Image recording device

Abstract

To suppress an increase in the size in a conveyance direction of a sheet in an image recording device having a cutting unit.SOLUTION: An image recording device 10 comprises: a conveyance unit 43 which conveys a sheet 16 along a conveyance path 21; a carriage 35 which moves in an intersection directions 55, 56 intersecting a conveyance direction of the sheet 16; a head 37 which is mounted on the carriage 35 to discharge liquid from a nozzle; a liquid storage unit 40 which stores liquid; a tube 44 which feeds the liquid to the head 37 from the liquid storage unit 40; and a cutting unit 45 which cuts the sheet 16 along the intersection directions 55, 56. The tube 44 follows the movement of the carriage 35. The cutting unit 45 is located below a following space 91 through which the tube 44 passes when following.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus having a cutting unit that cuts a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of an image recording device equipped with a cutting unit that cuts a sheet is the printing device described in Patent Document 1. The printing device described in Patent Document 1 includes a transport mechanism that transports the medium along a transport path toward an outlet formed on the front surface of a housing, a recording unit that records on the medium transported along the transport path, and a cutting mechanism that cuts the medium recorded by the recording unit. The cutting mechanism is located downstream of the recording unit on the medium transport path and near the outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-80873 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The printing device has a problem in that the cutting mechanism increases the size of the device in the direction of transport of the media. Also, when the cutting mechanism is adopted in a slim image recording device, not only does the size increase in the direction of transport become a problem, but the increased vertical dimension can also negate the advantage of being slim.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent an image recording apparatus equipped with a cutting unit from becoming large in size in the sheet conveyance direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The image recording device according to the present invention includes a conveying unit that conveys a sheet along a conveying path, a carriage that moves in a direction intersecting the sheet conveying direction, a head that is mounted on the carriage and ejects liquid from nozzles, a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid, a tube that sends liquid from the liquid storage unit to the head, and a cutting unit that cuts the sheet along the intersecting direction. The tube follows the movement of the carriage. The cutting unit is located below a following space through which the tube passes as it follows.

[0007] Since the cutting portion is located below the follow-up space of the tube, the image recording device can be made compact in the sheet conveying direction.

[0008] (2) A part of the cutting portion may overlap in the vertical direction with a part of the movement space through which the carriage passes when it moves.

[0009] With the above configuration, the image recording device can be made smaller in size in the transport direction.

[0010] (3) The tube may overlap the carriage in the transport direction.

[0011] With the above configuration, the image recording device is made smaller in size in the vertical direction.

[0012] (4) The tube may be located in front of the carriage.

[0013] With the above configuration, the length of the tube is shortened in a configuration in which the liquid storage section is located in front of the image recording device.

[0014] (5) The image recording device may further include a discharge tray for supporting the sheet discharged from the conveying path. The discharge tray may be located below the cutting unit.

[0015] With the above configuration, the image recording device can be made smaller in size in the transport direction.

[0016] (6) The above-described conveying unit may have a discharge roller that conveys the sheet cut by the above-described cutting unit to the above-described discharge tray. The above-described discharge roller may be located below the above-described cutting unit.

[0017] With the above configuration, the image recording apparatus is downsized in the conveyance direction.

[0018] (7) The above-described image recording apparatus may further include a reading device that reads an image of a document. The above-described reading device may be located above the above-described cutting unit.

[0019] With the above configuration, the image recording apparatus is downsized in the conveyance direction.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, an image recording apparatus provided with a cutting unit is suppressed from being enlarged in the sheet conveyance direction.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely examples in which the present invention is embodied, and it goes without saying that the embodiments can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the direction in which the opening 13 faces in the printer unit 11 is defined as the forward direction 51, and the direction opposite to the forward direction is defined as the backward direction 52. The front and rear directions together are defined as the front-rear directions 51 and 52. The vertical directions perpendicular to the front-rear directions 51 and 52 are defined as the vertical directions 53 and 54. The directions perpendicular to the front-rear directions 51 and 52 and the vertical directions 53 and 54 are defined as the left-right directions 55 and 56. The upward direction of the vertical directions 53 and 54 is defined as the upward direction 53, and the downward direction is defined as the downward direction 54. When viewing the image recording apparatus 10 in the backward direction 52, the leftward direction of the left-right directions 55 and 56 is defined as the leftward direction 55, and the rightward direction is defined as the rightward direction 56.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus 10 is a multifunction device integrally including a printer unit 11 provided at the lower part and a scanner unit 12 (an example of a reading device) provided at the upper part. The image recording apparatus 10 has a printing function, a scanning function, a copying function, and a facsimile function. Note that the image recording apparatus 10 does not necessarily have the scanner unit 12, and may be implemented as a single-function printer that does not have a scanning function or a copying function.

