Feeding tray and image recording device equipped with same

Abstract

To provide a feeding tray that can be reduced in size in a draw-out direction while being allowed to receive a roll body and a short-sized sheet-like medium, and an image forming apparatus comprising the same.SOLUTION: A feeding tray comprises a roll-body support unit 8 that supports a roll body in a support position and can retract from the support position and a placement surface 17 that is arranged with the roll-body support unit 8 in a front-rear direction (draw-out direction), on which cut sheets are placed. The placement surface 17, in plan view, overlaps with the roll-body support unit 8 staying in the support position and does not overlap with the roll-body support unit 8 retracted from the support position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a feed tray capable of accommodating a roll of long sheet media and short sheet media, and to an image recording apparatus including the feed tray. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are paper feed cassettes (feed trays) capable of accommodating roll paper (roll body) and cut paper (short sheet-like media). For example, the paper feed cassette disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a cut paper placement section on which cut paper is placed, which is provided upstream in the pull-out direction of the paper feed cassette, and a roll paper placement section on which roll paper is placed, which is provided downstream in the pull-out direction of the paper feed cassette. [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] The above-mentioned paper feed cassette is likely to be large in size in the pull-out direction.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a feed tray that is capable of accommodating a roll and short sheet media, while being compact in size in the pull-out direction, and an image recording apparatus having the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The feed tray of the present invention is a feed tray that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction from an image recording device, and is equipped with a roll body support part that supports a roll body of long sheet medium wound in a roll shape at a support position and can be retracted from the support position, and a loading surface that is aligned with the roll body support part along the pull-out direction and on which a sheet medium shorter than the long sheet medium is placed, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the loading surface, the loading surface overlaps with the roll body support part located at the support position, but does not overlap with the roll body support part that has been retracted from the support position.

[0007] From another perspective, the feed tray of the present invention is a feed tray that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction from an image recording device, and is equipped with a roll body support portion capable of supporting a roll body in which a long sheet medium is wound in a roll shape around a cylindrical core member, and a loading surface aligned with the roll body support portion along the pull-out direction, on which a sheet medium shorter than the long sheet medium is loaded, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the loading surface, the loading surface overlaps with the core member of the roll body supported by the roll body support portion, but does not overlap with the roll body support portion.

[0008] The image recording device of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned feed tray, a feed roller which feeds from the feed tray either the roll medium, which is the sheet medium unwound from the roll body, or the short sheet medium, and a recording unit which records an image on either the roll medium or the short sheet medium fed by the feed roller and sent out of the feed tray. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the feeding tray and the image recording device of the present invention, when a roll body is to be stored, the roll body is supported by the roll body support part located at the support position. When a short sheet medium is to be stored, the roll body support part is retracted from the support position (the roll body is removed from the roll body support part), and the short sheet medium is placed on the placement surface. This allows the feeding tray to selectively store either a roll body or a short sheet medium. That is, the feeding tray can store a roll body and can also store a short sheet medium. In addition, the feeding tray can be made smaller in size in the pull-out direction than a configuration in which the placement surface does not overlap with the roll body support part located at the support position (a configuration in which the placement surface does not overlap with the core member of the roll body supported by the roll body support part) when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the placement surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [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] 2 is a top view of the feed tray shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a side view of the feed tray shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the roll body support portion is in a supporting position. [Figure 4] 2 is a side view of the feed tray shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the roll body support portion is in a retracted position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a locking mechanism in a state where the roll body support portion is locked. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sensor. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the sensor taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6, showing a detection state and a non-detection state of the sensor. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a side view of a feeding tray according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a side view of a feeding tray according to a first modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a side view of a feeding tray according to a second modified example of the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] First Embodiment A printer 100 (corresponding to the "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.

[0012] (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 sensor 9 (see FIG. 6), and a control unit 10. The feeding mechanism 3 has a feeding tray 1 and a feeding roller 2.

[0013] 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 inside the housing 100a. The feed tray 1 is insertable into and removable from the housing 100a in the front-rear direction through an opening 101 formed in the front wall of the housing 100a. That is, the feed tray 1 can be pulled out of the printer 100 by moving the feed tray 1 from the rear to the front. That is, the direction from the rear to the front corresponds to the "pulling out direction" of the present invention.

