Image recording device

Abstract

An image recording device according to the present invention is configured to be able to both cut, into any shape, a recording medium on which an image is recorded and record images on both sides of the recording medium. A recording paper S is supplied from a tray paper feeding path 51 to a recording unit 2. The recording paper on which an image is recorded is discharged to a paper discharge path 53. An inversion path 54 branches from the paper discharge path 53 and merges with the tray paper feeding path 51. The discharged recording paper S on which the image is recorded is returned, with the front and rear sides thereof inverted, to the tray paper feeding path 51 via the inversion path 54 and can be supplied to the recording unit 2 once again. A cutting / conveyance path 55 branches from the inversion path 54 and extends to a cutting part 6. The recording paper S on which the images are recorded is conveyed to the cutting part 6 via the inversion path 54 and the cutting / conveyance path 55, and the recording paper S can be cut into any shape by the cutting part 6.

Description

Image recording apparatus

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that records images.

[0002] As an example of an image recording apparatus that records images, Patent Document 1 describes a recording and cutting composite apparatus that records an image on a medium and cuts the medium on which the image is recorded. In the recording and cutting composite apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a cutting unit is disposed below a recording unit. The medium on which an image is recorded by the recording unit is conveyed by a reversing guide roller to a medium support belt of the cutting unit such that the surface of the medium on which the image is recorded faces downward. The cutting unit includes a cutting unit carriage, a cutter head, and a cutter. The cutting unit carriage is movable in a horizontal direction and in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the medium. The cutter head is mounted on the carriage so as to be movable up and down and rotatable about a vertical axis. The cutter is held by the cutter head. Then, with the lower end of the cutter penetrating the medium, the cutting unit carriage is moved and the medium support belt is driven to move the medium, thereby cutting the medium.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-55038

[0004] Here, in the recording and cutting composite apparatus of Patent Document 1, recording on both sides of the medium is not assumed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of both cutting a recorded medium on which an image is recorded into a free form and recording images on both sides of the recorded medium.

[0006] The image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a recording unit that records an image on a recorded medium, a cutting unit that cuts the recorded medium into a free form, and a conveyance unit that conveys the recorded medium. The conveyance unit includes a reversing path for reversing the recorded medium on which an image is recorded by the recording unit and supplying it again to the recording unit, and a cutting conveyance path that branches from the reversing path and extends to the cutting unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the image recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium, a cutting unit for cutting the recording medium into any shape, and a control unit, wherein the control unit performs a single-sided recording process for causing the recording unit to record an image on one side of the recording medium, a double-sided recording process for causing the recording medium to be flipped over after the single-sided recording process and then transported back towards the recording unit to record an image on the other side, and a recording-cutting process for transporting the recording medium, on which either the single-sided recording process or the double-sided recording process has been performed, to the cutting unit and cutting the recording medium with the cutting unit.

[0008] According to the present invention, an image recording device can perform single-sided recording, in which an image is recorded on one side of the recording medium, and double-sided recording, in which an image is recorded on both sides of the recording medium. Furthermore, in the image recording device, a recording medium on which either single-sided or double-sided recording has been performed can be transported to a cutting section, where the recording medium can be cut into any shape.

[0009] This is a schematic diagram of the printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. This is a cross-sectional view of the printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, perpendicular to the left-right direction. This is a schematic diagram of the recording section, etc., viewed from above. This is a schematic diagram of the cutting section viewed from above. (a) is a diagram showing the external appearance of the cutter cartridge, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the lower end of the cutter cartridge parallel to the axial direction when the entire cutter blade is covered by the holder, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the lower end of the cutter cartridge parallel to the axial direction when a part of the cutter blade is exposed from the holder. This is a schematic diagram of the switching unit viewed from the front. (a) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the left end of the guide member located in the first position and the configuration of the area around it, (b) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the left end of the guide member located in the second position and the configuration of the area around it, (c) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the right end of the guide member located in the first position and the configuration of the area around it, and (d) is a diagram showing the cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the right end of the guide member located in the second position and the configuration of the area around it. This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a printer. (a) is a flowchart showing the processing flow when normal single-sided recording is performed, (b) is a flowchart showing the processing flow when normal double-sided recording is performed, (c) is a flowchart showing the processing flow when cut single-sided recording is performed, and (d) is a flowchart showing the processing flow when cut double-sided recording is performed. (a) is a diagram to explain the supply of recording paper from the manual feed tray, and (b) is a diagram to explain the supply of recording paper from the paper cassette. (a) is a diagram to explain the state in which the trailing end of the recording paper has been transported to a point in front of the branching point of the reverse path of the paper output path, and (b) is a diagram to explain the transport of recording paper in the reverse path. (a) is a diagram to explain the images recorded in normal single-sided recording and normal double-sided recording, and (b) is a diagram to explain the images and markers recorded in cut single-sided recording and cut double-sided recording. (a) is a diagram to explain the transport of recording paper to the switchback path, and (b) is a diagram to explain the transport of recording paper from the switchback path to the cutting section. This diagram illustrates an example where the switchback path is located in a position that overlaps with the recording unit below the recording unit.(a) is a diagram illustrating the transport of recording paper to the switchback path in the printer of Figure 14, and (b) is a diagram illustrating the transport of recording paper from the switchback path to the cutting section in the printer of Figure 14. This diagram illustrates a printer in which the reversal path branches off from the tray feed path and extends to a part further upstream of the tray feed path. (a) is a diagram illustrating the transport for reversal of recording paper in the printer of Figure 16, and (b) is a diagram illustrating the transport from the reversal path to the cutting transport path in the printer of Figure 16. This diagram illustrates a printer in which recording paper is transported to the cutting section with the recording surface facing upwards without any switchbacks along the way. This diagram illustrates a printer in which recording paper is transported to the cutting section with the recording surface facing downwards.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0011] <Overall Configuration of the Printer> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the printer 1 of this embodiment comprises a housing 1A, a recording unit 2, an output tray 3, a manual feed tray 4, a paper cassette 5, a cutting unit 6, and a transport unit 7. In this embodiment, the printer 1 corresponds to the "image recording device" of the present invention.

[0012] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the following definitions and explanations will be given for the upward, downward, forward, backward, left, and right directions. The upward and downward directions are opposite to each other. The left and right directions are opposite to each other. The forward and backward directions are opposite to each other. The upward and downward directions are orthogonal to the forward and backward directions. The upward and downward directions are orthogonal to the left and right directions. The forward and backward directions are orthogonal to the left and right directions.

[0013] The housing 1A is configured in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the housing 1A, the front surface 1A1, which is the end face in the front direction, and the rear surface 1A2, which is the end face in the rear direction, face each other in the front-to-rear direction. The recording unit 2, paper output tray 3, manual feed tray 4, paper cassette 5, cutting unit 6, etc. are provided in the housing 1A.

[0014] The recording unit 2 is the part that records images onto the recording paper S. In this embodiment, the recording paper S corresponds to the "recording medium" of the present invention.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the recording unit 2 is located on the upper part of the housing 1A. The recording unit 2 is also located between the front surface 1A1 and the rear surface 1A2 in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the recording unit 2 includes a head carriage 11, a sub-tank 12, a head 13, a platen 14, and transport rollers 15 and 16.

[0016] The head carriage 11, which mounts the sub-tank 12 and the head 13, is supported by two guide rails 19A and 19B extending in the left-right direction, allowing it to move to the left and right. The head carriage 11 is connected to the head carriage motor 106 shown in Figure 8 via a belt or the like (not shown), and moves to the left and right along the guide rails 19A and 19B as the head carriage motor 106 is driven.

[0017] Here, the printer 1 is equipped with a cartridge mounting section 21. The cartridge mounting section 21 is located at the front of the upper part of the housing 1A and is positioned to the right of the paper output tray 3. The cartridge mounting section 21 comprises four cartridge mounting sections 21 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The cartridge mounting section 21 has an opening at the front, through which ink cartridges 22 can be inserted and removed. In other words, the printer 1 can have ink cartridges 22 inserted through the openings in the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A and the openings in the cartridge mounting section 21. The four cartridge mounting sections 21 are equipped with removable ink cartridges 22 containing black, yellow, cyan, and magenta ink, in order from left to right. Although a detailed explanation is omitted here, the openings in the front surface 1A1 of the housing 1A and the openings in the cartridge mounting section 21 may be covered by covers that cover at least one of the openings.

[0018] The four ink cartridges 22, each mounted in one of the four cartridge mounting sections 21, are connected to the sub-tank 12 via a tube 23. The ink in the ink cartridges 22 is supplied to the sub-tank 12 via the tube 23.

[0019] The print head 13 is connected to the lower surface of the sub-tank 12. The print head 13 has a nozzle surface 13A with a plurality of nozzles 10 on its lower side, and ejects ink supplied from the sub-tank 12 from the nozzles 10. More specifically, the plurality of nozzles 10 are arranged in the front-to-back direction to form a nozzle row 9. Also, four rows of nozzle rows 9 are arranged in the left-to-right direction on the nozzle surface 13A. From the plurality of nozzles 10, black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks are ejected in order, starting from those forming the nozzle row 9 located to the right.