[0024] The image recording apparatus 10 is mainly used while being connected to an external information device such as a computer (not shown). The printer unit 11 records an image on the recording paper 16 based on the print data received from this external information device or the image data of the document read by the scanner unit 12. An operation panel 19 is provided at the upper part of the front surface of the image recording apparatus 10. The operation panel 19 includes a display for displaying various information and input keys for receiving input of information. The image recording apparatus 10 operates based on the instruction information input from the operation panel 19 or the instruction information transmitted from an external information device through a printer driver, a scanner driver, or the like.

[0025] The scanner unit 12 is located above the printer unit 11. The scanner unit 12 is a so-called flatbed scanner. The scanner unit 12 includes a scanner main body 12a provided above the printer unit 11 and an original cover 12b provided above the scanner main body 12a. A platen glass (not shown) on which an original is placed is provided on the upper surface of the scanner main body 12a. An image sensor (not shown) capable of optically reading an image of the original on the platen glass is provided inside the scanner main body 12a. The original cover 12b is provided with an ADF 12c which is an automatic conveyance mechanism for picking up and conveying a plurality of originals whose images are to be read, one by one.

[0026] [Printer unit 11] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the configuration of the printer unit 11 will be described. Note that in FIG. 2, the illustration of the paper feed cassette 14 is omitted for simplicity of explanation.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer unit 11 has a housing 20. In the housing 20, a paper feed cassette 14, a paper feed cassette 15, a recording unit 17, a cutting unit 45, and other functional components are arranged. Below the operation panel 19 on the front surface of the housing 20, there is an opening 13. The opening 13 is located approximately at the center in the left-right direction 55, 56 on the front surface of the housing 20. The opening 13 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction 55, 56. The opening 13 extends from the upper part to the lower end on the front surface of the housing 20.

[0028] The housing 20 has an internal space 20a that extends backward 52 from the opening 13. The internal space 20a communicates with a conveyance path 21 described later. The internal space 20a extends from an upper wall portion 71 that extends backward 52 from the upper end of the opening 13 to the lower end of the housing 20. The upper wall portion 71 separates a substrate accommodation space 65 arranged behind the operation panel 19 from the internal space 20a. A substrate (not shown) on which an electronic circuit electrically connected to the operation panel 19 is installed is accommodated in the substrate accommodation space 65.

[0029] On the front surface of the housing 20, on the right side of the opening 13, an opening / closing cover 41 is attached. When the opening / closing cover 41 is opened, the cartridge mounting space is opened, and an ink cartridge 40 (an example of a liquid storage unit) for storing ink (an example of a liquid) can be mounted on or removed from the housing 20. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink cartridge 40 is located in front of the recording unit 17 in the housing 20. In the present embodiment, four ink cartridges 40 each holding four types of ink (an example of a liquid) having different colors can be mounted on the housing 20. Each ink cartridge 40 supplies ink to the recording head 37 of the recording unit 17 through a tube 44. Details of the tube 44 will be described later.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feed cassette 14 and the paper feed cassette 15 are mounted on the housing 20 in a state of being inserted into the opening 13. The paper feed cassette 14 and the paper feed cassette 15 can be inserted and removed along the front-rear directions 51 and 52 with respect to the housing 20. The paper feed cassette 14 is located below the paper feed cassette 15 in a state of being mounted on the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the paper feed cassette 15 accommodates a plurality of regular recording papers 16 (an example of a sheet) stacked thereon. The regular size of the recording paper 16 is, for example, the Japanese Industrial Standard A3 size, A4 size, B5 size, etc. An ejection tray 18 (an example of an ejection tray) is located above the paper feed cassette 15. The ejection tray 18 supports the sheet ejected from the conveyance path 21. In the present embodiment, two types of paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 are provided, but the paper feed cassette 14 may be omitted.

