Recording device

Abstract

To provide a recording device which can properly transport sheets having different sheet lengths.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: recording means; first transporting means which transports a sheet while sandwiching the sheet to the recording means; second transporting means which is provided at the downstream side relative to the first transporting means in a sheet transport direction and transports the sheet while sandwiching the sheet; third transporting means which is provided at the downstream side relative to the second transporting means in the transport direction and transports the sheet while sandwiching the sheet; and state switching means which switches a sandwiching state and a sandwiching release state of the second transporting means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In large-format inkjet printers, it may be necessary to record sheets of different sheet lengths. For example, in a printer that records on a roll sheet, the sheet length of the ejected sheet can be changed by changing the cutting position of the roll sheet. Also, printers have been proposed that include a plurality of discharge paths with different path lengths and are capable of selectively switching the discharge path (for example, Patent Document 1). In this printer, the separation of a pair of rollers that sandwich and convey the sheet is switched according to the switching of the discharge path.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, when the discharge path is not switched, the number of pairs of rollers that simultaneously sandwich the sheet differs depending on the sheet length. This can cause damage to the sheet or a decrease in conveyance accuracy. Thus, when conveying sheets of different sheet lengths, various problems occur. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately configure the pair of rollers, the separation mechanism of the pair of rollers, the switching mechanism of the discharge path, and the conveyance mechanism including the conveyance path according to the problems.

[0005] The present invention provides a recording apparatus capable of appropriately conveying sheets of different sheet lengths.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present invention, Recording means for recording on a sheet, first conveying means for sandwiching and conveying the sheet by the recording means, second conveying means provided downstream of the first conveying means in the sheet conveying direction for sandwiching and conveying the sheet, third conveying means provided downstream of the second conveying means in the conveying direction for sandwiching and conveying the sheet, switching means for switching between the clamped state and the unclamped state of the second conveying means, cutting means disposed between the recording means and the second conveying means in the sheet conveying path for cutting the sheet, a recording apparatus comprising control means for controlling the switching means, wherein when cutting the sheet conveyed by the first conveying means with the cutting means, the control means determines that the length from the cutting means to the leading end of the sheet is The length from the cutting means to the third conveying means when it is equal to or less than a threshold value, the second conveying means is brought into the clamped state by the switching means, and when the length from the cutting means to the leading end of the sheet exceeds the threshold value, the second conveying means is brought into the unclamped state by the switching means. A recording apparatus is provided, characterized by the above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a recording apparatus capable of appropriately conveying sheets of different sheet lengths can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Outline of the recording apparatus> FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the recording apparatus 1. Arrow X indicates the width direction (left - right direction) of the recording apparatus 1, arrow Y indicates the depth direction (front - rear direction) of the recording apparatus 1, and arrow Z indicates the vertical direction. Note that "recording" includes not only the case of forming significant information such as characters and figures, but also the case of forming images, patterns, etc. on a recording medium regardless of whether it is significant or not, or performing processing on the medium, regardless of whether it is made manifest so that it can be visually perceived by humans. Also, in the present embodiment, a sheet - like paper is assumed as the "recording medium" to be recorded, but it may be a sheet - like cloth, plastic film, etc.

[0011] At the front of the recording apparatus 1, an operation panel 1a for receiving user instructions is provided. The user can input various commands such as specifying the size of the sheet and setting the discharge destination of the recorded sheet by using various switches provided on the operation panel 1a.

[0012] Below the recording apparatus 1, a plurality of feeding units 2 are arranged in a plurality of upper - lower stages (two stages in this example). Each feeding unit 2 forms a storage portion for storing a roll sheet R as a recording medium. Each feeding unit 2 has a support portion for rotatably supporting the roll sheet R around an axis in the X direction, and also includes a feeding mechanism for pulling out a sheet from the roll sheet R and feeding it to a transport path RT. In the case of the present embodiment, the width direction of the sheet is the X direction. The user can perform the replacement operation of the roll sheet R from the front of the recording apparatus 1. Note that in the present embodiment, a roll sheet R is exemplified as the recording medium, but the recording medium may be a cut - sheet.

[0013] The transport path RT is a sheet passage defined by a guide structure for guiding the sheet, and extends while curving midway from the feeding unit 2 to the discharge port 9 or the discharge port 10. In the following description, when referring to the upstream side and the downstream side, it means the upstream side and the downstream side with reference to the transport direction of the sheet.

[0014] The sheet drawn out from the roll sheet R is supplied to a position facing the recording head 4 via the conveyance unit 3. The conveyance unit 3 includes a conveyance roller 3a which is a driving rotating body, and a nip roller 3b which is a driven rotating body that presses against the conveyance roller 3a. The sheet is sandwiched between the conveyance roller 3a and the nip roller 3b and is conveyed in the direction of the arrow on the conveyance path RT by their rotation.