[0020] The platen 14 is located below the head 13. The platen 14 supports the recording paper S from below.

[0021] The transport rollers 15 and 16 are rollers whose axial direction is in the left-right direction. Transport roller 15 is positioned behind the head 13 and platen 14. Transport roller 16 is positioned in front of the head 13 and platen 14. The transport rollers 15 and 16 are connected to the roller drive device 107 shown in Figure 8. By driving the transport rollers 15 and 16 with the roller drive device 107, the recording paper S is transported forward.

[0022] The output tray 3 is the part where the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit 2 is discharged when the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit 2 is not cut by the cutting unit 6. The output tray 3 is located at the top of the housing 1A and is positioned in front of the recording unit 2 and the transport rollers 16.

[0023] The manual feed tray 4 is a tray on which recording paper S supplied to the recording unit 2 is placed. The manual feed tray 4 is a so-called MPF or multipurpose tray and can hold one sheet of recording paper S or multiple sheets stacked vertically. The manual feed tray 4 is located at the top of the housing 1A and behind the recording unit 2 and the transport rollers 15. The manual feed tray 4 is also located above the paper cassette 5 and behind the paper cassette 5. The manual feed tray 4 is connected to the housing 1A at its front, and the surface on which the recording paper S is placed extends downwards towards the front. In other words, the surface of the manual feed tray 4 is inclined so that the front is downwards with respect to the horizontal plane. The recording paper S placed on the manual feed tray 4 is supplied into the housing 1A from the front of the manual feed tray. In this embodiment, the manual feed tray 4 corresponds to the "first tray" of the present invention.

[0024] The paper cassette 5 is a tray on which recording paper S supplied to the recording unit 2 is placed. The paper cassette 5 is located at the top of the housing 1A and is detachably mounted in the cassette mounting section 1B, which is located below the recording unit 2, the transport roller 15, the transport roller 16, and the manual feed tray 4. Specifically, the paper cassette 5 can be inserted into and removed from the cassette mounting section 1B from the front. One sheet of recording paper S, or multiple sheets stacked vertically, are placed on the paper cassette 5. In this embodiment, the paper cassette 5 corresponds to the "second tray" of the present invention. Also, in this embodiment, the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5 correspond to the "tray" of the present invention.

[0025] <Cutting Section> The cutting section 6 is a part for cutting the recording paper S on which the image is recorded into any shape. Any shape other than a straight line is a predetermined shape such as a circle, square, or star. It is also possible to cut the paper into a predetermined shape along the outline of the recorded image. The cutting section 6 can also cut the recording paper S in a straight line. The cutting section 6 is located at the bottom of the housing 1A and is situated between the front 1A1 and the rear 1A2 of the housing 1A. In other words, the cutting section 6 is positioned below the recording section 2, the output tray 3, the manual feed tray 4, and the paper cassette 5. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the cutting section 6 has a cutter cartridge 31, a cutter carriage 32, a sensor 33, and a cutting section roller 34.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5(a) to (c), the cutter cartridge 31 comprises a housing 41, a cutter 42, and a holder 43. The housing 41 is cylindrical in shape.

[0027] The cutter 42 has a base portion 42A and a cutter blade 42B. The base portion 42A is cylindrical in shape. The base portion 42A is attached to the lower end of the housing 41 via a bearing 44. The bearing 44 has its axis oriented in the vertical direction. As a result, the cutter 42 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the housing 41, around the axis of the cylindrical base portion 42A which is parallel to the vertical direction. The cutter blade 42B is connected to the lower end of the base portion 42A. The cutter blade 42B is thin and plate-like in shape. The lower end of the cutter blade 42B is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0028] The holder 43 is cylindrical in shape. The holder 43 is held at the lower end of the housing 41 so as to be movable upward and downward. At least a portion of the cutter blade 42B is located inside the cylindrical holder 43. A spring 45 is also positioned between the housing 41 and the upper end of the holder 43. The holder 43 is biased downward by the spring 45.

[0029] The cutter carriage 32 is supported so as to be movable to the left and right by two guide rails 39A and 39B that extend in the left-right direction and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The cutter carriage 32 is connected to the cutter carriage motor 108 shown in Figure 8. As the cutter carriage motor 108 is driven, the cutter carriage 32 moves to the left and right along the guide rails 39A and 39B.

[0030] Furthermore, the cutter carriage 32 is provided with a cutter mounting section 46. The cutter cartridge 31 is mounted on the cutter mounting section 46 by fixing the housing 41 to the cutter mounting section 46.

[0031] Furthermore, the cutter mounting section 46 is connected to the lifting device 47 shown in Figure 8. The lifting device 47 moves the cutter mounting section 46 upward and downward. In conjunction with the upward and downward movement of the cutter mounting section 46, the cutter cartridge 31 also moves upward and downward.

[0032] The sensor 33 is mounted on the cutter carriage 32. The sensor 33 is used to detect the position of the area on the recording paper S that has been transported to the cutting section 6, as will be described later. The detection of the position of the area on the recording paper S where an image is recorded by the sensor 33 will be explained in detail later.

[0033] The cutting section roller 34 is a roller whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction and is located behind the cutter cartridge 31 and cutter carriage 32. The cutting section roller 34 is connected to the roller drive device 107 shown in Figure 8. The cutting section roller 34 is driven by the roller drive device 107 and transports the conveyed recording paper S in the forward and backward directions.

[0034] Furthermore, a support member 35 is positioned at the bottom of the housing 1A. The support member 35 is a roughly rectangular plate-shaped member. The support member 35 is located below the cutting section 6. The support member 35 extends from a position that overlaps with the cutting section 6 when viewed from above, to a position further back from it. The support member 35 supports the recording paper S from below when the recording paper S is cut at the cutting section 6.

[0035] When cutting the recording paper S at the cutting section 6, the cutter cartridge 31 is lowered by lowering the cutter mounting section 46 using the lifting device 47. At this time, the cutter cartridge 31 is lowered until the cutter blade 42B of the cutter 42 penetrates the recording paper S, depending on the thickness of the recording paper S to be cut. Before lowering the cutter cartridge 31, as shown in Figure 5(b), the entire cutter blade 42B is located inside the holder 43. When the cutter cartridge 31 is lowered, the lower end of the holder 43 comes into contact with the recording paper S, and an upward force is applied to the holder 43. As a result, the holder 43 moves upward against the biasing force of the spring 45. Consequently, as shown in Figure 5(c), the tip of the cutter blade 42B is exposed from the holder 43 and penetrates the recording paper S.

[0036] Then, with the tip of the cutter blade 42B penetrating the recording paper S, the cutter carriage 32 is moved to the left or right according to the shape to be cut from the recording paper S, and the cutting roller 34 moves the recording paper S forward or backward, thereby allowing the recording paper S to be cut into any shape. At this time, the cutter blade 42B and the recording paper S move relative to each other in the forward, backward, left, and right directions. As described above, the cutter 42 is rotatably supported with respect to the housing 41, so when the cutter blade 42B and the recording paper S move relative to each other, the cutter 42 rotates in accordance with the direction of relative movement.

[0037] <Transportation Section> The transport section 7 is the part of the printer 1 that transports the recording paper S. As shown in Figure 2, the transport section 7 includes a tray feeding path 51, a cassette feeding path 52, a paper discharge path 53, a reversal path 54, and a cut transport path 55 as paths through which the recording paper S is transported.

[0038] Furthermore, the transport unit 7 includes a tray feed roller 61, a pickup roller 62, a cassette feed roller 63, a first switchback roller 64, an upstream path roller 65, a second switchback roller 66, and a downstream path roller 67 as rollers for transporting the recording paper S. In addition, the transport rollers 15 and 16 that constitute the recording unit 2 and the cutting unit roller 34 that constitutes the cutting unit 6 also serve as rollers that constitute the transport unit 7.

[0039] Here, all of these rollers have their axial direction running in the left-right direction. These rollers are driven by the roller drive device 107 shown in Figure 8 to transport the recording paper S. The roller drive device 107 has at least one motor for driving each of the rollers that make up the transport section 7. The roller drive device 107 also includes gears and the like that connect the at least one motor to each roller. The motor of the roller drive device 107 may be provided for one roller, or it may be provided in common for two or more rollers.

[0040] <Tray Feeding Path, Tray Feeding Roller> The tray feeding path 51 is a transport path that transports the recording paper S supplied from the manual feed tray 4 to the recording unit 2. The tray feeding path 51 extends from the paper feed opening at the front of the manual feed tray 4 to a position below the head 13. The tray feeding roller 61 is provided above the mounting surface on the manual feed tray 4 on which the recording paper S is placed. The recording paper S placed on the manual feed tray 4 is transported to the tray feeding path 51 by the tray feeding roller 61 driven by the roller drive device 107, and then transported to the recording unit 2 by the transport roller 16. At this time, if multiple sheets of recording paper S are stacked on the manual feed tray 4, the uppermost sheet of recording paper S is transported by the tray feeding roller 61. In this embodiment, the tray feeding path 51 corresponds to the "upstream transport path" and "first supply path" of the present invention.