[0031] The paper feed cassette 15 holds a plurality of recording papers 16. The paper feed cassette 15 is formed in a container shape with a part of the rear side (the left side in FIG. 2) of the image recording apparatus 10 being open. The recording papers 16 are held in a stacked state in the internal space of the paper feed cassette 15. The ejection tray 18 of the paper feed cassette 15 is formed on the front side (the right side in FIG. 2) of the image recording apparatus 10. FIG. 2 shows a state where the paper feed cassette 15 is inserted into the housing 20.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance unit 43 for conveying the recording paper 16 along a conveyance path 21 from the paper feed cassette 15 to the paper discharge tray 18 is disposed in the housing 20. The conveyance path 21 is a so-called U-turn path that curves upward 53 and forward 51 from the paper feed cassette 15, makes a U-turn, and extends linearly forward 51 toward the paper discharge tray 18. The downstream end of the conveyance path 21 communicates with the internal space 20a.

[0033] Along the conveyance direction from the paper feed cassette 15 to the paper discharge tray 18 in the conveyance path 21, a paper feed roller 32, an intermediate roller pair 24, a PF roller pair 25, a first discharge roller pair 27, and a second discharge roller pair 28 (an example of a "discharge roller") are arranged in order from the upstream side. The paper feed roller 32 and the roller pairs 24, 25, 27, 28 constitute the conveyance unit 43.

[0034] The paper feed roller 32 is located above the paper feed cassette 15. The paper feed roller 32 is rotatably provided at the tip of an arm 33 with the left-right directions 55, 56 as the axial directions. The base end of the arm 33 is rotatable around a shaft 34. When the arm 33 rotates, the paper feed roller 32 moves in a direction of approaching and separating from the paper feed cassette 15. The arm 33 is rotated in a direction of approaching the paper feed cassette 15 by the weight of the paper feed roller 32. Thereby, the paper feed roller 32 contacts the uppermost recording paper 16 among the plurality of recording papers 16 stacked on the paper feed cassette 15. When the paper feed roller 32 rotates in this state, the uppermost recording paper 16 is sent out from the paper feed cassette 15 to the conveyance path 21.

[0035] The intermediate roller pair 24 is located at the curved portion of the conveyance path 21. The intermediate roller pair 24 is rotatable with the left-right directions 55, 56 as the axial directions. The intermediate roller pair 24 rotates when the drive of a motor (not shown) is transmitted. The recording paper 16 sent out from the paper feed cassette 15 to the conveyance path 21 is sandwiched by the intermediate roller pair 24 and conveyed toward the PF roller pair 25.

[0036] The PF roller pair 25 is located near the downstream end in the conveyance direction of the curved portion of the conveyance path 21. The PF roller pair 25 is rotatable about the left - right directions 55, 56 as the axial direction. The PF roller pair 25 is rotated by the transmission of the drive of a motor (not shown). The recording paper 16 conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 24 is sandwiched by the PF roller pair 25 and conveyed downward of the recording head 37.

[0037] The first discharge roller pair 27 and the second discharge roller pair 28 are located downstream in the conveyance direction of the recording head 37 in the conveyance path 21. The first discharge roller pair 27 is located upstream in the conveyance direction from the second discharge roller pair 28. The first discharge roller pair 27 and the second discharge roller pair 28 are rotated by the transmission of the drive of a motor (not shown). The recording paper 16 conveyed by the PF roller pair 25 is sandwiched by the first discharge roller pair 27 and the second discharge roller pair 28 and conveyed to the paper discharge tray 18.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 17 is located between the PF roller pair 25 and the first discharge roller pair 27 in the conveyance path 21. The recording unit 17 includes a carriage 35 located above the conveyance path 21, a platen 36 located below the conveyance path 21, and a recording head 37 (an example of a head) mounted on the carriage 35. The detailed structure of the carriage 35 will be described later.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the recording head 37 is of a so - called ink - jet type in which each color ink of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) is supplied from an ink cartridge 40 through a tube 44, and each ink is ejected as minute ink droplets. While the carriage 35 reciprocates in the left - right directions 55, 56 (an example of the "cross - direction"), ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 37, whereby image recording is performed on the recording paper 16 conveyed on the platen 36.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 35 is separated in the front-rear directions 51 and 52 and is supported by guide frames 61 and 62 each extending in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The carriage 35 is placed so as to straddle the guide frames 61 and 62 and is reciprocally movable in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The guide frame 61 disposed at the rear is in the shape of a flat plate whose length in the left-right directions 55 and 56 is longer than the reciprocating range of the carriage 35, and the upper surface of the guide frame 61 slidably supports the rear end portion of the carriage 35. As shown in FIG. 4, the front end portion 35a of the carriage 35 has a portion overlapping the guide frame 62 in the up-down directions 53 and 54, thereby preventing the carriage 35 from coming out upward 53 from the guide frame 62.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the guide frame 62 located in the front is in the shape of a flat plate whose length in the left-right directions 55 and 56 is substantially the same as that of the guide frame 61, and an edge portion 63 that supports the front end portion of the carriage 35 is bent substantially at a right angle upward 53. The carriage 35 is slidably carried on the upper surface of the guide frame 62 and holds the edge portion 63 with a roller or the like (not shown). Therefore, the carriage 35 is slidably carried on the guide frames 61 and 62 and is reciprocally movable in the left-right directions 55 and 56 with reference to the edge portion 63 of the guide frame 62.

