Image Recording Device

Abstract

To inhibit decrease in the operating rate of the image recording device.SOLUTION: In a printer 100, a conveyance path 440B connects a supply tray 410B with a platen 470B and a recording head 480B. A conveyance path 440A is arranged on an inner side of the conveyance path 440B and connects a supply tray 410A with a platen 470A and a recording head 480A. An outer cover 540 closes the conveyance path 440B at a closed position P2a on an outer side of the conveyance path 440B, and moves away from the closed position P2a to an open position P2b where the conveyance path 440B is open. An inner cover 530 closes the conveyance path 440A at an outer mounting position on an outer side on the conveyance path 440A, and moves away from the mounting position so as to open the conveyance path 440A. The inner cover 530 is located at the mounting position when the outer cover 540 opens the conveyance path 440B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses the following image recording device. In the image recording device, a sheet fed from an upper tray is transported to a lower recording engine via an inner transport path. Also, a sheet fed from a lower tray is transported to the upper recording engine via an outer transport path formed on the outer side of the inner transport path in a housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-337011 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In an image recording device, a sheet may become jammed in at least one of the inner and outer conveying paths. Hereinafter, in this specification, a sheet jammed in a conveying path is also referred to as a jam. In order to clear the sheet jam, it is possible to configure the inner conveying path to be open in conjunction with the opening of the outer conveying path. However, in this configuration, even if a sheet is jammed only in the outer conveying path, the inner conveying path is also opened. Therefore, the upper recording engine stops operating even though it is capable of performing image recording. In other words, the availability rate of the image recording device decreases.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an image recording apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in the operating rate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image recording device of the present invention comprises a first tray, a second tray, a first recording engine, a second recording engine, a first transport path for a first sheet connecting the first tray and the first recording engine, a second transport path for a second sheet extending on one side of the first transport path in a cross direction intersecting a transport direction in which the first sheet is transported and connecting the second tray and the second recording engine, a first cover that blocks the first transport path at a first closed position on the other side of the cross direction of the first transport path and moves to a first open position that opens the first transport path by moving away from the first closed position, and a second cover that blocks the second transport path at a second closed position on the other side of the second transport path and opens the second transport path by moving away from the second closed position, and the second cover is positioned at the second closed position when the first cover opens the first transport path. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a decrease in the availability rate of an image recording device is suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a front view and a rear view, respectively, that show a schematic view of the printer 100. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating the internal configuration of the printer 100, with the outer cover 540 being in the closed position P2a and the outer cover 540 being in the open position P2b, respectively. [Diagram 3] 1A is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer 100, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing detection positions P4a and P4b of sheet sensors 550A and 550B. [Figure 4] (A) is an oblique view showing a schematic view of the inner guide 510 and the outer guide 520 when viewed from the left rear, and (B) is an oblique view showing a schematic view of the inner cover 530 in the attached position when viewed from the left rear. [Diagram 5]13A is a perspective view that shows a schematic view of an inner cover 530 as viewed from diagonally front right, and FIG. 13B is a perspective view that shows a schematic view of an outer cover 540 as viewed from diagonally front right. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams showing locking mechanisms 700L, 700R of an inner cover 530 according to a first modified example, where (A) shows a locked state and (B) shows an unlocked state. [Figure 7] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an inner cover 530 according to a second modified example. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an inner cover 530 according to a third modified example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the installation state (state of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) in which the printer 100 is installed so as to be usable, the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the front faces 201L and 201R as the near side, and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the printer 100 is viewed from the front faces 201L and 201R. The up-down direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are mutually orthogonal. In the following description, the progress from the starting point of an arrow to the end point is expressed as the direction, and the movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of an arrow is expressed as the direction. In other words, the direction is one component of the direction.

[0010] [General Configuration of Printer 100] 1 and 2, printer 100 includes, within housing 200, supply trays 410A, 410B, feeding mechanisms 430A, 430B, transport paths 440A, 440B, transport roller pairs 450A, 450B, discharge roller pairs 460A, 460B, intermediate transport roller pair 490, platens 470A, 470B, and recording heads 480A, 480B. Printer 100 also includes discharge trays 420A, 420B, inner guide 510, outer guide 520, inner cover 530, and outer cover 540.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 3A, the printer 100 further includes sheet sensors 550A and 550B, a controller 560, and a display 570.

[0012] The printer 100 is an example of an image recording device.

[0013] [Chassis 200] In FIG. 1, housing 200 is an exterior body having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and is supported by various frames (not shown) within housing 200.

[0014] In FIG. 1(A), housing 200 has front surfaces 201L, 201R, inner sides 202L, 202R, rear sides 203A, 203B, outer sides 204L, 204R, and a top surface 205, and separates the interior space of housing 200 from the exterior space.

[0015] 1(A), the front faces 201L and 201R have a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the front face 201L is located to the left of the front face 201R with a gap between them. The lower portion of the space between the front faces 201L and 201R is formed as openings 201A and 201B. The opening 201A is located above the opening 201B. The openings 201A and 201B are examples of openings.

[0016] The inner surface 202L extends rearward from the upper portion at the right end of the front surface 201L, and the inner surface 202R extends rearward from the upper portion at the left end of the front surface 201R.

[0017] Each of the rear surfaces 203A, 203B has a generally rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction 9 when viewed from the front, and connects the rear ends of the inner surfaces 202L, 202R to each other. The rear surface 203A is located below and in front of the rear surface 203B (see FIG. 2(A)).

[0018] 1A, narrow slits are formed in the left-right direction 9 near the bottom ends of the rear faces 203A and 203B as discharge openings 444A and 444B, respectively. When viewed from the front, parts of the discharge roller pairs 460A and 460B can be seen from the discharge openings 444A and 444B, respectively.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1B, the housing 200 further has rear surfaces 206L and 206R and inner surfaces 207L and 207R.