[0041] <Cassette paper feed path, pickup roller, cassette paper feed roller> The cassette paper feed path 52 is a transport path that transports the recording paper S supplied from the paper cassette 5 to the recording unit 2. The cassette paper feed path 52 extends upward from the rear end of the paper cassette 5, merges with the tray paper feed path 51 at the merging section 51A, and extends to a position below the head 13 of the recording unit 2. The pickup roller 62 is provided above the mounting surface on which the recording paper S of the paper cassette 5 is placed. The recording paper S placed on the paper cassette 5 is transported to the cassette paper feed path 52 by the pickup roller 62 driven by the roller drive device 107. At this time, if multiple sheets of recording paper S are stacked vertically on the paper cassette 5, the uppermost sheet of recording paper S is transported to the cassette paper feed path 52 by the pickup roller 62.

[0042] The cassette paper feed roller 63 is provided in the cassette paper feed path 52. The recording paper S is transported to the cassette paper feed path 52 by the pickup roller 62, and then transported to the recording unit 2 by the cassette paper feed roller 63 driven by the roller drive device 107. In this embodiment, the cassette paper feed path 52 corresponds to the "second supply path" of the present invention.

[0043] <Paper discharge path, reverse path, first switchback roller>The paper discharge path 53 is a path for discharging the recording paper S recorded by the recording unit 2 to the paper discharge tray 3. The paper discharge path 53 is located downstream of the tray paper feed path 51 and the cassette paper feed path 52, and extends from the connection portion of the tray paper feed path 51 and the cassette paper feed path 52 to the paper discharge tray 3. The paper discharge path 53 is a path that extends forward from the recording unit 2. The reverse path 54 is a path for reversing the front and back of the recording paper S recorded by the recording unit 2 and conveying it back to the recording unit 2 again. The reverse path 54 includes a path that branches from a branch portion 53A located between the recording unit 2 and the paper discharge tray 3 of the paper discharge path 53. The reverse path 54 extends rearward through the lower part of the recording unit 2 from the branch portion 53A and merges with the cassette paper feed path 52 at the merging portion 52A. Then, the merged reverse path 54 and the cassette paper feed path 52 merge with the tray paper feed path 51 at the merging portion 51A. The merged reverse path 54, the cassette paper feed path 52, and the tray paper feed path 51 extend to the recording unit 2. In the present embodiment, the paper discharge path 53 corresponds to the "downstream conveyance path" of the present invention.

[0044] Further, a guide member 71 is provided at the branch portion 53A. The guide member 71 is movable between a reverse guide position shown by a solid line in FIG. 2 and a paper discharge guide position shown by a broken line in FIG. 2. The reverse guide position is a position when guiding the recording paper S from the paper discharge path 53 to the reverse path 54. The paper discharge guide position is a position when guiding the recording paper S along the paper discharge path 53. Further, the guide member 71 is biased from the paper discharge guide position toward the reverse guide position by a spring (not shown).

[0045] The first switchback roller 64 is located downstream of the branching point 53A of the paper discharge path 53. In other words, it is located forward of the branching point 53A of the paper discharge path 53. The transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64 are driven by the roller drive device 107, so that the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is transported along the paper discharge path 53. At this time, the guide member 71 is pushed by the transported recording paper S and moves from the inverted guide position toward the paper discharge guide position against the biasing force of a spring (not shown). This allows the recording paper S to be transported forward of the guide member 71. At this time, the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 can also be transported to the paper discharge tray 3.

[0046] Furthermore, when the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is transported by the first switchback roller 64 until the rear end of the recording paper S reaches in front of the guide member 71, the guide member 71 is no longer pressed by the recording paper S and returns to the reverse guide position due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown). In this state, when the roller drive device 107 rotates the first switchback roller 64 in the reverse direction to transport the recording paper S backward, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 71 located in the reverse guide position and transported to the reverse path 54. Here, additional rollers for transporting the recording paper S may be arranged in the reverse path 54.

[0047] <Cutting and Transport Route> The cutting and transport route 55 is a transport route that transports the recording paper S recorded in the recording unit 2 to the cutting unit 6. The cutting and transport route 55 has an upstream route 55A, a switchback route 55B, and a downstream route 55C.

[0048] <Upstream Path>The upstream path 55A is a conveyance path that branches from the branch portion 54A of the reverse path 54 and conveys the recording paper S to the switchback path 55B. The branch portion 54A is located between the confluence portion 52A of the reverse path 54 and the cassette paper feed path 52 and the confluence portion 51A of the tray paper feed path 51. That is, the branch portion 54A is located above the confluence portion 52A and below the confluence portion 51A. The upstream path 55A extends rearward from the branch portion 54A. Also, the upstream path 55A is located below the tray paper feed path 51. The upstream path 55A extends downward toward the manual feed tray 4.

[0049] <Switching Unit>Also, in the present embodiment, the printer 1 includes a switching unit 80. The switching unit 80 is for switching whether to convey the recording paper S conveyed through the reverse path 54 directly along the reverse path 54 toward the recording unit 2 or to convey it toward the upstream path 55A of the cutting conveyance path 55 and then convey it to the cutting unit 6.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 2, FIGS. 6, and FIGS. 7(a) to (d), the switching unit 80 includes a guide member 81, a rack and pinion mechanism 82, a switching motor 83, and a torque limiter 84.

[0051] The guide member 81 is disposed below the tray paper feed path 51. The guide member 81 has a first portion 81A, a second portion 81B, and a third portion 81C.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7, the first portion 81A extends in the front-rear direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the first portion 81A has a guide portion 81D and a guide portion 81E. The guide portion 81D is located at the left end of the first portion 81A, protrudes downward, and extends in the front-rear direction. The left end surface of the guide portion 81D has a groove 81D1 extending in the front-rear direction. The guide portion 81E is located at the right end of the first portion 81A, protrudes downward, and extends in the front-rear direction. The right end surface of the guide portion 81E has a groove 81E1 extending in the front-rear direction. <Here, the housing 1A comprises a frame 89A located to the left of the guide member 81 and a frame 89B located to the right of the guide member 81. A guide rail 89A1 is provided on the right surface of frame 89A, projecting to the right and extending in the front-rear direction. The guide rail 89A1 is fitted into the groove 81D1 of the guide portion 81D. A guide rail 89B1 is provided on the left surface of frame 89B, projecting to the left and extending in the front-rear direction. The guide rail 89B1 is fitted into the groove 81E1 of the guide portion 81E.

[0054] Furthermore, since the guide rail 89A1 is fitted into the groove 81D1 of the guide portion 81D, and the guide rail 89B1 is fitted into the groove 81E1 of the guide portion 81E, the guide member 81 is supported by the guide rails 89A1 and 89B1 so that it can move in the forward and backward directions.

[0055] Furthermore, two positioning protrusions 89A2 and 89A3 are positioned on the right side of frame 89A, projecting to the right. Positioning protrusion 89A2 is located behind the guide portion 81D of guide member 81. Positioning protrusion 89A3 is located in front of the guide portion 81D of guide member 81. Furthermore, two positioning protrusions 89B2 and 89B3 are positioned on the left side of frame 89B, projecting to the left. Positioning protrusion 89B2 is located behind the guide portion 81E of guide member 81. Positioning protrusion 89B3 is located in front of the guide portion 81E of guide member 81.

[0056] As a result, the guide member 81 is movable between a first position shown by the solid line in Figure 2 and in Figures 7(a) and (c), and a second position shown by the dashed line in Figure 2 and in Figures 7(b) and (d). When the guide member 81 is in the first position, the rear end of the guide portion 81D contacts the positioning projection 89A2, and the rear end of the guide portion 81E contacts the positioning projection 89B2. This restricts the rearward movement of the guide member 81. The second position is a position forward of the first position. When the guide member 81 is in the second position, the front end of the guide portion 81D contacts the positioning projection 89A3, and the front end of the guide portion 81E contacts the positioning projection 89B3. This restricts the forward movement of the guide member 81.

[0057] The second section 81B is located between the first section 81A and the third section 81C in the front-rear direction and is the section that connects the first section 81A and the third section 81C. The third section 81C is fixed to the front end of the second section 81B, and the rear end of the second section 81B is fixed to the front end of the first section 81A. The second section 81B extends forward such that its front end is positioned lower than its rear end. In other words, it extends with an inclination so that it is positioned lower as it moves forward. The third section 81C is connected to the front end of the second section 81B. The third section 81C has a guide surface at its front that guides the transported recording paper S. The guide surface is formed on the front surface of the portion that extends upward and downward from the connection point with the second section 81B. The third section 81C is located downstream of the point where the cassette paper feed path 52 and the reversal path 54 merge. Furthermore, the guide surface of the third portion 81C forms part of the rear wall of the transport path that transports the recording paper S.

[0058] When the guide member 81 is in the first position, the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 is guided by the guide surface of the third portion 81C and transported along the reversal path 54. When the guide member 81 is in the second position, the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 passes below the third portion 81C and is transported to the upstream path 55A of the cutting transport path 55.

