Recording devices, image reading devices

Abstract

To satisfy a requirement that, when a user does not know information related to an operation method of a device, the user is difficult to determine whether or not to operate which region of the device with respect to a record content which should be executed from then on, and therefore, there has been required a constitution that the region related to the operation should be easy for the user to understand.SOLUTION: A recording device comprises a recording part for performing a record to a medium, a support tray for supporting the medium which is sent toward the recording part, and a light emitting part for irradiating a region which is exposed to the outside of a device main body having the recording part at the support tray.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device that records on a medium, and also to an image reading device that reads an image on a document. [Background technology]

[0002] The following describes an example of a recording device that records on a medium. Some recording devices are capable of recording on plate-like media such as optical disks in addition to paper, which is a conventional sheet-like medium. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of such a recording device. In the recording device described in Patent Document 1, disk media is set on a disk tray. The disk tray with the disk media set on it is supported by a disk tray base and sent towards the position where recording will be performed.

[0003] The disc tray base is rotatably installed, and when ejecting sheet-shaped recording material, it is placed in a vertical storage position, and when feeding a disc tray, it is placed in a horizontal feeding position. The user must first understand how to operate the device as described above, and then operate the disc tray base to switch positions as necessary. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-65216 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional recording devices have the disadvantage that it is difficult for users to know which part of the device they should operate to record what they want to do. For example, in the recording device described in Patent Document 1, in order to record on a disk medium using a disk tray, it is necessary to operate the disk tray base first, but a user who is not familiar with the operation may not know that the disk tray base is the part that should be operated first. Therefore, it has been desired to have a configuration in which the parts related to the operation are easily understood by the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the recording device of the present invention is characterized by comprising a recording unit that records on a medium, a support tray that supports the medium sent toward the recording unit, and a light-emitting unit that illuminates a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device body that includes the recording unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer with the support tray in a first state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the printer with the support tray in a third state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the printer with the support tray in a second state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a media transport path of the printer. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control system of the printer. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the front of the printer with the front cover removed to expose the circuit board. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the illumination range of the light-emitting unit as viewed from the medium ejection direction. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing the illumination range of the light-emitting unit as viewed from the medium width direction. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing the illumination range of the light-emitting unit when the support tray is stored, viewed from the medium width direction. [Figure 10]13 is a diagram showing the illumination range of the light-emitting unit when the support tray is slightly protruding, as viewed from the medium width direction. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing the illumination range of the light-emitting unit when the support tray is slightly protruding, as viewed from the medium width direction. [Figure 12] 6 is a flowchart showing the control of the light-emitting unit and the support tray. [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart showing micro advance control of the support tray. [Figure 14] 6A to 6C are diagrams showing changes in the display on the operation panel. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control system of the scanner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The present invention will now be briefly described. The recording device of the first aspect is characterized by comprising a recording unit that records on a medium, a support tray that supports the medium sent toward the recording unit, and a light emitting unit that illuminates a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device body that includes the recording unit.

[0009] According to this aspect, the recording device is equipped with an light-emitting unit for illuminating a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device main body that includes the recording unit. Therefore, by illuminating a position on the support tray that is visible from the outside, the user can be informed that that portion is a portion related to operation, and a configuration can be provided in which the portions related to operation are easily understood by the user.

[0010] A second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, a control unit that controls the light-emitting unit causes the light-emitting unit to emit light in response to switching to a standby state in which a user operation is awaited. According to this aspect, the control unit that controls the light-emitting unit causes the light-emitting unit to emit light in response to switching to a standby state in which the unit waits for operation by the user, thereby informing the user that some operation is currently required, and allowing the user to smoothly perform the required operation.

[0011] A third aspect is the second aspect, characterized in that the control section switches to the standby state upon receiving a command to execute recording on the medium, and the light emitting section emits light. According to this aspect, when the control unit receives a command to execute recording on the medium, it switches to the standby state and the light-emitting unit emits light, so that by informing the user of the parts related to the operations for recording on the medium, recording on the medium can be started smoothly.

[0012] A fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the third aspect, a display unit is provided for displaying information, and the control unit, in response to switching to the standby state, causes the display unit to display a message prompting the user to set the medium on the support tray.

[0013] According to this aspect, in response to switching to the standby state, the control unit causes the display unit to display a message urging the user to set the medium in the support tray, so that the illumination of the light-emitting unit and the message displayed on the display unit make it even easier for the user to understand the operations that need to be performed.

[0014] A fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the third or fourth aspect, the support tray is capable of switching between a first state in which it is stored in the device body and a second state in which it protrudes from the device body by obtaining power from a power source, and in the first state, the tip of the support surface that supports the medium on the support tray is out of the irradiation range of the light-emitting unit, and the control unit displaces the support tray to a position where the tip of the support surface is within the irradiation range in response to switching to the standby state.

