Media supply device and recording device

Abstract

To provide a medium feeding device for suppressing occurrence of a roller trace, and a recording device.SOLUTION: A medium feeding device 100 comprises: a cut form paper storage part 110 on which cut form papers SP are stacked and placed; and a feeding roller 132 for feeding the cut form paper SP by contacting to an upper surface of the placed cut form paper SP and rotating. The feeding roller 132 has contact parts At, Bt, Ct which contact the cut form paper SP in a rotation direction R1 and non-contact parts Ah, Bh, Ch which do not contact it. The plurality of contact parts At, Bt, Ct and non-contact parts Ah, Bh, Ch are provided along an X direction, and the contact parts At, Bt, Ct adjacent in the X direction are shifted in phase in the rotation direction R1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium supply device and a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a medium supplying device equipped with a feed roller that feeds stacked media such as paper one sheet at a time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic document feeder equipped with a pickup roller that picks up paper and a separation roller that separates the topmost sheet and sends it out to a conveyance path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-194023 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the device in Patent Document 1 has an issue in that the pickup roller is prone to leaving roller marks on the medium. Specifically, the device uses a cylindrical, roughly cylindrical pickup roller as the feed roller. With such a cylindrical pickup roller, both ends in the direction of extension of the pickup roller's rotation axis tend to press strongly against the medium.

[0005] The pickup roller presses down on the stack of papers while feeding the first sheet of paper, which is the topmost sheet of paper it is in contact with. At this time, the pickup roller presses down on the first sheet of paper and the second sheet of paper underneath it, causing strong rubbing, especially at the edges. While the first sheet of paper is conveyed while being pressed down, the second sheet of paper remains unconveyed. As a result, roller marks are likely to appear at the edge of the second sheet of paper where they are pressed down. In other words, there was a need for a media supply device that would reduce the occurrence of roller marks caused by the feed roller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The medium supply device comprises a loading section on which media are stacked and placed, and a feed roller that feeds the media by rotating in contact with the top surface of the placed media, the feed roller having a contact section that contacts the media in the rotation direction and a non-contact section that does not contact the media, the contact sections and non-contact sections being arranged in multiple directions along a first direction which is the extension direction of the rotation axis of the feed roller, and adjacent contact sections in the first direction are out of phase with each other in the rotation direction.

[0007] The recording device comprises a recording unit that records on a medium, a medium supply unit that supplies the medium toward the recording unit, and a transport path that transports the medium from the medium supply unit to the recording unit, wherein the medium supply unit has a stacking section on which the medium is placed and a feed roller that feeds the medium by rotating in contact with the top surface of the loaded medium, and the feed roller has a contact section that contacts the medium in the rotational direction and a non-contact section that does not contact the medium, and the contact sections and non-contact sections are provided in multiple locations along a first direction that is the extension direction of the rotational axis of the feed roller, and adjacent contact sections in the first direction are out of phase with each other in the rotational direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a recording apparatus including a medium supply device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the recording apparatus with the front side open. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the medium supply device and the recording device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a housing including a medium supply device and a transport path. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the housing with the second cover open. [Figure 6]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the internal configuration exposed by opening the second cover. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a second roller unit. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the YZ plane and including the line segment AA in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the internal configuration exposed by opening the first cover. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a first roller unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a feed roller. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the appearance of the feed roller. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view showing another embodiment of the divided feed roller. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the feed roller and cut sheets placed in the cut sheet storage section. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of a paper return lever and a second transport path member. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the paper return lever when the tray is set. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the paper return lever when the tray is being pulled out. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing the retraction function of the feed roller. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the arrangement of the feed roller when retracted. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the arrangement of the feeding rollers during feeding. [Figure 22] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of an operation unit. [Figure 23] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of attaching and detaching the first roller unit. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the state in which the first roller unit is removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In this embodiment, a medium supplying device that supplies cut sheets is exemplified. The medium supplying device is included in, for example, an inkjet printer, which is a recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink onto roll paper and cut sheets of paper. The configuration of the medium supplying device 100 according to this embodiment and the recording device 11 that includes the medium supplying device 100 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In the following figures, X, Y, and Z axes are used as mutually orthogonal coordinate axes as necessary, with the direction indicated by each arrow being the + direction and the direction opposite the + direction being the - direction. The Y axis runs along the front-to-rear direction of the recording device 11, with the +Y direction of the recording device 11 being the forward direction. The X axis runs along the left-to-right direction of the recording device 11, with the +X direction of the recording device 11 being the right direction. The +X and -X directions along the X axis are sometimes collectively referred to simply as the X direction. The Z axis is a virtual axis running vertically, with the +Z direction of the recording device 11 being the downward direction.

[0011] 1. Recording device 1 to 3, recording device 11 includes a medium supply device 100 as a medium supply unit, a recording unit 20, and a transport path 109. Medium supply device 100 supplies cut sheets SP, which are media, to recording unit 20. Transport path 109 transports cut sheets SP from medium supply device 100 to recording unit 20. Recording unit 20 records on both roll paper RP and cut sheets SP.

[0012] Although cut sheets SP are an example of the medium of the present invention, in the following description, the term "medium" also includes roll paper RP. Cut sheets SP and roll paper RP are not limited to paper, and may be, for example, paper with a coating layer on the surface or a resin film.

[0013] The medium supply device 100 has a cut paper storage section 110 as a stacking section. Cut papers SP are stacked and placed in the cut paper storage section 110. The medium supply device 100 is located below the recording device 11.

