Image recording device

Abstract

To provide an image recording device in which an abnormality hardly occurs in a rotary encoder that detects rotation to a cutting unit.SOLUTION: An image recording device comprises: a conveyance unit which conveys a sheet 16 in the conveyance direction; a recording unit which records an image on the sheet 16; a cutting unit which cuts the sheet 16 in the movement direction P2 intersecting the conveyance direction; and a drive mechanism which transmits the driving force of a drive source 116 to the cutting unit. The drive mechanism comprises: a rotational shaft 110 to which drive is transmitted from the drive source 116 and which rotates; a drive pulley 102 to which drive is transmitted from the drive source 116 and which rotates; a driven pulley 103; a belt 90 which is laid between the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103; and a rotary encoder 120 which has an encoder disk 121 attached to the rotational shaft 110. The encoder disk 121 is located on the upper side of the belt 90.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus including a cutting unit for cutting a recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] As an image recording apparatus including a cutting unit for cutting a sheet, for example, an image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known. The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a cutting unit for cutting copy paper on which an image is formed, and can cut and discharge the printed copy paper in the image forming apparatus. This image forming apparatus includes a mechanism for moving an upper cutter up and down with respect to a lower cutter to cut the copy paper.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As a configuration other than that of Patent Document 1, for example, a cutter that moves along the width direction of the housing to cut a sheet can be considered. In order to control the movement of the cutter, the driving force (rotation) transmitted to the cutter may be detected by a rotary encoder.

[0005] If dust adheres to the encoder disk of the rotary encoder, there is a possibility that an abnormality may occur in the detection of the encoder disk.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image recording apparatus in which an abnormality is unlikely to occur in a rotary encoder that detects rotation to a cutting unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) The image recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a transport unit that transports a recording medium along a transport direction, an image recording unit that records an image on the recording medium transported by the transport unit, a cutting unit that moves in a direction intersecting the transport direction to cut the recording medium, and a drive transmission unit that transmits the driving force of a drive source to the cutting unit, wherein the drive transmission unit comprises a rotating shaft that rotates when power is transmitted from the drive source, a first pulley and a second pulley that rotate when power is transmitted from the drive source, an endless belt stretched between the first pulley and the second pulley, and a rotary encoder having an encoder disc attached to the rotating shaft, wherein the encoder disc is located above the endless belt.

[0008] Because dust is less likely to move from the belt to the encoder disc, malfunctions in the rotary encoder are less likely to occur.

[0009] (2) Preferably, the encoder disk may rotate with the vertical direction as the axial direction.

[0010] This enables miniaturization of the image recording device in the vertical direction.

[0011] (3) Preferably, the first pulley and the second pulley may rotate with the vertical direction as the axial direction.

[0012] This enables miniaturization of the image recording device in the vertical direction.

[0013] (4) Preferably, the first pulley may be attached to the rotating shaft.

[0014] This reduces the space required to install the encoder disk and the first pulley.

[0015] (5) Preferably, the image recording device may further include a cover that covers the encoder disk.

[0016] Since the encoder disk is covered by the cover, the encoder is prevented from getting dirty.

[0017] (6) Preferably, the encoder disk may be located above the cutting position where the cutting unit cuts the recording medium.

[0018] It is difficult for dust to move from the recording medium to the encoder disk.

[0019] (7) Preferably, the image recording apparatus may further include a gear that rotates by being driven and transmitted from the drive source, and the encoder disk may be located above the gear.

[0020] It is difficult for dust to move from the gear to the encoder disk.

[0021] (8) Preferably, the gear may be attached to the rotating shaft.

[0022] The installation space for the encoder disk and the gear can be reduced.

[0023] (9) Preferably, the cutting unit may include a cutter, a cutter carriage that holds the cutter, and a guide rail that guides the cutter carriage in the moving direction, and the guide rail may have a sliding portion where the cutter carriage slides and a support portion located below the sliding portion. The support portion may be attached with the drive source.

[0024] By attaching the drive source to the support portion located below the sliding portion, miniaturization in the vertical direction of the image recording apparatus can be achieved.

[0025] (10) Preferably, the guide rail may further have a connecting portion that connects the sliding portion and the support portion, and the connecting portion may be a pair of side walls arranged in the front - rear direction. The gear may be such that at least a part thereof intersects the side walls when viewed from the front - rear direction.

