阅读说明：本技术 记录装置 (Recording apparatus ) 是由 竹田和久 大塚一雄 于 2018-10-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种记录装置,其特征在于,具备：壳体,具备记录部,所述记录部对介质喷射液体进行记录；墨仓,设置于所述壳体,向所述记录部供给墨水；排纸托盘,设置于所述壳体的上部,载置从所述记录部排出的原稿；以及扫描仪部,设置于所述壳体上侧,能够读取原稿,所述排纸托盘位于所述壳体的上部与所述扫描仪部之间,所述墨仓在所述墨仓的上部具备墨水供给口,所述墨水供给口在俯视时设置于与扫描仪部不重叠的位置。(A recording apparatus is characterized by comprising: a housing including a recording unit that records on a medium by ejecting liquid; an ink tank provided in the housing and configured to supply ink to the recording unit; a discharge tray provided at an upper portion of the housing and on which the document discharged from the recording portion is placed; and a scanner unit provided on an upper side of the housing and capable of reading an original, wherein the discharge tray is located between an upper portion of the housing and the scanner unit, the ink tank includes an ink supply port provided at an upper portion of the ink tank, and the ink supply port is provided at a position not overlapping with the scanner unit in a plan view.)

1. A recording apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a housing including a recording unit that records on a medium by ejecting liquid;

an ink tank provided in the housing and configured to supply ink to the recording unit;

a discharge tray provided at an upper portion of the housing and on which the document discharged from the recording portion is placed; and

a scanner part arranged on the upper side of the shell and capable of reading the original document,

the paper discharge tray is located between an upper portion of the housing and the scanner portion,

the ink tank is provided with an ink supply port at an upper portion of the ink tank,

the ink supply port is provided at a position not overlapping with the scanner unit in a plan view.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,

the ink supply port is connectable to an ink bottle that supplies the ink to the ink tank,

the scanner unit is provided at a position not overlapping the ink bottle in a plan view in a state where the ink bottle is connected to the ink supply port.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,

the ink supply port is connectable to an ink bottle that supplies the ink to the ink tank,

the ink bottle is positioned inside the outer surface of the case in a plan view when the ink bottle is connected to the ink supply port.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 2,

the ink bottle is positioned inside the outer surface of the case in a plan view when the ink bottle is connected to the ink supply port.

5. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,

the ink bottle is not in contact with the scanner portion when the ink bottle is connected to the ink supply port.

6. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the scanner unit includes an operation unit that operates an image reading operation in the scanner unit.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6,

the ink chamber is arranged at one end side of the width direction of the shell,

the operation portion is provided on the opposite side of the one end in the width direction of the housing.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records a medium conveyed by a medium conveying apparatus.

Background

In a recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a medium, such as an ink jet printer, there is a case where the medium after recording absorbs the liquid to form a pleat having a shape undulating in a width direction intersecting a medium conveyance direction.

Further, there are cases as follows: in order to stabilize the posture of a medium support portion (also referred to as a platen) provided at a position facing a recording portion for recording on a medium, a wave-shaped forming portion for actively forming the pleats on the medium is provided for the medium before recording by the recording portion.

The rigidity of the medium having the pleats formed therein is improved, and the posture of the medium on the medium support is stabilized.

However, in the recording apparatus, the medium after recording has: a case of discharging in a so-called face-up manner by forming a path in a straight line and discharging the recording face up; and a case of discharging in a so-called face-down manner through a curved inversion path and with the recording surface facing downward.

When the medium is conveyed on the reversing path, the medium having a high rigidity due to formation of the pleats is less likely to bend along the reversing path, and the conveyance load is likely to increase. Further, the medium formed with the pleats is likely to be caught in a curved path, and a jam may occur.

In order to suppress these problems, patent document 1 discloses a configuration in which a bending roller is provided to bend the medium near the entrance of the reversing path. By changing the position of the start point of the curve of the medium entering the inverting path by the curve roller, the conveying load on the inverting path is reduced. The conveyance load is referred to as a front tension in patent document 1, and is a force to push the medium from the downstream side back to the upstream side.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2004-223831

However, in the configuration of patent document 1, the medium is sharply bent in the vicinity of the entrance of the inverting path, and therefore, there is a possibility that the medium may be damaged such as wrinkles, folds, or damages.

Further, if the medium is gently curved on the upstream side in the medium conveyance direction from the reversing path, the damage to the medium can be reduced, but the path on the upstream side from the reversing path becomes long, which leads to an increase in size of the apparatus.

Further, even if the erasing portion for erasing the wrinkle is provided on the upstream side of the reversing path, the erasing portion may contact the recording surface at a position close to the recording position, and thus the ink may be transferred to the recording surface.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a medium transport device and a recording apparatus including the medium transport device, which can reduce the transport load and breakage of a medium after recording transported through a reversing path and can suppress the increase in size of the device.

A medium transport device according to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is characterized by comprising: a curved path in which the medium processed by a processing unit that processes the medium passes between an inside curved portion and an outside curved portion of the curved path and is curved and inverted; a plurality of first ribs extending in the medium transport direction in an opposing region opposing the processing portion or on an upstream side in the medium transport direction from the opposing region, the first ribs being provided at intervals in a width direction intersecting the medium transport direction, the first ribs forming a wave shape in which peaks and valleys extending in the medium transport direction are alternately positioned in the medium in the width direction; a plurality of second ribs extending in the medium conveying direction at the outer curved portion and provided at intervals in the width direction; and a plurality of third ribs extending in the medium conveying direction at the inner curved portion, the plurality of third ribs being provided at intervals in the width direction, the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs being arranged at positions corresponding to the peak portions and the trough portions of the wave shape of the medium formed by the plurality of first ribs in the width direction.

According to the present invention, the wave shape is gently reduced by the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs arranged at positions corresponding to the peak portions and the valley portions of the wave shape of the medium formed by the plurality of first ribs in the width direction, and the rigidity of the medium is reduced. The details thereof, that is, the principle of the undulation and the relaxation, will be described later.

With this, it is possible to reduce conveyance resistance and damage (wrinkles, bends, and the like) to the medium formed with the waves when the medium is conveyed in the curved path. Further, the frictional resistance when the medium is conveyed is also suppressed by the second rib or the third rib.

Further, since the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs are provided in the curved path, a configuration for reducing the undulations can be provided without extending the path length.

In addition, since the medium is conveyed while the surface opposite to the latest recording surface is pressed against the outer curved portion (i.e., the second rib), the waviness is reduced in the process, and thus the latest recording surface is not easily damaged.

Therefore, it is possible to realize a medium transport apparatus that can reduce both the transport load and breakage of the medium transported in the curved path and suppress the increase in size of the apparatus.

A second aspect of the present invention is the first aspect, wherein the plurality of first ribs are formed by alternately arranging high ribs forming the peak portions and low ribs forming the valley portions in the width direction, and the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs are provided at positions of the high ribs and the low ribs in the width direction.