[0042] A belt drive mechanism 46 is disposed on the upper surface of the guide frame 62. The belt drive mechanism 46 includes an endless annular belt 49 having teeth provided on the inner side thereof stretched between a first pulley 47 and a second pulley 48 respectively provided near both ends in the left-right directions 55 and 56 of the conveyance path 21. The first pulley 47 and the second pulley 48 are disposed at both ends of the region where the carriage 35 reciprocates. A driving force is input from a CR motor (not shown), which is a driving source, to the shaft of the first pulley 47 to rotate the first pulley 47. The rotation of the first pulley 47 causes the belt 49 to perform a circumferential motion, and at this time, the second pulley 48 is driven. Note that, in addition to being an endless annular belt, the belt 49 may be one in which both end portions of an end belt are fixed to the carriage 35.

[0043] The carriage 35 is fixed to the belt 49. Although the connection part between the carriage 35 and the belt 49 is not shown in detail in each figure, the belt 49 is slightly pulled upward when connected to the carriage 35. As a result, a tension that elastically returns downward is generated in the belt 49, and the carriage 35 is elastically biased to the guide frames 61 and 62 by this tension. As described above, when the belt 49 moves in a circular motion, the carriage 35 reciprocates on the guide frames 61 and 62 with reference to the edge 63. The recording head 37 is mounted on such a carriage 35, and the recording head 37 can reciprocate with the left - right directions 55 and 56 of the conveyance path 21 as the main scanning direction.

[0044] The tube 44 is a synthetic resin tube and has flexibility to bend according to the reciprocating motion of the carriage 35. Four tubes 44 are provided corresponding to the four ink cartridges 40. One end of each tube 44 is respectively connected to a case (not shown in the figure) that houses the ink cartridge 40. The other end of each tube 44 is connected to the recording head 37 on the carriage 35. Each tube 44 extends leftward 55 from the carriage 35, then curves to make a U - turn rightward 56 and extends rightward 56 between the front - rear directions 51 and 52 of the carriage 35 and the ink cartridge 40, and is fixed to the housing 20 at the fixed position 96. The tube 44 is appropriately arranged from the fixed position 96 to the case of the ink cartridge 40. Each tube 44 follows the carriage 35 while changing the curved shape of the U - turn as the carriage 35 moves along the left - right directions 55 and 56. The follow - up space 91 through which the tube 44 passes when following the carriage 35 is surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 3.

[0045] [Cutting part] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a cutting portion 45 is located above the conveyance path 21 in front of the recording unit 17. The cutting portion 45 is located to the left of the image recording area A1 when stopped. The image recording area A1 is the maximum width at which image recording is performed on the recording paper 16 by discharging ink from the recording head 37 that reciprocates together with the carriage 35. If the maximum size recordable by the printer unit 11 is the A4 size, the image recording area A1 is slightly wider than the width of the A4 size.

[0046] The cutting portion 45 cuts the recording paper 16 conveyed by the conveying portion 43 along the left - right directions 55, 56. The cutting portion 45 cuts the recording paper 16 by moving rightward 56 from the stop position to the left of the image recording area A1 (the position of the cutting portion 45 shown in FIG. 3). By cutting with the cutting portion 45, for example, one A4 - sized recording paper 16 is cut into two A5 - sized recording papers 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the cutting portion 45 includes a guide rail 81 extending along the left - right directions 55, 56, a cutter carriage 82 guided by the guide rail 81 and moving, a cutter 83 mounted on the cutter carriage 82, and a fixed blade 95. In FIG. 4, for clarity of the structure of the cutting portion 45, an endless belt 90 described later is shown in cross - section. Also, in FIG. 2, the detailed configuration of the cutting portion 45 is omitted and it is shown schematically.