[0026] In the process of manufacturing a guide rail by bending a steel plate, while securing an area to be chucked, a gear is arranged near the sliding part, and the guide rail can be miniaturized in the moving direction.

Advantages of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, abnormalities are unlikely to occur in the detection of the rotary encoder, so the operation of the cutting part can be stably controlled.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image recording apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the image recording apparatus 10. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the main configuration of the image recording apparatus 10. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the cutting part 45 of the image recording apparatus 10. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the drive mechanism 101 of the image recording apparatus 10. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the guide rail 81 of the image recording apparatus 10. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the guide rail 81 of the image recording apparatus 10 according to a modified example.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the image recording device 10 is a multifunction device that integrates a printer unit 11 located at the bottom and a scanner unit 12 located at the top. The image recording device 10 has printing, scanning, copying, and facsimile functions. However, the image recording device 10 does not necessarily need to have a scanner unit 12; it may be implemented as a single-function printer without scanning or copying functions.

[0031] The image recording device 10 is primarily used in conjunction with external information equipment (not shown), such as a computer. The printer unit 11 records images on the sheet 16 based on print data received from this external information equipment or image data of a document scanned by the scanner unit 12. An operation panel 19 is provided on the upper front of the image recording device 10. The operation panel 19 is equipped with a display for showing various information and input keys for receiving information input. The image recording device 10 operates based on instruction information input from the operation panel 19 or instruction information transmitted from external information equipment via a printer driver, scanner driver, etc.

[0032] 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 has a scanner body 12a located above the printer unit 11 and a document cover 12b located above the scanner body 12a. The top surface of the scanner body 12a is provided with a platen glass (not shown) on which the document is placed. Inside the scanner body 12a is an image sensor (not shown) capable of optically reading the image of the document on the platen glass. The document cover 12b is provided with an ADF 12c, which is an automatic document feeder (ADF) that picks up and transports multiple documents one by one for which images are read.

[0033] [Printer section 11] The configuration of the printer unit 11 will be explained below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that in Figure 2, the paper feed cassette 14 is omitted for the sake of simplicity.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the printer unit 11 has a housing 20. The housing 20 houses a paper feed cassette 14, a paper feed cassette 15, a recording unit 17 (an example of an image recording unit), a cutting unit 45, a drive mechanism 101, and other functional components. Below the operation panel 19 on the front of the housing 20 is an opening 13. The opening 13 is located approximately in the center of the front of the housing 20 in the left-right direction 55, 56. The opening 13 is formed in a long rectangular shape in the left-right direction 55, 56. The opening 13 extends from the top to the bottom of the front of the housing 20.

[0035] The housing 20 has an internal space 20a extending rearward from the opening 13. The internal space 20a is in communication with the transport path 21, which will be described later. The upper end of the internal space 20a is demarcated by an upper wall portion 71 that extends rearward 52 from the upper end of the opening 13. The internal space 20a extends to the lower end of the housing 20. The upper wall portion 71 separates the internal space 20a from the circuit board housing space 65 located behind the operation panel 19. The circuit board housing space 65 houses a control board 66 (not shown) on which electronic circuits electrically connected to the operation panel 19, recording head 37, sensor 38, rotary encoder 120, motor drive circuit, etc., are mounted.

[0036] On the front of the housing 20, an opening / closing cover 41 is attached to the right of the opening 13. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the opening / closing cover 41 is opened, the cartridge mounting space is opened, and the ink cartridge 40 that stores ink can be attached to or removed from the housing 20. The ink cartridge 40 is located in front of the recording unit 17 in the housing 20. In this embodiment, four ink cartridges 40, each holding four different colored inks, can be attached to the housing 20. Each ink cartridge 40 supplies ink to the recording head 37 of the recording unit 17 through a tube 44.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, the paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 are mounted in the housing 20 with the paper feed cassettes inserted into the opening 13. The paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 20 along the front-rear directions 51 and 52. When mounted in the housing 20, the paper feed cassette 14 is located below the paper feed cassette 15. As shown in Figure 2, the paper feed cassette 15 holds multiple sheets of a standard size 16 (an example of a recording medium) stacked on top of it. The standard size of the sheet 16 is such as A3, A4, or B5 size according to Japanese Industrial Standards. An output tray 18 is located above the paper feed cassette 15. The output tray 18 supports the sheets discharged from the transport path 21. In this embodiment, two types of paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 are provided, but the paper feed cassette 14 may be omitted.