According to the present invention, since the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs are provided at the positions of the high ribs and the low ribs in the width direction, the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs can be arranged at positions corresponding to the peak portions and the trough portions of the wave form of the medium formed by the plurality of first ribs in the width direction.

In the above-described aspect, the phrase "the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs are provided at positions of the high ribs and the low ribs in the width direction" may be interpreted as meaning that the plurality of second ribs and the plurality of third ribs are provided at the same positions as the high ribs and the low ribs in the width direction. Here, "the same position" means substantially the same, and does not necessarily mean exactly the same. For example, differences within the tolerance range may be considered the same.

A third aspect of the present invention is the medium transport apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein a distance between a vertex of the second rib and a vertex of the third rib facing the second rib is narrowed from an upstream side to a downstream side in the medium transport direction.

According to the present invention, since the distance between the apex of the second rib and the apex of the third rib facing the second rib is narrowed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium conveying direction, the configuration in which the entrance of the medium is wide in the curved path and the medium formed in the wavy shape is easily entered can be realized. Further, as the medium is conveyed, the conveyance is performed in a gradually narrowed gap (between the apex of the second rib and the apex of the third rib opposite to the second rib), and therefore, the difference in the valleys of the undulations can be slowly reduced.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the first aspect, wherein: an upstream conveying unit that is provided on an upstream side in the medium conveying direction of the curved path and conveys the medium to the curved path; and a downstream side transport unit that is provided on a downstream side in a medium transport direction of the curved path and discharges the medium from the curved path.

According to this aspect, the same operational advantages as those of any one of the first to third aspects can be obtained in the medium transporting apparatus including: an upstream conveying unit that is provided upstream in a medium conveying direction of the curved path and conveys the medium to the curved path; and a downstream side transport unit that is provided on a downstream side in a medium transport direction of the curved path and discharges the medium from the curved path.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a fourth aspect, including: and a support portion that supports the medium on the downstream side in the medium conveyance direction of the upstream-side conveyance portion and is displaceable between a first state in which the support portion forms a path from the upstream-side conveyance portion toward the curved path and a second state in which the support portion forms a path from the upstream-side conveyance portion toward a conveyance destination different from the curved path, the support portion including a fourth rib that extends in the medium conveyance direction and is provided in plurality in the width direction at the same interval as the second rib.

According to the present invention, since the support portion includes the fourth ribs extending in the medium conveying direction and provided in plurality at the same intervals as the second ribs in the width direction, the medium can be appropriately conveyed to the curved path.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is the fifth aspect, wherein at least a part of the fourth ribs among the plurality of fourth ribs has a convex portion bulging upward at an end portion on a downstream side in the medium conveying direction in a side view seen from the width direction.

For example, in the case where the support portion is connected to the outside curved portion of the curved path, if the fourth rib provided to the support portion and the second rib provided to the outside curved portion on the downstream side in the medium conveying direction thereof are set to the same height, there may be a case where the heights of the fourth rib and the second rib are shifted at the joint of the support portion and the outside curved portion due to the tolerance of the components. At this time, if the second rib located on the downstream side in the medium conveying direction becomes higher than the fourth rib, there is a fear that the leading end of the conveyed medium is caught by the second rib.

According to the present invention, at least a part of the plurality of fourth ribs has a convex portion bulging upward at an end portion on the downstream side in the medium conveying direction in a side view seen from the width direction, and therefore, even if there is a deviation in height of the second rib and the fourth rib due to a tolerance of a component, at least a part of the fourth ribs can be made higher than the second rib reliably at the joint. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the fear that the leading end of the medium is caught by the second rib at the joint.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is summarized as a sixth aspect, in which the second ribs are arranged alternately in the width direction between upstream side second ribs and downstream side second ribs, the downstream side second ribs being located on a downstream side of an end portion on an upstream side in the medium conveyance direction from the upstream side second ribs, the fourth ribs including: an upstream-side fourth rib provided at a position corresponding to the upstream-side second rib in the width direction; a downstream-side fourth rib provided at a position corresponding to the downstream-side second rib in the width direction, an end portion of the downstream-side fourth rib on the upstream side in the medium conveying direction being located on a downstream side from the upstream-side fourth rib; and an auxiliary rib provided on at least one side of the upstream-side fourth rib in the width direction, wherein in a case where the support portion is in the first state, the upstream-side second rib partially overlaps with both the downstream-side fourth rib and the auxiliary rib in the medium conveying direction, and the convex portion is provided on the downstream-side fourth rib and the auxiliary rib.

According to the present invention, the second ribs are formed by alternately arranging, in the width direction, upstream second ribs and downstream second ribs, the end portions of which are located on the upstream side in the medium conveyance direction being located on the downstream side of the upstream second ribs, and the fourth ribs include: an upstream-side fourth rib provided at a position corresponding to the upstream-side second rib in the width direction; a downstream-side fourth rib provided at a position corresponding to the downstream-side second rib in the width direction, an end portion of the downstream-side fourth rib on the upstream side in the medium conveying direction being located on a downstream side from the upstream-side fourth rib; and an auxiliary rib provided on at least one side of the upstream-side fourth rib in the width direction, wherein the upstream-side second rib partially overlaps both the downstream-side fourth rib and the auxiliary rib in the medium conveying direction when the support portion is in the first state, and therefore, the second rib and the fourth rib are engaged in a comb-tooth shape when the support portion is in the first state, and the conveyed medium can smoothly pass through a joint between the support portion and the outer curved portion.

Further, since the convex portion is provided on the downstream side fourth rib and the auxiliary rib, the jam of the medium at the joint portion between the outer curved portion and the support portion can be more effectively suppressed.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is the medium processing apparatus according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, further comprising a first transporting unit that is provided between the processing unit and the upstream transporting unit and transports the medium.

According to the present invention, the same operational effects as those of any one of the fourth to seventh aspects can be obtained in the medium transporting device including the first transporting unit that transports the medium, the first transporting unit being provided between the processing unit and the upstream transporting unit.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is the eighth aspect, wherein the upstream conveying section is an upstream roller pair including an upstream driving roller and an upstream toothed roller that rotates in response to the upstream driving roller and has a plurality of teeth on an outer periphery, the first conveying section is a first roller pair including a first driving roller and a first toothed roller that rotates in response to the first driving roller and has a plurality of teeth on an outer periphery, and a diameter of the upstream toothed roller is smaller than a diameter of the first toothed roller.

According to the present aspect, since the diameter of the upstream-side toothed roller of the upstream-side conveying portion is smaller than the diameter of the first toothed roller of the first conveying portion, the space around the first conveying portion can be effectively utilized.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is the ninth aspect, wherein a plurality of the upstream roller pairs and the first roller pairs are provided at intervals in the width direction, respectively, and the number of the upstream roller pairs is smaller than the number of the first roller pairs.

According to the present aspect, since the number of the upstream side roller pairs is smaller than the number of the first roller pairs, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is featured, in any one of the eighth to tenth aspects, in that a conveyance speed of the first conveyance part and a conveyance speed of the upstream side conveyance part are constant.