[0020] The rear surfaces 206L, 206R are generally rectangular in plan view from the rear, and the rear surface 206L is positioned to the left of the rear surface 206R with a distance equal to or slightly greater than the left-right dimension of the outer cover 540.

[0021] The inner surface 207L extends forward from the right end of the rear surface 206L, and the inner surface 207R extends forward from the left end of the rear surface 206R. The inner surfaces 207L and 207R extend in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8, and are spaced apart from each other by equal distances to the left and right from a paper passing center plane C described below.

[0022] [Supply tray 410A, 410B] 2, the supply trays 410A and 410B move rearward within the housing 200 through the openings 201A and 201B (see FIG. 1(A)) and are located at the mounting positions P0a and P0b, respectively. The supply trays 410A and 410B move forward (an example of a pulling-out direction) from the mounting positions P0a and P0b within the housing 200 and are pulled out from the housing 200 through the openings 201A and 201B. The mounting positions P0a and P0b are examples of the second mounting position and the first mounting position.

[0023] 2, each of the supply trays 410A, 410B has a box-like shape that is thin in the up-down direction 7, and supports a plurality of sheets 1A, 1B stacked in the up-down direction 7 at its bottoms 411A, 411B. The sheets 1A, 1B are supported by sheet guides (not shown) provided on the bottoms 411A, 411B so that the centers in the width direction of the sheets 1A, 1B are aligned with a sheet passing center plane C (see FIG. 1). The sheet passing center plane C is an imaginary plane that passes through approximately the center in the left-right direction 9 of the discharge openings 444A, 444B and the conveying paths 440A, 440B (see FIG. 4), and is parallel to the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

[0024] Each of the supply trays 410A and 410B can support sheets 1A and 1B of various sizes. Hereinafter, the maximum widths of the sheets 1A and 1B are referred to as maximum widths W1a and W1b (see FIG. 4). The maximum width W1a is equal to or smaller than the maximum width W1b. In this embodiment, the maximum widths W1a and W1b are the same.

[0025] Supply tray 410A is an example of a second tray and a second supply tray. Supply tray 410B is an example of a first tray and a first supply tray. Sheets 1A and 1B are an example of a second sheet and a first sheet.

[0026] [Exit tray 420A, 420B] 2, the discharge trays 420A and 420B extend forward from a position slightly below the discharge openings 444A and 444B between the front surfaces 201L and 201R (see FIG. 1). The discharge trays 420A and 420B support the sheets 1A and 1B discharged from the discharge openings 444A and 444B on their upper surfaces 421A and 421B, respectively.

[0027] [Feeding mechanism 430A, 430B] 2, the feeding mechanism 430A includes a feeding roller 431A and a feeding arm 432A, and transmits the driving force of a conveying motor 551A (see FIG. 2) to the feeding roller 431A by a drive transmission mechanism (not shown) housed in the feeding arm 432A. This causes the feeding roller 431A to rotate and feed the uppermost sheet 1A on the supply tray 410A backward.

[0028] The feeding mechanism 430B has a similar configuration to the feeding mechanism 430A, and feeds the uppermost sheet 1B on the supply tray 410B rearward by a conveying motor 551B (see FIGS. 2 and 3), a feeding roller 431B, and a feeding arm 432B. The feeding roller 431B may be rotated by a driving force from a motor different from the conveying motor 551B. In this case, the motor different from the conveying motor 551B may be disposed closer to the feeding roller 431B.

[0029] After being fed rearward by feeding mechanisms 430A and 430B, sheets 1A and 1B are guided rearward and upward by guide surfaces 412A and 412B located at the rear ends of supply trays 410A and 410B, respectively, and fed into supply openings 443A and 443B of conveying paths 440A and 440B, respectively.

[0030] [Transport paths 440A, 440B] 2, transport paths 440A and 440B are formed inside the housing 200. The transport path 440A is an example of a second transport path and an inner transport path. The transport path 440B is an example of a first transport path and an outer transport path.

[0031] The conveying path 440A is indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, and has a left-right dimension slightly larger than the maximum width W1a. The conveying path 440A has a curved portion 441A and a straight portion 442A. The curved portion 441A has a supply port 443A. The supply port 443A is located immediately above the upper end of the guide surface 412A. That is, the curved portion 441A is connected to the supply tray 410A. The curved portion 441A curves while extending upward from the supply port 443A, and faces forward at approximately the same vertical position as the discharge port 444A. The straight portion 442A is continuous with the downstream end of the curved portion 441A, and extends approximately linearly forward from the downstream end of the curved portion 441A to reach the discharge port 444A.

[0032] 2 and 4, the transport path 440B connects the supply tray 410B and the discharge port 444B on the outer side of the transport path 440A in the housing 200. In other words, the transport path 440A connects the supply tray 410B and the discharge port 444B on one side (i.e., the inner side) of the transport path 440B in the intersecting direction intersecting with the transport direction 5B. The transport path 440B has a left-right dimension slightly larger than the maximum width W1b.

[0033] Specifically, transport path 440B has a curved portion 441B and a straight portion 442B.

[0034] The curved portion 441B has a supply port 443B. The supply port 443B is located above and slightly behind the upper end of the guide surface 412B. That is, the curved portion 441B is connected to the supply tray 410B. The curved portion 441B extends upward from the supply port 443B and passes outside (i.e., behind) the curved portion 441A within the housing 200. The curved portion 441B bends forward above the downstream end of the curved portion 441A and at approximately the same vertical position as the discharge port 444B.

[0035] The straight portion 442B is continuous with the downstream end of the curved portion 441B, and extends generally linearly forward outside (ie, above) the straight portion 442A, to reach the discharge port 444B.

[0036] In the transport paths 440A and 440B, the sheets 1A and 1B are sent in transport directions 5A and 5B, respectively.