[0015] The stored state of the support tray, i.e., the first state, is a state in which the tip of the support surface that supports the medium on the support tray is outside the irradiation range of the light-emitting unit, but the control unit displaces the support tray to a position where the tip of the support surface is within the irradiation range in response to switching to the standby state, so that the support tray is properly illuminated and the parts involved in operation can be clearly and easily identified by the user.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the fifth aspect, the control unit switches the support tray to the first state in response to a start of recording on the medium. The first state of the support tray is a storage state, which is a position where the support tray is less likely to rattle. According to this aspect, the control unit switches the support tray to the first state in response to the start of recording on the medium, so that rattling of the medium during recording is suppressed, and good recording results are obtained.

[0017] A seventh aspect is any one of the second to sixth aspects, characterized in that the support tray supports the medium via a medium holding tray that holds the medium. According to this aspect, the support tray supports the medium via a media holding tray that holds the medium, so that the medium can be transported appropriately even if the medium is small in size or has a non-rectangular outer shape.

[0018] An eighth aspect is any one of the second to seventh aspects, characterized in that the control unit turns off the light emitting unit in response to completion of recording on the medium. According to this aspect, the control unit turns off the light emitting unit in response to the completion of recording on the medium, so that it is possible to inform the user that recording has finished.

[0019] The image reading device of the ninth aspect is characterized in that it comprises a reading unit that reads a document, a support tray that supports the document sent toward the reading unit, and a light-emitting unit that illuminates a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device body that includes the reading unit. According to this aspect, the image reading device is equipped with an light-emitting unit for illuminating a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device main body that includes the reading unit. Therefore, by illuminating a position on the support tray that is visible from the outside, the user can be informed that that portion is related to the operation, and the configuration makes it easy for the user to understand which portions are related to the operation.

[0020] The present invention will be specifically described below. In each figure, the direction along the X axis is the width direction of the device, which is the direction that intersects with the media transport direction in which the media is transported, i.e., the width direction. The -X direction is the right direction as seen by the user when the front of the device faces the user, and the +X direction is the left direction as seen by the user. The direction along the Y axis is the depth direction of the device, the +Y direction is the direction from the rear side to the front side of the device, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front side to the rear side of the device. The +Y direction is the ejection direction from ejection port 17 that ejects the recorded medium. In this embodiment, among the side surfaces that constitute the periphery of the device, the side surface on which front cover 4 is provided is the front surface of the device. Additionally, the direction along the Z axis is the vertical direction, with the +Z direction being vertically upward and the -Z direction being vertically downward. In the following description, the direction in which the medium is fed may be referred to as “downstream,” and the opposite direction may be referred to as “upstream.” In this embodiment, the medium includes sheet-shaped paper and plate-shaped optical disks.

[0021] 1 to 3, an inkjet printer 1, which is an example of a recording device, is a so-called multifunction device that includes a scanner unit 3 on top of a device main body 2. In the following, the inkjet printer 1 will be abbreviated to printer 1. The scanner unit 3 is provided rotatably with respect to the device body 2, and can be rotated between a closed state shown in Fig. 1 and an open state (not shown). The scanner unit 3 is equipped with a manuscript cover 3a that opens and closes a manuscript table 3b (see Fig. 4).

[0022] An upper cover 9 is provided on the rear side of the document cover 3a at the top of the device body 2. When the upper cover 9 is opened, paper can be set in the rear tray 7 (see FIG. 4). The device body 2 is provided with an operation panel 6 for performing various operation settings on the front side, which is one of the sides of the device. In this embodiment, the operation panel 6 is configured as a touch panel. The operation panel 6 is also provided so as to be tiltable around a rotation axis (not shown).

[0023] A front cover 4 is provided below the front surface of the device body 2. The front cover 4 is provided rotatably about a rotation shaft 4a (see FIG. 9) relative to a paper feed tray 5 located at the bottom of the device body 2, and can be rotated to take a closed state as shown in FIG. 1 or an open state as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the front cover 4 is opened, an outlet 17 for discharging paper after recording is exposed, as well as a support tray 18. The support tray 18 receives paper after recording is discharged. The support tray 18 also supports a disc tray 40 (see FIG. 5) holding an optical disc R (see FIG. 5) when the disc tray 40 is fed into the device and when the disc tray 40 is discharged outside the device.

[0024] The support tray 18 can be displaced between a first state (see Figs. 1 and 9) in which it is stored inside the apparatus main body 2, and a second state in which it protrudes most in the +Y direction as shown in Fig. 3. The state of the support tray 18 shown in Fig. 2 shows a third state between the first and second states. The support tray 18 can also be in a fourth state (see Figs. 10 and 11) in which it protrudes slightly from the first state. The state of the support tray 18 is switched by transmitting power from a tray drive motor 60 (see FIG. 5) via a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown) to the support tray 18. The control unit 50 (see FIG. 5) determines which state the support tray 18 should be switched to based on the recorded information.