According to the present aspect, the medium can be appropriately transmitted.

In the present specification, "constant velocity" means substantially constant velocity, and does not mean completely constant velocity in a strict sense. For example, "constant velocity" includes a case where the transport rollers are regarded as constant velocity in consideration of a transport error due to the roller diameter of each transport roller, eccentricity of the rotating shaft, and the like, in addition to a case where the transport rollers are completely identical.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is featured by, in any one of the fourth to eleventh aspects, that the conveying speed of the downstream side conveying portion is faster than the conveying speed of the upstream side conveying portion.

According to the present aspect, the fear of the media loosening and jamming in the curved path can be reduced.

A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the twelfth aspect, wherein a rate of increase in the conveyance speed of the downstream-side conveyance unit relative to the conveyance speed of the upstream-side conveyance unit is 1% to 3%.

When the medium is nipped by both the upstream side conveying section and the downstream side conveying section, if the conveying speed of the downstream side conveying section is faster than the conveying speed of the upstream side conveying section, the leading end side of the medium is pulled, and therefore, the medium approaches the inner curved section side as the conveyance proceeds. If the conveyance speed of the downstream-side conveying portion is excessively high, the medium is pressed against the inside curved portion before the rear end of the medium is released from the nip of the upstream-side conveying portion, and the conveyance load increases.

According to the present aspect, by setting the increasing rate of the conveyance speed of the downstream side conveying portion to 1% to 3% with respect to the conveyance speed of the upstream side conveying portion, it is possible to reduce the fear that the medium comes into contact with the inside curved portion of the curved path, and it is possible to convey the medium more appropriately.

A recording apparatus according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is a recording apparatus including: a recording unit that is a processing unit that processes a medium and performs recording by ejecting liquid onto the medium; and the medium transporting device of any one of the first to thirteenth aspects.

According to this aspect, the same operational effects as those in any of the first to thirteenth aspects can be obtained in the medium transport apparatus provided in the recording apparatus including the recording unit that ejects the liquid onto the medium to perform recording as the processing unit that processes the medium.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing a conveyance path of paper conveyed from a media storage unit of the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing a conveyance path of a sheet conveyed from a back side feeding unit of the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing the support portion in a second state with the first cover opened in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the support portion in the second state with the first cover opened in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the support portion in the first state with the first cover opened in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the medium support portion.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a main portion of fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where the inside bent portion of the bent path is removed.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first cover and the second cover are opened in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view in the XY plane of the curved path.

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating conveyance of a sheet in a curved path.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line A0-A0 in the left side view of FIG. 13.

Fig. 15 (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a curved path narrowing from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium conveying direction.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carriage is positioned at an end in the + X direction in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carriage is positioned at an end in the-X direction in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the outer bend portion and the support portion in the first state.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion B of fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of fig. 19.

Fig. 22 is a plan view showing the outer bend portion and the support portion.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view showing a state in which an ink bottle is inserted into an ink tank in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 24 is a plan view of fig. 23.

Fig. 25 is a diagram showing a state in which the first discharge tray is opened in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 26 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of the periphery of the first discharge tray.

Description of the reference numerals

1 an ink jet printer (recording apparatus); 2, a shell; 3a scanner section; 4a scanner body; 4b ADF part; 5a medium conveyance device; 6 an operation part; 7a first discharge tray; 8 medium accommodating parts; 9a pick-up roller; 10 turning over a roller; 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d driven rollers; 12 conveying roller pairs; 13 a recording unit; 14 a carriage; 15 a recording head; 16 a media support; 17a first roller pair (first conveying section); 18 upstream side roller pair (upstream side conveying section); 19 downstream side roller pair (downstream side conveying part); 20a curved path; 20a outside bend; 20b an inside curved portion; 21 a back side feeding part; 22 a feed port cover; 23 a feed roller; 24 a separation roller; 25a support portion; 25a rotating shaft; 26 a first cover; 27 a second cover; 28 a discharge part; 29 ink chambers; 30 a first rib; 31 high ribs; 32 low ribs; 33 second ribs; 33a upstream second rib; 33b downstream side second ribs; 34 a third rib; 35a fourth rib; 35a upstream-side fourth rib; 35b a downstream fourth rib; 35c auxiliary ribs; 40 motor; 41 a power transmission mechanism; 42 an encoder scale; 43 a first gear; 44 a second gear; 45 a third gear; 46 a fourth gear; 47 a fifth gear; 48 a sixth gear; 49 a seventh gear; 50 eighth gear; 51 ninth gear; 52 rotating the shaft; 53 rotating shaft; 54 a rotating shaft; 55 a relay unit; 56 a fifth rib; 60 a supply pipe; 61 a tube holding portion; 62A right support member; 62B left support member; 70 ink chamber cover; 71 an ink supply port; 72 ink bottles; 80 a first receiving section; 81a second receiving part; 81a grip part; 82 a recess; 83 a pressing part; 84 a third receiving part; p sheets (media); a T-shaped mountain part; and V-shaped valley portions.

Detailed Description

[ first embodiment ]

First, an outline of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. An ink jet printer 1 (hereinafter, referred to as a printer 1) will be described as an example of the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing a conveyance path of paper conveyed from a media storage unit of the printer according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing a conveyance path of a sheet conveyed from a back side feeding unit of the printer according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing the support portion in a second state with the first cover opened in the printer according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the support portion in the second state with the first cover opened in the printer according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the support portion in the first state with the first cover opened in the printer according to the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the medium support portion.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a main portion of fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where the inside bent portion of the bent path is removed. Fig. 10 is a plan view of fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first cover and the second cover are opened in the printer according to the first embodiment. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view in the XY plane of the curved path. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating conveyance of a sheet in a curved path. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line A0-A0 in the left side view of FIG. 13. Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating a curved path narrowing from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium conveying direction. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carriage is positioned at an end in the + X direction in the printer according to the first embodiment. Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carriage is positioned at an end in the-X direction in the printer according to the first embodiment.

Further, in the X-Y-Z coordinate system shown in each drawing, the X-axis direction is the width direction of the sheet and indicates the apparatus width direction, the Y-axis direction is the conveying direction of the sheet on the conveying path in the recording apparatus (medium conveying direction) and indicates the apparatus depth direction, and the Z-axis direction indicates the apparatus height direction. The direction in which a sheet, which is an example of the "medium", is conveyed is referred to as downstream, and the opposite direction is referred to as upstream.

Outline of printer

The overall configuration of the printer 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1. The printer 1 is configured as a multifunction peripheral including a housing 2 and a scanner unit 3.

The scanner unit 3 includes a scanner main body 4a and an ADF unit 4 b. The operation unit 6 is provided at the + Y direction side end of the scanner main body 4 a. The operation unit 6 includes a plurality of operation buttons and a display panel. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 6 is configured to be able to operate a recording operation in the printer 1 and an image reading operation in the scanner unit 3.