[0014] The recording device 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 12 and a main body frame 16 that supports each part of the recording device 11. Inside the housing 12, a roll paper storage unit 40 and a recording unit 20 are arranged. Roll paper RP is stored in the roll paper storage unit 40. The roll paper storage unit 40 is located below the recording unit 20. Here, the direction away from the roll paper storage unit 40 or the cut paper storage unit 110 is sometimes referred to as downstream, and the direction approaching it is sometimes referred to as upstream.

[0015] The recording unit 20 includes a head 22 having nozzles 23 that eject ink toward a medium, a carriage 21 that mounts the head 22, and a guide rail 24 that is arranged along the X axis. The recording unit 20 includes a movement mechanism that moves the carriage 21 back and forth along the guide rail 24.

[0016] A support unit 25 that supports the medium is provided opposite the head 22. The head 22 moves back and forth together with the carriage 21 in a direction along the X axis, which is the paper width direction of the medium, and ejects ink to perform recording on the medium supported by the support unit 25. In this embodiment, a serial head system in which the head 22 moves back and forth in the paper width direction is exemplified as the recording unit 20, but is not limited to this. The recording unit 20 may also be a line head system in which heads are fixedly arranged and extend in the paper width direction.

[0017] The upper part of the housing 12 is provided with a media transport path 30 along which media is transported, and a cutting unit 27 capable of cutting media recorded by the recording unit 20. The media transport path 30 has a supply path 30a and a reversing path 30b provided upstream of the support unit 25, and a discharge path 30c provided downstream of the support unit 25. The supply path 30a has a roll paper supply path 30R to which roll paper RP is supplied, and a cut paper supply path 30S to which cut paper SP is supplied.

[0018] Supply path 30a is a path that connects roll paper supply path 30R to support section 25. Upstream of supply path 30a is provided roll paper junction point P2, where it merges with roll paper supply path 30R. Downstream of supply path 30a is provided branch point P1, where supply path 30a branches off into reversal path 30b when transporting the medium from downstream to upstream. Reversal path 30b is a path that connects branch point P1 to roll paper junction point P2. Between roll paper junction point P2 and branch point P1 on supply path 30a is provided cut paper junction point P3, where it merges with cut paper supply path 30S.

[0019] An ejection port 14 through which the recorded medium is ejected is provided on the front surface of the housing 12. The front surface of the housing 12 is the surface of the housing 12 that faces forward. An ejection path 30c is a path that connects the support unit 25 to the ejection port 14. A cutting unit 27 that cuts the medium that has been recorded by the recording unit 20 is provided midway along the ejection path 30c.

[0020] The cutting unit 27 has a movable blade 28 and a fixed blade 29. The movable blade 28 moves back and forth along the X-axis, which is the paper width direction of the medium. The fixed blade 29 is fixed and extends in the paper width direction. The movable blade 28 is provided above the discharge path 30c, and the fixed blade 29 is provided below the discharge path 30c. The movable blade 28 moves in the paper width direction while abutting against the fixed blade 29, thereby cutting, for example, roll paper RP that has been unwound from a roll state or margins. A cutting debris storage unit 80 is located below the cutting unit 27. The cutting debris storage unit 80 stores cutting debris generated when the cutting unit 27 cuts the medium.

[0021] The medium transport path 30 is provided with a transport unit 31 that transports the medium supplied to the medium transport path 30. The transport unit 31 has, in order from upstream to downstream in the supply path 30a, an intermediate roller 32, a plurality of driven rollers 33 provided on the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 32, and an upstream transport roller pair 34. The driven roller 33 is rotatably provided and rotates in response to the rotation of the intermediate roller 32, sandwiching the medium between it and the intermediate roller 32. The transport unit 31 has, in order from upstream to downstream in the discharge path 30c, a downstream transport roller pair 35, a first roller pair 36, and a second roller pair 37. The first roller pair 36 is located upstream of the cutting unit 27, and the second roller pair 37 is located downstream of the cutting unit 27.

[0022] The intermediate roller 32, driven roller 33, upstream transport roller pair 34, downstream transport roller pair 35, first roller pair 36, and second roller pair 37 transport the medium by rotating with the medium sandwiched between them. When the transport unit 31 is driven to rotate in the forward direction, the medium is transported from upstream to downstream. When the transport unit 31 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction, the medium is transported from downstream to upstream.

[0023] The recording device 11 drives the transport unit 31 in a forward rotation to transport the medium from upstream to downstream, and ejects ink from the recording unit 20 onto the medium positioned on the support unit 25 to record on the first side of the medium. The recording device 11 can also record on the second side, which is the opposite side of the first side of the medium.

[0024] The recording device 11 drives the transport unit 31 in reverse rotation to transport the medium from downstream to upstream after recording on the first side. The medium passes from branch point P1 through the reversal path 30b and reaches the upstream of the supply path 30a. The recording device 11 again drives the transport unit 31 in forward rotation, and the medium rotates once around the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 32, thereby reversing the front and back sides of the medium. While transporting the medium from upstream to downstream, the recording device 11 ejects ink from the recording unit 20 onto the medium positioned in the support unit 25, performing recording on the second side of the medium. In this way, recording is performed on both sides of the medium. If the medium is roll paper RP that has been unwound from a roll, after recording on the front side, it is cut into cut sheets by the cutting unit 27, and then recording is performed on the back side.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, a roll paper compartment 40 is provided within the housing 12 below the recording unit 20. The roll paper compartment 40 is supported by the main body frame 16. In the roll paper compartment 40, roll paper RP is rotatably supported by a support shaft 41 that is positioned along the X axis. In other words, the roll paper RP is supported by the roll paper compartment 40 so that it can rotate together with the support shaft 41, with the support shaft 41 as the center of rotation. A roll paper transport path 50 is provided in the roll paper compartment 40, which transports roll paper RP as it is unwound from a roll toward the roll paper supply path 30R.