[0015] The recording head 4 is disposed on the downstream side of the conveyance unit 3. The recording head 4 in the present embodiment is an inkjet head that records an image on the sheet by discharging ink. The recording head 4 discharges ink from the discharge port using a discharge energy generating element such as an electrothermal conversion element (heater) or a piezo element. The recording apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is a serial scan type inkjet recording apparatus, and the recording head 4 is mounted on a carriage 5. The carriage 5 is configured to reciprocate in the X direction (the width direction of the sheet) by a drive mechanism (not shown). The sheet is conveyed in the Y direction in the vicinity of the recording head 4. An image is recorded on the sheet by alternately repeating the intermittent conveyance of the sheet by the conveyance unit 3, the movement of the carriage 5, and the discharge of ink by the recording head 4.

[0016] In addition, in the present embodiment, a serial scan type recording apparatus is exemplified, but the present invention is also applicable to a full line type recording apparatus. In this case, a long recording head extending in the width direction of the sheet is used as the recording head 4. Then, while continuously conveying the sheet, an image is recorded on the sheet by discharging ink from the recording head. Further, in the present embodiment, an inkjet recording apparatus is exemplified, but the present invention is also applicable to recording apparatuses of other recording formats.

[0017] Downstream of the recording head 4, a cutting unit 6 is arranged. The cutting unit 6 cuts the sheet drawn from the roll sheet R and on which an image has been recorded in the width direction of the sheet. As a result, the sheet drawn from the roll sheet R is cut by the cutting unit 6 to become a cut sheet. The guide structure of the sheet adjacent to the cutting unit 6 includes a movable support member 17. The movable support member 17 is one of the guide members that support the sheet from below and form a conveyance path RT. The movable support member 17 is configured to move during the cutting operation of the cutting unit 6. Details will be described later.

[0018] Downstream of the cutting unit 6, a discharge unit 7 is arranged. The discharge unit 7 is one of the conveyance units for conveying the sheet and is a unit for discharging the recorded sheet. The discharge unit 7 includes a discharge roller 7a which is a driving rotating body and a nip roller 7b which is a driven rotating body that presses against the discharge roller 7a. The sheet is conveyed in the direction of the arrow on the conveyance path RT by the rotation of these while being sandwiched between the discharge roller 7a and the nip roller 7b. In the case of this embodiment, the discharge unit 7 is configured to be able to switch between a sandwiched state (nip state between the rollers) for sandwiching the sheet and a sandwich release state (nip release state between the rollers). Details will be described later.

[0019] The conveyance path RT branches at a branch point BR downstream of the discharge unit 7 and includes a plurality of discharge paths RT1 and RT2. The discharge path RT1 is a discharge path for the sheet from the branch point BR to the discharge port 9 and is a path for discharging the sheet to the rear side in the Y direction. The discharge path RT2 is a discharge path for the sheet from the branch point BR to the discharge port 10 and is a path for discharging the sheet to the front side in the Y direction. In the case of this embodiment, the discharge path RT1 is a path with a longer path length than the discharge path RT2 and extends in the Y direction above the recording apparatus 1.

[0020] The branch point BR is the passage switching position where the passage switching member 14 is arranged. The passage switching member 14 has a shaft 14a extending in the X direction and is provided so as to be rotatable about the shaft 14a as a rotation center. The passage switching member 14 switches the discharge passage used for discharging the recorded sheet by the recording head 4 among a plurality of discharge passages RT1 and RT2. The switching of the discharge passage is performed, for example, in response to a selection instruction by the user. The position of the passage switching member 14 shown in FIG. 2 is the position for selecting the discharge passage RT1.

[0021] The discharge port 9 is located at the rear of the recording apparatus 1 and opens to the back surface of the recording apparatus 1. A plurality of guides 9b for restricting the upward warping of the sheet are provided above the discharge port 9. The discharge passage RT1 passes above the shaft 14a, and an inversion unit 11, a discharge unit 8, and a stacking unit 15 are provided in the middle of the discharge passage RT1 from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0022] The inversion unit 11 has a structure for inverting the front and back of the sheet after recording. In the present embodiment, the front and back of the sheet are inverted by forming a curved portion (a U-shaped portion (an inverted C-shaped portion in the side view shown in FIG. 2)) with a curved passage shape in the middle of the discharge passage RT1. When passing through the recording head 4, the upper surface of the sheet is the image recording surface, but when passing through the inversion unit 11, the image recording surface of the sheet becomes the lower surface. The inversion unit 11 includes a guide member 12 forming the passage wall (guide surface) on the outer side of the U shape and a guide member 13 forming the passage wall (guide surface) on the inner side, and a passage is formed between these guide members 12 and 13.