[0038] The paper feed cassette 15 holds multiple sheets 16. The paper feed cassette 15 is formed in a container shape with a portion of the rear side (left side in Figure 2) of the image recording device 10 open. The sheets 16 are held in a stacked state in the internal space of the paper feed cassette 15. The output tray 18 of the paper feed cassette 15 is formed on the front side (right side in Figure 2) of the image recording device 10. Figure 2 shows the paper feed cassette 15 inserted into the housing 20.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 20 is equipped with a transport unit 43 that transports sheets 16 from the paper feed cassette 15 to the paper output tray 18 along a transport path 21. The transport path 21 is a so-called U-turn path that curves upward 53 and forward 51 from the paper feed cassette 15 to the recording head 37, and then extends linearly forward 51 from the recording head 37 to the paper output tray 18. The downstream end of the transport path 21 communicates with the internal space 20a. The direction from the paper feed cassette 15 to the paper output tray 18 is called the transport direction P1 (see Figure 2, also referred to as the transport direction). In the transport path 21, from upstream of the transport direction P1, the PF roller pair 25, the recording head 37, and the platen 36, PF roller pair 25, the cutting unit 45, and the second discharge roller pair 28 are located in that order.

[0040] The paper feed roller 32 is located above the paper feed cassette 15. The paper feed roller 32 is mounted on the tip of the arm 33 so as to be rotatable with the left and right directions 55 and 56 as the axial direction. The base end of the arm 33 is rotatable around the axis 34. As the arm 33 rotates, the paper feed roller 32 moves in a direction toward and toward the paper feed cassette 15. The arm 33 is rotated toward the paper feed cassette 15 due to the weight of the paper feed roller 32. As a result, the paper feed roller 32 comes into contact with the top sheet 16 of the multiple sheets 16 stacked on the paper feed cassette 15. When the paper feed roller 32 rotates in this state, the top sheet 16 is sent from the paper feed cassette 15 to the transport path 21.

[0041] The PF roller pair 25 is located near the downstream end of the curved section of the transport path 21 in the transport direction P1 (an example of the transport direction). The PF roller pair 25 is rotatable with the left and right directions 55 and 56 as its axis. The PF roller pair 25 rotates when power is transmitted from a motor (not shown). The sheet 16 fed by the paper feed roller 32 is caught between the PF roller pair 25 and transported downwards to the recording head 37 in the transport direction P1. Although not shown in the figure, the amount of rotation of the PF roller pair 25 is detected, for example, by a rotary encoder. The detection signal from the rotary encoder is output to the control board 66.

[0042] The first discharge roller pair 27 is located downstream of the PF roller pair 25 and the recording head 37 in the transport direction P1 in the transport path 21. The first discharge roller pair 27 rotates in sync with the PF roller pair 25 by the driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown). The sheet 16 transported by the PF roller pair 25 is caught between the first discharge roller pair and transported in the transport direction P1.