[0037] [Transport roller pair 450A, 450B] As shown in FIG. 2B, the conveying roller pair 450A has a pair of rollers that come into contact with each other at a position (hereinafter also referred to as a "nip position") P1a, which is the downstream end of the curved portion 441A (i.e., the upstream end of the straight portion 442A). One of the two rollers rotates by a driving force generated by a conveying motor 551A (see FIG. 3). The other of the two rollers comes into contact with the one roller from above and is rotated by the rotation of the one roller.

[0038] The conveying roller pair 450B is similar to the conveying roller pair 450A, except that it is located at the downstream end of the curved portion 441B (i.e., the upstream end of the straight portion 442B) and rotates by the driving force of a conveying motor 551B (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The vertical position where the conveying roller pair 450B abuts against each other is also referred to as a nip position P1b (see FIG. 2(B)). The conveying motor 551A is not shown in FIG. 2.

[0039] The conveying roller pairs 450A and 450B rotate to nip and feed the sheets 1A and 1B conveyed by the curved portions 441A and 441B forward, respectively, so that the sheets 1A and 1B are conveyed by the straight portions 442A and 442B.

[0040] [Discharge roller pair 460A, 460B] 2, discharge roller pair 460A has two rollers that come into contact with each other at a position between platen 470A and discharge port 444A on straight section 442A inside housing 200. One of the two rollers rotates by a driving force generated by conveyance motor 551A (see FIG. 3). The other of the two rollers is a spur that comes into contact with one of the rollers from above and is rotated by the rotation of the one roller.

[0041] The discharge roller pair 460B is similar to the discharge roller pair 460A, except that the discharge roller pair 460B is located between the platen 470B and the discharge port 444B in the straight portion 442B within the housing 200. Therefore, a detailed description of the discharge roller pair 460B will be omitted.

[0042] The pair of discharge rollers 460A and 460B rotate to nip and feed the sheets 1A and 1B conveyed along the straight portions 442A and 442B forward, whereby the sheets 1A and 1B are discharged from the discharge openings 444A and 444B.

[0043] [Platen 470A, 470B] 2, platen 470A is located between conveying roller pair 450A and discharge roller pair 460A in the front-rear direction 8. Platen 470B is located behind platen 470A, between conveying roller pair 450B and discharge roller pair 460B in the front-rear direction 8. Platens 470A and 470B support sheets 1A and 1B conveyed by straight portions 442A and 442B on their upper surfaces extending in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 directly below straight portions 442A and 442B, respectively.

[0044] [Recording heads 480A, 480B] 2, the recording heads 480A and 480B are positioned slightly above the platens 470A and 470B, respectively, in the vertical direction 7. That is, the straight portion 442A is connected between the platen 470A and the recording head 480A, and the straight portion 442B is connected between the platen 470B and the recording head 480B.

[0045] Recording head 480B is positioned rearward of recording head 480A.

[0046] The recording heads 480A and 480B eject ink onto the sheets 1A and 1B supported by the platens 470A and 470B, respectively. As a result, an image is recorded on each of the sheets 1A and 1B. The recording heads 480A and 480B are serial heads or line heads. The recording heads 480A and 480B record images by an inkjet method, but are not limited to this, and may record images by an electrophotographic method, a thermal transfer method, or the like.

[0047] The combination of the platen 470A and the recording head 480A is an example of a second recording engine, and the combination of the platen 470B and the recording head 480B is an example of a first recording engine.

[0048] [Inner guide 510, outer guide 520] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the inner guide 510 and the outer guide 520 are each installed on a frame within the housing 200 between the inner surfaces 207L and 207R. Note that Fig. 4(A) does not show configuration other than the essential parts. Also, only a part of the inner surface 207L is shown by a dashed line. These points are the same in Fig. 4(B).

[0049] 2 and 4A, the inner guide 510 has a shape that is thin in the front-rear direction 8 and long in the left-right direction 9. The inner guide 510 is located slightly behind the pair of conveying rollers 450A in the front-rear direction 8 and between the supply port 443A and the nip position P1a in the up-down direction 7.

[0050] 4(A), inner guide 510 has guide surface 511 that defines the inside (i.e., the front and lower sides) of curved portion 441A. Guide surface 511 extends upward from a position forward of curved portion 441A at the lower end position of curved portion 441A (i.e., the vertical position of supply port 443A), curves forward, and reaches a position slightly below and rearward of nip position P1a. The guide surfaces 511 have a left-right dimension that is slightly larger than that of the curved portion 441A, and are shaped symmetrically with respect to the sheet passing center plane C (hereinafter simply referred to as "symmetrical").

[0051] 2 and 4(A), the outer guide 520 has a shape that is thin in the front-rear direction 8 and long in the left-right direction 9. The outer guide 520 is located slightly behind the pair of conveying rollers 450B in the front-rear direction 8, and between the nip position P1b in the up-down direction 7 and the upper end of the inner cover 530 (see FIG. 4(B)) in the mounting position.

[0052] In the following, unless otherwise specified, the term "inner cover 530" means "inner cover 530 in the attached position."

[0053] As shown in Fig. 4(A), outer guide 520 has guide surface 521 that defines an upper portion on the inside (i.e., the front and lower sides) of curved portion 441B. Guide surface 521 extends upward from the upper end of outer guide surface 534 (see Fig. 4(B)) of inner cover 530, curves forward, and reaches a position slightly below and rearward of nip position P1b. Guide surface 521 has a left-right dimension slightly larger than curved portion 441B, and has a left-right symmetrical shape.

[0054] [Inner cover 530] The inner cover 530 is attached to the housing 200 at an attachment position between the inner sides 207L, 207R. The inner cover 530 is an example of a second cover, and the attachment position is an example of a second closed position. The attachment position is approximately the same left-right position as the inner guide 510, as shown in Fig. 4(B), and is a position outside (i.e., rearward) of the inner guide 510 within the housing 200, as shown in Fig. 2(A). The inner cover 530 can be removed rearward from the attachment position, as shown in Fig. 2(B).