[0023] The discharge unit 8 is one of the conveyance units that conveys the sheet, and is a unit for discharging the sheet after recording. The discharge unit 8 includes a discharge roller 8a that is a driving rotating body, and a nip roller 8b that is a driven rotating body that presses against the discharge roller 8a. The sheet is conveyed by the rotation of these while being sandwiched between the discharge roller 8a and the nip roller 8b. A stacking unit 15 is arranged on the downstream side of the discharge unit 8, and the discharge unit 8 conveys the sheet on which the image has been recorded by the recording head 4 to the stacking unit 15. In the case of this embodiment, the discharge unit 8 cannot switch between a clamped state and an unclamped state like the discharge unit 7, and is always in the clamped state.

[0024] The stacking unit 15 forms a tray for receiving a plurality of sheets discharged from the discharge unit 7, and is arranged inside the recording apparatus 1. The stacking unit 15 is substantially horizontal at the rear in the Y direction, and forms a discharge passage RT1 that is inclined rearward and upward at the front in the Y direction. Depending on the length of the sheet, the end of the sheet may exit from the discharge port 9. The stacking unit 15 forms a part of the discharge passage RT1.

[0025] A window portion 9a for exposing the stacking unit 15 is formed in the top portion of the recording apparatus 1, and the user can visually recognize the stacking amount of the sheets in the stacking unit 15 through the window portion 9a. A plurality of guide members 9c are arranged in the window portion 9a to prevent the sheets discharged to the stacking unit 15 from being discharged from the window portion 9a.

[0026] The discharge port 10 is located at the front of the recording apparatus 1 and opens to the front of the recording apparatus 1. The discharge passage RT2 is a passage that passes below the shaft 14a, and does not have a structure for inverting the front and back of the sheet like the inversion unit 11. That is, the image recording surface of the sheet discharged from the discharge port 10 is the upper surface. Also, a sheet conveyance mechanism such as the discharge unit 8 is not provided in the middle of the discharge passage RT2, and the sheet is conveyed by the conveyance of the conveyance unit 3, cut by the cutting unit 6, and discharged from the discharge port 10 by its own weight or by the user's manual operation.

[0027] In this way, in the present embodiment, it is possible to select either the upper stacking unit 15 or the front of the recording apparatus 1 for sheet discharge. For example, when the number of discharged sheets is large, the stacking unit 15 can be selected, or when the sheet length is long, discharge from the discharge port 10 can be selected. The user can arbitrarily select the discharge path, such as this.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows an example of the operation mode of the recording apparatus 1. In the example of FIG. 3, the recorded sheet S is discharged to the stacking unit 15. The position of the path switching member 14 in FIG. 3 is a position for selecting the discharge path RT2. When the discharge path RT2 is selected, the recorded sheet S is discharged from the discharge port 10 to the front of the recording apparatus 1 in the mode of FIG. 4. At this time, the discharged sheet S is collected by a basket 16 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The basket 16 may be a member separate from the recording apparatus 1, or may be provided so as to be stowable in the lower part of the recording apparatus 1.

[0029] FIG 5 is a block diagram of the control unit 18 of the recording apparatus 1. The control unit 18 includes a processing unit 18a which is a processor such as a CPU, a storage unit 18b which is a storage device such as a ROM and a RAM, and an interface unit 18c which relays signals with an external device. The processing unit 18a executes a program stored in the storage unit 18b, and controls the actuator group 19A based on, for example, setting information received by the operation panel 1a and detection results of the sensor group 19B. The setting information includes the type and width of the sheet S, selection information of the discharge path, and the like. The actuator group 19A includes drive sources (for example, motors) of the paper feeding unit 2 and the conveyance unit 3, motors M1 to M3 described later, electromagnetic clutches provided on a gear 23 described later, and the like. The sensor group 19B includes sensors 50 and 51 described later, and a plurality of sheet detection sensors that detect the leading edge position and the trailing edge position of the sheet S in the conveyance path RT.

[0030] <Configuration around the inversion unit> The configuration around the reversing unit 11 and the drive system for driving them will be described. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the reversing unit 11. From the upstream side of the transport passage RT, a cutting unit 6, a movable support member 17, a discharge unit 7, a passage switching member 14, and a discharge unit 8 are arranged. The discharge unit 8 is arranged at a position higher than the discharge unit 7, and a passage (U-shaped portion of the discharge passage RT1) of the reversing unit 11 is arranged between these discharge units 7 and 8. Further, in the space in the Z direction between the discharge unit 7 and the discharge unit 8, a lifting mechanism 30 for lifting and lowering the nip roller 7b is arranged.