A first discharge tray 7 is rotatably attached to the upper portion of the casing 2 with respect to the casing 2. In the present embodiment, the first discharge tray 7 is configured to receive the medium discharged from the inside of the casing 2 in an inclined posture.

Media transport path for printer

About a medium conveying path from a medium accommodating part to a first discharge tray

Referring mainly to fig. 2, a description will be given of a medium conveyance path S1 (indicated by a thick solid line in fig. 2) from the medium storage portion 8 provided at the lower portion of the casing 2 to the first discharge tray 7.

In fig. 2, the medium accommodating portion 8 is provided at the-Z-direction side end portion of the case 2. The medium storage section 8 is configured to be capable of storing a plurality of sheets. The pickup roller 9 is provided on the + Z direction side of the medium accommodating section 8. The pickup roller 9 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 9a as a fulcrum. The pickup roller 9 is in contact with the paper P stored in the medium storage portion 8, and thereby conveys the uppermost paper P of the media stored in the medium storage portion 8 to the downstream side in the media conveying direction.

The pickup roller 9 includes a reversing roller 10 and driven rollers 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d arranged around the reversing roller 10 and rotated by the reversing roller 10 on the downstream side.

The sheet P conveyed by the pickup roller 9 is reversed by a reversing roller 10 and sent to a conveying roller pair 12 provided on the downstream side in the medium conveying direction. A recording portion 13 is provided on the downstream side of the conveying roller pair 12 in the medium conveying direction.

The recording unit 13 is a "processing unit" that processes paper in the printer 1, and performs recording processing for ejecting ink as "liquid" to the paper to perform recording. The recording unit 13 includes a carriage 14. The carriage 14 is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction, and a recording head 15 for ejecting ink in the-Z direction is provided at a lower portion thereof.

The ink supplied to the recording unit 13 is supplied from an ink tank 29 (fig. 1) provided on the + X axis direction side in the housing 2 through a supply pipe 60 (fig. 16 and 17) described later.

A medium support portion 16 is provided below the recording head 15 in a region facing the recording head 15. The medium support portion 16 supports the lower surface (the surface on the opposite side from the recording surface) of the sheet P conveyed by the conveying roller pair 12 to the region facing the recording head 15.

As shown in fig. 7, the medium support portion 16 is provided with first ribs 30, and the first ribs 30 form, on the sheet P being conveyed, so-called corrugated pleats in which mountain portions T and valley portions V extending in the medium conveying direction (Y-axis direction) are alternately positioned on the sheet P in the width direction (X-axis direction). Since the rigidity of the paper sheet on which the pleats are formed is increased, the posture of the medium on the medium support portion 16 is stabilized, and good recording image quality can be obtained. In the present embodiment, the first rib 30 constitutes the medium conveying device 5 that conveys the sheet P. The specific configuration of the medium support portion 16 including the first rib 30 will be described in detail later.

The recording head 15 ejects ink to the paper P supported by the medium supporting portion 16, and performs recording on the recording surface of the paper P.

A first roller pair 17 as a "first conveying portion" is provided on the downstream side of the recording head 15 in the medium conveying direction. As shown in fig. 8, the first roller pair 17 includes: a first driving roller 17a driven by a motor 40 (fig. 9) as a driving source; and a first toothed roller 17b rotated by the first driving roller 17a and having a plurality of teeth on the outer periphery. The first roller pair 17 is provided between the recording unit 13 and an upstream roller pair 18 described later, and is a component for conveying the sheet.

A curved path 20 that constitutes the medium transport device 5 and curves and reverses the sheet is provided on the downstream side of the first roller pair 17 in the medium transport direction. An upstream roller pair 18 as an "upstream conveying portion" that conveys the sheet fed from the first roller pair 17 to the curved path 20 is provided on the upstream side in the medium conveying direction of the curved path 20. As shown in fig. 8, the upstream roller pair 18 includes: an upstream-side drive roller 18 a; and an upstream-side toothed roller 18b that rotates following the upstream-side drive roller 18a and has a plurality of teeth on its outer periphery. The upstream-side driving roller 18a is driven by a motor 40 (fig. 9).

A downstream roller pair 19 as a "downstream conveying unit" that discharges the sheet from the curved path 20 is provided on the downstream side in the medium conveying direction of the curved path 20. As shown in fig. 8, the downstream roller pair 19 includes: a downstream side driving roller 19 a; and a downstream-side toothed roller 19b that rotates following the downstream-side drive roller 19a and has a plurality of teeth on the outer periphery. The downstream-side driving roller 19a is driven by a motor 40 (fig. 9).

The sheet discharged from the curved path 20 by the downstream roller pair 19 is discharged from the discharge portion 28 and placed on the first discharge tray 7. The configuration of the curved path 20 will be described in detail later, similarly to the medium supporting portion 16.

In the present embodiment, a support portion 25 for supporting the paper is provided on the downstream side of the upstream roller pair 18 in the medium conveyance direction. The support portion 25 is configured to be displaceable between a first state in which the support portion 25 is a path from the upstream roller pair 18 toward the curved path 20 as shown in fig. 2, and a second state in which the support portion 25 is a path toward a different destination (discharge portion) from the first discharge tray 7 as shown in fig. 4. The discharge of the sheet to the supporting portion 25 will be described after the conveyance of the sheet from the back-side feeding portion 21.

Regarding a medium conveying path from a back side feeding portion to a first discharge tray

Next, in fig. 3, the conveyance of the sheet from the back-side feeding section 21 will be described. The back-side feeding portion 21 is provided at the-Y-direction side end portion of the housing 2. The back side feed portion 21 includes a feed port cover 22. The feed port cover 22 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the housing 2 and is switchable between a closed state (fig. 2) and an open state (fig. 3). By opening the feed port cover 22, the paper can be fed from the back side feed portion 21 to the recording portion 13 in the housing 2. In fig. 3, a thick line indicated by reference numeral S2 indicates a medium conveyance path of the sheet P fed from the back-side feeding section 21.

A feed roller 23 and a separation roller 24 are provided on the downstream side of the feed port cover 22. The medium placed on the back side feeding unit 21 is nipped and conveyed by the feeding roller 23 and the separation roller 24, and joins the medium conveyance path S1 from the medium storage unit 8 described above on the upstream side of the conveyance roller pair 12. Thereafter, the sheet is sent to the recording unit 13 for recording, and is discharged to the first discharge tray 7 through the curved path 20, in the same manner as in the medium conveyance path S1 shown in fig. 2.

With respect to paper discharge toward the second paper discharge tray (support portion)

As described above, the printer 1 can discharge the sheet recorded in the recording unit 13 to the first discharge tray 7, and can also discharge the support unit 25 disposed on the + Y direction side of the housing 2 as a second discharge tray, as shown in fig. 4. In fig. 4, a thick line indicated by reference numeral S3 indicates a medium conveyance path to be discharged to the support unit 25 in the second state described later.