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4B, the inner cover 530 has an outer guide surface 534. The outer guide surface 534 defines a lower portion on the inside (i.e., the front side) of the curved portion 441B. The outer guide surface 534 extends upward from a position forward of the curved portion 441B at the lower end position of the curved portion 441B (i.e., the vertical position of the supply port 443B) to reach the lower end of the guide surface 521. That is, the inner side of the curved portion 441B is defined by the guide surface 521 and the outer guide surface 534. The outer guide surface 534 has a left-right dimension slightly larger than that of the curved portion 441B and has a left-right symmetrical shape.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 5(A), the inner cover 530 has an inner guide surface 533. The inner guide surface 533 defines the outer side (i.e., the rear side) of the curved portion 441A. The inner guide surface 533 extends upward from the rear end of the supply port 443A, curves, and heads forward, reaching a position slightly above and rearward of the nip position P1a (see Fig. 4(B)). The inner guide surface 533 has a left-right dimension slightly larger than that of the curved portion 441A, and has a left-right symmetrical shape.

[0057] The inner guide surface 533 and the outer guide surface 534 may be configured by a single curved surface, or may be configured by the tip surfaces of a number of ribs arranged at intervals in the left-right direction 9.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 5(A), the inner cover 530 further has side surfaces 535L, 535R and protrusions 536L, 536R.

[0059] The side surface 535R connects the right ends of the inner guide surface 533 and the outer guide surface 534. The convex portion 536R protrudes to the right from the side surface 535R and has a rectangular protruding end surface in a plan view from the left-right direction 9. The convex portion 536R is provided with recesses 538A and 538B. The recess 538A is recessed at a position toward the upper side in the right front corner of the convex portion 536R. In detail, the recess 538A is defined by an upper surface, a lower surface, a rear surface, and a left surface, and has a shape that is open to the front and right. The recess 537B is similar to the recess 538A except that it is located lower than the recess 538A in the convex portion 536R, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0060] The side surface 535L and the protruding portion 536L are symmetrical to the side surface 535R and the protruding portion 536R. Furthermore, the protruding portion 536L is provided with recesses 537A and 537B that are symmetrical to the recesses 538A and 538B, respectively.

[0061] [Positioning pins 211A, 211B, 212A, 212B] As shown in Fig. 5(A), the printer 100 has positioning pins 211A, 211B, 212A, and 212B. The positioning pin 212A protrudes leftward from the same front-rear and top-bottom positions on the inner side 207R of the housing 200 as the recessed portion 538A in the mounting position. The positioning pin 212B protrudes leftward from the same front-rear and top-bottom positions on the inner side 207R as the recessed portion 538B in the mounting position. The positioning pins 211A and 211B protrude rightward from positions symmetrical to the positioning pins 212A and 212B on the inner side 207L of the housing 200.

[0062] The recesses 537A, 537B, 538A, and 538B fit into the positioning pins 211A, 211B, 212A, and 212B, respectively. As a result, the inner cover 530 is positioned at the mounting position (see FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 4(B)), and closes the curved portion 441A of the conveying path 440A. When the outer cover 540 described later is at the open position P2b (see FIG. 2(B)), the user applies a backward force to the inner cover 530, and the recesses 537A, 537B, 538A, and 538B are released backward from the positioning pins 211A, 211B, 212A, and 212B. As a result, the inner cover 530 moves backward from the mounting position, and opens the curved portion 441A to the outside.

[0063] 5(A) shows parts of inner side surfaces 207L and 207R of housing 200. In addition, inner side surface 207R is shown by a dashed line. This also applies to FIG. 5(B).

[0064] [Shaft 213L, 213R] As shown in Fig. 5(B), printer 100 has cylindrical shafts 213L, 213R. Shaft 213L protrudes rightward from a left outer shaft position on inner side surface 207L of housing 200. The left outer shaft position is a position rearward of curved portion 441B and the rear end of supply tray 410B, and below the upper end of guide surface 412B of supply tray 410B (see Fig. 2).

[0065] Shaft 213R protrudes leftward from a right outer shaft position that is symmetrical to the left outer shaft position on inner surface 207R.

[0066] The shafts 213L, 213R share an axis 216 along the left-right direction 9. The shafts 213L, 213R support the vicinity of the lower end of the outer cover 540 so as to enable the outer cover 540 to rotate between a closed position P2a (see FIG. 2(A)) and an open position P2b (see FIG. 2(B)). The shafts 213L and 213R are examples of outer shafts.

[0067] 2A, the closed position P2a is a position of the outer cover 540 when the outer cover 540 defines the outside of the curved portion 441B of the transport path 440B (an example of the other side in the intersecting direction). The closed position P2a is an example of the first closed position.

[0068] 2(B), the open position P2b is a position away from the closed position P2a in a direction away from the housing 200 (hereinafter also referred to as the "separating direction") in the circumferential direction of the axis 216. The open position P2b is also a position of the outer cover 540 where the guide surface 521 of the outer guide 520 and the outer guide surface 534 of the inner cover 530 are exposed to the external space. The open position P2b is an example of the first open position.

[0069] In the following, unless otherwise specified, the term "outer cover 540" means "outer cover 540 in the closed position P2a."

[0070] [Outer cover 540] In Fig. 1(B), the outer cover 540 covers the space between the inner surfaces 207L, 207R in the left-right direction 9. As shown in Fig. 2(B), the upper end of the outer cover 540 is located above the nip position P1b, and the lower end of the outer cover 540 is located below the upper end of the guide surface 412B. The outer cover 540 is an example of a first cover.

[0071] 2, the outer cover 540 is located rearward of the supply trays 410A and 410B, and is located outside (i.e., rearward of) the outer guide 520 and the inner cover 530. In detail, the outer cover 540 is located rearward of the outer guide 520 and the inner cover 530, except for the upper end portion.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 5(B), outer cover 540 has guide surface 541. As shown in Fig. 2(A), guide surface 541 defines the outer side (i.e., the front side and the lower side) of curved portion 441B. Guide surface 541 extends upward from a position rearward of guide surface 412B to a position slightly above and rearward of nip position P1b, and defines the outer side of curved portion 441B.