[0031] In the case of this embodiment, the movable support member 17 and the lifting mechanism 30 are driven by a drive unit (DU1), and the discharge rollers 7a and 8a and the passage switching member 14 are driven by a drive unit (DU2). Hereinafter, the configuration of each drive unit will be described.

[0032] <Drive Unit DU1> FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the drive unit DU1. The drive unit DU1 constitutes a moving mechanism that moves the movable support member 17 between a support position for supporting the sheet and a retracted position retracted from the support position. Further, the drive unit DU1 constitutes a state switching mechanism that switches between a clamped state and an unclamped state of the discharge unit 7. The state switching mechanism moves the nip roller 7b up and down between a position where it is pressed against the drive roller 7a and a position where it is separated from the drive roller 7a by the lifting mechanism 30 in order to switch between the clamped state and the unclamped state. The drive unit DU1 includes a motor M1 as a common drive source. The driving force of the motor M1 is transmitted to each component by a transmission mechanism 20 that forms its transmission path. The motor M1 and the transmission mechanism 20 are intensively arranged outside (left side) of the transport passage RT in the width direction (X direction) of the sheet.

[0033] <Moving Mechanism> First, the movement mechanism of the movable support member 17 will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the movement mechanism portion of the movable support member 17 among the cutting unit 6 and the drive unit DU1. The cutting unit 6 of the present embodiment is a mechanism for cutting a sheet in the width direction by moving a scanning unit 60 provided with a cutting blade in the X direction. The scanning unit 60 is movably supported by a guide member 61 extending in the X direction. A motor M2 is supported on the guide member 61 as a drive source, and a belt transmission mechanism 63 is provided inside the guide member 61. The belt transmission mechanism 63 includes a drive pulley and a driven pulley spaced apart in the X direction, and an endless belt wound between these pulleys. The scanning unit 60 is fixed to the endless belt, and when the motor M2 rotates the drive pulley, the endless belt runs and the scanning unit 60 moves.

[0034] The movable support member 17 is arranged adjacent to the guide member 61 in the sheet conveyance direction. When the scanning unit 60 moves, the movable support member 17 is moved to avoid interference with the scanning unit 60. Refer to FIGS. 9A and 9B in addition to FIG. 7. FIGS. 9A and 9B are explanatory views of the movement mechanism of the movable support member 17. FIG. 9(A) shows a state where the movable support member 17 is located at the support position, and FIG. 9(B) shows a state where the movable support member 17 is located at the retracted position. The movable support member 17 is rotatably provided about an axis 17a in the X direction, and a gear 25 is fixed to the axis 17a. The movable support member 17 is also urged to the support position by an elastic member 17b. The elastic member 17b is a coil spring, one end of which is fixed to the movable support member 17 and the other end of which is fixed to the main body of the recording device 1.

[0035] The transmission mechanism 20 has a gear train composed of gears 21 to 24, and the driving force of the motor M1 is transmitted to the gear 25 through this gear train, and the movable support member 17 is rotated to the retracted position as shown in FIG. 9(B). In the retracted position, the movable support member 17 Scanning retracts from the scanning space of the unit 60 (moves obliquely downward). The arrows in the figure indicate the rotation directions of the respective elements.

[0036] Among the gears 21 to 24, the gear 23 is a gear provided with an electromagnetic clutch between the input gear and the output gear, and the intermittent drive transmission can be achieved by the intermittent connection and disconnection of the electromagnetic clutch. When the motor M1 rotates in the N1 direction with the electromagnetic clutch in the connected state, the moving mechanism operates, and the movable support member 17 rotates from the support position to the retracted position. However, even if the motor M1 is rotated with the electromagnetic clutch in the disconnected state, the movable support member 17 does not rotate. After the movable support member 17 moves to the retracted position, by switching the electromagnetic clutch from the connected state to the disconnected state, the movable support member 17 returns to the support position due to the biasing of the elastic member 17b.

[0037] <State switching mechanism> Next, the state switching mechanism of the discharge unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 10(A), 10(B), and 11. FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) are operation explanatory diagrams. FIG. 10(A) shows the case where the discharge unit 7 is in the pinch release state (when the nip roller 7b is in the upper retracted position), and FIG. 10(B) shows the case where the discharge unit 7 is in the pinched state (when the nip roller 7b is in the lower nip position). FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the support structure of the nip roller 7b.

[0038] A plurality of nip rollers 7b are arranged in the X direction, and each nip roller 7b is supported by a support unit 33. Each support unit 33 is supported by a frame 35 via a connecting member 34.

[0039] The support unit 33 includes a main body portion 33a and a movable portion 33b that is displaceable in the Z direction with respect to the main body portion 33a. The nip roller 7b is rotatably supported by the movable portion 33b. The movable portion 33b has a protruding portion 33c protruding in the X direction, and an elastic member 33d that biases the movable portion 33b to the nip position is provided between the main body portion 33a and the movable portion 33b.