[0026] In the roll paper transport path 50, the roll paper RP is unwound and pulled downward from the front side of the roll paper RP body supported by the support shaft 41. The pulled-out roll paper RP is then bent backward, wrapped around the underside and rear side of the roll paper RP body, and transported to the roll paper supply path 30R above the roll paper RP body.

[0027] The roll paper transport path 50 has a bent section 50a that bends at a nearly right angle diagonally downward and in front of the main body of the roll paper RP. Immediately downstream of the bent section 50a on the roll paper transport path 50 is provided a decurling mechanism 51 that corrects any curling of the roll paper RP.

[0028] The decurl mechanism 51 includes a first decurl roller 52, a second decurl roller 53, a fixed curved surface portion 54, and a moving device 55 that moves the first decurl roller 52. The roll paper RP passes between the first decurl roller 52 and the fixed curved surface portion 54 and between the first decurl roller 52 and the second decurl roller 53 and is transported downstream.

[0029] On the roll paper transport path 50, downstream of the decurling mechanism 51, there are provided multiple roll paper transport roller pairs 56 that apply a transport force to the roll paper RP. When the roll paper transport roller pairs 56 are driven to rotate, the roll paper RP is transported to the roll paper supply path 30R. The transport force refers to the force that transports the medium downstream.

[0030] 2, when storing or replacing roll paper RP, the roll paper storage unit 40 opens to the front of the recording device 11 through an opening 13 formed in the front of the housing 12. The roll paper storage unit 40 can be moved in a retractable manner to the front of the recording device 11 relative to the main body frame 16 (not shown).

[0031] The cutting debris storage unit 80 is located in front of the roll paper storage unit 40 and is detachably mounted on the main body frame 16. The front panel 42 of the drawer-type roll paper storage unit 40 is exposed below the cutting debris storage unit 80. The cutting debris storage unit 80 has an outer wall 81 that covers the opening 13 when attached to the housing 12.

[0032] 2.Media supply device 2 and 3, medium supply device 100 and transport path 109 are housed in a housing 102 that is substantially L-shaped when viewed from the side in the -X direction. Housing 102 has a feed frame 106 that supports each part of medium supply device 100 and transport path 109. Transport path 109 is provided downstream of medium supply device 100.

[0033] The medium supply device 100 has a cut paper storage section 110, which is a loading section, a feed roller 132, a separation roller 133, and a retard roller 143. The feed roller 132 comes into contact with the top surface of the uppermost cut paper SP placed in the cut paper storage section 110 and feeds the cut paper SP by rotating.

[0034] Separation roller 133 and retard roller 143 are located downstream of feed roller 132. Downstream of separation roller 133 and retard roller 143 is transport path 109, which includes transport rollers, cut slip drive rollers 123 and 125. Cut slip drive rollers 123 and 125 form a pair, and multiple pairs are provided.

[0035] Cut sheets SP loaded in the cut sheet storage section 110 are transported toward the cut sheet supply path 30S by cut sheet drive rollers 123, 125. The cut sheet storage section 110 is located below the roll paper storage section 40, and the transport path 109 is located behind the roll paper storage section 40 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0036] The cut slip storage unit 110 has a front panel 112 at its front, which is part of the housing 102. The cut slip storage unit 110 has a box-shaped tray 111 in which cut slips SP are stored. The tray 111 has a pair of edge guides 115, a stopper 114, and a hopper 113. The pair of edge guides 115 position the cut slip SP widthwise. The stopper 114 positions the cut slip SP in the front-to-rear direction. The hopper 113 biases the downstream end of the cut slip SP stored in the tray 111 against the feed roller 132.

[0037] Cut sheet storage section 110 is supported by feed frame 106. When storing cut sheets SP, cut sheet storage section 110 opens to the front of recording device 11 through opening 103 formed in housing 102. Cut sheet storage section 110 can be moved relative to feed frame 106 so that it can be pulled out to the front of recording device 11.

[0038] The medium supply device 100 has a feed roller 132 for transporting cut sheets SP, a retard roller 143, and a separation roller 133.

[0039] Feed roller 132 is located above the downstream end of the cut slips SP stored in cut slip storage unit 110. Feed roller 132 rotates while in contact with the top surface of the uppermost cut slip SP among the stack of cut slips SP. This causes the uppermost cut slip SP to be picked up and fed. Retard roller 143 and separation roller 133 are located downstream of feed roller 132 and are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction. Retard roller 143 and separation roller 133 rotate while sandwiching the cut slip SP that has been sent out of cut slip storage unit 110 by feed roller 132. This causes the cut slip SP to be sent towards transport path 109.

[0040] The separation roller 133 contacts the cut sheets SP on the same upper surface as the feed roller 132. The retard roller 143 contacts the lower surface opposite the upper surface. The retard roller 143 is located below the separation roller 133. The retard roller 143 is pressed against the separation roller 133 and rotates in response to the rotation of the separation roller 133. The retard roller 143 has a greater coefficient of friction with cut sheets SP than the separation roller 133. The separation roller 133 and the retard roller 143 then separate and transport the cut sheets SP one by one due to the difference in the friction coefficients.

[0041] The transport path 109 has a curved transport path 109a that bends cut sheets SP transported rearward from the cut sheet storage section 110 upward. The curved transport path 109a is provided between the first transport path member 107 and the second transport path member 108. The first transport path member 107 and the second transport path member 108 are arranged opposite each other. The second transport path member 108 supports the underside of the cut sheets SP.