[0014] The feed tray 1 can selectively accommodate either the roll R or cut paper Kp. The feed tray 1 has a roll support section 8 that supports the roll R, and a placement surface 17 on which the cut paper Kp is placed. The roll R is a long piece of paper (corresponding to the "sheet medium" of the present invention) wound in a roll shape around the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical core member Rc. The cut paper Kp is paper (corresponding to the "sheet medium" of the present invention) that is shorter than the long piece of paper that constitutes the roll R, and is, for example, A4 size or B5 size paper. The width direction of the roll paper Rp unwound from the roll R in the feed tray 1 coincides with the left-right direction.

[0015] As will be described later, the roll body support part 8 is movable between a support position (position shown in FIG. 3) for supporting the roll body R and a retracted position (position shown in FIG. 4) retracted from the support position. The sensor 9 is for detecting whether the roll body support part 8 is located at the support position. The specific configuration of the sensor 9 will be described later.

[0016] The feeding roller 2 feeds, from the feeding tray 1, roll paper Rp unwound from a roll R supported by a roll support section 8 or cut paper Kp placed on a placement surface 17. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between roll paper Rp and cut paper Kp, they will be referred to as "paper P."

[0017] The feed roller 2 is supported on the tip of an arm 2a and rotates by driving a feed motor (not shown). The arm 2a is supported on a support shaft 2b so as to be freely rotatable. The arm 2a is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so that the feed roller 2 approaches the bottom surface 11a of the feed tray 1. The arm 2a is configured to be able to retreat upward when the feed tray 1 is attached to or detached from the housing 100a. 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 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. As will be described later, a rear wall 15 provided at the end on the rear side of the feed tray 1 is inclined so that the upper end is located rearward of the lower end. Therefore, the paper P sent out from the feed tray 1 faces diagonally upward.

[0018] The conveying mechanism 4 includes 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 under 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 rear end of the feed tray 1. The intermediate roller pair 41 conveys the paper P upward while sandwiching the paper P that is sent out from the feed tray 1 by the feed roller 2 and heads diagonally upward. 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] The cutter 5 is located between the rear end of the feed tray 1 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 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.

[0021] The head 6 includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) formed on the bottom 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 transported by the transport 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 recorded on the paper P when the paper P transported by the transport mechanism 4 passes an image recording position facing the bottom surface of the head 6. The head 6 may be either a line type that ejects ink from nozzles while being fixed in position, or a serial type that ejects ink from nozzles while moving left and right.

[0022] The paper discharge tray 7 is disposed in front of the head 6 within the housing 100a and above the feed tray 1. The paper discharge tray 7 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a in the front-rear direction through an opening 102 formed in the front wall of the housing 100a. The paper P on which an image has been recorded by the head 6 is received in the paper discharge tray 7.

[0023] The control unit 10 is connected to the sensor 9, the feed motor, the intermediate motor, the transport motor, the discharge motor, the cutting motor, and the driver IC via an internal bus (not shown). The control unit 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a 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.

[0024] (Feed Tray 1 Configuration) Next, the configuration of the feed tray 1 will be described with further reference to Figs. 2 to 5. In the following description, the direction of each part of the feed tray 1 will be described based on the orientation of the feed tray 1 when it is attached to the housing 100a. The feed tray 1 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is formed into a box shape that opens upward. The feed tray 1 has a bottom wall 11, side walls 12 and 13, a front wall 14, and a rear wall 15.

[0025] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bottom wall 11 extends in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The upper surface of the bottom wall 11 is the bottom surface 11a of the feed tray 1. The bottom surface 11a is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The side walls 12 and 13 extend upward from both left and right end edges of the bottom wall 11. The side walls 12 and 13 extend in the front-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the bottom wall 11. The front wall 14 extends upward from the front edge of the bottom wall 11. The front wall 14 extends in the left-right direction from the right end to the left end of the bottom wall 11. As shown in Fig. 2, four rear walls 15 are provided at the rear edge of the bottom wall 11, separated from each other in the left-right direction. As described above, the rear wall 15 is inclined so that the upper end is located rearward of the lower end.