[0040] The operating shaft 31 extends in the X direction, has an arc-shaped circumferential surface 31a, and has a recess 31b on a part of the circumferential surface. The operating arm 32 is an L-shaped member provided for each nip roller 7b, and is rotatable about the shaft 32a at the central part thereof. The operating arm 32 abuts against the circumferential surface 31a of the operating shaft 31 at the contact portion P1, and abuts against the protruding portion 33c of the movable portion 33b from below at the contact portion P2.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 10(A), in the nip release state, the operating arm 32 abuts against the circumferential surface 31a of the operating shaft 31 at the contact portion P1, and its clockwise rotation is restricted. For this reason, the downward movement of the movable portion 33b is restricted by the operating arm 32, and the nip roller 7b is separated from the driving roller 7a. As shown in FIG. 10(B), when the operating shaft 31 rotates, the contact portion P1 drops from the circumferential surface 31a into the recess 31b. The clockwise rotation of the operating arm 32 becomes free, and the restriction on the downward movement of the movable portion 33b by the operating arm 32 is released. Due to the biasing of the elastic member 33d, the movable portion 33b moves downward, and the discharging unit 7 is in a nipping state where the driving roller 7a and the nip roller 7b are in pressure contact.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B), a gear 29 is fixed to the end of the operating shaft 31. The transmission mechanism 20 has a gear train composed of gears 21, 26 to 28. Through this gear train, the driving force of the motor M1 is transmitted to the gear 29, and the operating shaft 31 is rotated. A detection piece 29a is provided on the gear 29. By detecting the detection piece 29a with the sensor 50, the rotational position of the operating shaft 31 is specified, and it is determined whether the discharging unit 7 is in the nipping state or the nip release state. The sensor 50 is an optical sensor such as a photo interrupter.

[0043] When the state switching mechanism operates, the motor M1 rotates in the direction N2 which is opposite to the direction N1 which is the predetermined rotational direction when moving the movable support member 17. The gear 26 incorporates a one-way clutch, and the rotation of the motor M1 in the N2 direction is transmitted, but the rotation in the N1 direction is not transmitted. FIG. 13 (A) is a perspective view of the gear 26, FIG. 13 (B) and FIG. 13(C) is an exploded perspective view of the gear 26.

[0044] The gear 26 is configured such that a small-diameter gear 26c and a large-diameter gear 26d are arranged on a common shaft 26a and are held on the shaft 26a by a retaining ring 26e at the end of the shaft 26a. A pin 26b is provided on the shaft 26a. The small-diameter gear 26c transmits the rotational force to the shaft 26a regardless of the rotational direction by engaging with the pin 26b. On the other hand, a one-way clutch 26f is provided between the large-diameter gear 26d and the shaft 26a, and the rotational force is transmitted only in one rotational direction between the shaft 26a and the large-diameter gear 26d.

[0045] With the above configuration, the movement of the movable support member 17 and the lifting and lowering of the nip roller 7b can be independently performed by the rotational direction of the motor M1, the electromagnetic clutch of the gear 23, and the one-way clutch 26f of the gear 26. That is, when moving the movable support member 17 to the retracted position, the motor M1 is rotated in the N1 direction and the electromagnetic clutch of the gear 23 is brought into the connected state, so that the movable support member 17 operates. At this time, the gear 26 does not transmit the rotational force due to the action of the one-way clutch 26f. When moving the movable support member 17 to the support position, the electromagnetic clutch of the gear 23 is brought into the disconnected state. When moving the nip roller 7b to the nip position or the retracted position Movement is required, the motor M1 is rotated in the N2 direction and the electromagnetic clutch of the gear 23 is brought into the disconnected state.

[0046] <Drive unit DU2> FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the drive unit DU2. The drive unit DU2 constitutes a roller drive mechanism for driving the drive roller 7a of the discharge unit 7 and the drive roller 8a of the discharge unit 8. Further, the drive unit DU2 constitutes a passage switching mechanism for switching the position of the passage switching member 14 to selectively switch the discharge passage RT1 or RT2. The drive unit DU2 includes a motor M3 as a common drive source. The driving force of the motor M3 is transmitted to each component by a transmission mechanism 40 that forms the transmission path thereof. The motor M3And the transmission mechanisms 40 are intensively arranged outside (on the left side) of the transport path RT in the width direction (X direction) of the sheet. That is, in the case of this embodiment, each motor M1 of the drive units DU1 and DU2, M3 and the transmission mechanisms 20 and 40 are intensively arranged on the left side of the transport path RT. By arranging them in this way, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the space for the mechanism system on both sides in the X direction across the transport path RT, and it can be housed in a compact drive space while having multifunctional driving.