[0073] 5(B), the guide surface 541 has a symmetrical shape. The guide surface 541 is slightly larger than the curved portion 441B and has a left-right dimension larger than the left-right dimension of the inner cover 530. The guide surface 541 has a vertical dimension larger than that of the outer guide surface 534. The outer shape of the guide surface 541 includes the inner cover 530 in the attached position when the outer cover 540 is located in the closed position P2a in a plan view from the rear.

[0074] The guide surface 541 may be formed of a single curved surface, or may be formed of tip surfaces of a number of ribs arranged at intervals in the left-right direction 9.

[0075] 1(B), outer cover 540 has rear surface 542, which is exposed to the outside between rear surfaces 206L and 206R. A recess is formed as handle 543 on rear surface 542 at a position slightly above the center, where the user can place their hand when opening or closing outer cover 540.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 5(B), the outer cover 540 has protrusions 545L and 545R.

[0077] The protruding portion 545L has a thin plate shape in the left-right direction 9, and extends from the upper end to the lower end of the outer cover 540, protruding forward from a position to the left of the guide surface 541. A shaft hole 547L is located in the protruding portion 545L near the lower end of the left side surface 546L.

[0078] The protruding portion 545R is symmetrical to the protruding portion 545L, and a shaft hole 547R symmetrical to the shaft hole 547L is located on a right side surface 546R. The shafts 213L and 213R are inserted through the shaft holes 547L and 547R.

[0079] Recesses 548L, 548R are provided near the upper ends of the protruding portions 545L, 545R, respectively. The recess 548L is recessed rearward from the protruding end surface of the protruding portion 545L. In detail, the recess 548L is defined by an upper surface, a lower surface, and a rear surface, and has a shape that is open both forward and left and right. The recess 548R is symmetrical to the recess 548R.

[0080] [Locating pins 214L, 214R] 5(B), the printer 100 has positioning pins 214L and 214R. The positioning pin 214L protrudes to the right from the same front-rear and top-down positions as the recessed portion 548L on the inner side surface 207L of the housing 200. The positioning pin 214R protrudes to the right from the same front-rear and top-down positions as the recessed portion 548R on the inner side surface 207L.

[0081] The positioning pins 214L, 214R fit into the recesses 548L, 548R, respectively. As a result, the outer cover 540 is positioned at the closed position P2a and closes the curved portion 441B of the transport path 440B. Also, when the user puts his / her hand on the handle 543 (see FIG. 1(B)) of the outer cover 540 and applies a force in the separating direction, the recesses 548L, 548R are released from the positioning pins 214L, 214R in the separating direction. As a result, the outer cover 540 moves from the closed position P2a to the open position P2b and opens the curved portion 441B to the outside (see FIG. 1(B)).

[0082] In addition, a stopper member may be provided on the inner surfaces 207R and 207L to prevent the outer cover 540 from moving in the direction away from the open position P2b. The stopper member may not be provided. In this case, the movement of the outer cover 540 in the direction away from the open position P2b is restricted by the installation surface of the printer 100, etc.

[0083] [Intermediate conveyor roller pair 490] 3(B), an accommodation space 522 is formed near the lower end of outer guide 520. Accommodation space 522 has a generally circular shape that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of drive roller 490A in a plan view from left-right direction 9, and extends in left-right direction 9. A rear end of accommodation space 522 opens to curved portion 441B, forming an opening that extends within guide surface 521.

[0084] An accommodation space 548 is formed in the outer cover 540. The accommodation space 548 has a generally circular shape that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the driven roller 490B in a plan view from the left-right direction 9, and extends in the left-right direction 9. A front end of the accommodation space 548 opens to the curved portion 441B and forms an opening that extends within the guide surface 541.

[0085] The accommodation space 548 faces the accommodation space 522 in the front-rear direction 8 with the curved portion 441B interposed therebetween.

[0086] The intermediate conveying roller pair 490 includes a drive roller 490A and a driven roller 490B.

[0087] The driving roller 490A and the driven roller 490B extend in the left-right direction 9 in the accommodation spaces 522, 548. The driving roller 490A is supported by bearings (not shown) provided on both the left and right sides of the accommodation space 522 in the outer guide 520 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the driving roller 490A. The driven roller 490B is supported by bearings (not shown) provided on both the left and right sides of the accommodation space 548 in the outer cover 540 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the driven roller 490B. The driving roller 490A and the driven roller 490B protrude slightly backward and forward from the openings of the accommodation spaces 522, 548 and abut against each other at the curved portions 441B.

[0088] The driving roller 490A rotates by a driving force generated by a conveying motor 551B (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The driven roller 490B rotates by the rotation of the driving roller 490A. The pair of intermediate conveying rollers 490 rotate to nip the sheets 1A and 1B conveyed by the curved portion 441B, which has a path length longer than that of the curved portion 441A, and send them in the conveying direction 5B.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying motor 551B is located in the housing 200 in the space between the platen 470B and the pair of conveying rollers 450A.

[0090] [Sheet Sensor 550A, 550B] In Fig. 3B, the sheet sensors 550A and 550B are provided at detection positions P4a and P4b slightly upstream of the pairs of conveying rollers 450A and 450B on the conveying paths 440A and 440B. As shown in Fig. 3A, the sheet sensors 550A and 550B output sheet signals S1a and S1b to the controller 560, respectively. When the sheets 1A and 1B are not at the detection positions P4a and P4b, the sheet signals S1a and S1b have levels equal to or higher than a sheet threshold value, which will be described later. When the sheets 1A and 1B are at the detection positions P4a and P4b, the sheet signals S1a and S1b have levels lower than the sheet threshold value, respectively.