[0043] The second discharge roller pair 28 is located downstream of the cutting section 45 in the transport direction P1 on the transport path 21. The second discharge roller pair 28 rotates when driven by the power of a motor (not shown). The second discharge roller pair 28 transports the sheet 16, which is sandwiched between the first discharge roller pair 27 and transported in the transport direction P1, to the paper output tray 18.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the recording unit 17 is located in the transport path 21 between the PF roller pair 25 and the first discharge roller pair 27. The recording unit 17 includes a carriage 35 located above the transport path 21, a platen 36 located below the transport path 21, and a recording head 37 mounted on the carriage 35.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the recording head 37 is an inkjet type that receives cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) inks from the ink cartridge 40 through tubes 44, and ejects each ink as a tiny ink droplet. As the carriage 35 moves back and forth in the left and right directions 55 and 56, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 37, thereby recording an image onto the sheet 16 being transported on the platen 36.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, the carriage 35 is separated in the front-rear direction 51 and 52 and is supported by guide frames 61 and 62 that extend in the left-right direction 55 and 56, respectively. The carriage 35 is mounted so as to be able to reciprocate in the left-right direction 55 and 56, straddling the guide frames 61 and 62. The rearward-positioned guide frame 61 is a flat plate whose length in the left-right direction 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 of the carriage 35. As shown in Figure 4, the front end 35a of the carriage 35 has a portion that overlaps with the guide frame 62 in the vertical direction 53 and 54, thereby preventing the carriage 35 from coming off the guide frame 62 upwards.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, the front-facing guide frame 62 is a flat plate with lengths 55 and 56 in the left-right direction being approximately the same as that of the guide frame 61, and the edge 63 that supports the front end of the carriage 35 is bent at approximately a right angle toward the upward direction 53. The carriage 35 is slidably supported on the upper surface of the guide frame 62, and the edge 63 is held by rollers or the like (not shown). Therefore, the carriage 35 is slidably supported on the guide frames 61 and 62 and can reciprocate in the left-right direction 55 and 56 with respect to the edge 63 of the guide frame 62.

[0048] A belt drive mechanism 46 is positioned on the upper surface of the guide frame 62. The belt drive mechanism 46 consists of an endless annular belt 49 with teeth on the inside stretched between pulleys 47 and 48, which are provided near both ends 55 and 56 of the conveying path 21, respectively. Driving force is input to the shaft of the pulley 47 from a CR motor (not shown), which is the drive source, causing the pulley 47 to rotate. The rotation of the pulley 47 causes the belt 49 to move circumferentially, and the pulley 48 follows in this motion. In addition to the endless annular belt 49, the belt 49 may also be a belt with ends fixed to the carriage 35 at both ends.

[0049] The carriage 35 is fixed to the belt 49. The connection between the carriage 35 and the belt 49 is not shown in detail in each figure, but when the belt 49 is connected to the carriage 35, it is slightly pulled upward. This generates a downward elastic tension in the belt 49, and this tension elastically biases the carriage 35 toward the guide frames 61 and 62. As described above, when the belt 49 moves circumferentially, the carriage 35 reciprocates on the guide frames 61 and 62 with respect to its edge 63. A recording head 37 is mounted on this carriage 35, and the recording head 37 is capable of reciprocating in the left-right direction 55 and 56 of the transport path 21 as the main scanning direction.

[0050] The tubes 44 are made of synthetic resin and are flexible, bending in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the carriage 35. Four tubes 44 are provided, corresponding to four ink cartridges 40. One end of each tube 44 is connected to a case (not shown) that houses the ink cartridges 40. The other end of each tube 44 is connected to the recording head 37 in the carriage 35.

[0051] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cutting section 45 is located in front of the recording section 17 and above the transport path 21. The cutting section 45 is located to the left of the image recording area A1 when stopped. The image recording area A1 is the maximum width over which ink is ejected from the recording head 37, which reciprocates with the carriage 35, and an image is recorded on the sheet 16. If the maximum size that can be recorded by the printer section 11 is A4 size, then the image recording area A1 is slightly wider than the width of A4 size.

[0052] The cutting unit 45 cuts the sheet 16, which is transported by the transport unit 43, along a movement direction P2 (see Figure 3) that intersects the transport direction P1. In this embodiment, the movement direction P2 is parallel to the left-right directions 55 and 56. The cutting unit 45 cuts the sheet 16 by moving to the right 56 ​​from a stopping position to the left of the image recording area A1 (the position of the cutting unit 45 shown by the dashed line in Figure 3). Through the cutting by the cutting unit 45, for example, one A4-sized sheet 16 is cut into two A5-sized sheets 16.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the cutting section 45 includes a guide rail 81 extending along the left and right directions 55 and 56, a cutter carriage 82 that moves guided by the guide rail 81, a cutter 83 mounted on the cutter carriage 82, and a fixed blade 95. In Figure 4, the endless belt 90, which will be described later, is shown in cross-section to make the structure of the cutting section 45 easier to understand. Also, in Figure 2, the cutting section 45 is shown in a simplified manner with detailed configurations omitted.

