JP5630544B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium fed from a tray to a recording unit, and more particularly, includes a conveyance path for feeding the recording medium on which an image is recorded to the recording unit again. The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Inkjet image recording apparatuses that can record images on both sides of a recording medium have been known. As an example of this type of image recording apparatus, a recording medium sent from a tray is conveyed to a recording unit through a curved conveyance path, and an image is recorded on the surface (first surface) in the recording unit. The medium is switched back downstream in the conveyance direction of the recording unit, and the recording medium is conveyed again with the back surface (second surface) facing the recording unit through the curved conveyance path. An apparatus having a mechanism for recording an image is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
JP 2008-247537 A

  However, in the conventional image recording apparatus described above, the second transport path 15 is provided between the tray and the recording unit disposed above the tray, and the recording medium on which the image is recorded is the recording medium. It returns to the curved first conveyance path 23 through the second conveyance path. For this reason, in the connection path from the second transport path 15 to the first transport path 23, it is not possible to ensure a gently curved surface upward, and excessively when the recording medium enters the first transport path 23 There is a risk of bending. If the connecting passage is configured to be long in the vertical direction, it is possible to ensure a gently curved surface upward in the connecting passage. However, the size in the height direction of the image recording apparatus increases, and the apparatus becomes large. May cause problems.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and smoothly records the recording medium when the recording medium on which the image is recorded is transported to the recording unit again without increasing the size of the apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of guiding to a section.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a first tray for storing a recording medium, and a second tray positioned above the first tray and for storing the recording medium. A recording unit that is positioned above the second tray and that records an image by discharging ink onto the recording medium; and a recording medium that is positioned above the second tray and recorded by the recording unit. A first conveyance path, a first guide part forming a part of a second conveyance path for guiding a recording medium on the second tray, and a position above the second tray, the first conveyance path A recording medium is transferred to the recording unit from a second guide portion that forms a part of a third conveyance path that guides the recording medium that has passed, and a junction where the second conveyance path and the third conveyance path merge. From the 4th conveyance path to guide, the front-end | tip part arrange | positioned at the said confluence | merging site, and the said front-end | tip part A rotation guide portion having a base end portion separated from the merging portion, the base end portion being rotatably supported, and a recording medium from the second tray toward the second transport path. A feeding section that feeds, and the second transport path is located on the opposite side of the third transport path from the arrangement position of the recording section, and the third transport path is the second transport path. The rotation guide part is curved so as to be convex toward the first guide part, the first guide part that faces the first guide part and forms the second transport path, and the second guide part that faces the first guide part. A first guide surface that forms a third conveyance path, and secures a path for the second conveyance path and closes the third conveyance path by the tip portion; and a path for the third conveyance path And the second posture in which the tip end portion closes the second conveyance path is rotatable. The center of rotation of the id portion is located above the second tray, and is further downstream than the feeding portion in the direction in which the recording medium is fed from the second tray toward the second transport path. The second guide surface is curved along the third conveyance path.

  In this image recording apparatus, since the rotation guide unit is provided, the recording medium conveyed through the first conveyance path is removed from the third conveyance path along the curved second guide surface of the rotation guide unit. Smooth guidance to the upstream side of the recording unit. In addition, since the rotation guide portion is provided to be rotatable, when the recording medium is guided while being in contact with the second guide surface of the rotation guide portion, a path of the third conveyance path is secured. The leading end closes the second transport path. Thereby, it is possible to secure a sufficient transport space in the third transport path. Further, even when the recording medium is guided while being in contact with the first guide surface of the rotation guide portion, it is possible to ensure a sufficient conveyance space in the second conveyance path.

  According to the image recording apparatus of the present invention, when the recording medium on which the image is recorded is transported to the recording unit again without enlarging the apparatus, the recording medium is smoothly guided to the recording unit. Is possible.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Outline of MFP 10]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the state where the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state shown in FIG. 1), and the side on which the operation panel 40 is provided is the front side (front side). A front-rear direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

  The multifunction machine 10 mainly includes an ink jet printer unit 11 provided at the lower part, a scanner part 12 provided at the upper part, and an operation panel 40 provided at the upper part of the front face. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a copy function. The printer function includes a double-sided image recording function for recording images on both the front surface (first surface) and the back surface (second surface) of the recording paper. Functions other than the printer function are arbitrary. For example, the image recording apparatus of the present invention may be implemented as a printer having only a printer function that does not have a scan function, a copy function, or a facsimile function.