[0025] In this embodiment, in the third state of the support tray 18 shown in Fig. 2, for example, A4 size paper can be received when the long side of the paper is discharged along the Y axis direction. In the second state shown in Fig. 3, for example, A3 size paper can be received when the long side of the paper is discharged along the Y axis direction. The support tray 18 can be switched not only from the first state to the second state, but also from the second state to the first state by the power of a tray drive motor 60 (see FIG. 5).

[0026] In this embodiment, the support tray 18 is configured to include a first tray 18c, a second tray 18b, and a third tray 18a, as shown in FIG. When the support tray 18 is switched from the storage state of Figures 1 and 9, i.e., the first state, to the third state of Figure 2, the first tray 18c, the second tray 18b, and the third tray 18a are displaced together in the +Y direction. 2 to the second state in Fig. 3, the second tray 18b and the third tray 18a are displaced in the +Y direction relative to the first tray 18c. When the support tray 18 is switched to the second state, the second tray 18b is located in the +Y direction from the first tray 18c, and the third tray 18a is located in the +Y direction from the second tray 18b, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0027] 2 and 3, the upper surface of the first tray 18c is composed of a first support surface 18d and a second support surface 18e located in the +Y direction relative to the first support surface 18d. The second support surface 18e is located in the +Z direction relative to the first support surface 18d, that is, the second support surface 18e is located one step higher than the first support surface 18d.

[0028] As described above, in this embodiment, the support tray 18 is configured in a multi-stage manner, but the support tray 18 can also be configured as a single tray. In this case, too, a rack is formed on the tray along the Y-axis direction, and a pinion gear that meshes with this rack is provided to configure a rack-and-pinion mechanism, which can be displaced in the Y-axis direction by the power of a motor. Even in such a configuration, it is possible to switch between a first state in which the tray is stored inside the device body 2 and a second state in which the tray protrudes most from the device body 2 in the +Y direction compared to the first state.

[0029] Next, the medium transport path of the printer 1 will be further described with reference to Fig. 4. Paper stored in the paper feed tray 5 located at the bottom of the device body 2 is fed in the -Y direction by a feed roller 10 driven by a feed motor 52 (see Fig. 5). The symbol T1 indicates the feed path of the paper fed from the paper feed tray 5. Furthermore, the paper set in the rear tray 7 comes into contact with the feed roller 11 as the hopper 12 rises, and is fed downstream by the rotation of the feed roller 11 driven by the feed motor 52 (see FIG. 5). Reference symbol T2 indicates the feed path of the paper sent out from the rear tray 7.

[0030] A reversing roller 8 driven by a feeding motor 52 (see FIG. 5) is provided above the feeding roller 10, and the paper sent out from the paper feed tray 5 receives a feeding force from the reversing roller 8 and is sent towards the transport roller pair 13 located in the +Y direction with respect to the reversing roller 8. Also, the paper sent out from the rear tray 7 is sent towards the transport roller pair 13 without passing through the reversing roller 8. The paper is then transported to an area facing the recording head 15, that is, a recording area, by a pair of transport rollers 13 driven by a transport motor 53 (see FIG. 5).

[0031] A recording head 15, which is an example of a recording unit, is provided on a carriage 14, and the carriage 14 reciprocates in the X-axis direction by the power of a carriage motor 51 (see FIG. 5). The recording head 15 ejects ink onto paper as the carriage 14 moves. Then, the paper on which recording has been performed is discharged toward the support tray 18 by a pair of discharge rollers 16 driven by a transport motor 53 (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the recording unit is composed of the recording head 15 that moves in the X-axis direction, but it may of course be composed of a line head in which ink ejection nozzles are arranged to cover the entire area in the paper width direction.

[0032] A waste ink container 31 is provided above the support tray 18 downstream of the discharge roller pair 16. When the carriage 14 is located at the home position, the recording head 15 performs a flushing operation to eject ink toward a cap unit (not shown), and the ejected ink is sent to the waste ink container 31 by a pump mechanism (not shown) and is stored therein.

[0033] Next, the printer 1 according to this embodiment is configured so that a disc tray 40, which serves as a media holding tray into which an optical disc R, an example of a medium, can be set, can be fed from the front of the device toward the recording position for the recording head 15, as shown in FIG. Although the details will be described later, when the support tray 18 is in a fourth state (see FIGS. 10 and 11) in which the support tray 18 protrudes slightly from the first state, the disc tray 40 can be placed on the support tray 18 and fed toward the recording position by the recording head 15. When the leading edge of the inserted disc tray 40 in the -Y direction is nipped by the transport roller pair 13, the reflector 41 provided at the end of the disc tray 40 in the -Y direction is detected by the medium detection unit 59. The disc tray 40 is then transported in the -Y direction by the transport roller pair 13, and then transported in the +Y direction, allowing recording to be performed on the label side of the optical disc R. Incidentally, it is also possible to place a plate-shaped medium directly on the support tray 18 without using the disk tray 40, and feed it toward the recording position for the recording head 15 to perform recording.