[0026] The size of the front wall 14 is approximately the same as the size of the opening 101 of the housing 100a. Therefore, when the feed tray 1 is attached to the housing 100a, the opening 101 is closed by the front wall 14 of the feed tray 1. The heights of the side walls 12, 13 and the rear wall 15 are approximately the same. As shown in FIG. 4, the height H1 of the front wall 14 is higher than the height H2 of the side walls 12, 13 and the rear wall 15.

[0027] A plate member 14a parallel to the bottom wall 11 is attached to the front wall 14. The plate member 14a has an opening 14b formed therein that can engage with a protrusion 83 provided on a support base 81 of the roll body support portion 8, as described below.

[0028] The roll body support unit 8 supports the roll body R in a position in which the axial direction of the roll body R coincides with the left-right direction. The roll body support unit 8 has a support base 81 on which two rollers 82a, 82b are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the support base 81 extends along the left-right direction. The rollers 82a, 82b both extend along the left-right direction and are disposed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The rollers 82a, 82b are both supported on the upper end of the support base 81 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. The rollers 82a, 82b support the roll body R from below while being in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion of the roll body R.

[0029] The roll body support part 8, when attached to the feed tray 1, can move between a support position (position shown in FIG. 3) where the roll body R is supported and a retracted position (position shown in FIG. 4) where the roll body support part 8 is retracted from the support position. The roll body support part 8 can rotate about a rotation shaft 81a extending along the left-right direction. The roll body support part 8 can move from the support position to the retracted position by rotating about the rotation shaft 81a. The rotation shaft 81a is provided at the front end of the support base 81 of the roll body support part 8 located at the support position. That is, the rotation shaft 81a is provided at the front end far from the placement surface 17 among both ends of the front roll body support part 8 in the front-rear direction. Notches 12a and 13a that are open upward are formed at the front ends of the side walls 12 and 13, respectively. Both ends of the rotation shaft 81a are fitted into the notches 12a and 13a of the side walls 12 and 13, respectively. That is, the rotation shaft 81 a is supported by the side walls 12 and 13 .

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the roll body support part 8 located at the support position is disposed on the bottom surface 11a. As shown in Fig. 4, the roll body support part 8 located at the retracted position is inclined so that its upper end is located further forward than its lower end. The height H3 of the roll body support part 8 located at the retracted position is lower than the height H1 of the front wall 14.

[0031] A protrusion 83 protruding rearward is formed on the rear end of the support base 81 of the roll body support part 8 located at the support position. When the roll body support part 8 moves from the support position to the retracted position, the protrusion 83 fits into the opening 14b formed in the plate material 14a of the front wall 14. This locks the roll body support part 8 in the retracted position. In other words, the plate material 14a of the front wall 14 in which the opening 14b is formed and the protrusion 83 formed on the support base 81 constitute a locking mechanism 16 that locks the roll body support part 8 in the retracted position.

[0032] 5, a notch 83a is formed on both the left and right sides of the portion of the support base 81 where the protrusion 83 is formed. This makes the portion of the support base 81 where the protrusion 83 is formed flexible in the protruding direction of the protrusion 83 (the front-rear direction when the roll body support part 8 is located at the support position). This makes it easy to engage and disengage the protrusion 83 from the opening 14b.

[0033] 3, a protrusion 81b protruding downward is formed on the lower surface of the support base 81 of the roll body support unit 8 located at the support position. Also, an opening 11b penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. When the roll body support unit 8 is located at the support position, the protrusion 81b formed on the support base 81 fits into the opening 11b.

[0034] The placement surface 17 is a part of the bottom surface 11a of the feed tray 1, and can support a plurality of stacked cut sheets Kp from below. The roll body support portion 8 and the placement surface 17 are aligned in the front-rear direction. The placement surface 17 is located rearward of the roll body support portion 8. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the placement surface 17 (the area surrounded by a dashed line in Fig. 2 and the area indicated by A in Fig. 3) partially overlaps with the roll body support portion 8 located at the support position in top view (as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the placement surface 17). More specifically, the front end of the placement surface 17 and the rear end of the roll body support portion 8 located at the support position overlap in top view. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the placement surface 17 (the area indicated by A in Fig. 4) does not overlap with the roll body support portion 8 located at the retracted position in top view.