[0042] 4 and 5, the medium feeding device 100 includes a second cover 120 that covers the back surface of the housing 102. Although not shown, the second cover 120 has a rotation shaft along the X-axis at its lower end, and is rotatably connected to the lower part of the housing 102 by the rotation shaft. When the second cover 120 is closed, an outer wall 121 of the second cover 120 forms part of the housing 102, and a transport path 109 is formed along an inner wall 122 of the second cover 120.

[0043] When second cover 120 is open, transport path 109 is exposed. A plurality of cut paper drive rollers 123, 125 are arranged along transport path 109, which runs along inner wall 122. One cut paper drive roller 123 corresponds to each of the plurality of cut paper drive rollers 125, and each cut paper drive roller 125 and each cut paper drive roller 123 form a pair. In this embodiment, five pairs of cut paper drive rollers 123, 125 are arranged along transport path 109.

[0044] Cut slip drive roller 125 applies a transport force to the cut slip SP. Cut slip drive roller 123 rotates in response to cut slip drive roller 125 via the cut slip SP. The pair of cut slip drive roller 123 and cut slip drive roller 125 is installed at an appropriate distance along transport path 109. As cut slip drive roller 125 is driven to rotate, the cut slip SP is transported from below upward.

[0045] Although not shown in the figure, each of the cut slip drive rollers 125 is equipped with a speed-increasing mechanism. This speed-increasing mechanism increases the transport speed of the cut slip SP as it moves downstream. This causes the cut slip SP to be pulled toward the downstream side as it is transported, thereby reducing the occurrence of media jams. Examples of speed-increasing mechanisms include changing the ratio of the driven gears or changing the roller diameter of the cut slip drive rollers 125.

[0046] Specifically, when changing the gear ratio, for example, multiple cut paper drive rollers 125 are sequentially driven by a single drive source, and the gear ratio driving each cut paper drive roller 125 decreases toward the downstream side. Also, the roller diameter of the cut paper drive roller 125 decreases toward the downstream side.

[0047] 6 to 8, a second roller unit 140 is detachably attached to the second transport path member 108. The second roller unit 140 has a retard roller 143 and a first cover 141 serving as a second holding portion that holds the retard roller 143. The first cover 141 has a frame portion 142 that supports the retard roller 143.

[0048] First cover 141 is covered by second cover 120, and is open toward the rear of housing 102 when second cover 120 is open. When second roller unit 140 is attached to second transport path member 108, first cover 141 becomes one with second transport path member 108 to form curved transport path 109a. Engagement portions 145 that engage with second transport path member 108 are provided on both sides of first cover 141 in the direction along the X axis. When engagement of engagement portions 145 is released, first cover 141 enters an open state.

[0049] In this embodiment, the state in which first cover 141 is open also means that first cover 141, which holds retard roller 143, is removed from second transport path member 108. Specifically, second roller unit 140 is removed from second transport path member 108 with engagement of engagement portion 145 released. This makes it possible to remove first cover 141 and retard roller 143 included in second roller unit 140 from second transport path member 108.

[0050] The frame portion 142 is a frame-shaped member that is open upward when attached to the second transport path member 108. The frame portion 142 rotatably supports both ends of a rotation shaft 143a of the retard roller 143 that is aligned along the X axis. The frame portion 142 has a rotation shaft 142a that is aligned along the X axis. Both ends of the rotation shaft 142a are rotatably held by the first cover 141.

[0051] Furthermore, frame portion 142 is connected to first cover 141 via biasing member 144 that biases downward. In a side view from the -X direction, rotation axis 143a of retard roller 143 is located in the +Y direction from rotation axis 142a of frame portion 142, and the connection position of biasing member 144 is located in the -Y direction from rotation axis 142a of frame portion 142. As a result, retard roller 143 is pressed toward separation roller 133 above retard roller 143 when first cover 141 is closed.

[0052] 9, a first roller unit 130 is detachably attached to the first transport path member 107. The first roller unit 130 can be removed by operating an operation unit 154 provided on the first transport path member 107. The operation unit 154 is disposed above the first roller unit 130 on the first transport path member 107. The attachment and detachment of the first roller unit 130 will be described later.

[0053] 10, the first roller unit 130 has a feed roller 132, a separation roller 133, and a first holding portion 131. The first holding portion 131 holds the feed roller 132 and the separation roller 133.

[0054] The first holding portion 131 is a frame-shaped member that opens downward when attached to the first transport path member 107. The first holding portion 131 rotatably holds both ends of a rotation shaft 132x that is aligned with the X-axis of the feed roller 132. The rotation shaft 132x includes a second gear 132g that transmits a driving force to the feed roller 132.

[0055] The first holding portion 131 rotatably holds both ends of a rotation shaft 133x that is aligned with the X-axis of the separation roller 133. The rotation shaft 133x includes a third gear 133b that transmits a driving force to the separation roller 133. The separation roller 133 is disposed in the -Y direction relative to the feed roller 132. In this embodiment, a configuration is exemplified in which the first roller unit 130 includes two auxiliary rollers 134 in front of the feed roller 132 and behind the separation roller 133.

[0056] The first holding unit 131 includes a first gear 135 that meshes with a second gear 132g and a third gear 133b. A recess 133a is provided at the rotation center of the third gear 133b, and receives a driving force that rotates the feed roller 132 and the separation roller 133. The separation roller 133 is rotated by the rotation of the third gear 133b. The rotation of the third gear 133b is transmitted to the second gear 132g via the first gear 135, and the feed roller 132 is rotated via the second gear 132g and the rotation shaft 132x.