[0059] The rack and pinion mechanism 82 includes two rack gears 91A and 91B, two pinion gears 92A and 92B, gears 93A, 93B, 94 and 95, and shafts 96 and 97.

[0060] The rack gear 91A is located at the lower end of the guide portion 81D of the first portion 81A. The rack gear 91B is located at the lower end of the guide portion 81E of the first portion 81A. The rack gears 91A and 91B extend in the front-rear direction. The pinion gear 92A is located below the rack gear 91A and meshes with the rack gear 91A. The pinion gear 92B is located below the rack gear 91B and meshes with the rack gear 91B.

[0061] Gear 93A is located below pinion gear 92A and meshes with it. Gear 93B is located below pinion gear 92B and meshes with it. Gears 93A, 93B, and 94 are fixed to a shaft 96 whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The shaft 96 is rotatably supported by frames 89A and 89B. The shaft 96 extends to the left of frame 89A. Gear 94 is fixed to the portion of the shaft 96 that is to the left of frame 89A. Gear 95 is located below gear 94 and meshes with it. Gear 95 is fixed to a shaft 97 whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The shaft 97 is rotatably supported by frame 89A.

[0062] Furthermore, the shaft 97 is connected to the rotating shaft 83A of the switching motor 83 via a torque limiter 84. When the switching motor 83 is driven, torque is applied to the shaft 97 from the rotating shaft 83A via the torque limiter 84. At this time, the torque limiter 84 limits the torque applied to the shaft 97 from the rotating shaft 83A so as not to exceed a threshold. Since the configuration of the torque limiter 84 itself is well known, further detailed explanation of the torque limiter 84 is omitted here.

[0063] In this embodiment, when the switching motor 83 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 83A, the torque applied from the rotating shaft 83A to the shaft 97 via the torque limiter 84 is transmitted in the following order to the gears 95, 94, 93A, pinion gear 92A, and rack gear 91A. This torque is also transmitted in the following order to the gears 95, 94, 93B, pinion gear 92B, and rack gear 91B.

[0064] When the rotating shaft 83A is rotated in one direction, the guide member 81 moves backward from the second position toward the first position. When the rotating shaft 83A is further rotated in the same direction while the guide member 81 has moved backward to the first position, with the guide portion 81D in contact with the positioning projection 89A2 and the guide portion 81E in contact with the positioning projection 89B2, the torque applied to the guide member 81 is limited by the torque limiter 84.

[0065] On the other hand, when the rotating shaft 83A is rotated in the opposite direction to the first direction, the guide member 81 moves forward from the first position toward the second position. When the rotating shaft 83A rotates further in the opposite direction while the guide member 81 has moved backward to the second position, and the guide portion 81D is in contact with the positioning projection 89A3 and the guide portion 81E is in contact with the positioning projection 89B3, the torque applied to the guide member 81 is limited by the torque limiter 84.

[0066] In this embodiment, the combination of the guide member 81, the rack and pinion mechanism 82, the positioning protrusions 89A2, 89A3, 89B2, 89B2, and the torque limiter 84 corresponds to the "switching mechanism" of the present invention. Furthermore, the positioning protrusions 89A2 and 89B2 correspond to the "first positioning section" of the present invention. Furthermore, the positioning protrusions 89A3 and 89B3 correspond to the "second positioning section" of the present invention.

[0067] <Switchback Route> The switchback route 55B is a transport path that performs a switchback to swap the leading and trailing ends of the recording paper S transported from the upstream route 55A, and then transports the switchedback recording paper S to the downstream route 55C. The switchback route 55B is formed by the portion of the tray forming member 8 below the manual feed tray 4. As a result, the switchback route 55B is located behind the upstream route 55A and below the manual feed tray 4. The switchback route 55B, like the manual feed tray 4, extends with an inclination in the front-to-back direction, becoming downward as it moves forward. In other words, the transport path for transporting the recording paper S in the switchback route 55B extends with an inclination so that the front is lower than the horizontal plane. It can also be said that the switchback route 55B extends along the surface on which the recording paper S is placed on the manual feed tray 4. In addition, a part of the switchback route 55B is defined by the media support surface 8A and the opposing surface 8B of the tray forming member 8. The media support surface 8A is formed by the lower part of the tray forming member 8 and supports the recording paper S from below. The opposing surface 8B is formed by the upper part of the tray forming member 8 and acts as a partition separating the manual feed tray 4 from the switchback path 55B, and faces the media support surface 8A. When the recording paper S is located in the switchback path 55B, a portion of the front of the recording paper S is covered by the media support surface 8A and the opposing surface 8B, while a portion of the rear of the recording paper S is exposed. At the switchback position on the switchback path 55B, a portion of the recording paper S protrudes behind the rear end of the manual feed tray 4. Alternatively, at the switchback position, a portion of the recording paper S protrudes above the upper end of the manual feed tray 4. In other words, the switchback path 55B has an opening that allows a portion of the recording paper S to protrude to the outside. This prevents jamming of the recording paper S when switching back paper longer than a predetermined length.

[0068] <Downstream Route> The downstream route 55C is a transport path that transports the recording paper S transported from the switchback route 55B to the cutting section 6. The downstream route 55C is located in front of and below the switchback route 55B, and also below the upstream route 55A. The downstream route 55C extends in a direction that is inclined with respect to the front-to-back direction, becoming more downward as it moves forward, from the position in front of the switchback route 55B to the upper surface of the support member 35 located below the cutting section 6. In other words, the downstream route 55C extends inclined so that the front is lower with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0069] Furthermore, guide members 72 are positioned between the upstream path 55A and the downstream path 55C and the switchback path 55B in the front-rear direction. The guide members 72 are configured to be movable between a downstream guide position shown by a solid line in Figure 2 and an upstream guide position shown by a dashed line in Figure 2. The downstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C. The upstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B. The guide members 72 are also biased from the upstream guide position toward the downstream guide position by a spring or the like (not shown).

[0070] <Upstream path roller, second switchback roller, downstream path roller> The upstream path roller 65 is located in the upstream path 55A. The second switchback roller 66 is located in the switchback path 55B. The downstream path roller 67 is located in the downstream path 55C.

[0071] The recording paper S is transported from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B by a roller drive device 107, which drives the upstream path roller 65 and the second switchback roller 66, causing them to rotate in one direction. As the recording paper S is transported from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B, the guide member 72 is pushed by the recording paper S and moves from the downstream guide position to the upstream guide position against the biasing force of a spring (not shown). When the rear end of the recording paper S being transported from the upstream path 55A to the switchback path 55B passes the guide member 72, the guide member 72 is no longer pushed by the recording paper S and returns to the downstream guide position due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown).

[0072] Furthermore, by driving the second switchback roller 66 with the roller drive device 107 and rotating it in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned one direction, the recording paper S on the switchback path 55B can be fed forward and downward. The recording paper S fed out from the switchback path 55B in this way is guided by the guide member 72 located at the downstream guide position and is transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C.

[0073] Furthermore, by driving the downstream path roller 67 with the roller drive device 107, the recording paper S that has been transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C can be transported through the downstream path 55C to the upper surface of the support member 35, and further transported along the upper surface of the support member 35 to the cutting section 6.

[0074] In this embodiment, the combination of the cutting and conveying path 55, rollers 65, 66, 67, guide member 72, and switching unit 80 corresponds to the "cutting and conveying section" of the present invention.

[0075] <Electrical Configuration of the Printer> Next, the electrical configuration of printer 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 8, printer 1 is equipped with a control unit 100. The control unit 100 consists of a CPU 101, ROM 102, RAM 103, memory 104, ASIC 105, etc. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. ROM is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory. RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The control unit 100 controls the motors of the head carriage motor 106, head 13, roller drive unit 107, cutter carriage motor 108, lifting device 47, switching motor 83, etc. The control unit 100 also receives signals from sensor 33.

[0076] In addition to the configuration described above, the printer 1 is also equipped with an operation panel 99. The operation panel 99 has a display unit and an operation unit. The display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation unit is, for example, hard keys, a touch panel provided on the display unit 68, etc. Various screens are displayed on the display unit of the operation panel 99 under the control of the control unit 100. When the operation panel 99 is operated by the user, a signal corresponding to the user's operation is transmitted to the control unit 100.

[0077] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may be configured such that only the CPU 101 performs the various processing, or only the ASIC 105 performs the various processing, or the CPU 101 and ASIC 105 perform the various processing in cooperation. Also, the control unit 100 may be configured such that one CPU 101 performs the processing independently, or multiple CPUs 101 share the processing. Also, the control unit 100 may be configured such that one ASIC 105 performs the processing independently, or multiple ASICs 105 share the processing.

[0078] <Control during recording> Next, we will explain the control by the control unit 100 when the printer 1 records an image onto the recording paper S.