[0054] The guide rail 81 has a flattened shape that extends along the left-right directions 55 and 56. The guide rail 81 guides the cutter carriage 82 in the direction of movement P1. As shown in Figure 5, the guide rail 81 has a sliding portion 104, a support portion 105, and a connecting portion 106. In this embodiment, the sliding portion 104, the support portion 105, and the connecting portion 106 are formed by bending a single steel plate. Both ends of the guide rail 81 in the left-right directions 55 and 56 are fixed to the side frame that supports the rotation axis of the second discharge roller pair 28. The length of the guide rail 81 in the left-right directions 55 and 56 is longer than the length of the transport path 21 in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The left and right ends of the guide rail 81 extend outward from the image recording area A1.

[0055] The sliding portion 104 is located on the right side of the guide rail 81 in the left-right direction 55, 56. The cutter carriage 82 slides on the sliding portion 104. The sliding portion 104 has a base plate 81a extending in the left-right direction 55, 56, a first upright plate 81b extending upward from the rear end of the base plate 81a, a first extension plate 81c extending backward 52 from the upper end of the first upright plate 81b, a second upright plate 81d extending upward from the front end of the base plate 81a, and a second extension plate 81e extending forward 51 from the upper end of the second upright plate 81d. The base plate 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.

[0056] The cutter carriage 82 has a cutter holding portion 82a that holds the cutter 83 and a carriage body 82b that is assembled to the sliding portion 104. The cutter holding portion 82a is located behind the sliding portion 104. Alternatively, the cutter holding portion 82a may be located in front of the sliding portion 104. The cutter holding portion 82a extends downward from the sliding portion 104. The cutter 83 is supported by the cutter holding portion 82a, protruding downward from the lower end of the cutter holding portion 82a. The cutter 83 is disc-shaped and is rotatably supported by the cutter holding portion 82a with the front-rear direction 51, 52 as its axis.

[0057] The carriage body 82b extends forward 51 from the cutter holding portion 82a and is connected to the sliding portion 104. The carriage body 82b has a first contact portion 84 that abuts against the upper surface of the first extension plate 81c, a second contact portion 85 that can abut against the lower surface of the second extension plate 81e, a third contact portion 86 that abuts against the rearward-facing 52 surface of the first upright plate 81b, a fourth contact portion 87 that abuts against the forward-facing 51 surface of the first upright plate 81b, a fifth contact portion 88 that abuts against the upper surface of the second extension plate 81e, and a sixth contact portion 89 that can abut against the lower surface of the first extension plate 81c.

[0058] The sliding portion 104 supports the cutter carriage 82 downward by contacting the first contact portion 84 and the fifth contact portion 88. This positions the cutter carriage 82 in the vertical directions 53 and 54. The sliding portion 104 also positions the cutter carriage 82 in the front-rear directions 51 and 52 by contacting the third contact portion 86 and the fourth contact portion 87, respectively. When the cutter carriage 82 moves upward relative to the sliding portion 104, at least one of the second contact portion 85 or the sixth contact portion 89 comes into contact with the sliding portion 104. This prevents the cutter carriage 82 from coming off the sliding portion 104 upward.

[0059] The cutter holding portion 82a has an inclined surface 82c on its upper outer surface. The inclined surface 82c faces backward 52 and upward 53. When viewed from the left and right directions 55 and 56, the inclined surface 82c overlaps with the front end 35a of the carriage 35 in the vertical directions 53 and 54 and the front and back directions 51 and 52. As a result, the image recording device 10 is miniaturized in the vertical directions 53 and 54 and the front and back directions 51 and 52. By providing the inclined surface 82c to the cutter holding portion 82a, the front part of the cutter holding portion 82a, i.e. the part close to the carriage body 82b, is made thicker in the vertical directions 53 and 54 and the front and back directions 51 and 52 to provide strength, while reducing the gap between the cutter carriage 82 and the carriage 35.

[0060] The support portion 105 is a flat plate that extends leftward 55 from the left end of the sliding portion 104. The support portion 105 is located below the sliding portion 104. The support portion 105 has a through-hole 108 that penetrates in the vertical direction 53, 54. A motor 116 (see Figure 6), which is the drive source, is attached to the lower surface of the support portion 105, and the rotation shaft of the motor 116 extends upward through the through-hole 108 to the support portion. The support portion 105 has a through-hole 111 through which the rotation shaft 110 is inserted, located closer to the sliding portion 104 than the through-hole 108. The rotation shaft 110 is supported by bearings (not shown) provided on the guide rail 81 and the cover 123, and the rotation shaft of the motor 116 is supported by bearings (not shown) provided on the guide rail 81.