[0057] When cut sheets SP are fed, feed roller 132 rotates forward in direction R1. As feed roller 132 rotates in direction R1, a feeding force is applied to the cut sheets SP placed in cut sheet storage unit 110, causing the cut sheets SP to be fed downstream. Here, feeding force refers to the force that sends cut sheets SP downstream from cut sheet storage unit 110.

[0058] Corresponding to the forward rotation of the feed roller 132, the separation roller 133 is also driven to rotate via the third gear 133b. An engagement portion (not shown) is provided at the rear end in the -Y direction of the first holding portion 131. The engagement portion engages with the first transport path member 107 when the first roller unit 130 is attached to the first transport path member 107.

[0059] As shown in Figure 11, feed roller 132 is composed of multiple divided feed rollers 132c1, 132b1, 132a, 132b2, and 132c2 arranged in this order along the +X direction, which is the first direction. Feed roller 132 has contact portions At, Bt, and Ct that come into contact with cut sheets SP (not shown) in rotation direction R1, and non-contact portions Ah, Bh, and Ch that do not come into contact with cut sheets SP. Contact portion At and non-contact portion Ah are included in divided feed roller 132a. Contact portion Bt and non-contact portion Bh are included in each of divided feed rollers 132b1 and 132b2. Contact portion Ct and non-contact portion Ch are included in each of divided feed rollers 132c1 and 132c2.

[0060] When viewed from the side in the -X direction, the contact portions At, Bt, and Ct protrude radially from the rotation axis 132x relative to the non-contact portions Ah, Bh, and Ch. As a result, when the feed roller 132 rotates on the rotation axis 132x, the contact portions At, Bt, and Ct come into contact with the cut paper SP, applying a feeding force to the cut paper SP. The contact portions At, Bt, and Ct and the non-contact portions Ah, Bh, and Ch are made of an elastic material such as rubber.

[0061] For convenience of illustration, the contact portion Bt and non-contact portion Bh of the divided feed roller 132b1 and the contact portion Ct and non-contact portion Ch of the divided feed roller 132c2 are omitted in FIG.

[0062] A plurality of contact portions At, Bt, and Ct and a plurality of non-contact portions Ah, Bh, and Ch are provided along the X direction, which is the extension direction of the rotation shaft 132x of the feed roller 132. The contact portions adjacent to each other in the X direction are out of phase with each other in the rotation direction R1.

[0063] Specifically, the adjacent contact portions mentioned above are contact portion At and contact portion Bt, and contact portion Bt and contact portion Ct. When viewed from the side in the -X direction, contact portion At and contact portion Bt, and contact portion Bt and contact portion Ct are positioned with a phase shift of approximately 60 degrees. Note that contact portion At and contact portion Ct are not adjacent to each other in the X direction, but are positioned with a phase shift of approximately 60 degrees when viewed from the side in the -X direction. As a result, contact portions At, Bt, and Ct do not contact cut paper SP simultaneously, but each contacts the cut paper SP individually as feed roller 132 rotates.

[0064] The contact portion Bt of the divided feed roller 132b1 and the contact portion Bt of the divided feed roller 132b2 are in phase with each other in the rotation direction R1. The contact portion Ct of the divided feed roller 132c1 and the contact portion Ct of the divided feed roller 132c2 are in phase with each other in the rotation direction R1.

[0065] In the rotation direction R1, the contact points At, Bt, and Ct are arranged out of phase with each other, so that during one rotation of the feed roller 132, one of the multiple contact points At, Bt, and Ct arranged along the X direction comes into contact with the cut paper SP and applies a feeding force. This allows the multiple contact points At, Bt, and Ct to alternately apply a feeding force to the cut paper SP, reducing variation in the feeding force.

[0066] The feed roller 132 is formed by assembling the individual components of the divided feed rollers 132a, 132b1, 132b2, 132c1, and 132c2. This makes it easy to form the multiple contact portions At, Bt, and Ct along the X direction, facilitating the manufacture of the feed roller 132. Furthermore, the position and phase of the multiple divided feed rollers 132a, 132b1, 132b2, 132c1, and 132c2 can be changed.

[0067] 12, the divided feed roller 132a has two contact portions At and two non-contact portions Ah (not shown) along the rotation direction R1. The divided feed rollers 132b1 and 132b2 each have two contact portions Bt and two non-contact portions Bh (not shown). The divided feed rollers 132c1 and 132c2 each have two contact portions Ct and two non-contact portions Ch. In the rotation direction R1, the contact portions At and non-contact portions Ah, the contact portions Bt and non-contact portions Bh, and the contact portions Ct and non-contact portions Ch are alternately arranged.

[0068] As a result, each of the contact portions At, Bt, and Ct comes into contact with the cut paper SP twice during one rotation of the feed roller 132. This makes it possible to efficiently apply a feed force to the cut paper SP with a small number of divided feed rollers.

[0069] When viewed from the side in the -X direction, the phases of the contact portions At, Bt, and Ct are shifted by approximately 60° from one another in the rotational direction R1. In the rotational direction R1, gaps exist between the contact portions At and Bt, between the contact portions Bt and Ct, and between the contact portions Ct and At. Meanwhile, during feeding, the feed roller 132 is pressed against the cut paper SP by the hopper 113 described above. Furthermore, because the contact portions At, Bt, and Ct of the feed roller 132 are made of an elastic material, they are easily deformed by pressure. For these reasons, even with the gaps, the feed roller 132 contacts the cut paper SP and applies a continuous feeding force. Additionally, the presence of the gaps helps to reduce the change in the state of the feeding force applied to the medium that occurs when, for example, both adjacent contact portions At and Bt abut the cut paper SP and when each of the contact portions At and Bt abuts the cut paper SP independently.