[0035] A guide 18 is provided on the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1 to contact the front end of the cut paper Kp placed on the placement surface 17 and guide the cut paper Kp. The guide 18 can selectively take a guide position (position shown in FIG. 4) where it contacts the cut paper Kp and can guide it, and a retracted position (position shown in FIG. 3) retracted from the guide position. The guide 18 is a plate-shaped member extending in the left-right direction. The guide 18 is biased in the counterclockwise direction in FIGS. 3 and 4 by a spring 19, which is a torsion coil spring having a central axis extending in the left-right direction.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4, when the guide 18 is in the guide position, a surface 18a of the guide 18 that can come into contact with the front end of the cut paper Kp is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. As shown in Fig. 3, the guide 18 and the spring 19 in the retracted position are located in a groove 11c formed in the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. When the guide 18 is in the retracted position, a surface 18b of the guide 18 opposite to the surface 18a is substantially flush with the bottom surface 11a of the feed tray 1. In other words, the entire guide 18 is located in the groove 11c.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, when the roll body support part 8 is located at the retracted position, the guide 18 is located at the guide position. When the roll body support part 8 rotates from the retracted position to the support position, the support base 81 of the roll body support part 8 abuts against the guide 18. Then, the guide 18 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 against the biasing force of the spring 19 in conjunction with the movement of the roll body support part 8. As shown in FIG. 3, when the roll body support part 8 is located at the support position, the guide 18 is located at the retracted position. Note that, as described above, the guide 18 located at the retracted position is entirely located within the groove 11c formed in the bottom wall 11, so that the roll body support part 8 located at the support position and the guide 18 do not interfere with each other. Also, when the roll body support part 8 rotates from the support position to the retracted position, the guide 18 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 by the biasing force of the spring 19 in conjunction with the movement of the roll body support part 8.

[0038] (Sensor 9 Configuration) 6 and 7, the configuration of the sensor 9 that detects whether the roll body support portion 8 is located at the support position will be described. The sensor 9 is provided in a portion of the housing 100a that faces the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1 when the feed tray 1 is attached to the housing 100a. The sensor 9 has an actuator 91 and a detection portion 92 that detects the movement of the actuator 91.

[0039] The actuator 91 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 91a extending in the left-right direction. The actuator 91 is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so as to rotate upward, and an upper end portion of the actuator 91 is adapted to enter an opening 11b formed in the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 3, when the roll body support unit 8 is located at the support position, the protrusion 81b formed on the support base 81 comes into contact with the actuator 91. As a result, the actuator 91 is pressed downward against the biasing force of the biasing member and comes out from within the opening 11b. As shown in Fig. 4, when the roll body support unit 8 is located at the retracted position, the protrusion 81b formed on the support base 81 comes out from within the opening 11b, and the actuator 91 separates from the protrusion 81b. As a result, the actuator 91 rotates upward due to the force of the biasing member and enters the opening 11b.

[0041] A detectable portion 91b detectable by the detector 92 is provided at the end of the rotation shaft 91a of the actuator 91. The detectable portion 91b also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator 91. The detector 92 is, for example, a transmission type optical sensor made up of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The detector 92 outputs a detection signal to the controller 10 when the detectable portion 91b is located at its detection position. When the actuator 91 is inserted into the opening 11b of the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1, the detectable portion 91b is located at the detection position of the detector 92 (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 7). When the actuator 91 is pushed down by the protrusion 81b of the support base 81 and is out of the opening 11b, the detectable portion 91b rotates downward from the detection position of the detector 92 and is located at a position out of the detection position (position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 7).

[0042] The control unit 10 determines that the roll body support unit 8 is in the support position when it receives a detection signal from the detection unit 92 of the sensor 9. Furthermore, when it does not receive a detection signal from the detection unit 92 of the sensor 9, the control unit 10 determines that the roll body support unit 8 is not in the support position.