[0034] Next, the control system of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit 50 performs various controls of the printer 1, including feeding, transporting, discharging, and recording of the medium. A signal is input to the control unit 50 from the operation panel 6, and a signal is sent from the control unit 50 to the operation panel 6 for displaying the display of the operation panel 6, in particular a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "UI").

[0035] The control unit 50 controls the carriage motor 51, the feed motor 52, the transport motor 53, and the tray drive motor 60. In this embodiment, each of the motors is a DC motor. The control unit 50 also receives detection signals from a position detection unit 57, a rotation detection unit 58, a medium detection unit 59, and a tray detection unit 61. The position detection unit 57 is a linear encoder and is a detection unit for detecting the position in the X-axis direction of the carriage 14. The rotation detection unit 58 is a rotary encoder and is a detection unit for detecting the amount of rotation and the rotation speed of the roller driven by the transport motor 53.

[0036] The medium detection unit 59 is provided near the upstream side of the transport roller pair 13 and detects the passage of the leading and trailing ends of the medium. The medium detection unit 59 is composed of a non-contact optical sensor. The control unit 50 can grasp the position of the medium based on the detection information of the medium detection unit 59.

[0037] In this embodiment, the tray detection unit 61 is a detection means for detecting that the support tray 18 has switched from the first state, i.e., the stored state, to the third state shown in FIG. 2, and can be configured, for example, by a contact-type sensor. The detection signal of the tray detection unit 61 is ON when the support tray 18 is in the first state, and is maintained in the ON state until the support tray 18 switches to the third state when moving from the first state to the third state, and is turned OFF when the support tray 18 switches to the third state. The detection signal of the tray detection unit 61 is maintained in the OFF state when the support tray 18 is between the third state and the second state shown in FIG. 3. The detection signal of the tray detection unit 61 is switched from OFF to ON when the support tray 18 switches to the third state when moving from the second state to the first state, and is then maintained in the ON state. Furthermore, by detecting the drive direction of the tray drive motor 60 and an increase in the drive current value, the control unit 50 can detect that the support tray 18 has switched to the first state when moving it toward the first state, and can detect that the support tray 18 has switched to the second state when moving it toward the second state. However, it goes without saying that a sensor for detecting the first state of the support tray 18 and a sensor for detecting the second state may be provided separately. In addition, a rotary encoder (not shown) is provided in addition to the tray drive motor 60, and the control unit 50 can grasp the direction and amount of rotation of the tray drive motor 60 based on the signal output from this rotary encoder.

[0038] The control unit 50 includes a CPU 54, a flash ROM 55, and a RAM 56. The CPU 54 performs various calculation processes according to programs stored in the flash ROM 55, and controls the operation of the entire printer 1. Programs for controlling the support tray 18 and the light-emitting unit 23, which will be described later, are also stored in the flash ROM 55. The flash ROM 55 is a non-volatile memory that can be read and written. Various setting information input by the user via the operation panel 6 is also stored in the flash ROM 55. Various information is temporarily stored in the RAM 56, which is an example of a storage means. The control unit 50 also includes an interface 62, through which communication with an external computer 90 is possible.

[0039] Next, a further description will be given of the discharge port 17. The discharge port 17 is a discharge position in the Y-axis direction from which the medium on which the recording head 15 has performed recording is discharged. The upper edge of the discharge port 17 is formed with a facing portion 20 which faces the support tray 18 and the recording surface of the medium on which recording has been performed, as shown in FIGS.

[0040] 6 to 8, the facing portion 20 is configured to include an optical member 21. The optical member 21 is attached to the frame 30 so as to be located at the center of the area through which the medium passes in the X-axis direction, i.e., the medium width direction. In other words, the center position in the width direction of the discharged medium and the center position in the X-axis direction of the optical member 21 roughly coincide with each other.

[0041] The optical member 21 is made of a light-transmitting material and functions as a lens. In this embodiment, the optical member 21 is made of a colorless and transparent resin material, and the facing surface 21a facing the recording surface of the medium is formed like frosted glass.

[0042] A light-emitting section 23 is provided in the +Z direction relative to the optical member 21. In this embodiment, the light-emitting section 23 is configured with a white LED. In this embodiment, two light-emitting sections 23 are provided on the substrate 24 with a gap therebetween in the X-axis direction, i.e., the medium width direction. The two light-emitting sections 23 are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center position of the optical member 21 in the X-axis direction, i.e., the medium width direction.

[0043] The light-emitting unit 23 emits light toward the optical member 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow Q in Fig. 7 to Fig. 11. In other words, the optical member 21 is located at a position where the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 23 is incident. The optical member 21 radiates the incident light toward the support tray 18. The visible light radiated from the optical member 21 toward the support tray 18 spreads in the medium width direction as shown in Fig. 7, and also spreads in the medium transport direction as shown in Fig. 8.