[0070] The side shapes of the divided feed rollers 132a, 132b1, 132b2, 132c1, and 132c2 are not limited to the shapes described above. The side shapes may be, for example, elliptical or cam-shaped with one contact portion. Another example of the divided feed roller 132a is the divided feed roller 132s shown in FIG. 13. The divided feed roller 132s has three contact portions St and three non-contact portions Sh, and the contact portions St and non-contact portions Sh are alternately arranged when viewed from the side in the -X direction. A feed roller 132 including multiple divided feed rollers 132s may also be used.

[0071] Thus, the number of contact portions and non-contact portions of divided feed rollers 132a, 132b1, 132b2, 132c1, and 132c2 is not limited to the above. Note that feed roller 132 is not limited to being composed of five divided feed rollers 132a, 132b1, 132b2, 132c1, and 132c2. Furthermore, feed roller 132 may be formed as a single unit as long as it has the contact portions At, Bt, and Ct and non-contact portions Ah, Bh, and Ch described above.

[0072] 11 and 14, in feed roller 132, multiple contact points At, Bt, and Ct are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane SF that includes the center position CP of feed roller 132 in the X direction and is perpendicular to the X direction. Also, as shown in Fig. 15, feed roller 132 is arranged in medium supply device 100 at the center in the X direction and at the end in the -Y direction of cut paper SP placed in cut paper storage unit 110 (not shown). This reduces variation in the feeding force applied to cut paper SP in the X direction, and prevents skewed conveyance.

[0073] 11 and 14, feed roller 132 has contact portion At, which is a first contact portion located at center position CP, and a set of contact portions Bt, which are a set of second contact portions, on both sides of contact portion At. Furthermore, feed roller 132 also has a set of contact portions Ct, which are a second set of second contact portions, on both sides of contact portion Bt. The width of contact portion At in the X direction, i.e., width a of divided feed roller 132a, is equal to the sum of the widths of a set of contact portions Bt in the X direction, i.e., the sum of width b1 of divided feed roller 132b1 and width b2 of divided feed roller 132b2. Width a of divided feed roller 132a is also equal to the sum of the widths of a set of contact portions Ct in the X direction, i.e., the sum of width c1 of divided feed roller 132c1 and width c2 of divided feed roller 132c2.

[0074] This aligns the contact area of the contact portion At with the cut slip SP, the total contact area of the set of contact portions Bt, and the total contact area of the set of contact portions Ct. Therefore, the feeding force of the contact portion At, the feeding force of the set of contact portions Bt, and the feeding force of the set of contact portions Ct are aligned, reducing the variation in feeding force in the feeding direction. The set of second contact portions provided outside the first contact portion At is not limited to the two sets described above. At least one set of second contact portions is sufficient.

[0075] 2, in the recording device 11, the cut paper storage unit 110 can be pulled out in the +Y direction together with the tray 111. By pulling out the tray 111, it is possible to replenish the cut paper storage unit 110 with cut papers SP.

[0076] As shown in Figure 16, the recording device 11 is equipped with a paper return lever 211. Although not shown in the figure, the paper return lever 211 has the function of returning cut sheets SP to the cut sheet storage unit 110. The paper return lever 211 and the components described below have the function of returning cut sheets SP remaining on the second transport path member 108 to the cut sheet storage unit 110 when the cut sheet storage unit 110 is pulled forward and released.

[0077] The paper return lever 211 is disposed on the −X side of the retard roller 143. A notch is provided in the second transport path member 108 corresponding to the paper return lever 211.

[0078] 17, the paper return lever 211 has an upper tip 211H, a contact portion 211T, and a lower fulcrum portion 211S. The paper return lever 211 is rotatably supported by the feed frame 106 (not shown) at the fulcrum portion 211S, which is a rotation axis along the X axis. When viewed from the side from the +X direction, the tip 211H of the paper return lever 211 moves in a counterclockwise arc with the fulcrum portion 211S as the center of rotation.

[0079] A torsion spring 212 is connected to the paper return lever 211. The torsion spring 212 biases the paper return lever 211 substantially in the +Y direction. When the tray 111 is set in the recording device 11, the convex portion 111T of the tray 111 abuts against the abutment portion 211T of the paper return lever 211, and the paper return lever 211 is biased in the -Y direction. At this time, the biasing force of the convex portion 111T exceeds the biasing force of the torsion spring 212, so the paper return lever 211 is tilted in the -Y direction.

[0080] As shown in Figure 18, when tray 111 is pulled out and moves forward in the +Y direction, protrusion 111T and abutment portion 211T separate. As a result, the bias of torsion spring 212 causes paper return lever 211 to rise in the +Y direction. This causes tip 211H to move counterclockwise, tracing an arc that protrudes above second transport path member 108. At this time, if cut paper SP is present on second transport path member 108, the movement of tip 211H will return the cut paper SP to cut paper storage section 110 (not shown) of tray 111. Note that Figure 18 shows the tray 111 pulled out further in the +Y direction than the position where the cut paper SP would be returned.

[0081] As a result, cut sheets SP remaining in the second transport path member 108 are returned to the cut sheet storage section 110 in conjunction with the withdrawal of the tray 111. Therefore, inserting and removing the tray 111 can prevent the cut sheets SP from clogging or being damaged around the second transport path member 108.