The support portion 25 includes a pivot shaft 25a, and swings about the pivot shaft 25a from a first state (fig. 2) in which the support portion 25 is a path when the recorded sheet is discharged to the first discharge tray 7 through the curved path 20, to a second state (fig. 4) in which the support portion 25 is a different destination from the first discharge tray 7.

A first cover 26 is provided on the side surface on the + Y direction side, that is, the front surface of the housing 2 shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 4, the first cover 26 is provided to be openable and closable with respect to the housing 2. The first cover 26 is configured with the lower end portion side of the housing 2 as a rotation fulcrum, and the + Z direction side end portion of the first cover 26 is configured as a free end.

As shown in fig. 6, if the first cover 26 is opened, the support portion 25 and a part of the medium storage portion 8 are exposed. When the first cover 26 is opened, a part of the medium storage unit 8 can be pulled out in the + Y direction of the housing 2, and the medium can be easily supplied to the medium storage unit 8.

In fig. 5, the support portion 25 is in the second state (the state of fig. 4), and in fig. 6, the support portion 25 is in the first state (the state of fig. 2 and 3).

When the first cover 26 is opened and the support portion 25 is in the second state (the state of fig. 4 and 5), the sheet recorded by the recording portion 13 is conveyed by the first roller pair 17 and the upstream roller pair 18, and is discharged from the apparatus front surface side (+ Y direction side) of the casing 2 while being supported by the support portion 25 in the second state.

With respect to the media support

The medium supporting portion 16 will be described with reference to fig. 7.

As described above, in the medium support portion 16 disposed in the opposing area to the recording portion 13 (processing portion), as shown in fig. 7, a plurality of first ribs 30 are provided at intervals in the width direction intersecting the medium conveying direction, and the plurality of first ribs 30 form, on the conveyed sheet, a wave-like shape (pleat) in which the peak portions T and the trough portions V extending in the medium conveying direction (Y-axis direction) are alternately positioned on the sheet in the width direction (X-axis direction).

In the present embodiment, the plurality of first ribs 30 are configured such that high ribs 31 forming the mountain portions T on the sheet P and low ribs 32 forming the valley portions V on the sheet P are alternately arranged in the width direction. The low rib 32 is formed lower than the high rib 31.

The conveyance roller pair 12 (fig. 2) provided on the upstream side of the medium support 16 in the medium conveyance direction conveys the sheet P so as to slightly press the sheet P against the medium support 16. The sheet P is conveyed while being supported from below by the high ribs 31 and the low ribs 32 as the first ribs 30, and the pleats having the heights along the high ribs 31 and the low ribs 32 are formed in the sheet P.

Note that, in addition to the case where the structure (ribs) for forming the above-described pleats on the sheet is provided on the medium support portion 16 as in the present embodiment, for example, the structure may be provided on the path forming surface on the upstream side in the medium conveyance direction from the facing region facing the recording portion 13.

About curved paths

Next, the curved path 20 will be explained. As shown in fig. 4, the curved path 20 includes an outer curved portion 20a and an inner curved portion 20 b. The conveyed sheet passes between the inside curved portion 20b and the outside curved portion 20a, is bent and inverted, and is discharged from the discharge portion 28.

The curved path 20 shown in fig. 4 includes: a plurality of second ribs 33 extending in the medium conveyance direction (Y-axis direction) and provided at the outer curved portion 20a at intervals in the width direction (X-axis direction) (see also fig. 11); and a plurality of third ribs 34 extending in the medium conveying direction (Y-axis direction) and provided at the inner bent portion 20b with a space therebetween in the width direction (X-axis direction) (see also fig. 11).

In fig. 1, the second cover 27 is disposed above the first cover 26. The second cover 27 may be opened integrally with the first cover 26 as shown in fig. 11. The first cover 26 may be opened independently as shown in fig. 4 and 5.

When the second cover 27 is opened as shown in fig. 11, the outer curved portion 20a and the inner curved portion 20b are exposed. An outer curved portion 20a constituting the curved path 20 is provided on the side of the second cover 27 opposite to the case 2. On the other hand, an inner curved portion 20b constituting the curved path 20 is provided on the case 2 side. When the second cover 27 is in a closed state with respect to the housing 2, the outer curved portion 20a and the inner curved portion 20b face each other with a space therebetween as shown in fig. 4 and 12, and form the curved path 20.

As shown in fig. 15 (a) to (c), the plurality of second ribs 33 and the plurality of third ribs 34 are arranged at positions corresponding to the peak portions T and the trough portions V of the wave-like shape (fold) of the sheet formed by the plurality of first ribs 30 (high ribs 31 and low ribs 32) in the width direction (X-axis direction).

More specifically, as shown in fig. 10, the plurality of second ribs 33 and the plurality of third ribs 34 are provided at the positions of the high ribs 31 and the low ribs 32 constituting the first ribs 30 in the width direction.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of second ribs 33 and the plurality of third ribs 34 are provided at the same positions as the high ribs 31 and the low ribs 32 constituting the first ribs 30 in the width direction.

In other words, the second ribs 33 and the third ribs 34 are located on the extension line of the medium conveyance direction with respect to the respective high ribs 31 and low ribs 32 constituting the first rib 30.

In the present embodiment, the distance d between the apex of the second rib 33 and the apex of the third rib 34 facing the second rib 33, as shown in fig. 12, is configured to be narrower from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium conveying direction. That is, as shown in fig. 4, the curved path 20 is configured to become narrower as viewed from the X-axis direction of the apparatus.

In the present embodiment, the heights of the second ribs 33 and the third ribs 34 are constant in the medium conveying direction, and the outer curved portion 20a and the inner curved portion 20b are formed so as to be close to each other toward the downstream side in the medium conveying direction, so that the interval d is narrowed.

Fig. 15 (a) is a section a1-a1 in the right drawing of fig. 13, (b) of fig. 15 is a section a2-a2 in the right drawing of fig. 13, and (c) of fig. 15 is a section A3-A3 in the right drawing of fig. 13.

As shown in fig. 15, the interval d1 of the section a1-a1 closest to the upstream side in the medium conveying direction is wide, and becomes narrower toward the downstream side in the order of the interval d2 of the section a2-a2 and the interval d3 of the section A3-A3 (interval d1> interval d2> interval d 3).

As the curved path 20 is made narrower, the reliability of the nip of the downstream roller pair 19 with the leading end of the paper P passing through the curved path 20 is increased.

The configuration in which the distance d between the apex of the second rib 33 and the apex of the third rib 34 facing the second rib 33 is made narrower from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium conveyance direction may be realized by, for example, arranging the outer bent portion 20a and the inner bent portion 20b in parallel from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium conveyance direction and making the heights of the second rib 33 and the third rib 34 higher toward the downstream side.

Here, the conveyance of the paper P in the curved path 20 will be described with reference to fig. 13 and 14. If the sheet P enters the curved path 20, the leading end of the sheet P hits the outside curved portion 20a as shown in the left drawing of fig. 13. That is, the surface of the sheet P opposite to the latest recording surface contacts the outer curved portion 20 a. Then, the distal end advances along the outside bent portion 20a while the opposite side surface is pressed against the outside bent portion 20 a.