[0061] The connecting portion 106 connects the left end of the sliding portion 104 to the right end of the support portion 105. The connecting portion 106 has a pair of side walls 112 and 113 that extend in the front-rear direction 51 and 52 and the up-down direction 53 and 54, and a through-hole 119 that opens between the side walls 112 and 113. The pair of side walls 112 and 113 are located in front of and behind the guide rail 81, respectively. The through-hole 119 penetrates the connecting portion 106 in the left-right direction 55 and 56.

[0062] Figure 3 shows that the cutter carriage 82 is driven by a drive mechanism 101 (an example of a drive transmission unit). The drive mechanism 101 transmits the driving force of the motor 116 to the cutter carriage 82. The drive mechanism 101 includes a rotating shaft 110, a gear 115, a drive pulley 102 (an example of a first pulley) and a driven pulley 103 (an example of a second pulley) located on the upper surface of the substrate 81a, and a belt 90 (an example of an endless belt) stretched between the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103.

[0063] As shown in Figure 6, the motor 116 is located below the support 105. The rotation of the motor 116 is transmitted to the gear 115 via the drive gear 118.

[0064] The rotating shaft 110 is positioned on the support portion 105, closer to the connecting portion 106 than to the motor 116. The rotating shaft 110 rotates with the vertical direction 53, 54 as its axial direction. A gear 115 is provided on the rotating shaft 110. The gear 115 meshes with the drive gear 118, and rotates when the driving force is transmitted from the motor 116. The diameter of the gear 115 is larger than the diameter of the drive gear 118, so the rotation of the motor 116 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 110 at a reduced rotational speed.

[0065] The drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103 are positioned at both ends 55 and 56 in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the substrate 81a. The drive pulley 102 is located above the gear 115 on the rotation axis 110. Therefore, the drive pulley 102 rotates synchronously with the gear 115 around the rotation axis 110. The driven pulley 103 is supported by a pivot shaft 107 parallel to the rotation axis 110. The pivot shaft 107 is supported by a guide rail and a bearing (not shown) provided on the cover 123. Therefore, the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103 rotate with the vertical direction 53 and 54 as their axial direction. The drive pulley 102 is located above the substrate 81a of the sliding part 104.

[0066] The belt 90 is an annular endless belt stretched over the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103. The belt 90 is connected to the cutter carriage 82 in front of the fourth contact portion 87 of the carriage body 82b of the cutter carriage 82. When the drive pulley 102 rotates, the belt 90 rotates circumferentially, and the driven pulley 103 rotates in response. The circumferential motion of the belt 90 causes the cutter carriage 82 to reciprocate in the left-right direction 55, 56 along the sliding portion 104.

[0067] A fixed blade 95 is located below the cutter holding portion 82a of the cutter carriage 82. The fixed blade 95 is supported by the side frame and extends in the left-right direction 55, 56 across the image recording area A1. The cutting edge of the fixed blade 95 contacts the cutter 83 from the rear. The sheet 16 is cut by being sandwiched between the cutter 83 and the fixed blade 95.

[0068] [Rotary encoder 120] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the cutting section 45 has a rotary encoder 120 for detecting the amount of movement in the direction of movement P2. The rotary encoder 120 outputs a pulse signal as the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 occurs. The rotary encoder 120 includes an encoder disk 121 that rotates together with the rotating shaft 110, and an optical sensor 122 that is provided to sandwich the encoder disk 121 from the thickness direction.

[0069] The encoder disk 121 is attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 110. The encoder disk 121 rotates with the vertical direction 53, 54 as the axial direction. The encoder disk 121 is disc-shaped, with transparent sections that transmit light and non-transparent sections that do not transmit light arranged alternately at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. The optical sensor 122 emits light from its light-emitting section toward the encoder disk 121, and the light that passes through the encoder disk 121 is received by its light-receiving section.