[0082] The medium supply device 100 has a retraction function for the feed roller 132. With this retraction function, when the feed roller 132 feeds cut sheets SP and the transport rollers, cut sheet drive rollers 123 and 125, begin to transport the cut sheets SP, the feed roller 132 moves from contact with the cut sheets SP to a separated state.

[0083] As shown in Figure 19, the retraction function of the feed roller 132 includes steps S11 to S15. The feed roller 132 contacts the cut paper SP only while feeding the cut paper SP, and at other times it separates and retracts upward in the -Z direction. The arrangement of the feed roller 132 in the retracted state is shown in Figure 20. The arrangement of the feed roller 132 in the feeding state is shown in Figure 21.

[0084] In step S11, the feeding of cut sheets SP is initiated in response to a print command from an information device, etc. The feeding of cut sheets SP may be initiated by a sensor detecting the presence or absence of cut sheets SP, and on the condition that cut sheets SP are present in cut sheet storage section 110. Then the process proceeds to step S12.

[0085] In step S12, cut sheets SP are fed. When the print command transmits a forward rotational drive force to the feed roller 132 and separation roller 133, the feed roller 132 transitions from the retracted state shown in Figure 20 to the feed state shown in Figure 21. In other words, the feed roller 132 moves in the +Z direction, comes into contact with the cut sheets SP, and rotates forward in the rotational direction R1 described above. At this time, the separation roller 133 and the cut sheet drive roller 125 (not shown) also rotate forward in the same direction. This causes the cut sheets SP to be sent downstream from the cut sheet storage unit 110. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0086] In step S13, it is determined whether the cut slip SP has reached the cut slip drive roller 125, which is the most upstream roller on the transport path 109. The arrival of the cut slip SP is detected by a sensor installed on the transport path 109. If the cut slip SP has arrived, the process proceeds to step S14. If the cut slip SP has not arrived, the process returns to step S12 and continues feeding.

[0087] In step S14, the feeding completion process is carried out. Specifically, the transmission of drive force to feed roller 132 and separation roller 133 is stopped. Meanwhile, cut slip drive roller 125 continues to rotate forward, continuing to transport cut slips SP downstream. The process then proceeds to step S15.

[0088] In step S15, the feed roller 132 is retracted. More specifically, a reverse rotation drive force is transmitted to the feed roller 132 and the separation roller 133. The separation roller 133 is not driven by the reverse rotation drive force. The reverse rotation drive force activates the torque limiter attached to the feed roller 132. As a result, the feed roller 132 moves clockwise when viewed from the side in the +X direction, with the rotation axis 133x (not shown) of the separation roller 133 as its rotation axis. As a result, the feed roller 132 retracts substantially upward and separates from the cut paper SP. At this time, the cut paper drive roller 125 continues to rotate forward.

[0089] The drive source for feed roller 132 and separation roller 133 may also be the drive source for cut paper drive roller 125. In this case, a dual one-way mechanism that always rotates forward regardless of the direction of rotation of the drive source is used for cut paper drive roller 125. An electric motor or the like is used as the drive source.

[0090] In this way, the feed roller 132 contacts the cut paper SP to apply a feeding force when necessary, but does not contact the cut paper SP when no feeding force is required. This reduces the amount of time the cut paper SP is in contact with the feed roller 132, further reducing the occurrence of roller marks caused by the feed roller 132.

[0091] 22, the operation unit 154 is provided above the first roller unit 130. The operation unit 154 is a push button that is substantially rectangular when viewed from the side in the -Y direction. The operation unit 154 is included in the attachment / detachment mechanism of the first roller unit 130, which will be described later.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 23 , the detachment mechanism of the first roller unit 130 includes an operating unit 154, a lever unit 221, and a slide unit 231. Although not shown, the operating unit 154 is supported by the feed frame 106 via a spring member and a guide unit so as to be reciprocatable along the Y axis. After the operating unit 154 is pushed in, the spring member biases the operating unit 154 to return it to the position it was in before being pushed in. The guide unit guides the movement of the operating unit 154 along the Y axis. The operating unit 154 can move along the Y axis relative to the feed frame 106 by the stroke of the push button. The operating unit 154 has a protrusion 154a that protrudes in the +X direction.

[0093] Lever portion 221 is supported by feed frame 106 (not shown) so as to be rotatable by approximately 45° on rotation shaft 221x. Lever portion 221 has arm portions 221a and 221b. Arm portion 221a is provided to protrude in the -X direction corresponding to protrusion 154a of operation portion 154. Arm portion 221b is provided to protrude in approximately the +X direction corresponding to slide portion 231.

[0094] The slide portion 231 is supported by the feed frame 106 so as to be movable in the direction along the X-axis. The slide portion 231 is biased in the -X direction by a spring member (not shown). Although not shown, the slide portion 231 is mechanically connected to a clutch portion that transmits a driving force from a driving source to the recess 133a described above. When the slide portion 231 moves in the +X direction, the clutch portion separates from the recess 133a.

[0095] To remove the first roller unit 130, the operating portion 154 is pushed in the +Y direction. The protruding portion 154a moves in the +Y direction together with the operating portion 154. This causes the protruding portion 154a to come into contact with the arm portion 221a, and a force in the +Y direction is applied to the lever portion 221. This force in the +Y direction rotates the lever portion 221 clockwise. As the lever portion 221 rotates, the arm portion 221b comes into contact with the slide portion 231, and the slide portion 231 is pushed and moves in the +X direction. Then, the clutch portion and the recessed portion 133a separate, and the first roller unit 130 becomes removable. This allows the first roller unit 130 to be removed, as shown in FIG. 24.