[0091] [Controller 560] 3A, the controller 560 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, ASIC, and the like mounted on a control circuit board provided inside the housing 200. The CPU, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, and ASIC are connected to each other via an internal bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. The ROM stores programs for controlling the operation of the printer 100, and the like. The CPU executes the programs using the RAM and EEPROM.

[0092] When the controller 560 receives a job transmitted by an information processing device capable of communicating with the printer 100, it controls each component of the printer 100 to print an image based on the image data in accordance with the condition information.

[0093] In detail, controller 560 controls each component of printer 100 to print an image based on image data contained in one of the two jobs using print head 480A, and to print an image based on image data contained in the other job using print head 480B.

[0094] Additionally, when a job contains image data representing multiple images, controller 560 may control each component of printer 100 to print some of the images using print head 480A and print the remaining images using print head 480B.

[0095] [Display 570] Display 570 is located near the upper end of front surface 201R. Display 570 displays various images based on image data transmitted by controller 560. Display 570 may be provided in other positions on housing 200.

[0096] [Printer 100 Operation] 2A, when the printer 100 is in a state in which it can record an image, the supply trays 410A and 410B are located inside the housing 200. The inner cover 530 is located in the attached position, and the outer cover 540 is located in the closed position P2a. This makes it impossible for the user to access the transport paths 440A and 440B.

[0097] When the controller 560 receives a job, it starts image recording using the recording heads 480A and 480B, and then periodically receives sheet signals S1a and S1b from the sheet sensors 550A and 550B. The controller 560 determines whether the sheet signals S1a and S1b become less than the level threshold during a predetermined time period from the start of feeding by the feeding mechanisms 430A and 430B.

[0098] If it is determined that both the sheet signals S1a and S1b are less than the level threshold, no jam has occurred in the transport paths 440A and 440B, and the controller 560 continues image recording using the recording heads 480A and 480B.

[0099] If it is determined that the sheet signal S1a is not less than the level threshold, it is determined that a jam has occurred in the conveying path 440A, and the controller 560 stops image recording using the recording heads 480A and 480B.

[0100] After the image recording is stopped, the controller 560 further transmits image data to the display 570 to cause the display 570 to display a first guidance image. The first guidance image is an image indicating that the outer cover 540 and the inner cover 530 are opened to remove the sheet 1A jammed in the conveying path 440A. The user moves the outer cover 540 from the closed position P2a to the open position P2b according to the contents indicated by the first guidance image, and then removes the inner cover 530 from the mounting position. In the process of removing the inner cover 530, the inner guide surface 533 crosses the curved portion 441B of the conveying path 440B. The user then removes the sheet 1A jammed in the conveying path 440A.

[0101] If it is determined that the sheet signal S1b is not less than the level threshold, it is determined that a jam has occurred in the conveying path 440B, and the controller 560 stops image recording using the recording head 480B. In this case, the controller 560 continues image recording using the recording head 480A.

[0102] After the image recording is stopped, the controller 560 further causes the display 570 to display a second guidance image. The second guidance image is an image that indicates that the outer cover 540 should be opened and the sheet 1B that is jammed in the conveying path 440B should be removed. The user moves the outer cover 540 from the closed position P2a to the open position P2b in accordance with the content indicated by the second guidance image, and then removes the sheet 1B that is jammed in the conveying path 440B.

[0103] When the user finishes clearing the jam, the controller 560 restarts the stopped image recording.

[0104] [Actions and Effects of the Embodiments] According to the embodiment, even after the outer cover 540 moves from the closed position P2a to the open position P2b, the inner cover 530 remains in the attached position and maintains the state in which the transport path 440A is formed. Therefore, even if a jam occurs in the conveying path 440B, it is not necessary to stop image recording using the recording head 480A, and this makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the operating rate of the printer 100.

[0105] Furthermore, since the transport paths 440A, 440B have the curved portions 441A, 441B, the printer 100 can be made low-profile.

[0106] Furthermore, each of the supply trays 410A and 410B is located below both of the print heads 480A and 480B in the housing 200, which provides ease of use for the user.

[0107] Furthermore, inner cover 530 defines the outside of transport path 440A and defines the inside of transport path 440B. Therefore, printer 100 can be made smaller than in a printer having two covers that individually define the outside of transport path 440A and the inside of transport path 440B.

[0108] In addition, since the outer cover 540 encloses the inner cover 530 in a plan view from the rear, when the outer cover 540 is in the closed position P2a, the user cannot operate the inner cover 530. Therefore, when a jam occurs in the transport path 440B and image recording is being performed using the recording head 480A, an erroneous operation such as removing the inner cover 530 before opening the outer cover 540 is prevented.

[0109] Inner cover 530 is configured such that inner guide surface 533 crosses the position of curved portion 441B during the process of removal, thereby making it possible to easily open curved portion 441A of transport path 440A.

[0110] [Variations] The following describes various modified examples of the printer 100. In the following description of the modified examples, differences from the embodiment will be described in detail, and descriptions of commonalities with the embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0111] [First Modification (Lock Mechanisms 700L, 700R)] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an inner cover 530 according to a first modified example. The inner cover 530 in Fig. 6 differs from the configuration in Fig. 5(A) in that it includes lock mechanisms 700L and 700R.

[0112] The lock mechanism 700R switches between a locked state (see FIG. 6A) in which the inner cover 530 is locked at the attached position, and a released state (see FIG. 6B) in which the locked state is released. Specifically, the lock mechanism 700R has a stopper member 701R and a lever 706R.

[0113] In the inner cover 530, the recess 538A has an opening 702R near the front end of the lower surface. The protrusion 536R has an opening 703R on the rear surface. An accommodation space 704R is formed in the inner cover 530, extending rearward from the opening 702R to the opening 703R. The stopper member 701R is accommodated near the front end of the opening 702R.