[0043] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, the feed tray 1 of the first embodiment includes the roll body support section 8 that supports the roll body R at the support position and is retractable from the support position, and the placement surface 17 that is aligned with the roll body support section 8 in the front-rear direction and on which the cut paper Kp is placed. In a top view, the placement surface 17 overlaps with the roll body support section 8 that is positioned at the support position, and does not overlap with the roll body support section 8 that has been retracted from the support position. With this configuration, when the roll body R is to be stored, the roll body support section 8 that is positioned at the support position supports the roll body R. Then, when the cut paper Kp is to be stored, the roll body support section 8 is retracted from the support position, and the cut paper Kp is placed on the placement surface 17. This allows the feed tray 1 to selectively store either the roll body R or the cut paper Kp. That is, the feed tray 1 can store the roll body R and can also store the cut paper Kp. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the placement surface 17 does not overlap with the roll body support portion 8 located at the support position when viewed from above, the feed tray 1 can be made smaller in size in the front-to-rear direction (the direction in which the feed tray 1 is pulled out).

[0044] Furthermore, in the feeding tray 1 of the above-described embodiment, the roll body support part 8 is movable between a support position and a position retracted from the support position while attached to the feeding tray 1. According to this configuration, even when the roll body support part 8 is retracted from the support position to store the cut paper Kp, the roll body support part 8 remains attached to the feeding tray 1, making it possible to make the roll body support part 8 less likely to be lost.

[0045] Furthermore, in the feeding tray 1 of the above-described embodiment, the roll body support part 8 is rotatable about a rotation axis 81a along the left-right direction, and retracts from the support position by rotating. With this configuration, by rotating the roll body support part 8 when retracting it from the support position, the roll body support part 8 cannot support the roll body R. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where the roll body support part 8 slides in the front-rear direction to retract it from the support position, it is possible to reliably store the roll body R and the cut paper Kp exclusively.

[0046] Additionally, in the feeding tray 1 of the embodiment described above, the height H3 of the roll body support part 8 in a position retracted from the support position is lower than the height H1 of the front wall 14. With this configuration, when the feeding tray 1, which has been pulled out of the housing 100a with the roll body support part 8 retracted from the support position, is returned into the housing 100a, the roll body support part 8 does not interfere with the housing 100a.

[0047] Furthermore, the feeding tray 1 of the above-described embodiment has a locking mechanism 16 that locks the roll body support part 8 in the retracted position, the locking mechanism 16 being constituted by the plate material 14a of the front wall 14 in which the opening 14b is formed and the protrusion 83 formed on the support base 81. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the roll body support part 8 that has been retracted from the support position from rotating toward the support position and coming into contact with the cut paper Kp placed on the placement surface 17, thereby damaging the cut paper Kp.

[0048] Furthermore, the feeding tray 1 of the above-described embodiment has a guide 18 that can selectively take a guide position and a retracted position. In the guide position, the guide 18 can abut against the front end of the cut sheet Kp placed on the placement surface 17, and in the retracted position, the guide 18 does not interfere with the roll body support part 8 that is located at the support position. With this configuration, when the cut sheet Kp is to be stored, the guide 18 can guide the cut sheet Kp so that the cut sheet Kp is placed in the correct position on the placement surface 17. Also, when the roll R is to be stored, the guide 18 can be retracted from the guide position and the roll body support part 8 can be placed in the support position.

[0049] Furthermore, in the feeding tray 1 of the above-described embodiment, the guide 18 moves to the guide position in conjunction with the roll body support part 8 rotating and moving from the support position to the retracted position, and moves to the retracted position in conjunction with the roll body support part 8 rotating and moving to the support position. With this configuration, the user does not need to perform an operation to set the guide 18 to the guide position or an operation to retract the guide 18 from the guide position, separately from an operation to retract the roll body support part 8 from the support position or an operation to set the roll body support part 8 to the support position, and therefore operability is good.