[0079] Printer 1 can selectively perform one of the following: normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, or cut double-sided recording. Normal single-sided recording is an operation in which an image is recorded on only one side of the recording paper S, and the recording paper S is not cut by the cutting unit 6. Normal double-sided recording is an operation in which an image is recorded on both sides of the recording paper S, and the recording paper S is not cut by the cutting unit 6. Cut single-sided recording is an operation in which an image is recorded on only one side of the recording paper S, and the recording paper S is cut by the cutting unit 6. Cut double-sided recording is an operation in which an image is recorded on both sides of the recording paper S, and the recording paper S is cut by the cutting unit 6.

[0080] <Control during normal single-sided recording> The control by the control unit 100 when performing normal single-sided recording will be explained below. When performing normal single-sided recording, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(a). For example, when a recording instruction signal instructing normal single-sided recording is input via operation of the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(a) is started.

[0081] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(a) in detail, the control unit 100 first performs the paper feeding process (S101). In the paper feeding process of S101, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to supply recording paper S from the manual feed tray 4 to the recording unit 2 through the tray feed path 51 to the tray feed roller 61, as shown in Figure 10(a). Alternatively, in the paper feeding process of S101, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to supply recording paper S from the paper cassette 5 to the recording unit 2 through the cassette feed path 52 to the pickup roller 62 and the cassette feed roller 63, as shown in Figure 10(b). Whether to supply recording paper S to the recording unit 2 from the manual feed tray 4 or the paper cassette 5 is determined based on, for example, a recording instruction, setting information stored in advance in the memory 104, etc.

[0082] Next, the control unit 100 performs a recording process (S102). In the recording process of S102, the control unit 100 repeatedly performs a recording path process and a paper transport process to record an image on the recording paper S. The recording path process is the process of controlling the head carriage motor 106 to move the head carriage 11 to the left or right, while controlling the head 13 to eject ink from multiple nozzles 10 toward the recording paper S. The paper transport process is the process of controlling the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S forward a predetermined distance on the transport rollers 15 and 16.

[0083] Next, the control unit 100 performs the recording paper ejection process (S103) and terminates the process. In the recording paper ejection process of S103, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image is recorded to the paper ejection tray 3 via the transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64.

[0084] <Control during normal double-sided recording> The control by the control unit 100 when performing normal double-sided recording will be explained below. When performing normal double-sided recording, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(b). For example, when a recording instruction signal instructing normal double-sided recording is input via operation of the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(b) is started.

[0085] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(b) in detail, the control unit 100 performs the same paper feeding process as in S101 (S201). Next, the control unit 100 performs the first recording process (S202). The first recording process in S202 is the same process as the recording process in S102. The first recording process records an image on one side of the recording paper S.

[0086] Next, the control unit 100 performs a paper reversal process (S203). In the paper reversal process of S203, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S, on which an image is recorded on one side, to the transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64, as shown in Figure 11(a), until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 53A. After that, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the first switchback roller 64 in the reverse direction, transporting the recording paper S, on which an image is recorded on one side, to the rear. As a result, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 71 located at the reversal guide position, as indicated by the reference numeral Sa in Figure 11(b), and transported from the paper discharge path 53 to the reversal path 54. In other words, the recording paper S is switched back. At this time, the guide member 81 is located at the first position. As a result, the recording paper S transported along the inversion path 54 is supplied back to the recording unit 2 with its front and back sides reversed, as indicated by the symbol Sb in Figure 11(b).

[0087] Next, the control unit 100 performs a second recording process (S204). The second recording process in S204 is the same as the recording process in S102. The second recording process records an image on the other side of the recording paper S. Subsequently, the control unit 100 performs a recording paper ejection process similar to that in S103 (S205), and the process ends.

[0088] <Control during single-sided recording after cutting> The control by the control unit 100 when performing single-sided recording after cutting will be explained below. When performing single-sided recording after cutting, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(c). For example, when a recording instruction signal instructing single-sided recording after cutting is input by operating the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(c) is started.

[0089] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(c) in detail, the control unit 100 performs the same processes as S101 and S102, as in S301 and S302. As a result, an image is recorded on the recording paper S.

[0090] In the recording process for normal single-sided recording and the first and second recording processes for normal double-sided recording described above, an image P corresponding to the image data input along with the recording instruction is recorded on the recording paper S, for example, as shown in Figure 12(a). In contrast, in the recording process of S302, in addition to the image P corresponding to the image data input along with the recording instruction, a marker M that serves as a positioning reference when cutting the recording paper S is recorded on the recording paper S, for example, as shown in Figure 12(b). Figure 12(b) shows the case where four markers M are recorded at the four corners of the recording paper S, but the number of markers M may be one to three or five or more. Also, the position where the markers M are recorded may be a position other than the four corners of the recording paper S. Also, Figure 12(b) shows the case where the markers M are L-shaped, but the markers M may be of a different shape.

[0091] Next, the control unit 100 performs the cutting and transport process (S303). In the cutting and transport process of S303, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image is recorded onto the transport rollers 15, 16 and the first switchback roller 64, as shown in Figure 11(a), in the same way as in normal double-sided recording, until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 53A.

[0092] In the cutting and transport process of S303, the control unit 100 then controls the switching motor 83 to move the guide member 81 to the second position, and then controls the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image is recorded to the first switchback roller 64 backward. As a result, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 71 located at the reversal guide position, as shown by the symbol Sc in Figure 13(a), and transported from the paper discharge path 53 to the reversal path 54. In other words, the recording paper S is switched back. At this time, the guide member 81 is located at the second position. As a result, the recording paper S transported along the reversal path 54 is transported from the reversal path 54 to the upstream path 55A, as shown by the symbol Sd in Figure 13(a).

[0093] Furthermore, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S that has been transported along the upstream path 55A to the switchback position of the switchback path 55B via the upstream path 55A, as indicated by the symbol Se in Figure 13(a). Note that the recording paper S shown by the dashed line in Figure 2 indicates the recording paper S located at the switchback position. The same applies to the recording paper S shown by the dashed lines in Figures 14 and 16, which will be described later.

[0094] In the cutting and transport process of S303, the control unit 100 then controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the second switchback roller 66 in the opposite direction. As a result, the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C, as indicated by the letter Sf in Figure 13(b). In other words, the recording paper S is switched back. At this time, the control unit 100 also controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S, which has been transported from the switchback path 55B to the downstream path 55C, through the downstream path 55C and the upper surface of the support member 35 to the cutting section 6, as indicated by the letter Sg in Figure 13(b). As a result of being transported as described above by the cutting and transport process of S303, the recording paper S is transported to the cutting section 6 with the recording surface on which the image was recorded facing upwards during the recording process of S302.

[0095] Furthermore, when the recording paper S is transported to the switchback path 55B, the end Ea of the recording paper S is the front end of transport, and the opposite end Eb is the rear end of transport. In contrast, when the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 55B to the cutting section 6, the end Eb is the front end of transport, and the end Ea is the rear end of transport. In other words, in this embodiment, a switchback occurs in which the front and rear ends of the transport of the recording paper S are swapped when the recording paper S is transported to the switchback path 55B and when the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 55B to the cutting section 6.

[0096] Next, the control unit 100 performs a cutting process (S304). In the cutting process of S304, the control unit 100 controls the cutter carriage motor 108 to move the cutter carriage 32 to the left and right, and controls the roller drive device 107 to move the recording paper S forward and backward on the cutting roller 34, thereby causing the sensor 33 to detect the marker M on the recording paper S. Then, based on the left-right position of the cutter carriage 32 when the marker M is detected by the sensor 33, the position of the recording paper S in the front-rear direction, and the image data, the control unit 100 obtains the position of the area on the recording paper S where the image is recorded.

[0097] Then, in the cutting process of S304, the control unit 100 controls the lifting device 47 to lower the cutter cartridge 31 until the cutter blade 42B of the cutter 42 penetrates the recording paper S. In this state, the control unit 100 controls the cutter carriage motor 108 to move the cutter carriage 32 to the left and right according to the position of the area on the recording paper S in which the image is recorded, and controls the roller drive device 107 to move the recording paper S forward and backward on the cutting roller 34, thereby causing the cutter 42 to cut the recording paper S. For example, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 12(b), the recording paper S is cut along the outline of the recorded image P.

[0098] After the cutting process in S304, the control unit 100 performs a cut and paper discharge process (S305) and then terminates the process. In the cut and paper discharge process in S305, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to discharge the record paper S, which has been cut in the cutting section 6, forward to the cutting section roller 34.

[0099] <Control during double-sided recording of cut paper> The control by the control unit 100 when performing double-sided recording of cut paper will be explained below. When performing double-sided recording of cut paper, the control unit 100 processes according to the flowchart in Figure 9(d). For example, when a recording instruction signal instructing double-sided recording of cut paper is input by operating the operation panel 99 or a PC connected to the printer 1, processing according to the flowchart in Figure 9(d) is started.

[0100] To explain the flowchart in Figure 9(d) in detail, the control unit 100 executes the same processes as S201 to S204, specifically S401 to S404. As a result, an image is recorded on both sides of the recording paper S. However, in the first recording process of S402, for example, as shown in Figure 12(a), an image P is recorded on the recording paper S, and in the second recording process of S404, for example, as shown in Figure 12(b), both the image P and the marker M are recorded on the recording paper S.