[0114] A lever 706R extends from the lower end of the stopper member 701R through the accommodation space 704R to the opening 703R. The lever 706R is supported by the inner cover 530 at an intermediate position between the front and rear ends so as to be swingable about a shaft 707R extending in the left-right direction 9. A torsion spring (not shown) is attached to the shaft 707R, which biases the stopper member 701R upward.

[0115] The stopper member 701R moves up and down between an upper position P5a (see FIG. 6(A)) and a lower position P5b (see FIG. 6(B)). The upper position P5a is the position of the upper end of the stopper member 701R when no moment is applied to the torsion spring, and is a position above the lower surface of the recess 538A. The lower position P5b is a position that is substantially the same as or lower than the lower surface of the recess 538A.

[0116] The lock mechanism 700L is symmetrical to the lock mechanism 700R, has the same configuration as that shown in Fig. 6A, and operates in the same manner as the lock mechanism 700R. Therefore, a description of the lock mechanism 700L will be omitted.

[0117] In the process of attaching the inner cover 530 to the mounting position, the user first moves the outer cover 540 to the open position P2b. After that, the user hooks a finger on the rear end of the lever 706R and moves it upward in the opening 703R. As a result, a downward force is applied to the stopper member 701R, and the stopper member 701R moves from the upper position P5a to the lower position P5b against the biasing force of the torsion spring. In this state, the user mounts the inner cover 530 to the mounting position. After that, the user releases his finger from the lever 706R. As a result, the stopper member 701R moves from the lower position P5b to the upper position P5a due to the biasing force of the torsion spring. This causes the lock mechanism 700R to enter a locked state.

[0118] In the process of removing the inner cover 530 from the attached position, the user moves the outer cover 540 to the open position P2b, and then moves the rear end of the lever 706R upward with a finger, whereby the stopper member 701R moves from the upper position P5a to the lower position P5b and enters the released state. In the released state, the user removes the inner cover 530 from the attached position.

[0119] By locking the locking mechanisms 700L, 700R, the sheet 1A being transported at the curved portion 441A of the transport path 440A comes into contact with the inner cover 530 in the mounting position, and the inner cover member 530 is prevented from shifting backward or coming off even if a rearward force is applied to the inner cover 530. Also, when the printer 100 is in an image recording-enabled state, when the outer cover member 540 is in the closed position P2a, the inner cover member 530 is shielded by the outer cover member 540, and therefore the user cannot operate the locking mechanisms 700L, 700R.

[0120] [Second Modification (Inner Cover 530)] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an inner cover 530 according to a second modified example. The inner cover 530 in Fig. 7 differs from the configurations in Fig. 4(B) and Fig. 5(A) in that the outer guide 520 and the inner cover 530 are integrated and that the inner cover 530 has shaft holes 221L, 221R instead of the recesses 537B, 538B. Also, the inner side surfaces 207L, 207R have shafts 231L, 231R instead of the positioning pins 211B, 212B.

[0121] [Shaft 231L, 231R] 7(A), shaft 231L protrudes rightward from inner left shaft position, which is above and forward of the aforementioned outer left shaft position, on inner surface 207L in parallel with shaft 213L. More specifically, the inner left shaft position is between supply ports 443A, 443B, i.e., between the upstream ends of conveying paths 440A, 440B, in the up-down direction 7. Shaft 231R protrudes leftward from inner right shaft position, which is symmetrical to the inner left shaft position, in parallel with shaft 213R. Shafts 231L, 231R share an axis 232 along the left-right direction 9.

[0122] The shafts 231L and 231R are an example of an inner shaft, and the shafts 213L and 213R are an example of an outer shaft.

[0123] [Shaft hole 221L, 221R] The shaft hole 221L is located near the lower end of a side surface 535L of the inner cover 530. The shaft hole 221R is formed in a position symmetrical to the shaft hole 221L on the side surface 535R of the inner cover 530. Shafts 231L and 231R are inserted into the shaft holes 221L and 221R, respectively.

[0124] With the above configuration, the inner cover 530 is supported by the housing 200 to be rotatable together with the outer guide 520 in the circumferential direction of the axis 232 between the closed position P6a and the open position P6b, as shown in FIG. 7B. The closed position P6a is a position of the inner cover 530 when the recesses 537A, 538A are fitted into the positioning pins 211A, 212A, and the inner cover 530 defines the outside (an example of the other side in the intersecting direction) of the curved portion 441A of the conveying path 440A. The closed position P6a is another example of the second closed position. The open position P6b is a position away from the closed position P6a in the circumferential direction of the axis 232, away from the curved portion 441A. The open position P6b is also a position of the inner cover 530 where the guide surface 511 of the inner guide 510 is exposed to the external space.

[0125] According to the above configuration, the user only needs to fit the two recesses 537A, 538A onto the two positioning pins 211A, 212A, and therefore it is easy to expose the guide surface 511. Also, the shafts 231L, 231R protrude from between the upstream ends of the transport paths 440A, 440B, and the shafts 213L, 213R protrude from below the upstream end of the transport path 440B, and therefore it is easy to expose the guide surface 511, the guide surface 521, and the outer guide surface 534.

[0126] In the process of inner cover 530 moving between closed position P6a and open position P6b, inner guide surface 533 crosses the position of curved portion 441B of conveying path 440B, which allows curved portion 441A of conveying path 440A to be easily opened.

[0127] [Third Modification (Inner Cover 530, Outer Cover 540)] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an inner cover 530 according to a third modified example. The inner cover 530 in Fig. 8 differs from the configuration in Fig. 7(B) in that it has two pairs of arms 223L, 223R instead of the shaft holes 221L, 221R. It also differs in that the inner surfaces 207L, 207R do not have the shafts 231L, 231R.