[0044] 6 and 8, reflective sheets 27 are provided upstream and downstream in the medium transport direction with respect to the optical path of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 23. In other words, a pair of reflective sheets 27 are provided to sandwich the optical path of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 23. The reflective sheet 27 extends from the position of the light-emitting unit 23 to the position of the upper surface of the optical member 21 in the Z-axis direction. The reflective sheet 27 also covers almost the entire area of ​​the optical member 21 in the X-axis direction. The reflective sheet 27 can be made of, for example, a white sheet material.

[0045] Further, a light blocking sheet 28 is provided between the reflection sheet 27 on the side closer to the front panel 19 and the front panel 19. In this embodiment, the sizes of the light blocking sheet 28 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction are similar to those of the reflection sheet 27. The light blocking sheet 28 can be made of, for example, a black sheet material.

[0046] 7 to 11, the symbol S indicates the irradiation range of the light emitted from the optical member 21 toward the recording surface of the paper P. The light emitted from the light emitting unit 23 and incident on the optical member 21 is diffused in the medium width direction inside the optical member 21 because the opposing surface 21a is formed in a ground glass shape, and is then emitted toward the recording surface of the medium. In this embodiment, the irradiation range has a width covering the entire area of ​​the support tray 18 in the second state or the third state as shown in FIG. 7. However, the irradiation range of the light from the optical member 21 does not have to cover the entire area of ​​the support tray 18 in the medium width direction.

[0047] 7 shows the irradiation range S when the support tray 18 is in the third state in FIG. 2 or the second state in FIG. 3, and symbol H1 indicates the distance between the support tray 18 and the optical member 21 in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the direction perpendicular to the recording surface of the paper P. When the support tray 18 is in the second and third states, the optical member 21 faces the first support surface 18d that constitutes the first tray 18c, and in this state the distance between the optical member 21 and the support tray 18 is the largest. In this state, as shown in FIG. 7, the irradiation range S has a width that covers the entire area of ​​the support tray 18 in the medium width direction. 9 or the fourth state shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, the optical member 21 faces the second support surface 18e constituting the first tray 18c, and the distance between the optical member 21 and the support tray 18 is smallest, and in this embodiment, the distance H2 is 10 mm or less. In this state, the width of the irradiation range S in the medium width direction is smaller than the width of the support tray 18, but it may be equal to or greater than the width of the support tray 18.

[0048] As described above, the opposing portion 20 which faces the recording surface of the medium at the ejection position where the medium on which recording has been performed by the recording head 15 is ejected is located at a position where the light emitted from the light emitting portion 23 is incident and is disposed opposite the recording surface of the medium, and is equipped with an optical member 21 which radiates the incident light at least in a direction toward the recording surface of the medium, so that the recording results can be quickly and clearly seen, that is, before recording is completed, and user needs can be appropriately met. Furthermore, the illumination range of the optical member 21 has a width that covers the entire area of ​​the support tray 18 in the width direction, so that the recording result can be more appropriately viewed.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the optical element 21 is a light-transmitting element having an opposing surface 21a facing the recording surface of the medium, which is formed like frosted glass, so that the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 23 can be diffused over a wider range.

[0050] Furthermore, as a means for diffusing the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 23 over a wider range, instead of or in addition to making the opposing surface 21a like frosted glass, the optical member 21 may be formed from a light-transmitting material that contains a light diffusing agent. As the light diffusing agent, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, silicon oxide, magnesium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, synthetic silica, glass beads, etc. can be used. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the means for diffusing the light emitted from the light emitting portion 23 over a wider range is not limited to making the opposing surface 21a like ground glass or using a diffusing agent.

[0051] In addition, in this embodiment, the distance between the support tray 18 and the optical member 21 in the direction perpendicular to the recording surface of the medium is set to 30 mm or less, so that the recording results can be clearly seen at the medium ejection position. Incidentally, if the amount of light reaching the recording surface is sufficient, the distance between the recording surface of the medium and the optical member 21 may be greater than 30 mm.

[0052] In this embodiment, a pair of reflective sheets 27 are provided to sandwich the optical path of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 23 to the optical member 21, thereby ensuring the amount of light irradiated from the optical member 21 to the recording surface of the medium. Note that if a sufficient amount of light can be ensured without using the reflective sheet 27, the reflective sheet 27 may be omitted.

[0053] In this embodiment, the light-shielding sheet 28 is provided between the front panel 19, which is a wall portion forming the front surface of the device, and the reflective sheet 27 close to the front panel 19, and therefore it is possible to suppress leakage of light from the front panel 19 to the front of the device. Note that if the light-shielding rate of the front panel 19 is high and leakage of light to the outside of the device via the front panel 19 is difficult to visually recognize, the light-shielding sheet 28 may be omitted.