[0101] Next, the control unit 100 executes the same processes as S303 to S305, from S405 to S407, and the process ends. In this case, the recording paper S is transported as described above by the cutting and transport process in S405, and is transported to the cutting unit 6 with the recording surface on which the image was recorded in the second recording process in S403 facing upwards.

[0102] In this embodiment, the processes in S102 and S302 correspond to the "single-sided recording process" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the combined processes of S202 to S204 and the combined processes of S402 to S404 correspond to the "double-sided recording process" of the present invention, respectively. In addition, the recording paper discharge processes in S103 and S205 correspond to the "recording paper ejection process" of the present invention. Furthermore, the combined processes of S303 and S304 and the combined processes of S405 and S406 correspond to the "recording paper cutting process" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the processes in S305 and S407 correspond to the "cutting and ejection process" of the present invention, respectively.

[0103] <Effects> In this embodiment, the recording paper S on which an image has been recorded on one side in the recording unit 2 is transported along a reversal path 54 that branches off from the paper discharge path 53 and merges with the tray paper feed path 51, thereby reversing the front and back sides and supplying it to the recording unit 2 again. This allows an image to be recorded on the other side of the recording paper S. In other words, an image can be recorded on both sides of the recording paper S.

[0104] On the other hand, the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is transported to the cutting unit 6 via a part of the inversion path 54 and the cutting transport path 55, and the recording paper S is cut in the cutting unit 6, thereby allowing the recording paper S to be cut into any shape.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cutting and transport path 55 is a path that branches off from the reversal path 54. Therefore, a part of the reversal path 54 can be used as part of the path for transporting the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit 2 to the cutting unit 6. This simplifies the configuration of the printer 1.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reversal path 54 merges with the cassette paper feed path 52. The merged reversal path 54 and the cassette paper feed path 52 then merge with the tray paper feed path 51. As a result, parts of the cassette paper feed path 52 and the tray paper feed path 51 can be used as part of the reversal path 54. Consequently, the configuration of the printer 1 can be simplified.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cutting transport path 55 branches off from the branching section 54A between the junction 52A where the reversal path 54 merges with the cassette paper feed path 52 and the junction 51A where the reversal path 54 merges with the tray paper feed path 51. As a result, the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 can be transported to the cutting section 6 via a part of the reversal path 54 and the cutting transport path 55 that branches off from the branching section 54A of the reversal path 54.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the switching unit 80 moves the guide member 81 between the first position and the second position by driving the switching motor 83. This makes it possible to switch whether the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 to the branching section 54A is transported along the reversal path 54 as is, or transported towards the cutting transport path 55.

[0109] In this embodiment, the guide member 81 is positioned in the first position when the guide portion 81D contacts the positioning projection 89A2 and the guide portion 81E contacts the positioning projection 89B2. In this state, when the switching motor 83 applies torque to the guide member 81 to press the guide portion 81D against the positioning projection 89A2 and the guide portion 81E against the positioning projection 89B2, the torque limiter 84 limits the torque applied from the switching motor 83 to the guide member 81. This prevents excessive torque from being applied to the guide member 81.

[0110] Furthermore, the guide member 81 is positioned at the second position when the guide portion 81D contacts the positioning projection 89A3 and the guide portion 81E contacts the positioning projection 89B3. In this state, when the switching motor 83 applies torque to the guide member 81, pressing the guide portion 81D against the positioning projection 89A3 and the guide portion 81E against the positioning projection 89B3, the torque limiter 84 limits the torque applied from the switching motor 83 to the guide member 81. This prevents excessive torque from being applied to the guide member 81.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by arranging the guide member 81 of the switching unit 80 in the space between the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5 in the vertical direction, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the printer 1 in the vertical direction.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in normal single-sided recording and normal double-sided recording, where the recording paper S is not cut at the cutting unit 6, the recording paper S with the completed image is discharged to the output tray 3 without being transported to the cutting unit 6. On the other hand, in cut single-sided recording and cut double-sided recording, the recording paper S with the completed image is transported to the cutting unit 6. Then, the recording paper S is cut at the cutting unit 6, and the cut recording paper S is discharged. As a result, when performing normal single-sided recording and normal double-sided recording, the transport distance of the recording paper S can be shortened compared to when the recording paper S with the completed image is transported to the cutting unit 6 and discharged at the cutting unit 6 without cutting.

[0113] <Modifications> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they are within the scope of the claims.

[0114] In the above embodiment, the switchback path was located behind the recording unit 2, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, in Modification 1, as shown in Figure 14, the printer 110 has a cutting and transport path 111 which includes an upstream path 111A, a switchback path 111B, and a downstream path 111C.

[0115] The upstream path 111A branches off from the reversal path 54 at the branching section 54A and extends rearward from the branching section 54A. Furthermore, the upstream path 111A curves downward midway and then curves forward to extend further. In other words, the upstream path 111A extends rearward, the transport path curves in a U-shape, and then extends forward. In addition, an upstream path roller 112 is provided for the upstream path 111A.

[0116] Furthermore, in the printer 110, the path member 116 is positioned below the paper cassette 5 and above the cutting section 6. Also, when viewed from above, the paper cassette 5 and the path member 116 overlap.

[0117] The switchback path 111B is formed between the paper cassette 5 and the path member 116 in the vertical direction. The lower surface of the paper cassette 5 is the upper wall surface of the switchback path 111B, and the upper surface of the path member 116 is the lower wall surface of the switchback path 111B.

[0118] As a result, the switchback path 111B is positioned below the paper cassette 5 and above the cutting section 6. The switchback path 111B extends forward from the front end opposite the branching section 54A of the upstream path 111A. More specifically, the switchback path 111B extends at an angle with respect to the front-to-back direction, so that it becomes higher as it extends forward. In other words, the switchback path 111B extends at an angle so that the front is higher with respect to the horizontal plane. A second switchback roller 113 is also provided with respect to the switchback path 111B. Furthermore, when the paper cassette 5 is pulled forward from the housing 1A and removed from the housing 1A, the switchback path 111B and the second switchback roller 113 are exposed. In other words, the second switchback roller 113 and the switchback path 111B are visible from the opening into which the paper cassette 5 is installed. Furthermore, the second switchback roller 113 and the switchback path 111B are accessible from the opening where the paper cassette 5 is installed. In addition, any jammed recording paper S in the switchback path 111B can be visually inspected and accessed from the opening where the paper cassette 5 is installed.

[0119] The downstream path 111C is located behind the switchback path 111B and below the upstream path 111A. The downstream path 111C extends backward and downward from the position behind the switchback path 111B, curves downward, and then curves further downward and forward to extend to the upper surface of the support member 35. In other words, the downstream path 111C is a conveying path that extends backward, curves in a U shape, and extends forward. A downstream path roller 114 is also provided on the downstream path 111C.

[0120] Furthermore, a guide member 115 is positioned between the upstream path 111A and the downstream path 111C and the switchback path 111B in the front-rear direction. The guide member 115 is configured to be movable between a downstream guide position shown by a solid line in Figure 14 and an upstream guide position shown by a dashed line in Figure 14. The downstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the switchback path 111B to the downstream path 111C. The upstream guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B. The guide member 115 is also biased from the upstream guide position toward the downstream guide position by a spring or the like (not shown).

[0121] In the modified example 1, the control unit 100 can perform normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, and cut double-sided recording by processing according to the flowcharts in Figures 9(a) to (d), similar to the embodiment described above.

[0122] In Modification 1, the control unit 100, in the cutting and transport process of S303 and S405, transports the recording paper S until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 53A, similar to the embodiment described above. After that, the control unit 100 moves the guide member 81 to the second position and then controls the roller drive device 107 to transport the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded on the first switchback roller 64 backward. However, in Modification 1, as shown in Figure 15(a), the recording paper S is transported from the paper discharge path 53 to the reversal path 54, and further transported from the reversal path 54 to the upstream path 111A.

[0123] Furthermore, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to drive the upstream path roller 112 and the second switchback roller 113, thereby transporting the recording paper S that has been transported to the upstream path 111A through the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B. When the recording paper S is transported from the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B, the guide member 115 is pushed by the recording paper S and moves from the downstream guide position to the upstream guide position against the biasing force of the spring. As a result, the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 115 from the upstream path 111A to the switchback path 111B. When the transport of the recording paper S to the switchback path 111B is complete, the guide member 115 returns to the downstream guide position due to the biasing force of the spring.

[0124] In the cutting and transport process of S303 and S405, the control unit 100 then controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the second switchback roller 113 in the opposite direction. As a result, as shown in Figure 15(b), the recording paper S is fed backward from the switchback path 111B. Furthermore, the recording paper S is transported from the switchback path 111B to the downstream path 111C by being guided by the guide member 115 located at the downstream guide position. At this time, the control unit 100 also controls the roller drive unit 107 to drive the downstream path roller 67 and the cutting section roller 34. As a result, the recording paper S that has been transported to the downstream path 111C is transported to the cutting section 6 through the downstream path 111C and the upper surface of the support member 35.