[0050] Furthermore, the printer 100 to which the feed tray 1 of the above-described embodiment is attached has a sensor 9 that detects whether the roll body support part 8 is located at the support position. With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the roll body R is stored in the feed tray 1 based on a detection signal from the sensor 9.

[0051] In the printer 100 to which the feed tray 1 of the above-described embodiment is attached, the sensor 9 has an actuator 91 provided in the housing 100a, and when the feed tray 1 is attached to the housing 100a, the actuator 91 comes into contact with the roll body support part 8 located at the support position and moves away from the roll body support part 8 retracted from the support position. This configuration makes it possible to detect with a simple configuration whether or not the roll body support part 8 is located at the support position.

[0052] <Second embodiment> Next, a feeding tray 201 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Hereinafter, components having the same configuration as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0053] The feed tray 201 of the present embodiment differs from the feed tray 1 of the first embodiment in the positional relationship between a roll body support section (shaft 208) that supports the roll body R and a placement surface 217 on which cut paper Kp is placed. That is, in the feed tray 1 of the first embodiment, the placement surface 217 overlaps with the roll body support section 8 located at the support position in a top view, but does not overlap with the roll body support section 8 that has been retracted from the support position. On the other hand, in the feed tray 201 of the second embodiment, the placement surface 217 overlaps with the core member Rc of the roll body R supported by the shaft 208 in a top view, but does not overlap with the shaft 208.

[0054] 8, the feed tray 201 has a shaft 208 that is inserted into a core member Rc of the roll R. Notches 212a and 213a that are open at the top are formed in the side walls 12 and 13, respectively. Both ends of the shaft 208 are fitted into the notches 212a and 213a of the side walls 12 and 13, respectively. The shaft 208 supports the roll R at a support position where both ends are fitted into the notches 212a and 213a, respectively.

[0055] The shaft 208 located at the support position and the placement surface 217 are aligned in the front-rear direction. The placement surface 217 is located rearward of the shaft 208 located at the support position. As shown in FIG. 8, the placement surface 217 (area indicated by B in FIG. 8) partially overlaps, in top view, with the core member Rc of the roll body R supported by the shaft 208 located at the support position. More specifically, the front end of the placement surface 217 and the rear end of the core member Rc of the roll body R supported by the roll body support part 8 located at the support position overlap, in top view. Moreover, the placement surface 217 does not overlap, in top view, with the shaft 208 located at the support position.

[0056] As described above, the feed tray 201 of the second embodiment can store the roll R and can also store cut sheets Kp, similar to the feed tray 1 of the first embodiment. Also, the feed tray 201 can be made smaller in size in the front-rear direction (the direction in which the feed tray 201 is pulled out) than in a configuration in which the placement surface 217 does not overlap the core member Rc of the roll R supported by the shaft 208 in a top view.

[0057] 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.

[0058] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the roll body support part 8 supports the roll body R from below has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, in a feed tray 301 according to a first modified example of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , the roll body support part is a cover 308 that covers the upper and rear of the roll body R. The roll body R is supported by the cover 308 and does not roll in the front-rear direction. The cover 308 can be removed from the feed tray 301.

[0059] The cover 308 located at the support position supporting the roll R and the placement surface 317 on which the cut paper Kp is placed are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. The placement surface 317 is located rearward of the cover 308 located at the support position. As shown in FIG. 9, the placement surface 317 (area indicated by C in FIG. 9) partially overlaps with the cover 308 located at the support position in a top view. More specifically, the front end of the placement surface 317 and the rear end of the cover 308 located at the support position overlap in a top view. Furthermore, the placement surface 317 does not overlap with the cover 308 that has been retracted from the support position (removed from the feed tray 1) in a top view.

[0060] In the above-described first embodiment, the roll body support part 8 is rotatable about the rotation shaft 81a extending along the left-right direction, and a case has been described in which the roll body support part 8 is retracted from the support position by rotating, but the retraction direction of the roll body support part 8 from the support position is not limited to this. That is, in the feed tray 401 according to the second modified example of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the roll body support part 408 is slidable along the front-rear direction.

[0061] The roll body support part 408 supports the roll body R at a support position shown by a solid line in Fig. 10. The roll body support part 408 is slidable to a retracted position (position shown by a dashed line in Fig. 10) forward of the support position.