[0070] A cover 123 is positioned above the encoder disk 121 and the optical sensor 122. The cover 123 is fixed to the guide rail 81, covering almost the entire guide rail 81 from above. Thus, the cover 123 completely covers the encoder disk 121 and the optical sensor 122.

[0071] [Layout of rotary encoder 120 and gear 115] As shown in Figure 3, the drive mechanism 101 is located in front of the carriage 35. The encoder disc 121 of the rotary encoder 120 is located to the left of the cutting section 45 in the stopping position. As shown in Figure 6, the encoder disc 121 is located above the gear 115 and the drive pulley 102. The encoder disc 121 is also located above the cutting position P3 of the cutting section 45 where the cutter 83 and the fixed blade 95 cut the sheet 16. Furthermore, the encoder disc 121 is located above the belt 90.

[0072] As shown in Figure 6, a portion of the right side of the gear 115 enters the through-hole 119 of the connecting portion 106. Therefore, the right portion of the gear 115 is located to the right of the side walls 112 and 113 of the connecting portion 106. In other words, when viewed from the front-rear direction 51 and 52, the right portion of the gear 115 is positioned where it intersects with the side walls 112 and 113.

[0073] [Operation of the image recording device 10] The following describes the operation by which the image recording device 10 cuts one A4 sheet 16 into two A5 recording sheets.

[0074] As the paper feed roller 32 rotates, the topmost A4 sheet 16 is fed from the paper feed cassette 15 to the transport path 21. The sheet 16 fed from the paper feed cassette 15 to the transport path 21 is transported downwards to the recording head 37 by the PF roller pair 25. The sheet 16 transported downwards to the recording head 37 is supported from below by the platen 36. While the transport of the sheet 16 is stopped, the carriage 35 moves left and right 55, 56, and ink is ejected from the recording head 37 toward the sheet 16. This records one pass of image onto the sheet 16. The transport and stopping of the sheet 16 is repeated until a predetermined number of image passes have been recorded, and the image recording on the sheet 16 is completed. In this case, two A5 recording sheets' worth of image is recorded onto the A4 sheet 16. During image recording, the sheet 16 that has passed through the platen 36 is transported downwards to the cutting section 45 by the first discharge roller pair 27.

[0075] As the center of the sheet 16 is transported below the cutting section 45, the cutter carriage 82 moves to the right 56 ​​along the guide rail 81 from its stopping position (see dashed line in Figure 3) as the drive pulley 102 rotates. The first contact section 84 and the fifth contact section 88 of the cutter carriage 82 slide against the upper surfaces of the first extension plate 81c and the second extension plate 81e of the guide rail 81, respectively. At this time, the encoder disc 121 of the rotary encoder 120 also rotates to detect the position of the cutter carriage 82 on the guide rail 81. The A4 sheet 16 is gripped by the cutter 83 and the fixed blade 95 and cut along the left-right directions 55, 56 to become two A5 sheets. The two A5 sheets are discharged from the transport path 21 to the output tray 18 by the second discharge roller pair 28.

[0076] [Effects of the Embodiment] In the drive mechanism 101 of the cutting section 45, the encoder disc 121 of the rotary encoder 120 is located above the belt 90 stretched between the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103. Therefore, dust generated by wear between the drive pulley 102 and the belt 90 is less likely to move from the belt 90 to the encoder disc, thus reducing the likelihood of malfunctions in the rotary encoder 120 due to dust.

[0077] By arranging the axes of the encoder disk 121 in the vertical directions 53 and 54, miniaturization of the image recording device 10 in the vertical directions 53 and 54 can be achieved.

[0078] By arranging the axes of the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103 in the vertical direction 53 and 54, the vertical dimension 53 and 54 of the image recording device 10 can be miniaturized.

[0079] Since the drive pulley 102 is mounted on the rotating shaft 110 having the encoder disk 121, the space required for installing the encoder disk 121 and the drive pulley 102 can be reduced.

[0080] Since the top of the encoder disk 121 is covered by the cover 123, dirt accumulation is suppressed.

[0081] Since the encoder disk 121 is located above the gear 115 which is rotated by the power source, dust is less likely to move from the gear to the encoder disk.

[0082] Since the gear 115 is mounted on the rotating shaft 110 having the encoder disk 121, the space required for installing the encoder disk 121 and the gear 115 can be reduced.