[0047] <Roller drive mechanism> First, the roller drive mechanism will be described. FIG. 15(A) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 14, and FIG. 15(B) is an explanatory view showing the transmission mode of the driving force by the transmission mechanism 40. A plurality of drive rollers 7a are provided at intervals in the X direction and are fixed to a roller shaft 7c extending in the X direction. A gear 43d is fixed to one end of the roller shaft 7c. Similarly, a plurality of drive rollers 8a are provided at intervals in the X direction and are fixed to a roller shaft 8c extending in the X direction. A gear 42d is fixed to one end of the roller shaft 8c.

[0048] The transmission mechanism 40 has a gear train composed of gears 41, 42a to 42c. Through this gear train, the driving force of the motor M2 is transmitted to the gear 42d, and the roller shaft 8c is rotated. Also, the transmission mechanism 40 has a gear train composed of gears 41, 43a~43c and through this gear train, the driving force of the motor M3 is transmitted to the gear 43d and the roller shaft 7c is rotated. Then, as shown in FIG. 15(B), when the motor M3 is rotated in the N3 direction, each roller 7a, 8a rotates and the sheet is transported.

[0049] <Path switching mechanism> The passage switching mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 16, 17(A) and 17(B). FIG. 17(A) shows the position of the passage switching member 14 where the discharge passage RT2 is selected (referred to as the RT2 selection position), and FIG. 17(B) shows the position of the passage switching member 14 where the discharge passage RT1 is selected (referred to as the RT1 selection position). The passage switching position (branch point BR) by the passage switching member 14 is located between the discharge unit 7 and the discharge unit 8 on the transport passage RT.

[0050] The passage switching member 14 has a shaft 14a extending in the X direction. The shaft 14a is rotatably supported, and the passage switching member 14 rotates about the shaft 14a as the rotation center. The passage switching member 14 has a guide portion 14b that forms a guide surface for the sheet, a lever portion 14c, and an elastic member 14d. The elastic member 14d in the present embodiment is a torsion spring, and biases the passage switching member 14 to the RT1 selection position.

[0051] The transmission mechanism 40 includes a gear 46 having a cam portion 46a. The cam portion 46a contacts the lever portion 14c of the passage switching member 14 and rotates the passage switching member 14 from the RT1 selection position to the RT2 selection position. The rotation amount of the gear 46 is detected by a sensor 51. The sensor 51 is an optical sensor such as a photo interrupter that detects a detection piece 46b provided on the gear 46.

[0052] As a configuration for rotating the gear 46, the transmission mechanism 40 has a pendulum gear G. The pendulum gear G has gears 44 and 45 that mesh with each other. The gear 44 meshes with the gear 41. When the gear 45 meshes with the gear 46 due to swinging, the drive is transmitted, and if they do not mesh, the drive transmission is cut off. When the motor M3 is rotating in the N3 direction as shown in Fig. 15(B), the pendulum gear G swings in the D1 direction, and the drive transmission to the gear 46 is not performed. When the motor M3 is rotating in the N4 direction, which is a predetermined rotation direction opposite to the N3 direction, as shown in Fig. 16, the pendulum gear G swings in the D2 direction, and the drive transmission to the gear 46 is performed. As a result, the passage switching member 14 operates. That is, the cam portion 46a abuts against the lever portion 14c of the passage switching member 14, and the passage switching member 14 can be rotated to the RT2 selection position. When the gear 46 further rotates and the cam portion 46a passes through the lever portion 14c, the passage switching member 14 returns to the RT1 selection position due to the biasing of the elastic member 14d.

[0053] During the conveyance of the sheet by the conveyance units 7 and 8, the motor M3 rotates in the N3 direction, and since the gear 45 and the gear 46 do not mesh, the position of the passage switching member 14 does not change. When the motor M3 is rotating in the N4 direction, the drive rollers 7a and 8a rotate in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the sheet. However, by switching the discharge passage by the passage switching member 14 at a timing other than the recording operation, the sheet is not conveyed in the reverse direction. However, for example, a one-way clutch may be provided on any of the gears related to the drive transmission to the roller shafts 7c and 8c so that only the rotation in the conveyance direction of the sheet is transmitted to the roller shafts 7c and 8c. In this case, it becomes possible to switch the discharge passage during the recording operation.

[0054] <Processing Example of Control Unit> The recording device 1 is provided with a plurality of conveying mechanisms (discharge units 7 and 8) on the downstream side of the recording head 4. While these generate the conveying force of the sheet, in order to nip the recorded sheet, there is a possibility that the recording surface of the sheet may be damaged by the pressing force, or the conveying accuracy may be reduced due to the conveying speed difference. In the present embodiment, as described above, the discharge unit 7 is configured to be switchable between a nipping state and a nipping release state. Therefore, when the sheet is sufficiently long and sufficient conveying force can be obtained only by the discharge unit 8, or when handling a sheet that is easily damaged, the discharge unit 7 can be set to the nipping release state so as not to nip the sheet. On the other hand, in the case of a short sheet, the discharge unit 7 can be set to the nipping state to secure the conveying force. In this way, sheets of different sheet lengths can be conveyed, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary loads from being generated on the sheet during conveyance.