[0128] In FIG. 8, the arm 223R extends from the lower right corner of the inner cover 530 through the right side of the outer cover 540 to the shaft 213R. In detail, the arm 223R has a base 224R and a connecting portion 225R. The base 224R protrudes rightward from a position near the lower end of the side surface 535R of the inner cover 530 to a position slightly to the right of the side surface 546R of the outer cover 540. The connecting portion 225R has a thin and elongated plate shape in the left-right direction 9. The connecting portion 225R extends rearward from the protruding end of the base 224R, passes immediately to the right of the side surface 546R, and reaches a position slightly rearward of the shaft 213R. An axial hole 226R through which the shaft 213R is inserted is formed at the tip of the connecting portion 225R.

[0129] The arm 223L has a base portion 224L, a connecting portion 225L and a shaft hole 226L which are symmetrical to the base portion 224R, the connecting portion 225R and the shaft hole 226R.

[0130] As described above, the arms 223L, 223R extend from the left and right sides of the axial direction in which the axis 232() of the shafts 213L, 213R extends. The arms 223L, 223R are rotatably supported by the shafts 213L, 213R via the shaft holes 226L, 226R at positions on the shafts 213L, 213R to the left and right of the outer cover 540. This allows the shafts 213L, 213R to be shared by the inner cover 530 and the outer cover 540. The shafts 213L, 213R are an example of a common shaft.

[0131] In the third modified example, the arms 223L, 223R reach the shafts 213L, 213R from the lower left and right corners of the inner cover 530 through the left and right sides of the outer cover 540. However, this is not limiting, and the coupling portion 225R may reach the shaft 213R from the protruding end of the base portion 224R through a slit-like gap formed in the outer cover 540 to the left of the side surface 546R.

[0132] "Other Modifications" The transport paths 440A and 440B may be so-called S-shaped paths or straight paths.

[0133] In the case of the S-shaped path, a curved portion other than the curved portion 441A connects the gap between the print head 480A and the platen 470A to the discharge tray 420A in the transport path 440A. A curved portion other than the curved portion 441B connects the gap between the print head 480B and the platen 470B to the discharge tray 420B in the transport path 440B. An inner cover and an outer cover similar to the inner cover 530 and the outer cover 540 may be provided for these other curved portions. In this case, the discharge trays 420A and 420B are an example of the first tray and the second tray.

[0134] In the case of a straight path, the supply trays 410A, 410B and the discharge trays 420A, 420B are positioned apart in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. The transport path 440A connects the supply tray 410A and the discharge tray 420A only by straight portions, and the transport path 440B connects the supply tray 410B and the discharge tray 420B only by straight portions. An inner cover and an outer cover similar to the inner cover 530 and the outer cover 540 may be provided on these straight portions.

[0135] The rear surfaces 203A and 203B may be at the same position as each other in the front-rear direction 8. Similarly, the supply tray 410A, the pair of transport rollers 450B, the print head 480B, the platen 470B, and the pair of discharge rollers 460B may be located directly above the supply tray 410B, the pair of transport rollers 450A, the print head 480A, the platen 470A, and the pair of discharge rollers 460A.

[0136] It is sufficient that at least a portion of the inner cover 530 overlaps with the outer cover 540 in the front-rear direction 8. This also makes it difficult for the user to operate the inner cover 530 when the outer cover 540 is in the closed position P2a, thereby suppressing erroneous operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 100 Printer (image recording device) 200... Chassis 213L, 213R... shaft (outer shaft, common shaft) 231L, 231R... Shaft (inner shaft) 410A···Supply tray (2nd tray, 2nd supply tray) 410B···Supply tray (1st tray, 1st supply tray) 420A, 420B... Discharge tray (1st tray, 2nd tray) 440A···Transport path (Second transport path, inner transport path) 440B...Transport path (first transport path, outer transport path) 470A, 470B... Platen (Second recording engine, First recording engine) 480A, 480B: Recording head (second recording engine, first recording engine) 530···Inner cover (second cover) 540···Outer cover (first cover) 700L, 700R... Locking mechanism

Claims

1. A first tray; A second tray; a first recording engine; A second recording engine; a first transport path connecting the first tray and the first recording engine and through which a first sheet is transported; a second transport path that connects the second tray and the second recording engine and is not connected to the first transport path, and through which a second sheet is transported, is located on one side of the first transport path in a cross direction crossing a transport direction in which the first sheet is transported; a first cover that closes the first transport path at a first closed position on the other side of the first transport path in the intersecting direction and moves to a first open position to open the first transport path by moving away from the first closed position; a second cover that closes the second transport path at a second closed position on the other side of the second transport path and moves to a second open position to open the second transport path by moving away from the second closed position; the first cover has a first guide surface that guides the first sheet to the one side when the first cover is in the first closed position; the second cover has a second guide surface that guides the second sheet to the one side when the second cover is in the second closed position.

2. 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the second cover has a third guide surface that guides the first sheet to the other side when the second cover is in the second closed position.

3. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, The first cover has an outer surface of the image recording device on the other side when the first cover is in the first closed position.

4. the first tray and the first recording engine are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction; the second tray and the second recording engine are located between the first tray and the first recording engine in the vertical direction, The first tray and the second tray are a first supply tray and a second supply tray, the first transport path is an outer transport path that curves from the first supply tray to the first recording engine, the second transport path is an inner transport path that curves from the second supply tray to the second recording engine and extends along the outer transport path on the inner side of the outer transport path, the first cover is an outer cover that forms an outer side of the outer transport path when in the first closed position and opens the outer transport path when moved away from the first closed position; 4. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the second cover is an inner cover that forms an outer side of the inner transport path in the second closed position and opens the inner transport path when moved away from the second closed position.

5. the first supply tray is located below the first recording engine; 5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second supply tray is located below the second recording engine.

6. a first shaft that rotatably supports the first cover; 6. The image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second shaft that is parallel to the first shaft at a position above the first shaft and rotatably supports the second cover.

7. the first shaft is located below an upstream end of the first conveying path, 7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second shaft is located between an upstream end of the second transport path and an upstream end of the first transport path in the vertical direction.

Images