[0054] Next, the control of the light-emitting unit 23 by the control unit 50 (FIG. 5) will be described. 1, the front panel 19 constituting the front surface, which is one of the sides of the device body 2, is flush with the front panel 19 in the closed state. Therefore, to prevent interference between the front panel 19 in the closed state and the front end of the support tray 18 in the +Y direction, the front end of the support tray 18 in the stored state, i.e., the first state, is retracted in the -Y direction, i.e., toward the back of the device, from the front panel 19 as shown in Fig. 9. In this state, the second support surface 18e of the support tray 18 is out of the irradiation range S.

[0055] The control of the control unit 50 when recording on the optical disc R in such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. When the control unit 50 receives the recording data, that is, when it receives an instruction to execute recording (Yes in step S101), it performs a slight advance operation of the support tray 18 (step S102). Due to the slight advance operation of the support tray 18, the tip of the second support surface 18e of the support tray 18 in the +Y direction enters the irradiation range S as shown by the change from Fig. 9 to Fig. 10. Then, the control unit 50 causes the light emitting unit 23 to emit light (step S103).

[0056] FIG. 13 shows the details of the processing content of step S102, and the control unit 50 determines whether the detection signal of the tray detection unit 61 is on or not (step S201). If it is on, i.e., if it is determined that the support tray 18 is in the first state or closer to the first state than the third state (Yes in step S201), the tray drive motor 60 is reversed to displace the support tray 18 in the storage direction (step S202).

[0057] At this time, if the support tray 18 is in the first state, the support tray 18 cannot be displaced further in the storage direction, so the drive current value of the tray drive motor 60 immediately increases. In other words, if the drive current value of the tray drive motor 60 increases within the rotation amount Ra of the tray drive motor 60, it can be said that the support tray 18 is in the first state. Therefore, in this case (Yes in step S203), the tray drive motor 60 is rotated forward by the rotation amount Rb (step S204). As a result, the support tray 18 moves from the first state shown in FIG. 9 to the position shown in FIG. 10, that is, the fourth state. When the support tray 18 is in the fourth state, the tip of the second support surface 18e in the +Y direction enters the irradiation range S as shown in FIG. 10, and the first support surface 18d is irradiated.

[0058] On the other hand, if the detection signal of the tray detection unit 61 is not on in step S201 (No in step S201), it can be said that the support tray 18 is in the third state, the second state, or between the third state and the second state. In this state, since there is a possibility that sheets of paper are loaded on the support tray 18, a confirmation message such as "May I store the tray?" is displayed on the operation panel 6 (step S205).

[0059] As a result, when the user presses the OK button (Yes in step S206), an operation is performed to switch the support tray 18 to the first state, i.e., the stored state (step S207). Then, the tray drive motor 60 is rotated forward by an amount of rotation Rb (step S204), and the support tray 18 is moved from the first state shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 10, i.e., the fourth state. This is the slight advance operation of the support tray 18, and as an example, this slight advance amount is 6 to 7 mm.

[0060] Also, if the answer is No in step S203, the support tray 18 is in a state where it protrudes to a certain extent in the +Y direction from the first state, and there is a possibility that paper is loaded on the support tray 18 as described above, so steps S205 to S207 are executed as described above, and then step S204 is executed.

[0061] 12, when the control unit 50 performs a slight forward movement of the support tray 18 (step S102), it causes the light emitting unit 23 to emit light (step S103), and causes the operation panel 6 to display a message prompting the user to set the disc tray 40 (step S104). Note that steps S103 and S104 may be performed simultaneously.

[0062] The message in step S104 can be, for example, "Please set the disk tray in the printer," as shown in the UI in the second diagram from the top of Fig. 14. Note that while the support tray 18 is moving slightly forward (step S102), the UI of the operation panel 6 displays the words "Preparing," as shown in the top diagram of Fig. 14. After the message prompting the user to set the disc tray 40 is displayed on the operation panel 6, the printer 1 goes into a standby state, waiting for an operation by the user.

[0063] In the UI shown in the second diagram from the top of FIG. 14, the user can select and press one of three buttons: "View Operation Method," "Set Complete," or "Cancel." If "View Operation Method" is selected, an explanation on how to set the disc tray 40 is displayed. If "Cancel" is selected, the instruction to execute recording is canceled, and the UI of the operation panel 6 returns to the home screen. If the user selects "Set Complete" after setting the disc tray 40 (Yes in step S105), the control unit 50 determines whether the reflector 41 provided on the disc tray 40 has been detected by the medium detection unit 59 (step S106), and if it has been detected (Yes in step S106), the control unit 50 transports the disc tray 40 and performs recording on the optical disc R (step S108).

[0064] During recording onto the optical disc R, the UI of the operation panel 6 displays the text "PRINTING" as shown in the third diagram from the top of Fig. 14. Then, the disc tray 40 is ejected (step S109), and the light-emitting unit 23 is turned off (step S110). When recording to the optical disc R is complete, the UI of the operation panel 6 displays the words "Printing Complete" and a check button to confirm this, as shown in the bottom diagram of Fig. 14. When the user presses the check button, the UI of the operation panel 6 returns to the home screen.