[0083] Since the encoder disc 121 is located above the cutting position P3 of the sheet 16 that is cut by the cutting section 45, dust is less likely to move from the sheet 16 to the encoder disc 121.

[0084] By attaching the drive source that drives the rotating shaft 110 to the support part 105, which is located below the sliding part 104, the image recording device 10 can be made smaller in the vertical direction 53, 54.

[0085] In order to manufacture the guide rail 81 so that at least a portion of the gear 115 intersects the side wall when viewed from the front or rear direction, the process of manufacturing the guide rail 81 by bending a steel plate allows for securing a chuckable area while positioning the gear near the sliding part. This makes it possible to miniaturize the guide rail 81 in the direction of movement.

[0086] [Differentiation] In the above-described embodiment, the case in which the drive pulley 102 and the encoder disk 121 are mounted on the same rotating shaft 110 was used as an example, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the encoder disk 121A may be mounted on a rotating shaft 110A that is provided separately from the rotating shaft 110. In this case, the encoder disk 121A rotates due to the driving force from the motor 116 via a gear 115A mounted on the rotating shaft 110A. That is, the encoder disk 121A rotates in sync with the drive pulley 102 of the drive shaft 110, which rotates due to the driving force from the motor 116.

[0087] Furthermore, although the cutting section 45 cuts the sheet 16 with a cutter 83 and a fixed blade 95, the structure of the cutting section 45 is not particularly limited as long as it can cut the sheet 16 along the left-right directions 55, 56 and the cutter 83 is exposed to the outside of the housing 20 through the opening 13. For example, instead of the fixed blade 95, the cutting section 45 may have two disc-shaped rotating blades, such as the cutter 83, mounted on the cutter carriage 82.

[0088] Furthermore, although the sheet 16 is a standard-shaped sheet and the explanation described an example where multiple sheets are stacked in the paper feed cassette 15, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a medium drawn from a roll-shaped body may be cut into standard-shaped rectangular sheets.

[0089] Furthermore, although the transport path 21 was described as a so-called U-turn path that curves upward from the paper feed cassette 15, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the transport path 21 may further include a double-sided transport path for recording images on both sides of the sheet 16.

[0090] Furthermore, although the cutter holding portion 82a is located behind the discharge roller pair 28, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the cutter holding portion 82a may be positioned in front of the discharge roller pair 28, which is close to the opening 13, to facilitate the replacement of the cutter 83.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the example given was that the connecting portion 106 has a through-hole 119 that opens between a pair of side walls 112 and 113, but the configuration is not limited to this. The gear 115 is arranged so as to intersect the connecting portion 106 when viewed from the front-rear direction 51 and 52, and for example, a recess may be formed in the connecting portion 106, and a part of the gear 115 may be surrounded by the recess. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10. Image recording device 16 sheets (recording media) 17. Recording Department (Image Recording Department) 43. Transport Section 45...cutting section 81... Guide rail 82...Cutter carriage 83...Cutter 90... Belt (endless belt) 101... Drive mechanism (drive transmission section) 102. Drive pulley (first pulley) 103... Driven pulley (2nd pulley) 104...Sliding part 105...Support part 106...Connection part 110... Rotation axis 115...Gear 116...Motor (drive source) 120... Rotary Encoder 121... Encoder disk 123...cover 112, 113...a pair of side walls

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports the recording medium along the transport direction, An image recording unit records an image onto a recording medium transported by the transport unit described above, A cutting unit that moves in a direction intersecting the above transport direction to cut the recording medium, The cutting section is equipped with a drive transmission section that transmits the driving force of the drive source, The above drive transmission unit is, A rotating shaft that rotates by receiving power from the above-mentioned drive source, A first pulley that rotates by receiving power from the above-mentioned drive source, The second pulley and, An endless belt stretched between the first pulley and the second pulley, The rotary encoder has an encoder disc attached to the above-mentioned rotating shaft, The encoder disc described above is located above the endless belt described above. The first pulley mentioned above is an image recording device attached to the rotating shaft.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cover that covers the top of the encoder disk.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the encoder disk is positioned above the cutting position where the cutting portion cuts the recording medium.

Images