feed tray capable of accommodating a roll of sheet-like medium wound in a roll shape, the feed tray having a pair of rollers for nipping and transporting the roll medium, which is the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll; a feed roller that feeds the roll medium from the feed tray; a recording unit that records an image on the roll medium fed by the feeding roller and sent out from the feeding tray; a moving mechanism that moves the pair of rollers between a nip position and a release position where a nip pressure by the pair of rollers is smaller than that at the nip position, The pair of rollers is configured to be rotatable so as to transport the roll medium in a direction in which the roll medium is rewound onto the roll body, A housing and A rotation mechanism for rotating one of the pair of rollers, the feed tray is movable between an inner position within the housing and an outer position outside the housing; the rotation mechanism rotates the one roller in association with movement of the feed tray from the inner position to the outer position; the feed tray further includes a cover that is movable between a covering position that covers the storage space in which the roll body is stored and an opening position that opens the storage space, The image recording device is characterized in that the moving mechanism moves the pair of rollers in conjunction with the movement of the cover between the covering position and the open position, and when the cover is in the covering position, the pair of rollers are in the nip position, and when the cover is in the open position, the pair of rollers are in the release position.

14. The pair of rollers are arranged vertically side by side, An upper roller located at the upper side of the pair of rollers is supported by the cover, The image recording device according to claim 13, characterized in that the cover is located above the position where the upper roller is supported, and moves between the covered position and the open position by rotating around a rotation axis parallel to the axial direction of the roller.

Images