[0096] Because the clutch portion is always biased toward the first roller unit 130, even if the engagement between the clutch portion and recessed portion 133a is incomplete when the first roller unit 130 is attached, the clutch portion and recessed portion 133a can be automatically engaged by rotating the drive source. As described above, the first roller unit 130 can be detached, installed, and replaced with a simple operation.

[0097] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0098] This prevents the feed roller 132 from leaving roller marks on the cut paper SP, which is the medium. Specifically, the feed roller 132 has contact areas At, Bt, and Ct and non-contact areas Ah, Bh, and Ch, and repeatedly comes into and out of contact with the cut paper SP as it rotates. The multiple contact areas At, Bt, and Ct are arranged in the X direction with their phases shifted in the rotation direction R1. Therefore, when the feed roller 132 rotates, one of the multiple contact areas At, Bt, or Ct comes into contact with the cut paper SP, and feeding begins. Next, when that contact area separates from the cut paper SP, another contact area comes into contact with the cut paper SP, and feeding continues.

[0099] In this way, the feeding of cut sheets SP is achieved by repeatedly contacting and separating the multiple contact points At, Bt, and Ct in turn. Therefore, for the second cut sheet SP, which is prone to roller marks, the pressure of the feed roller 132 is dispersed rather than concentrating on, for example, both ends of the feed roller 132 in the extension direction of the rotation axis 132x. At the same time, the area that is pressed changes sequentially, suppressing the occurrence of roller marks. This makes it possible to provide a medium feeding device 100 and a recording device 11 that suppress the occurrence of roller marks by the feed roller 132. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 11...recording device, 20...recording section, 100...media supply device as media supply section, 109...conveying path, 110...single sheet storage section as loading section, 125...single sheet drive roller as conveying roller, 132...feed roller, 132a, 132b1, 132b2, 132c1, 132c2...divided feed rollers, 132x...rotation axis of feed roller 132, 133...separation roller, a...width of first contact section in the first direction, b1, b2...width of one set of second contact sections in the first direction, At, Bt, Ct...contact sections, Ah, Bh, Ch...non-contact sections, CP...center position, R1...rotation direction, SF...plane perpendicular to the first direction, SP...single sheets as medium.

Claims

1. a stacking section on which media are stacked; a feed roller that rotates in contact with the upper surface of the medium placed thereon to feed the medium; the feed roller has a contact portion that contacts the medium in a rotational direction and a non-contact portion that does not contact the medium; a plurality of the contact portions and the non-contact portions are provided along a first direction that is an extension direction of a rotation shaft of the feed roller; In the rotation direction of the feed roller, the circumferential length of the contact portion is shorter than the circumferential length of the non-contact portion, the contact portions adjacent to each other in the first direction are out of phase with each other in the rotational direction, a separation roller is disposed downstream of the feed roller, and a transport roller is disposed downstream of the separation roller; A medium supply device characterized in that when the transport roller begins to transport the medium in response to the feeding of the medium by the feeding roller, the feeding roller shifts from a state in contact with the medium to a state separated from the medium.

2. The medium supply device according to claim 1 , wherein any one of the contact portions arranged along the first direction applies a feeding force to the medium during one rotation of the feed roller.

3. the feed roller is disposed at a center in the first direction of the medium placed on the stacking section, 3. The medium supply device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact portions are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane that includes a center position of the feed roller in the first direction and is perpendicular to the first direction.

4. the feed roller has a first contact portion provided at the central position and at least one pair of second contact portions on the outer sides of both of the first contact portions; The medium feeding device according to claim 3 , wherein the width of the first contact portion in the first direction is equal to the sum of the widths of the set of second contact portions in the first direction.

5. the feed roller is composed of a plurality of divided feed rollers arranged along the first direction, The medium supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact portions of the divided feed rollers adjacent to each other in the first direction are out of phase with each other.

6. the feed roller has a plurality of contact portions and a plurality of non-contact portions along the rotation direction, The medium supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact portions and the non-contact portions are arranged alternately in the rotation direction.

7. a recording unit that records on the medium; a medium supply unit that supplies the medium toward the recording unit; a transport path for transporting the medium from the medium supply unit to the recording unit, The medium supply unit includes: a loading section on which the medium is placed; a feed roller that rotates in contact with the top surface of the stacked medium to feed the medium, the feed roller has a contact portion that contacts the medium in a rotational direction and a non-contact portion that does not contact the medium; a plurality of the contact portions and the non-contact portions are provided along a first direction that is an extension direction of a rotation shaft of the feed roller; In the rotation direction of the feed roller, the circumferential length of the contact portion is shorter than the circumferential length of the non-contact portion, the contact portions adjacent to each other in the first direction are out of phase with each other in the rotational direction, a separation roller is disposed downstream of the feed roller, and a transport roller is disposed downstream of the separation roller; A recording device characterized in that when the transport roller begins to transport the medium in response to the feeding of the medium by the feed roller, the feed roller shifts from a state in contact with the medium to a state separated from the medium.

8. a stacking section on which media are stacked; a feed roller that rotates in contact with the upper surface of the medium placed thereon to feed the medium; the feed roller has a contact portion that contacts the medium in a rotational direction and a non-contact portion that does not contact the medium; a plurality of the contact portions and the non-contact portions are provided along a first direction that is an extension direction of a rotation shaft of the feed roller; the contact portions adjacent to each other in the first direction are out of phase with each other in the rotational direction, a separation roller is disposed downstream of the feed roller, and a transport roller is disposed downstream of the separation roller; A medium supply device characterized in that when the transport roller begins to transport the medium in response to the feeding of the medium by the feeding roller, the feeding roller shifts from a state in contact with the medium to a state separated from the medium.

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