[0062] The roll body support part 408 located at the support position and the placement surface 417 on which the cut paper Kp is placed are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. The placement surface 417 is located rearward of the roll body support part 408 located at the support position. As shown in FIG. 10, the placement surface 417 (area indicated by D in FIG. 10) partially overlaps with the roll body support part 408 located at the support position in a top view. More specifically, the front end of the placement surface 417 and the rear end of the roll body support part 408 located at the support position overlap in a top view. Furthermore, the placement surface 417 does not overlap with the roll body support part 408 located at the retracted position in a top view.

[0063] In the above-described first embodiment, the mounting surface 17 overlaps with the roll body support part 8 located at the support position in a top view, and does not overlap with the roll body support part 8 retracted from the support position, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the mounting surface 17 may be configured to overlap with the core member Rc of the roll body R supported by the roll body support part 8 located at the support position in a top view, and not overlap with the roll body support part 8 located at the support position.

[0064] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the placement surface 17 (217) is located rearward of the roll body support unit 8 (shaft 208) located at the support position, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the placement surface 17 (217) may be located forward of the roll body support unit 8 (shaft 208) located at the support position.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, the case has been described in which the rotation shaft 81a of the roll body support unit 8 is provided at the front end of the support base 81 of the roll body support unit 8 located at the support position, but this is not limited thereto. That is, for example, the rotation shaft 81a may be provided at the center in the front-rear direction of the support base 81 of the roll body support unit 8 located at the support position.

[0066] In addition, in the above-described first embodiment, the case where the rotation shaft 81a of the roll body support portion 8 is supported by the side walls 12, 13 of the feed tray 1 has been described, but this is not limiting. That is, a member for supporting the rotation shaft 81a may be provided separately from the side walls 12, 13.

[0067] In the above-described first embodiment, the feeding tray 1 is configured with the plate material 14a of the front wall 14 in which the opening 14b is formed, and the protrusion 83 formed on the support base 81, and has the locking mechanism 16 that locks the roll body support part 8 in the retracted position, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, the locking mechanism 16 may be configured such that a protrusion formed on the front wall 14 engages with an opening formed on the support base 81. Also, the locking mechanism 16 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0068] In the above-described first embodiment, the guide 18 that guides the cut paper Kp rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the roll body support unit 8 and moves between the guide position and the retracted position, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the guide may be configured to be expandable and contractible in the vertical direction and configured to move in conjunction with the rotation of the roll body support unit 8 between a guide position that protrudes above the bottom surface 11a and a retracted position that does not protrude from the bottom surface 11a. The movement of the guide 18 between the guide position and the retracted position may be performed separately by the user, not in conjunction with the rotation of the roll body support unit 8. Furthermore, the guide 18 does not have to be provided.

[0069] In the above-described first embodiment, the sensor 9 for detecting whether or not the roll body support part 8 is located at the support position has the actuator 91 that moves in conjunction with the movement of the roll body support part 8, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, whether or not the roll body support part 8 is located at the support position may be detected using a reflective or transmissive optical sensor that irradiates light toward the roll body support part 8 located at the support position.

[0070] The present invention can be applied to image recording devices in general that have a feed tray capable of accommodating rolls and cut paper. That is, for example, the present invention can be applied not only to inkjet printers, but also to electrophotographic printers equipped with a laser-type recording unit in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoconductor to a laser, or an LED-type recording unit 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]

[0071] 1, 201 Feeding tray 2 Feeding roller 6 Head (recording section) 8, 408 Roll body support part 9 Sensors 12, 13 side wall 14 Front wall 16 Locking mechanism 18 Guide 17, 217 Placement surface 81a Rotating shaft 91 Actuator 100 Printer (image recording device) 100a housing 208 Shaft (roll body support part) 308 Cover (Roll body support part) Kp Cut paper (sheet media) R Roll Body Rc core material Rp roll paper (roll media)

Claims

1. A feed tray that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction from an image recording device, a roll support section that supports a roll of a long sheet medium wound in a roll shape at a support position and is retractable from the support position; a loading surface aligned with the roll body support portion along the pull-out direction, on which a sheet medium shorter than the long sheet medium is loaded, the placement surface overlaps with the roll body support portion located at the support position and does not overlap with the roll body support portion retreated from the support position when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the placement surface, The feed tray, wherein the roll support portion is movable between the support position and a position retracted from the support position while being attached to the feed tray.