[0125] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the reversal path 54 branched off from the paper output path 53 and merged with the tray paper feed path 51, but it is not limited to this.

[0126] For example, in Modification 2, as shown in Figure 16, the recording unit 2 is positioned further forward in the printer 120 than in the printer 1 of the above-described embodiment. Also, the length of the tray paper feed path 51 is longer and the length of the paper output path 53 is shorter in the front-to-back direction than in the printer 1 of the above-described embodiment.

[0127] In the printer 120, the inversion path 121 branches off from a branching point 51B located in front of the merging point 51A of the tray paper feed path 51. The inversion path 121 extends from the branching point 51B backward, passing below the tray paper feed path 51. Furthermore, the inversion path 121 merges with the cassette paper feed path 52 at the merging point 52A. The merged inversion path 121 and the cassette paper feed path 52 then merge with the tray paper feed path 51 at the merging point 51A. The merged inversion path 121, cassette paper feed path 52, and tray paper feed path 51 extend to the recording unit 2. In other words, the inversion path 121 is a path that branches off from the tray paper feed path 51 and merges with a more upstream portion of the tray paper feed path 51. In the modified example 2, the tray paper feed path 51 corresponds to the "transport path" of the present invention. In addition, the printer 120 has a transport roller 122 positioned between the junction 51A and the branching 51B of the tray paper feed path 51.

[0128] Furthermore, a guide member 123 is provided at the branching section 51B. The guide member 123 is movable between a reverse guide position shown by a solid line in Figure 16 and a paper feed guide position shown by a dashed line in Figure 16. The reverse guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S from the tray paper feed path 51 to the reverse path 121. The paper feed guide position is the position when guiding the recording paper S along the tray paper feed path 51. The guide member 123 is also biased from the paper feed guide position toward the reverse guide position by a spring (not shown).

[0129] In the modified example 2, the control unit 100 can perform normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, and cut double-sided recording by processing according to the flowcharts in Figures 9(a) to (d), similar to the embodiment described above.

[0130] However, in the case of Modification 2, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 in the paper feeding process of S101, S201, S301, and S401 to drive the tray feed roller 61, or the pickup roller 62 and cassette feed roller 63, in addition to driving the transport roller 122. As a result, the recording paper S is supplied from the manual feed tray 4 or the paper cassette 5 and transported to the recording unit 2 through the tray feed path 51. At this time, the guide member 123 is pushed by the recording paper S and moves from the reverse guide position to the paper feed guide position against the biasing force of the spring.

[0131] In the modified example 2, if the rear end of the recording paper S is located in front of the branching section 51B when the recording process in S202 and the first recording process in S402 are completed, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 in the paper reversal process in S203 and S403 to rotate the transport rollers 15 and 16 in the opposite direction to transport the recording paper S to the rear.

[0132] On the other hand, when the recording process in S202 and the first recording process in S402 are completed, if the rear end of the recording paper S is located on or behind the branching section 51B, the control unit 100 first controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S forward using the transport rollers 15 and 16 until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 51B. After that, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the transport rollers 15 and 16 in the opposite direction to transport the recording paper S backward.

[0133] As a result, as shown in Figure 17(a), the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 123 located at the reversal guide position and transported from the tray feeding path 51 to the reversal path 121 at the branching section 51B. At this time, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to drive the transport roller 122. As a result, the paper is supplied back to the recording unit 2 with its front and back sides reversed.

[0134] Furthermore, in the modified example 2, if the rear end of the recording paper S is located in front of the branching section 51B when the recording process in S302 and the second recording process in S404 are completed, the control unit 100 moves the guide member 81 to the second position in the cutting and transport process in S303 and S405, and then controls the roller drive device 107 to rotate the transport rollers 15 and 16 in the opposite direction to transport the recording paper S to the rear.

[0135] On the other hand, when the recording process in S302 and the second recording process in S404 are completed, if the rear end of the recording paper S is located on or behind the branching section 51B, the control unit 100 first controls the roller drive unit 107 to transport the recording paper S forward using the transport rollers 15 and 16 until the rear end of the recording paper S is in front of the branching section 51B. After that, the control unit 100 moves the guide member 81 to the second position and then controls the roller drive unit 107 to rotate the transport rollers 15 and 16 in the opposite direction to transport the recording paper S backward.

[0136] As a result, as shown in Figure 17(b), the recording paper S is guided by the guide member 123 located at the reversal guide position and transported from the tray paper feed path 51 to the reversal path 121 at the branching section 51B. Furthermore, the recording paper S is transported to the upstream path 55A by passing below the third portion 81C of the guide member 81 located at the second position.

[0137] In the modified example 2, the recording paper S, on which an image has been recorded on one side in the recording unit 2, is transported along a reversal path 121 that branches off from the tray feeding path 51 and rejoins the upstream portion of the tray feeding path 51, thereby reversing the front and back sides and supplying it to the recording unit 2 again. This allows an image to be recorded on the other side of the recording paper S. In other words, images can be recorded on both sides of the recording paper S.

[0138] On the other hand, the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded in the recording unit 2 is transported to the cutting unit 6 via a part of the inversion path 121 and the cutting transport path 55, and the recording paper S is cut in the cutting unit 6, thereby allowing the recording paper S to be cut into any shape.

[0139] Furthermore, in the modified example 2, a portion of the inversion path 54 can be used as part of the path for transporting the recording paper S on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit 2 to the cutting unit 6. This simplifies the configuration of the printer 120.

[0140] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments and modifications 1 and 2, the reversal path 54 merges with the cassette paper feed path 52 at the merging section 52A. The merged reversal path 54 and the cassette paper feed path 52 then merge with the tray paper feed path 51 at the merging section 51A. The cut and transport path 55 branches off from the branching section 54A between the merging section 52A and the merging section 51A of the reversal path 54. However, it is not limited to this.

[0141] For example, the cutting and transport path 55 may branch off from the portion of the reversal path 54 between the branching section 53A and the merging section 52A. Alternatively, for example, the cassette paper feed path 52 and the reversal path 54 may not merge before joining the tray paper feed path 51, and the cassette paper feed path 52 and the reversal path 54 may merge into the tray paper feed path 51 individually.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above example, the cutting and transport path includes a switchback path, and a switchback is performed in the switchback path to swap the front and rear ends of the transported recording paper S so that the rear end of the recording paper S when it is transported toward the switchback path becomes the front end of the recording paper S when it is transported from the switchback path toward the cutting section 6. However, the invention is not limited to this.

[0143] For example, in Modification 3, as shown in Figure 18, the printer 130 has the cutting unit 6 located at the rear of the lower part of the housing 1A. Also in Modification 3, the cutting transport path 131 branches off from the branching unit 54B located in the front part of the reversal path 54. The cutting transport path 131 extends from the branching unit 54B to the rear and downward to the upper surface of the support member 35. The cutting transport path 131 is also provided with cutting transport rollers 132, 133, and 134 in three separate sections, respectively.

[0144] Furthermore, a guide member 135 is provided at the branching section 54B. The guide member 135 is movable between a reversal guide position shown by a solid line in Figure 18 and a cutting transport guide position shown by a dashed line in Figure 18 by a drive mechanism (not shown). The reversal guide position is the position where the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 to the branching section 54B is guided along the reversal path 54. The cutting transport guide position is the position where the recording paper S that has been transported along the reversal path 54 to the branching section 54B is guided to the cutting transport path 131. Note that the printer 130 of the modified example 3 does not have a paper cassette, and recording paper S can only be supplied to the recording section 2 from the manual feed tray 4.

[0145] In the third modified example, the control unit 100 can perform normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, and cut double-sided recording by processing according to the flowcharts in Figures 9(a) to (d), similar to the embodiments described above.

[0146] However, in the case of Modification 3, the control unit 100 controls a drive mechanism (not shown) to position the guide member 135 in the inversion guide position before the paper inversion processing in S203 and S403. Then, in the paper inversion processing in S203 and S403, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment to transport the recording paper S from the paper discharge path 53 to the inversion path 54 to the first switchback roller 64. At this time, since the guide member 175 is in the inversion guide position, the recording paper S transported along the inversion path 54 is transported along the inversion path 54 as is and supplied to the recording unit 2 again in an inverted state.

[0147] Furthermore, before the cutting and transport processing in S303 and S405, the control unit 100 controls a drive mechanism (not shown) to position the guide member 135 at the cutting and transport guide position. Then, in the cutting and transport processing in S303 and S405, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107, as in the above-described embodiment, to transport the recording paper S from the paper discharge path 53 to the reversal path 54 using the first switchback roller 64. At this time, because the guide member 135 is positioned at the cutting and transport guide position, the recording paper S transported along the reversal path 54 is transported from the reversal path 54 to the cutting and transport path 131. In the modified example 3, in the cutting and transport processing in S303 and S405, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to drive the cutting and transport rollers 132, 133, 134 and the cutting section roller 34. As a result, the recording paper S transported to the cutting and transport path 131 is transported to the cutting section 6 through the cutting and transport path 131 and the upper surface of the support member 35.