[0047] The guide rail 81 has a flat shape extending along the left - right directions 55, 56. Both end portions of the guide rail 81 in the left - right directions 55, 56 are fixed to a side frame (not shown) that supports the rotation shafts of the discharge roller pair 28. The length of the guide rail 81 in the left - right directions 55, 56 is longer than the length of the conveyance path 21 in the left - right directions 55, 56. The left and right ends of the guide rail 81 extend outward from the image recording area A1.

[0048] The guide rail 81 has a substrate 81a extending in the left - right directions 55, 56, a first upright plate 81b extending upward 53 from the rear end of the substrate 81a, a first extension plate 81c extending rearward 52 from the upper end of the first upright plate 81b, a second upright plate 81d extending upward 53 from the front end of the substrate 81a, and a second extension plate 81e extending forward 51 from the upper end of the second upright plate 81d. The substrate 81a, the first upright plate 81b, the first extension plate 81c, the second upright plate 81d, and the second extension plate 81e are formed by bending a single rectangular steel plate.

[0049] The cutter carriage 82 has a cutter holding portion 82a for holding a cutter 83 and a connecting portion 82b connected to the guide rail 81. The cutter holding portion 82a is located behind the guide rail 81. Note that the cutter holding portion 82a may be located in front of the guide rail 81. The cutter holding portion 82a extends downward from the guide rail 81. The cutter 83 is supported by the cutter holding portion 82a in a state of protruding downward 54 from the lower end of the cutter holding portion 82a. The cutter 83 has a disk shape and is rotatably supported by the cutter holding portion 82a with the front - rear directions 51, 52 as the axial directions.

[0050] The connecting portion 82b extends forward 51 from the cutter holding portion 82a and is connected to the guide rail 81. The connecting portion 82b has a first contact portion 84 that contacts the upper surface of the first extension plate 81c, a second contact portion 85 that can contact the lower surface of the second extension plate 81e, a third contact portion 86 that contacts the surface of the first upright plate 81b facing rearward 52, a fourth contact portion 87 that contacts the surface of the first upright plate 81b facing forward 51, a fifth contact portion 88 that contacts the upper surface of the second extension plate 81e, and a sixth contact portion 89 that can contact the lower surface of the first extension plate 81c.

[0051] The guide rail 81 supports the cutter carriage 82 against the downward direction 54 by abutting against the first abutting portion 84 and the fifth abutting portion 88. Thereby, the cutter carriage 82 is positioned in the vertical directions 53 and 54. The guide rail 81 positions the cutter carriage 82 in the front-rear directions 51 and 52 by abutting against the third abutting portion 86 and the fourth abutting portion 87, respectively. When the cutter carriage 82 moves upward 53 with respect to the guide rail 81, at least one of the second abutting portion 85 or the sixth abutting portion 89 abuts against the guide rail 81. Thereby, the cutter carriage 82 is prevented from coming off the guide rail 81 upward 53.

[0052] The cutter holding portion 82a has an inclined surface 82c on the upper part of the outer surface. The inclined surface 82c faces rearward 52 and upward 53. The inclined surface 82c overlaps with the front end portion 35a of the carriage 35 in the vertical directions 53 and 54 and the front-rear directions 51 and 52 when viewed from the left-right directions 55 and 56. Thereby, the image recording apparatus 10 is miniaturized in the vertical directions 53 and 54 and the front-rear directions 51 and 52. By providing the cutter holding portion 82a with the inclined surface 82c, while giving thickness and strength to the vertical directions 53 and 54 and the front-rear directions 51 and 52 of the front portion of the cutter holding portion 82a, that is, the portion close to the connecting portion 82b, the gap between the cutter carriage 82 and the carriage 35 can be reduced.

[0053] The cutter carriage 82 is driven by a drive mechanism 101. The drive mechanism 101 includes a drive pulley 102 and a driven pulley 103 disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 81a, and an endless belt 90 wound around the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103. The drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103 are disposed at both ends in the left - right directions 55, 56 on the upper surface of the substrate 81a. The drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103 rotate about an axis along the up - down directions 53, 54. A driving force of a motor (not shown) is transmitted to the drive pulley 102. The endless belt 90 is connected to the cutter carriage 82 on the front side of the fourth contact portion 87 of the connecting portion 82b of the cutter carriage 82. When the drive pulley 102 rotates, the endless belt 90 performs a circumferential motion, and the driven pulley 103 rotates accordingly. Due to the circumferential motion of the endless belt 90, the cutter carriage 82 reciprocates in the left - right directions 55, 56 along the guide rail 81.