[0065] As described above, the printer 1 comprises the recording head 15 which is a recording unit that records on the medium, the support tray 18 which supports the medium sent toward the recording head 15, and the light emitting unit 23 for illuminating a portion of the support tray 18 which is exposed to the outside of the device body 2. Therefore, by illuminating a position on the support tray 18 which is visible from the outside, it is possible to inform the user that this portion is a portion related to operation, that is, a configuration can be achieved which makes it easy for the user to understand which portions are related to operation.

[0066] Incidentally, "a portion of the support tray 18 exposed to the outside of the device body 2" does not only mean a portion of the support tray 18 that protrudes outward from the side surface of the device body 2, but also includes a portion that is inside the side surface of the device body 2 as in this embodiment but is visible to the user from outside the device body 2. Therefore, even if the support tray 18 does not protrude from the side surface of the device body 2 as shown in Fig. 10, a portion of the first support surface 18d included in the irradiation range S is a portion of the support tray 18 that is exposed to the outside of the device body 2.

[0067] In addition, the portion of the support tray 18 illuminated by the light-emitting unit 23, i.e., the portion related to operation, is not limited to the portion that the user directly touches to operate, but also includes a portion that the user operates without directly touching, such as a portion on which some kind of component, such as the disc tray 40 in this embodiment, is placed.

[0068] Furthermore, the control unit 50, which controls the light emitting unit 23, causes the light emitting unit 23 to emit light in response to switching to a standby state (step S104 in FIG. 12) in which the device waits for an operation by the user. This makes it possible to inform the user that some operation is currently required, and allows the user to smoothly perform the required operation.

[0069] Incidentally, "causing the light-emitting unit 23 to emit light in response to switching to a standby state in which a user operation is awaited" means any one of causing the light-emitting unit 23 to emit light before switching to the standby state, causing the light-emitting unit 23 to emit light simultaneously with switching to the standby state, and causing the light-emitting unit 23 to emit light after switching to the standby state. In this embodiment, since switching to the standby state is performed by executing step S104 in Fig. 12, the light-emitting unit 23 is caused to emit light almost simultaneously with switching to the standby state or before switching to the standby state.

[0070] In this embodiment, when the control unit 50 receives a command to execute recording on the medium, it switches to the standby state and emits light from the light-emitting unit 23. This notifies the user of the parts related to the operation for recording on the medium, allowing the user to smoothly start recording on the medium.

[0071] In response to switching to the standby state, the control unit 50 also causes the operation panel 6 to display a message urging the user to set a medium on the support tray 18 (step S104 in FIG. 12). This causes the light-emitting unit 23 to emit light and displays a message on the operation panel 6, making it even easier for the user to understand the operations that should be performed.

[0072] In this embodiment, the support tray 18 can be displaced between a first state in which it is stored in the device body 2 and a second state in which it protrudes most from the device body 2 by obtaining power from a tray drive motor 60 (FIG. 5) which is a power source. In the first state, the tip of the second support surface 18e in the +Y direction that supports the medium in the support tray 18 is out of the irradiation range S by the light-emitting unit 23 (see FIG. 9). Then, the control unit 50 displaces the support tray 18 to a position where the tip of the second support surface 18e enters the irradiation range S in response to switching to the standby state (step S102 in FIG. 12, FIG. 10). This allows the support tray 18 to be appropriately illuminated, making it easier for the user to clearly see the parts related to the operation.

[0073] The control unit 50 also switches the support tray 18 to the first state in response to the start of recording on the medium (step S107 in FIG. 12). That is, the first state of the support tray 18 is a stored state, which is a position in which the support tray 18 is less likely to wobble. Since the control unit 50 switches the support tray 18 to the first state in response to the start of recording on the medium, wobbling of the medium during recording is suppressed, and good recording results can be obtained.

[0074] The support tray 18 is configured to support the optical disc R via the disc tray 40, which is a medium holding tray that holds an optical disc R, which is an example of a medium. This allows the medium to be transported appropriately even when the medium is small in size or has a non-rectangular outer shape.

[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 50 turns off the light emitting unit 23 in response to the end of recording on the medium (step S110 in FIG. 12), thereby making it possible to notify the user that recording has ended.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the portion of the support tray 18 that is exposed to the outside of the device body 2 is irradiated by the light-emitting unit 23, but the portion of the paper feed tray 5 that is exposed to the outside of the device body 2 can also be irradiated by the light-emitting unit 23. Specifically, when the support tray 18 is in the first state as shown in Fig. 9, the front cover 4 that constitutes the paper feed tray 5 is within the irradiation range S. This makes it possible to inform the user that the paper is out by irradiating the front cover 4 after switching the support tray 18 to the first state, for example, when the paper runs out, and thus makes it possible to inform the user of the portion related to the operation.