[0148] In the case of the third modified example, the recording paper S on which the image is recorded can be transported to the cutting section 6 without being switched back, and the recording paper S can be transported to the cutting section 6 such that the recording surface of the recording paper S becomes the upper surface at the cutting section 6.

[0149] Furthermore, in the above example, the recording paper S on which the image was recorded in the single-sided cutting recording and the recording paper on which the image was recorded in the second recording process in the double-sided cutting recording were transported to the cutting section 6 so that they were the upper surfaces at the cutting section 6, but this is not the only example.

[0150] For example, in Modification 4, as shown in Figure 19, in the printer 140, the cutting and transport path 141 extends rearward from the branching section 54A, bends downward midway, and then bends further downward and forward to extend to the upper surface of the support member 35. In addition, transport rollers 142 and 143 are provided at two separate portions of the cutting and transport path 141, respectively.

[0151] In the modified example 4, the control unit 100 can perform normal single-sided recording, normal double-sided recording, cut single-sided recording, and cut double-sided recording by processing according to the flowcharts in Figures 9(a) to (d), similar to the embodiment described above.

[0152] However, in the case of Modification 4, the control unit 100 controls the roller drive device 107 to drive the transport rollers 142 and 143 during the paper inversion process in S203 and S403, thereby transporting the recording paper S that has been transported from the inversion path 54 to the cutting transport path 141 along the cutting transport path 141 to the upper surface of the support member 35. In this case, when single-sided cutting is performed, the recording paper S is transported to the cutting section 6 such that the recording surface on which the image is recorded becomes the lower surface at the cutting section 6. Also, when double-sided cutting is performed, the recording paper S is transported to the cutting section 6 such that the recording surface on which the image is recorded during the second recording process becomes the lower surface at the cutting section 6.

[0153] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the guide member 81 constituting the switching unit 80 was located between the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5 in the vertical direction, but this is not limited to this. For example, the guide member 81 may be located above the manual feed tray 4. Alternatively, the guide member 81 may be located below the paper cassette 5.

[0154] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the manual feed tray 4 was located above the paper cassette 5, but the manual feed tray 4 may also be located below the paper cassette 5. In this case, the guide member 81 may be located between the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5 in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the guide member 81 may be located below the manual feed tray 4. Alternatively, the guide member 81 may be located above the paper cassette 5.

[0155] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a torque limiter 84 is provided between the rotating shaft 83A of the switching motor 83 and the shaft 76 to prevent the torque applied to the guide member 81 from becoming too large. However, this is not the only possible embodiment.

[0156] For example, if there are no positioning protrusions 89A2, 89A3, 89B2, 89B3, and the guide member 81 is positioned to the first and second positions solely by controlling the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 83A of the switching motor 83, and there is little possibility that the torque applied to the guide member 81 will become too large, then the torque limiter 84 may not be necessary.

[0157] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the guide member 81 was moved by applying torque from the switching motor 83 to the guide member 81 via a rack and pinion mechanism 82 or the like, but this is not the only way. The switching unit 80 may, for example, use a mechanism other than the rack and pinion mechanism 82 to apply torque from the switching motor 83 to the guide member 81 and move the guide member 81.

[0158] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the switching unit 89 was equipped with a switching motor 83 that generates torque for moving the guide member 81, but the switching unit 89 does not necessarily have to be equipped with a switching motor 83. In this case, for example, the user may be able to move the guide member 81 by operating a lever or the like provided on the printer. In this case, when it is necessary to switch the position of the guide member 81 to the first position or the second position, a screen instructing the user to operate the lever or the like may be displayed on the operation panel 99.

[0159] Furthermore, in the above example, the printer is equipped with a paper output tray 3 and, when normally performing single-sided and double-sided recording, the recording paper S on which the image is recorded is discharged to the paper output tray 3 without being transported to the cutting unit 6, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the printer is not equipped with a paper output tray and, when normally performing single-sided and double-sided recording, the recording paper S on which the image is recorded may be transported to the cutting unit 6, and the recording paper S may be discharged without being cut in the cutting unit 6.

[0160] Furthermore, although the sensor 33 was provided on the cutter carriage 32 in the above-described embodiment, it is not limited to this. For example, the sensor 33 may be attached to the portion of the housing 1A where the cutting portion 6 is located.

[0161] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the sensor 33 detected a marker M recorded on the recording paper S along with the image P, but it is not limited to this. The sensor 33 may also detect the image P recorded on the recording paper S.

[0162] Furthermore, the sensor 33 may not be necessary. Even in this case, for example, if the variation in the position of the recording paper S when it is transported to the cutting unit 6 is sufficiently small, the cutting unit 6 can appropriately cut the image based on the image data of the image being recorded.

[0163] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments and variations 1, 2, and 4, recording paper S could be supplied to the recording unit 2 from the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5, but this is not limited to this. The printer does not need to have at least one of the manual feed tray 4 and the paper cassette 5.

[0164] Furthermore, in the above examples, the recording unit was equipped with a so-called serial head that ejects ink from nozzles while moving left and right together with the carriage, but it is not limited to this. For example, the recording unit may be equipped with a so-called line head that extends along the entire length of the recording paper S in the left-right direction.

[0165] Furthermore, in the above examples, the recording unit was composed of a so-called inkjet printer that records an image on the recording paper by ejecting ink from a nozzle toward the recording paper, but it is not limited to this. For example, the recording unit may record an image on the recording paper by coating the recording paper with toner.

[0166] 1, 110, 120, 130, 140: Printer 2: Recording unit 4: Manual feed tray 5: Paper cassette 6: Cutting unit 54, 121: Reversal path 55, 111, 131, 141: Cutting and transport path 80: Switching unit 81: Guide member 82: Rack and pinion mechanism 83: Switching motor 84: Torque limiter

Claims

1. An image recording device comprising: a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium; a cutting unit for cutting the recording medium into a free shape; and a transport unit for transporting the recording medium, wherein the transport unit has an inversion path for inverting the recording medium on which the image has been recorded in the recording unit and supplying it again to the recording unit; and a cutting transport path branching off from the inversion path and extending to the cutting unit.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a tray on which the recording medium to be recorded is placed, wherein the transport unit has an upstream transport path for transporting the recording medium from the tray to the recording unit, and a downstream transport path for transporting the recording medium on which an image has been recorded in the recording unit, and the inversion path is a path that branches off from the downstream transport path and merges with the upstream transport path.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a tray on which the recording medium to be recorded is placed, wherein the transport unit has a transport path for transporting the recording medium from the tray to the recording unit, and the inversion path is a path that branches off from the transport path and merges with a more upstream portion of the transport path.

4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a first tray on which the recording medium to be recorded is placed; and a second tray, separate from the first tray, on which the recording medium to be recorded is placed, wherein the transport unit has a first supply path for transporting the recording medium from the first tray to the recording unit; and a second supply path for transporting the recording medium from the second tray to the recording unit, wherein the inversion path merges with the second supply path, and the merged inversion path and the second supply path merge with the first supply path.

5. The image recording device according to claim 4, characterized in that the position where the cutting transport path branches off from the reversal path is a position between the position where the reversal path merges with the first supply path and the position where it merges with the second supply path.

6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a switching mechanism for switching whether the recording medium to be transported along the inversion path to a position where the cutting transport path branches off is to be transported along the inversion path or toward the cutting transport path.

7. The image recording device according to claim 6, further comprising a motor for driving the switching mechanism.

8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the switching mechanism is a guide member for guiding the recording medium to be transported along the reversal path, the guide member being movable between a first position for guiding the recording medium to be transported along the reversal path and a second position for guiding the recording medium to be transported toward the cutting transport path, and a rack and pinion mechanism connected to the guide member and the motor, which moves the guide member between the first position and the second position using torque provided by the motor.

9. The image recording device according to claim 8, characterized in that the switching mechanism includes a first positioning unit that positions the guide member to the first position by contacting the guide member; a second positioning unit that positions the guide member to the second position by contacting the guide member; and a torque limiter provided between the guide member and the motor, which limits the torque applied from the motor to the guide member.

10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the switching mechanism is arranged between the first tray and the second tray in the vertical direction.

11. An image recording device comprising: a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium; a cutting unit for cutting the recording medium into any shape; and a control unit, wherein the control unit performs: a single-sided recording process for causing the recording unit to record an image on one side of the recording medium; a double-sided recording process for causing the recording medium to be flipped over after the single-sided recording process and then transported back towards the recording unit to record an image on the other side; and a recording-cutting process for transporting the recording medium, on which either the single-sided recording process or the double-sided recording process has been performed, to the cutting unit and cutting the recording medium with the cutting unit.

12. The image recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit performs a recording discharge process that discharges the recording medium on which either the single-sided recording process or the double-sided recording process has been performed without transporting it to the cutting section, and a cutting discharge process that transports the recording medium on which either the single-sided recording process or the double-sided recording process has been performed to the cutting section, cuts it at the cutting section, and then discharges it.

Images