[0055] Hereinafter, a processing example of the control unit 18 related to the state switching of the discharge unit 7 and the like will be described. FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an example of the processing executed by the processing unit 18a. In the case of the present embodiment, the discharge unit 7 is set to the nipping release state and the processing is started.

[0056] In S1, preparatory processing is performed. Here, processing based on the user's setting content is performed. For example, the switching of the discharge path by the path switching member 14 is performed. The following processing example assumes that the discharge path RT1 is selected. In S2, the recording operation is started. An image is recorded on the sheet by alternately repeating the intermittent conveyance of the sheet by the conveyance unit 3, the movement of the carriage 5, and the ejection of ink by the recording head 4. Also, the drive rollers 7a and 8a of the discharge units 7 and 8 are rotated.

[0057] In S3, based on the detection result of a sheet detection sensor (not shown), it is determined whether or not the sheet has reached a predetermined position. If it has reached, the process proceeds to S4. The predetermined position here is the position where the leading end of the sheet has passed through the movable support member 17 (for example, the leading end of the sheet is Discharge(the position reached the unit 7). In S4, the movable support member 17 is moved to the retracted position. Since the leading end of the sheet has already passed through the movable support member 17, even if the movable support member 17 is moved to the retracted position, the sheet is supported within the conveyance path RT. Thereafter, the recording operation is performed up to the recording range of the image set by the user in advance. In S5, the sheet is conveyed to the position where it is cut by the cutting unit 6 and the conveyance is temporarily stopped. The conveyance amount at this time is determined by, for example, the length of the sheet after cutting set by the user in advance.

[0058] In S6, it is determined whether the length of the sheet after cutting is less than or equal to the threshold value (whether it is less than or equal to the predetermined length). FIG. 19(A) is an explanatory diagram of the predetermined length L serving as the criterion for the determination. In the figure, the length L1 indicates the path length of the conveyance path RT from the cutting unit 6 (more specifically, the cutting position) to the discharge unit 7 (more specifically, the nip position). Also, the length L2 indicates the path length of the conveyance path RT (discharge path RT1) from the discharge unit 7 (more specifically, the nip position) to the discharge unit 8 (more specifically, the nip position). The predetermined length L = L1 + L2 and is the path length from the cutting unit 6 to the discharge unit 8.

[0059] The predetermined length L is shorter than the minimum length of the sheet after cutting for which conveyance is assumed. For example, in the specifications of the recording apparatus 1, when the minimum length of the sheet after cutting is 203 mm, the predetermined length L is less than 203 mm. Similarly, the length L2 is shorter than the minimum length of the sheet after cutting for which conveyance is assumed. Thereby, a sheet of the minimum length can be Discharge clamped and conveyed by at least one of the unit 7 or Discharge unit 8.

[0060] If the sheet length of the sheet after cutting is less than or equal to the predetermined length L, the leading end of the sheet has not reached the discharge unit 8. Therefore, in S7, the discharge unit 7 is held and the discharge unit 7 is used for sheet conveyance (FIG. 19(B)). The short sheet after cutting can be reliably discharged. If the sheet length of the sheet after cutting exceeds the predetermined length L, the leading end of the roll sheet R has reached the discharge unit 8. Therefore, it does not proceed to S7, and the discharge unit 7 is maintained in the released state (FIG. 19(C)).

[0061] In S8, the roll sheet R is cut by the cutting unit 6. In S9, the drive rollers 7a and 8a of the discharge units 7 and 8 are rotated, and the sheet after cutting is conveyed to the stacking unit 15. In the present embodiment, due to the configuration of the apparatus, even when the discharge unit 7 is in the released state, the drive roller 7a is rotated, but since the nip roller 7b is not in pressure contact with the drive roller 7a, substantially no conveying force is generated.

[0062] In S10, the movable support member 17 is returned to the support position. In S11, based on the detection result of the sheet detection sensor, it is determined whether or not the sheet after cutting has been discharged to the stacking unit 15. For example, when it is detected that the trailing end of the sheet has passed through the discharge unit 8, it is determined that the sheet has been discharged to the stacking unit 15. If it is determined that the sheet has been conveyed to the stacking unit 15, the process proceeds to S12, and the rotation of the drive rollers 7a and 8a of the discharge units 7 and 8 is stopped.