[0077] The above-mentioned configuration of illuminating the support tray 18 with the light-emitting unit 23 can also be applied to an image reading device that reads an image on a document. In Fig. 15, reference numeral 70 denotes a scanner, which is an example of an image reading device. Note that the same components as those already described in Fig. 15 are given the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted below. The scanner 70 includes a control unit 72 corresponding to the above-mentioned control unit 50. Reference symbol S denotes an original document, which is fed into the device in the same manner as the disc tray 40 described above, read by the reading unit 71 while being transported in the +Y direction, and then discharged onto the support tray 18. The reading unit 71 can be configured, for example, with a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) module. Control over feeding, reading, and discharging the original document S is similar to the feeding, recording, and discharging in the case of the disc tray 40 described above. In the scanner 70, as in the printer 1, a position visible from the outside on the support tray 18 is illuminated to inform the user that this part is a part related to the operation, i.e., a configuration can be provided in which the parts related to the operation are easily understood by the user.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...inkjet printer, 2...device body, 3...scanner unit, 4...front cover, 5...paper feed tray, 6...operation panel, 7...rear tray, 8...reversing roller, 9...upper cover, 10...feed roller, 11...feed roller, 12...hopper, 13...pair of transport rollers, 14...carriage, 15...recording head, 16...pair of discharge rollers, 17...discharge port, 18...support tray, 18a...third tray, 18b...second tray, 18c...first tray, 18d...first support surface, 18e...second support surface, 19...front panel, 20...facing portion, 21...optical member, 21a ...opposing surface, 23...light emitting section, 24...substrate, 27...reflective sheet, 28...light shielding sheet, 30...frame, 31...waste ink storage section, 40...disc tray, 41...reflector, 50...control section, 51...carriage motor, 52...feed motor, 53...transport motor, 54...CPU, 55...flash ROM, 56...RAM, 57...position detection section, 58...rotation detection section, 59...medium detection section, 60...tray drive motor, 61...tray detection section, 62...interface, 70...scanner, 71...reading section, 72...control section, P...paper, R...optical disc, S...original

Claims

1. An apparatus body, a recording unit for recording on a medium; a support tray for supporting the medium fed toward the recording unit; a light emitting unit that irradiates a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device body and that includes the recording unit; a paper feed tray located vertically below the support tray; the light emitting unit illuminates the paper feed tray when the support tray is stored in the device body. A recording apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the light emitting unit to emit light in response to switching to a standby state in which a user operation is awaited. A recording apparatus comprising:

3. 3. The recording device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit switches to the standby state when it receives a command to execute recording on the medium, and the light emitting unit emits light. A recording apparatus comprising:

4. 4. The recording device according to claim 3, further comprising a display unit for displaying information, The control unit, in response to switching to the standby state, causes the display unit to display a message prompting the user to set the medium on the support tray. A recording apparatus comprising:

5. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support tray is switchable between a first state in which the support tray is housed in the apparatus body and a second state in which the support tray protrudes from the apparatus body by receiving power from a power source; In the first state, a tip of a support surface that supports the medium in the support tray is out of an illumination range of the light-emitting unit, The control unit displaces the support tray to a position where a tip end of the support surface enters the irradiation range in response to switching to the standby state. A recording apparatus comprising:

6. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit switches the support tray to the first state in response to a start of recording on the medium. A recording apparatus comprising:

7. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support tray supports the medium via a medium holding tray that holds the medium. A recording apparatus comprising:

8. 8. The recording device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit turns off the light emitting unit in response to completion of recording on the medium. A recording apparatus comprising:

9. a recording unit for recording on a medium; a support tray for supporting the medium fed toward the recording unit; a light emitting unit that irradiates a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device body and that includes the recording unit; A control unit that controls the light emitting unit; A display unit that displays information, When the control unit receives a command to execute recording on the medium, the control unit switches to a standby state in which it waits for an operation by a user, and the light emitting unit emits light; The control unit, in response to switching to the standby state, causes the display unit to display a message prompting the user to set the medium on the support tray. A recording apparatus comprising:

10. a recording unit for recording on a medium; a support tray for supporting the medium fed toward the recording unit; a light emitting unit that irradiates a portion of the support tray that is exposed to the outside of the device body and that includes the recording unit; A control unit that controls the light emitting unit, When the control unit receives a command to execute recording on the medium, the control unit switches to a standby state in which it waits for an operation by a user, and the light emitting unit emits light; the support tray is switchable between a first state in which the support tray is housed in the device body and a second state in which the support tray protrudes from the device body by receiving power from a power source; In the first state, a tip of a support surface that supports the medium in the support tray is out of an illumination range of the light-emitting unit, The control unit displaces the support tray to a position where a tip end of the support surface enters the irradiation range in response to switching to the standby state. A recording apparatus comprising:

11. In the recording device according to claim 1, The light emitting unit irradiates the support tray when the support tray protrudes from the device body. A recording apparatus comprising:

Images