When the paper P is further conveyed and the leading end of the paper P passing through the curved path 20 is nipped by the downstream roller pair 19, the paper P is conveyed in a posture in which the leading end side (downstream side in the medium conveying direction) of the paper P is closer to the inner curved portion 20b than before the downstream roller pair 19 is nipped.

Here, the plurality of second ribs 33 provided at the outer curved portion 20a and the plurality of third ribs 34 provided at the inner curved portion 20b are arranged at positions corresponding to both of the peak portions T and the valley portions V of the wave shape of the sheet P formed by the first ribs 30. Therefore, when the leading end of the sheet P enters the curved path 20, the trough V abuts against the second rib 33 as shown in fig. 14.

At this time, the valley portions V are pressed against the second ribs 33 due to the rigidity of the sheet P, and therefore, the height of the valley portions V gradually decreases as going in the curved path 20, that is, the wavy shape gently decreases, and further, the rigidity of the sheet P decreases. Furthermore, since the second ribs 33 are not simple surfaces but pressing the valley portions V, the frictional resistance is also suppressed.

Therefore, it is possible to reduce the conveyance resistance and the damage (wrinkle, fold, etc.) to the sheet P formed with the wavy shape when the sheet P is conveyed in the curved path 20.

For example, although this effect (reduction in conveyance resistance and sheet breakage) can be obtained by providing the configuration for reducing the undulations of the sheet P on the upstream side in the medium conveyance direction from the curved path 20, the configuration for reducing the undulations can be provided without extending the path length by providing the plurality of second ribs 33 and the plurality of third ribs 34 on the curved path 20.

Further, the sheet P is conveyed while the surface opposite to the latest recording surface is pressed against the second rib 33 of the outside curved portion 20a, and in this process, the undulations are reduced, so that the latest recording surface is less likely to be damaged.

Therefore, the medium transport apparatus 5 can be configured to reduce the transport load and breakage of the sheet P transported through the curved path 20 and to suppress the increase in size of the apparatus.

Further, since the plurality of second ribs 33 and the plurality of third ribs 34 are provided at the same positions as the high ribs 31 and the low ribs 32 constituting the first ribs 30 in the width direction, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the plurality of second ribs 33 and the plurality of third ribs 34 are arranged at positions corresponding to both of the peak portions T and the valley portions V of the wave shape of the paper sheet P formed by the plurality of first ribs 30 in the width direction.

Further, by the configuration in which the distance d (fig. 12) between the apex of the second rib 33 and the apex of the third rib 34 facing the second rib 33 is narrowed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium conveyance direction, the configuration in which the entrance of the sheet P is wide in the curved path 20 and the medium formed with the wavy shape is easily entered can be realized. Further, as shown in the left to right diagrams of fig. 13, since the paper P is gradually conveyed in a narrow gap as it is conveyed, the difference in the wavy valleys can be gradually reduced as shown in (a) to (c) of fig. 15.

In the present embodiment, the curved path 20 having the second rib 33 and the third rib 34 is a path for discharging the sheet after recording with the recording surface facing downward, but the second rib 33 and the third rib 34 may be provided in a curved path of a medium conveyance device for reversing the sheet when performing double-sided recording, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, as an example in which the second ribs 33 and the third ribs 34 are arranged at positions corresponding to the mountain portions T and the trough portions V of the wave shape of the sheet P, the second ribs 33 and the third ribs 34 are arranged at all positions corresponding to both the mountain portions T and the trough portions V, as shown in fig. 14 and 15. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, if the second ribs 33 are provided only at positions corresponding to the valley portions V, the third ribs 34 may be provided only at positions corresponding to the peak portions T in the same manner. The neutral position may be appropriately spaced apart from the peak portion T and the valley portion V instead of being disposed at all positions.

About the support part

In the present embodiment, the support portion 25 is also provided with ribs. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the support portion 25 includes a plurality of fourth ribs 35 extending in the medium conveyance direction (Y-axis direction) and provided at the same intervals as the second ribs 33 in the width direction (X-axis direction). In the present embodiment, the position of the fourth rib 35 and the position of the second rib 33 in the X-axis direction are substantially the same.

The support portion 25 provided on the upstream side of the curved path 20 includes a plurality of fourth ribs 35 provided at the same intervals as the second ribs 33, so that the sheet formed with the wavy shape can be appropriately fed to the curved path 20.

Other configurations of the second rib of the outer bend portion and the fourth rib of the support portion

Other configurations of the second rib 33 of the outer curved portion 20a and the fourth rib 35 of the support portion will be described with reference to fig. 18 to 22. In each of fig. 18 to 22, the support portion 25 is in a first state connected to the outer curved portion 20a as the curved path 20.

As shown in fig. 18 and 22, the plurality of second ribs 33 are formed by alternately arranging upstream second ribs 33a and downstream second ribs 33b in the width direction (X-axis direction), and the end portion of the downstream second rib 33b on the upstream side in the medium conveyance direction is located on the downstream side of the upstream second rib 33 a. In fig. 22, the position indicated by the reference symbol E1 is the upstream-side end portion position of the upstream-side second rib 33a, and the position indicated by the reference symbol E2 is the upstream-side end portion position of the downstream-side second rib 33 b.

As also shown in fig. 18 and 22, the fourth ribs 35 include: an upstream-side fourth rib 35a provided at a position corresponding to the upstream-side second rib 33a in the width direction; a downstream side fourth rib 35b provided at a position corresponding to the downstream side second rib 33b in the width direction, an end portion of the downstream side fourth rib 35b on the upstream side in the medium conveying direction being located on the downstream side of the upstream side fourth rib 35 a; and an auxiliary rib 35c provided on at least one side of the upstream-side fourth rib 35a in the width direction. In fig. 22, the position indicated by F1 is the upstream-side end portion position of the upstream-side fourth rib 35a, and the position indicated by F2 is the upstream-side end portion position of the downstream-side fourth rib 35 b.

In the present embodiment, the auxiliary rib 35c is provided on the-X side of the upstream fourth rib 35a, but may be provided on both sides of the upstream fourth rib 35a in the width direction.

In addition, when the support portion 25 is in the first state, the upstream second rib 33a is provided so as to partially overlap both the downstream fourth rib 35b and the auxiliary rib 35c in the medium conveying direction, as shown in fig. 22.

In fig. 22, the upstream side second rib 33a and the downstream side fourth rib 35b overlap between a position E1 and a position F1 in the medium conveying direction. Likewise, the upstream-side second rib 33a and the auxiliary rib 35c overlap between a position E1 and a position F1 in the medium conveying direction.

With these configurations, when the support portion 25 is in the first state, the second rib 33 of the outer curved portion 20a and the fourth rib 35 of the support portion 25 are engaged with each other in a comb-tooth shape, and therefore the conveyed sheet P can pass smoothly without being caught by the joint between the support portion 25 and the outer curved portion 20 a.