[0063] In S13, it is determined whether or not the discharge unit 7 has been held by the process of S7. If it has been held, the process proceeds to S14, and it is returned to the released state. Thus, the process (one job) ends.

[0064] With the above process, discharging can be performed while selecting the pressing or separation of the nip roller 7b with respect to the driving roller 7a according to the length of the sheet after cutting, and sheets of different lengths can be appropriately conveyed. The processing example in FIG. 18 is just an example. For example, the discharging unit 7 in the clamped state may be controlled to switch to the unclamped state as soon as the sheet is held by the discharging unit 8. Also, when the discharging unit 7 is clamped in S7, it may wait for the next job without returning to the unclamped state in S14. In this case, the discharging unit 7 may be returned to the unclamped state at the beginning of the next job, or may be returned to the unclamped state when it is determined in S6 of the next job that the sheet length exceeds the predetermined length L. When discharging the sheet from the discharge path RT2, the discharging unit 7 is put in the unclamped state. However, it may be put in the clamped state as required.

[0065] <Other Embodiments> In the above embodiment, the configuration of two discharge passages (RT1, RT2) is exemplified, but the number of discharge passages may be three or more, or may be one. Also, although the reversing section 11 is provided in the discharge passage RT1, a configuration without the reversing section 11 may be used.

[0066] As described above, embodiments of the invention have been described, but the invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0067] 1 Recording apparatus, 3 Conveying unit, 4 Recording head, 7 Discharging unit, 8 Discharging unit, 30 Lifting mechanism

Claims

1. Recording means for recording on a sheet, First conveying means for sandwiching and conveying the sheet to the recording means, Second conveying means provided downstream of the first conveying means in the sheet conveying direction for sandwiching and conveying the sheet, Third conveying means provided downstream of the second conveying means in the conveying direction for sandwiching and conveying the sheet, Switching means for switching between the clamped state and the unclamped state of the second conveying means, Cutting means for cutting the sheet, disposed between the recording means and the second conveying means in the sheet conveying path, A recording apparatus comprising control means for controlling the switching means, When cutting the sheet conveyed by the first conveying means with the cutting means, the control means causes the switching means to bring the second conveying means into the clamped state when the length from the cutting means to the sheet tip is equal to or less than a threshold value which is the length from the cutting means to the third conveying means, and causes the switching means to bring the second conveying means into the unclamped state when the length from the cutting means to the sheet tip exceeds the threshold value, A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the path length of the conveying path from the second conveying means to the third conveying means is shorter than the minimum length of the sheet for which conveyance is assumed. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a storage section for storing a roll sheet as the sheet. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the path length of the conveying path from the cutting means to the third conveying means is shorter than the minimum length of the sheet for which conveyance is assumed. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third conveying means is disposed at a position higher than the second conveying means, and the conveying path from the second conveying means to the third conveying means has a curved portion. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a conveying path of the sheet including a plurality of discharge paths, and path switching means for switching the discharge path used for discharging the sheet recorded by the recording means among the plurality of discharge paths, wherein the path switching position of the path switching means is set between the second conveying means and the third conveying means. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a support member disposed in a conveyance path of a sheet and supporting the sheet; moving means for moving the support member between a support position for supporting the sheet and a retracted position retracted from the support position; a drive source common to the switching means and the moving means; The recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: the drive source is a motor; the switching means and the moving means include a transmission mechanism that forms a transmission path of the driving force of the motor; The recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: the transmission mechanism operates the switching means when the rotation direction of the motor is a predetermined rotation direction; The recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

10. The recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: the transmission mechanism includes a one-way clutch disposed in the transmission path; The recording apparatus is characterized in that the one-way clutch operates the switching means when the rotation direction of the motor is a predetermined rotation direction.

11. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: the transmission mechanism includes intermittent means for intermittently transmitting the driving force from the motor; the moving means operates when the intermittent means is in a connected state; The recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

12. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the intermittent means is an electromagnetic clutch; The recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

13. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a conveyance path of a sheet including a plurality of discharge paths; a path switching member for switching a discharge path used for discharging a sheet recorded by the recording means among the plurality of discharge paths; the third conveyance means and the path switching member are driven by a driving force of a common drive source; The recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

14. The recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: the drive source is a motor; a transmission mechanism that forms a transmission path of the driving force of the motor with respect to the third conveyance means and the path switching member; the transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the motor to the path switching member when the rotation direction of the motor is a predetermined rotation direction; The recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

15. The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: each of the second conveyance means and the third conveyance means includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body that are pressed against each other; The transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the motor to each first rotating body of the second conveying means and the third conveying means. A recording apparatus characterized by the above. **Claim 16** A recording apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 14, wherein the transmission mechanism is disposed outside a conveyance path of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

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