2. A feed tray that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction from an image recording device, a roll support section that supports a roll of a long sheet medium wound in a roll shape at a support position and is retractable from the support position; a loading surface aligned with the roll body support portion along the pull-out direction, on which a sheet medium shorter than the long sheet medium is loaded, the placement surface overlaps with the roll body support portion located at the support position and does not overlap with the roll body support portion retreated from the support position when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the placement surface, The feed tray is characterized in that the roll support portion supports the roll from below.

3. The feed tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the roll body support portion is rotatable around a rotation axis along a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction and a direction perpendicular to the loading surface, and is retracted from the support position by rotating.

4. 4. The feeding tray according to claim 3, wherein the rotation shaft is provided at one of an upstream end and a downstream end of the roll support portion in the pull-out direction, the downstream end being farther from the placement surface.

5. The rotary shaft further includes two side walls provided at both ends in the axial direction thereof and extending along the drawing direction, 5. The feeding tray according to claim 3, wherein both ends of the rotation shaft of the roll support portion are supported by the two side walls, respectively.

6. The nozzle further includes a front wall provided downstream in the drawing direction, 6. The feeding tray according to claim 3, wherein a height of the roll body support portion when in a position retracted from the support position is lower than a height of the front wall.

7. 7. The feeding tray according to claim 3, further comprising a locking mechanism that locks the roll body supporting portion at a position retracted from the supporting position.

8. The guide may be selectively positioned between a guide position and a retracted position. A feeding tray as described in any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that, in the guide position, the guide is capable of abutting the end portion of the short sheet medium placed on the loading surface on the side of the roll body support portion in the pull-out direction, and in the retracted position, the guide does not interfere with the roll body support portion located at the support position.

9. The feed tray according to claim 8, characterized in that the guide moves to the guide position in conjunction with the roll body support portion rotating and moving from the support position to a retracted position, and moves to the retracted position in conjunction with the roll body support portion rotating and moving to the support position.

10. The feed tray according to claim 2 , wherein the roll support portion is removable from the feed tray, and is retracted from the support position by being removed from the feed tray.

11. A feed tray that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction from an image recording device, a roll body support section capable of supporting a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape around a cylindrical core member; a loading surface aligned with the roll body support portion along the pull-out direction, on which a sheet medium shorter than the long sheet medium is loaded, A feed tray characterized in that the loading surface overlaps with the core member of the roll body supported by the roll body support portion, but does not overlap with the roll body support portion, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the loading surface.

12. A feed tray according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a feed roller that feeds from the feed tray one of the roll medium, which is the sheet medium unwound from the roll body, and the short sheet medium; a recording unit that records an image on either the roll medium or the short sheet medium fed by the feed roller and sent out from the feed tray.

13. A feed tray which can be pulled out in a pull-out direction from an image recording device, the feed tray comprising: a roll body support section which supports a roll body of a long sheet medium wound in a roll shape at a support position and which can be retracted from said support position; and a loading surface which is aligned with the roll body support section along the pull-out direction and on which a sheet medium shorter than the long sheet medium is loaded; a housing to which the feeding tray is detachably attached; a feed roller that feeds from the feed tray one of the roll medium, which is the sheet medium unwound from the roll body, and the short sheet medium; a recording unit that records an image on one of the roll medium and the short sheet medium fed by the feeding roller and sent out from the feeding tray; a sensor that detects whether the roll body support portion is located at the support position, the placement surface overlaps with the roll body support portion located at the support position and does not overlap with the roll body support portion retreated from the support position when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the placement surface, The sensor has an actuator provided in the housing, The image recording device is characterized in that, when the feed tray is attached to the housing, the actuator abuts the roll body support portion located at the support position and moves away from the roll body support portion retracted from the support position.

Images