As shown in fig. 20 or 21, at least some of the fourth ribs 35, that is, the downstream side fourth rib 35b and the auxiliary rib 35c, have convex portions 36 and 37 that bulge upward at the downstream end in the medium conveyance direction in a side view viewed in the width direction (X-axis direction). As shown in fig. 19 and 21, the convex portion provided on the downstream-side fourth rib 35b is a convex portion 36, and as shown in fig. 19 and 20, the convex portion provided on the auxiliary rib 35c is a convex portion 37.

As shown in fig. 20, the upstream end of the upstream second rib 33a and the downstream end of the upstream fourth rib 35a located at a position corresponding to the upstream second rib 33a in the width direction are configured to have the same height G1 within a tolerance range in the height direction.

If the downstream-side front ends of all the fourth ribs 35 and the upstream-side front ends of the second ribs 33 are designed to have the same height, the heights of the fourth ribs 35 and the second ribs 33 at the joint may be different due to component tolerances. At this time, if the second rib 33 located on the downstream side in the medium conveying direction is higher than the fourth rib, there is a fear that the leading end of the conveyed paper P is caught by the second rib.

Since the downstream-side fourth rib 35b and the auxiliary rib 35c of the plurality of fourth ribs have the convex portions 36 and 37 bulging upward at the downstream end in the medium conveying direction in a side view seen from the width direction, the position of the downstream-side end of the downstream-side fourth rib 35b and the auxiliary rib 35c in the height direction is at a mark G2 higher than the position shown by a mark G1, as shown in fig. 20 and 21.

Therefore, even if the heights of the second rib 33 and the fourth rib 35 vary due to component tolerances, the downstream side fourth rib 35b and the auxiliary rib 35c can be reliably made higher than the upstream side second rib 33a and the downstream side second rib 33b, which are the second ribs 33, at the joint. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the fear that the leading end of the sheet P is caught by the second rib 33 at the joint between the support portion 25 and the outer curved portion 20 a.

The upstream-side fourth rib 35a is located at a position corresponding to the upstream-side second rib 33a in the width direction, and therefore cannot overlap the upstream-side second rib 33a in the medium conveying direction, but since the auxiliary rib 35c is provided immediately beside the upstream-side fourth rib 35a, jamming of the paper P can be further effectively suppressed.

For example, the auxiliary rib 35c as the fourth rib 35 may be omitted, and a convex portion may be provided at the downstream end of the upstream fourth rib 35 a. Further, the following configuration is also possible: the auxiliary rib 35c is omitted, and a convex portion is not provided on the upstream fourth rib 35a, and only the downstream fourth rib 35b has the convex portion 36.

Other constitution of printer

Relation regarding the number of upstream side roller pairs and the number of first roller pairs

As shown in fig. 9, the upstream roller pair 18 and the first roller pair 17 are provided in plurality at intervals in the width direction (X-axis direction).

In the present embodiment, 8 pairs of first roller pairs 17 are provided, and 6 pairs of upstream roller pairs 18 are provided near the center in the width direction. That is, the number of the upstream side roller pairs 18 is smaller than the number of the first roller pairs 17.

Note that the 6 pairs of upstream-side roller pairs 18 are arranged so as to be controlled within the width of the postcard size. The upstream roller pairs 18 arranged closer to the center part in a small number allow a sheet having a width larger than the size of the postcard to be fed to the curved path 20.

By making the number of the upstream side roller pairs 18 smaller than the number of the first roller pairs 17, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

Relation between diameter of upstream-side toothed roller and diameter of first toothed roller

In the printer 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 8, the diameter of the upstream-side toothed roller 18b constituting the upstream-side roller pair 18 is formed smaller than the diameter of the first toothed roller 17b constituting the first roller pair 17.

This makes it possible to effectively use the space around the first spur roller 17b (first roller pair 17), thereby reducing the size of the apparatus.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 16 and 17, the tube holding portion 61 is provided in a space immediately upstream (on the (-Y direction side) of the first spur roller 17 b. The tube holding portion 61 is a component for holding the supply tube 60, and the supply tube 60 supplies ink from the ink tank 29 to the recording portion 13. The tube holding portion 61 holds the supply tube 60 such that the supply tube 60, one end side of which is connected to the connecting portion 13 and the other end side of which is connected to the ink tank 29, can deform following the movement of the carriage 14 in the width direction (X-axis direction). Fig. 16 shows a state where the carriage 14 is located at an end in the + X axis direction, and fig. 17 shows a state where the carriage 14 is located at an end in the-X axis direction.

In the present embodiment, the diameter of the downstream-side toothed roller 19b constituting the downstream-side roller pair 19 is formed to be the same as the diameter of the upstream-side toothed roller 18b but smaller than the diameter of the first toothed roller 17 b. This ensures a space around the downstream roller pair 19.

About power transmission mechanism

In the present embodiment, the first driving roller 17a constituting the first roller pair 17, the upstream driving roller 18a constituting the upstream roller pair 18, and the downstream driving roller 19a constituting the downstream roller pair 19 are driven by a motor 40 which is a common driving source shown in fig. 9. The driving force of the motor 40 is transmitted to the first driving roller 17a, the upstream side driving roller 18a, and the downstream side driving roller 19a by a power transmission mechanism 41 (fig. 9).

Next, the power transmission mechanism 41 will be described with reference to fig. 9.

A first gear 43 that rotates coaxially with a rotation shaft (not shown) of the motor 40 is provided on the rotation shaft. The mark 42 is an encoder scale 42 for detecting the rotation of the motor 40. The first gear 43 meshes with the second gear 44, the second gear 44 meshes with the third gear 45, and the third gear 45 is provided coaxially with the rotary shaft 52 of the first driving roller 17 a. Thereby, the power of the motor 40 is transmitted to rotate the rotating shaft 52, and the first driving roller 17a is rotated.

The third gear 45 meshes with the fourth gear 46, the fourth gear 46 meshes with the fifth gear 47, and the fifth gear 47 is provided coaxially with the rotary shaft 53 of the upstream-side driving roller 18 a. Thereby, the power of the motor 40 is transmitted to rotate the rotating shaft 53, and the upstream driving roller 18a is rotated.

Further, the fifth gear 47 meshes with the sixth gear 48, the sixth gear 48 meshes with the seventh gear 49, and the seventh gear 49 meshes with the eighth gear 50. The eighth gear 50 meshes with a ninth gear 51, and the ninth gear 51 is provided coaxially with the rotation shaft 54 of the downstream-side drive roller 19 a. Thus, the power of the motor 40 is transmitted to rotate the rotating shaft 54, thereby rotating the downstream driving roller 19 a.

Relationship between conveying speed of first roller pair and upstream roller pair

In the printer 1 shown in fig. 2, the conveyance speed of the first roller pair 17 and the conveyance speed of the upstream roller pair 18 are set to be constant. The conveyance speed of the first roller pair 17 and the conveyance speed of the upstream roller pair 18 can be adjusted by controlling the motor 40 (fig. 9) by a control unit (not shown).