[0054] A fixed blade 95 is located below the cutter holding portion 82a of the cutter carriage 82. The fixed blade 95 is supported by a side frame (not shown) and extends in the left - right directions 55, 56 across the image recording area A1. The cutting edge of the fixed blade 95 abuts against the cutter 83 from the rear 52. The recording paper 16 is cut by being sandwiched between the cutter 83 and the fixed blade 95.

[0055] [Layout] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cutting portion 45 is located below the following space 91 through which the tube 44 passes when the tube 44 follows the movement of the carriage 35. In other words, the cutting portion 45 overlaps the following space 91 when viewed from the vertical direction. Also, a part of the cutting portion 45 overlaps a part of the movement space 92 through which the carriage 35 passes when the carriage 35 moves in the left - right directions 55, 56 in the up - down directions 53, 54. In other words, a part of the cutting portion 45 overlaps a part of the movement space 92 when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0056] The tube 44 overlaps the carriage 35 in the front - rear directions 51, 52. The tube 44 is not located above the carriage 35 when viewed from the front - rear directions 51, 52.

[0057] When viewed from the left - right directions 55 and 56, the second discharge roller pair 28 is located below the cutting portion 45. In other words, when viewed from the left - right directions 55 and 56, the second discharge roller pair 28 is located below the connecting portion 82b and in front of the cutter holding portion 82a.

[0058] When viewed from the left - right directions 55 and 56, the paper discharge tray 18 is located below the cutting portion 45.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the scanner unit 12 is located above the cutting portion 45. In other words, when viewed from the vertical direction, the scanner unit 12 overlaps the cutting portion 45.

[0060] Hereinafter, the operation in which the image recording apparatus 10 cuts a single A4 recording paper 16 into two A5 recording papers will be described.

[0061] When the paper feed roller 32 rotates, the uppermost single A4 recording paper 16 is sent out from the paper feed cassette 15 to the conveyance path 21. The recording paper 16 sent out from the paper feed cassette 15 to the conveyance path 21 is conveyed below the recording head 37 by the intermediate roller pair 24 and the PF roller pair 25. The recording paper 16 conveyed below the recording head 37 is supported from below by the platen 36. While the conveyance of the recording paper 16 is stopped, the carriage 35 moves in the left - right directions 55 and 56, and ink is ejected from the recording head 37 toward the recording paper 16. Thereby, an image for one pass is recorded on the recording paper 16. By repeating the conveyance and stop of the recording paper 16 and performing image recording for a predetermined number of passes, the image recording on the recording paper 16 is completed. Here, for the A4 recording paper 16, image recording for two A5 recording papers is performed. During image recording, the recording paper 16 that has passed through the platen 36 is conveyed below the cutting portion 45 by the first discharge roller pair 27.

[0062] When the center of the recording paper 16 in the conveyance direction is conveyed below the cutting portion 45, as the driving pulley 102 rotates, the cutter carriage 82 moves rightward 56 from the stop position (the position of the cutting portion 45 shown in FIG. 3) along the guide rail 81. At this time, the first contact portion 84 and the fifth contact portion 88 of the cutter carriage 82 slide on the upper surfaces of the first extension plate 81c and the second extension plate 81e of the guide rail 81, respectively. The A4 recording paper 16 is sandwiched between the cutter 83 and the fixed blade 95 and cut along the left - right directions 55, 56 to become two A5 recording papers. The two A5 recording papers are discharged from the conveyance path 21 to the paper discharge tray 18 by the second discharge roller pair 28.

[0063] In the image recording apparatus 10, since the cutting portion 45 is located below the following space 91 through which the tube 44 passes when following, the image recording apparatus 10 is miniaturized in the front - rear directions 51, 52.

[0064] In the image recording apparatus 10, since a part of the cutting portion 45 overlaps with a part of the movement space 92 through which the carriage 35 passes in the up - down directions 53, 54, the image recording apparatus 10 is miniaturized in the front - rear directions 51, 52.

[0065] In the image recording apparatus 10, since the tube 44 overlaps with the carriage 35 in the front - rear directions 51, 52, the image recording apparatus 10 is miniaturized in the up - down directions 53, 54.