Since the conveyance speed of the first roller pair 17 and the conveyance speed of the upstream roller pair 18 are constant, the sheet can be appropriately conveyed without causing a bend or the like between the first roller pair 17 and the upstream roller pair 18.

Relationship between conveyance speeds of upstream-side roller pair and downstream-side roller pair

In the printer 1 shown in fig. 2, the conveyance speed of the downstream side roller pair 19 is set to be faster than the conveyance speed of the upstream side roller pair 18.

Specifically, the downstream roller pair 19 is increased in speed so that the increase rate of the conveyance speed of the downstream roller pair 19 with respect to the conveyance speed of the upstream roller pair 18 is 1% to 3%.

Since the conveyance speed of the downstream roller pair 19 is set to be higher than the conveyance speed of the upstream roller pair 18, the possibility of paper jam due to slack in the curved path 20 can be reduced.

Here, when the sheet P is nipped by both the upstream roller pair 18 and the downstream roller pair 19, if the conveying speed of the downstream roller pair 19 is higher than the conveying speed of the upstream roller pair 18, the leading end side of the sheet is pulled, and therefore the sheet approaches the inner curved portion 20b side as the conveyance proceeds. If the conveying speed of the downstream roller pair 19 is too high, the sheet is pressed against the inside curved portion 20b before the trailing end of the sheet is released from the nip of the upstream roller pair 18, and the conveying load increases.

By setting the increasing rate of the conveying speed of the downstream roller pair 19 to 1% to 3% relative to the conveying speed of the upstream roller pair 18, it is possible to reduce the risk of the sheet coming into contact with the inside curved portion 20b of the curved path 20, and it is possible to convey the sheet more appropriately.

Relating to relay parts

As shown in fig. 8, a relay 55 is provided between the medium support portion 16 and the support portion 25 in the medium conveying direction. The relay portion 55 is also provided with a plurality of fifth ribs 56 (fig. 9 and 10) extending in the medium conveyance direction (Y-axis direction) and arranged at intervals in the width direction (X-axis direction).

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 9 and 10, some of the plurality of fifth ribs 56 are not disposed at the same positions as the first ribs 30 (the high ribs 31 and the low ribs 32), the second ribs 33, and the fourth ribs 35 in the width direction, but are disposed at positions avoiding the first ribs 30, the second ribs 33, and the fourth ribs 35.

Next, a printer 1A as an example of a recording apparatus will be described with reference to fig. 23 to 26. The printer 1A is configured substantially the same as the printer 1 shown in fig. 1 except for the configuration of the scanner unit 3A. The scanner unit 3A is a flathead scanner of a type not having an ADF unit 4b as an Auto Document Feeder (Auto Document Feeder). The scanner unit 3A is supported by a right support member 62A and a left support member 62B shown in fig. 25, and is provided on the upper portion of the housing 2.

In the printer 1A shown in fig. 23 to 26, the same components as those in the printer 1 shown in fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

Positional relationship between an ink bottle for ink replenishment and a scanner unit

On the right side of the front face of the housing 2, an ink tank 29 is provided as in the printer 1 shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 23 and 24, an ink supply port 71 to which an ink bottle 72 for ink replenishment can be attached is provided in an upper portion of the ink tank 29. When the ink tank 29 is not replenished with ink, the ink supply port 71 is covered with the ink tank cover 70 as shown in fig. 25.

As shown in fig. 23 and 24, the ink bottle 72 is attached to the ink supply port 71 of the ink tank 29. Further, as shown in fig. 24, in the case where the ink bottle 72 is mounted, the scanner portion 3A is located at a position not in contact with the ink bottle 72. Specifically, the ink bottle 72 and the scanner unit 3A are held with a gap H so that the ink bottle 72 and the scanner unit 3A do not contact each other in the Y axis direction in a plan view.

Further, in view of improving the mountability of the ink bottle 72 and making the ink bottle 72 not contact the scanner section 3A, the side surface on the + Y side as the front surface of the housing 2 is configured such that the-X side as the side on which the ink bottle 72 is mounted protrudes further to the front side (+ Y side) than the scanner section 3A.

Further, as shown in fig. 24, the ink bottle 72 is configured so as not to be fitted outward beyond the exterior surface of the housing 2 in either of the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction.

Further, as shown in fig. 23, the ink bottle 72 and the scanner unit 3A are configured not to contact each other in the Z-axis direction. With these configurations, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user accidentally touches the ink bottle 72 and separates the ink bottle 72 from the ink supply port 71 during the ink replenishment process to the ink tank 29.

The ink bottle 72 may be a bottle having a cylindrical shape as shown in fig. 24 and 25, a corner post having a polygonal bottom surface such as a quadrangular shape or a hexagonal shape, or a cylindrical shape having an elliptical bottom surface.

In summary, the printer 1A is configured as follows.

The printer 1A includes: a housing 2 having a recording unit 13 therein; a pair of right and left support members 62A and 62B provided on the upper portion of the housing 2; and a scanner section 3A supported by the right support member 62A and the left support member 62B.

In a plan view of the printer 1A, an ink tank 29 having an ink supply port 71 in an upper portion of the casing 2 is provided at one corner of the casing 2.

In the printer 1A, the scanner unit 3A is provided at a position not in contact with the ink bottle 72 attached to the ink supply port 71. In other words, the printer 1A is disposed at a position not covering the ink bottle 72 attached to the ink supply port 71 when viewed in plan view. With these configurations, the ease of attachment of the ink bottle 72 to the ink supply port 71 can be improved.

About the first paper discharge tray

In the printer 1A, as shown in fig. 26, the first discharge tray 7 includes: a first receiving portion 80 located immediately on the downstream side (-Y side) of the discharging portion 28 in the medium discharging direction; a second receiving portion 81 located on the downstream side of the first receiving portion 80 in the medium discharge direction; and a third receiving portion 84 located on the downstream side of the second receiving portion 81 in the medium discharge direction.

The second receiving portion 81 is provided to be rotatable with the downstream side in the medium discharge direction as a rotation axis, and is configured to be exposed to the inside of the housing 2 by being rotated as shown in fig. 25.

Fig. 23 and 26 show a state in which the second receiving portion 81 is closed, and fig. 25 shows a state in which the second receiving portion 81 is opened to expose the inside of the housing 2. In fig. 26, the mark 83 is a pressing portion that presses the paper P stacked on the first discharge tray 7.

As shown in fig. 26, a grip 81a for placing a finger when opening the second receiving unit 81 is provided on the + Y side, which is the free end side of the second receiving unit 81. When the second receiving portion 81 is closed, a recess 82 for facilitating a finger to be placed on the grip portion 81a is formed in the first receiving portion 80 overlapping the grip portion 81a in the height direction (Z-axis direction). The concave portion 82 is long in the width direction, and the gripper portion 81a is arranged to span near the center in the width direction. This makes it easy for the fingers to grip the grip portion 81a so as to be sandwiched from both sides in the width direction, thereby improving operability.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these modifications are also included in the scope of the invention.