[0066] [Operational Effects of the Embodiment] In the image recording apparatus 10, since the tube 44 connected to the ink cartridge 40 is located in front of the carriage 35, the length of the tube 44 is shorter than when the ink cartridge 40 is located at the rear in the housing 20.

[0067] In the image recording apparatus 10, since the paper discharge tray 18 is located below the cutting portion 45, the image recording apparatus 10 is miniaturized in the front - rear directions 51, 52.

[0068] In the image recording apparatus 10, since the second discharge roller pair 28 is located below the cutting portion 45, the image recording apparatus 10 is downsized in the front-rear directions 51 and 52.

[0069] In the image recording apparatus 10, since the scanner unit 12 that reads an image of a document is located above the cutting portion 45, the image recording apparatus 10 is downsized in the front-rear directions 51 and 52.

[0070] [Modification Example] In the above embodiment, the recording paper 16 is cut by the cutter 83 and the fixed blade 95 at the cutting portion 45. However, the structure of the cutting portion 45 is not particularly limited as long as the recording paper 16 can be cut along the left-right directions 55 and 56. For example, instead of the fixed blade 95, two disk-shaped rotary blades such as the cutter 83 may be mounted on the cutter carriage 82 at the cutting portion 45.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the cutting portion 45 cuts the regular rectangular recording paper 16, but the medium drawn from the roll body wound in a roll shape may be cut so as to become the regular rectangular recording paper 16.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the conveyance path 21 forms a so-called U-turn path that curves upward 53 from the paper feed cassette 15 and makes a U-turn, but a duplex conveyance path for recording images on both sides of the recording paper 16 may be further provided.

[0073] In the above embodiment, a part of the cutting portion 45 overlapped with a part of the movement space 92 through which the carriage 35 passes when moving in the left-right directions 55 and 56 in the up-down directions 53 and 54. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the cutting portion 45 may not overlap with the movement space 92 in the up-down directions 53 and 54.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the tube 44 overlapped with the carriage 35 in the front-rear directions 51 and 52, but the tube 44 may not overlap with the carriage 35 in the front-rear directions 51 and 52.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the tube 44 is located in front of the carriage 35, but it may be located behind the carriage 35.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the second discharge roller pair 28 is located below the cutting portion 45 when viewed from the left - right directions 55, 56. However, as shown in FIG. 6, it may not be located below the cutting portion 45 when viewed from the left - right directions 55, 56.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the second discharge roller pair 28 is located in front of the cutter holding portion 82a of the cutting portion 45 when viewed from the left - right directions 55, 56. However, as shown in FIG. 7, it may be located behind the cutter holding portion 82a when viewed from the left - right directions 55, 56.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 10 ··· Image recording apparatus 12 ··· Reading apparatus 16 ··· Sheet 18 ··· Discharge tray 21 ··· Conveyor path 28 ··· Discharge roller 35 ··· Carriage 37 ··· Head 42 ··· Liquid storage portion 43 ··· Conveyor portion 44 ··· Tube 45 ··· Cutting portion 47 ··· Follow - up space 48 ··· Movement space

Claims

1. A conveying unit that conveys a sheet pre-cut to a fixed size along a conveyance path, a carriage that moves in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the sheet, a head mounted on the carriage that discharges liquid from nozzles, a liquid storage unit that stores liquid, a tube that sends liquid from the liquid storage unit to the head, a cutting unit that cuts the sheet by moving the sheet from one side to the other side in the intersecting direction, and a paper feed cassette that is located below the cutting unit and overlaps the cutting unit when viewed from the vertical direction and accommodates a plurality of the sheets in a stacked state, the tube follows along with the movement of the carriage, the cutting unit is located below a following space through which the tube passes when the tube follows, An image recording apparatus in which one end of the cutting unit in the intersecting direction located at the stop position overlaps the following space when viewed from the vertical direction.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the cutting unit overlaps a part of a movement space through which the carriage passes in the vertical direction when the carriage moves.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tube overlaps the carriage in the conveyance direction.

4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tube is located in front of the carriage.

5. The image recording apparatus further includes a discharge tray that supports the sheet discharged from the conveyance path, and the discharge tray is located below the cutting unit, according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The conveying unit has a discharge roller that conveys the sheet cut by the cutting unit to the discharge tray, and the discharge roller is located below the cutting unit, according to claim 5.

7. The image recording apparatus further includes a reading device that reads an image of a document, and the reading device is located above the cutting unit, according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images