  The printer unit 11 has an opening 13 formed in the front, and a paper feed cassette 78 is mounted in the printer unit 11 through the opening 13. The paper feed cassette 78 is configured to be inserted into and removed from the printer unit 11 through the opening 13. The paper feed cassette 78 accommodates recording papers of various sizes (an example of the recording medium of the present invention), the main tray 20 (an example of the first tray of the present invention) is disposed in the lower stage, and the second in the upper stage. A tray 21 (an example of the second tray of the present invention) is arranged. That is, the main tray 20 and the second tray 21 are provided in two upper and lower stages. The upper surface on the front side of the second tray 21 is a paper discharge holding portion 79 that holds the discharged image-recorded recording paper.

  The scanner unit 12 is configured as a so-called flat bed scanner. A document cover 30 is provided on the upper portion of the scanner unit 12. The document cover 30 is provided as a top plate of the multifunction machine 10, and a platen glass (not shown) is disposed under the document cover 30. The document is placed on the platen glass and read by the scanner unit 12 while being covered with the document cover 30.

  The operation panel 40 is for operating the printer unit 11 and the scanner unit 12 and is provided with various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit. The user can set various functions and perform operations by operating the operation panel 40. For example, setting of the type of recording paper (plain paper or postcard) as a recording paper, setting of a single-sided recording mode for recording an image only on the surface of the recording paper, setting of a double-sided recording mode for recording an image on both front and back sides, Setting of the resolution (draft mode or photo mode) can be instructed via the operation panel 40.

[Details of Printer 11]
Next, the configuration of the printer unit 11 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sectional views showing the structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the main part IV in FIG. 2, in which a cross-sectional structure around the guide flap 19 is shown in detail.

  In addition to the paper feeding cassette 78 described above, the printer unit 11 feeds (feeds) recording paper from the paper feeding cassette 78 (an example of the feeding unit of the present invention), and the feeding unit 15. An ink jet recording unit 24 (an example of the recording unit of the present invention) that records an image on a recording sheet by ejecting ink droplets onto the recording sheet fed by, and an image on the back surface (second surface) For this purpose, a path switching unit 41 that switches the conveyance path of the recording paper on which the image is recorded on the front surface (first surface) is provided. The recording unit 24 is not limited to the ink jet system, and various recording systems such as an electronic true system or a thermal recording system can be applied.

[Conveyance path 65]
In the printer unit 11, a conveyance path 65 is formed from the front end of the main tray 20 through the recording unit 24 to the paper discharge holding unit 79. The conveyance path 65 includes an outer curved path 65A (an example of a second conveyance path of the present invention) formed between the leading end of the main tray 20 and the recording unit 24, and a period from the recording unit 24 to the discharge holding unit 79. And a paper discharge path 65B formed in the above.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the outer curved path 65 </ b> A is downstream of the sheet feeding cassette 78 in the transport direction (hereinafter, abbreviated as “downstream side”), specifically, near the upper end of the separation inclined plate 22 of the main tray 20. And a curved path formed between the recording unit 24 and the upstream side in the transport direction (hereinafter, abbreviated as “upstream side”). The outer curved path 65A is generally formed in an arc shape centering on a center point defined between the main tray 20 and the recording paper. The outer curved path 65A is formed by a curved guide surface 18A and a guide surface 19A (an example of the first guide surface of the present invention) that face each other at a predetermined interval. Specifically, the outer guide member 18 having the guide surface 18A provided on the frame of the printer unit 11 and the guide flap 19 having the guide surface 19A (an example of the rotation guide unit of the present invention) A curved path 65A is partitioned. The outer guide member 18 is provided with a conveyance roller 17. The transport roller 17 is rotatably supported by the outer guide member 18 with the width direction (left-right direction 9) of the outer curved path 65A as an axial direction. The outer peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 17 is exposed to the guide surface 18A of the outer guide member 18 or the outer curved path 65A. When the recording paper passes through the outer curved path 65 </ b> A, the recording roller 17 that is in contact with the guide surface 18 </ b> A of the outer guide member 18 becomes smooth.

  The guide flap 19 is rotatably supported by a support portion 71 provided on the frame of the printer unit 11. The guide flap 19 forms an outer curved path 65A with the outer guide member 18, and forms an inner curved path 67B, which will be described later, with a fixed guide 72 provided on the front side of the guide flap 19. ing. The configuration of the guide flap 19 will be described later.

[Reverse conveying path 67]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the printer unit 11, it branches from the branch part 36 on the downstream side of the recording part 24, passes through the upper side of the paper feed cassette 78, and the joining part 37 on the upstream side of the recording part 24. A reversal conveyance path 67 connected to is formed. The junction 37 is a portion where the end of the outer curved path 65A and the end of the reverse conveyance path 67 meet. The reverse conveyance path 67 has a branch path 67A (an example of the first conveyance path of the present invention) and an inner curved path 67B (an example of the third conveyance path of the present invention). The branch path 67A is branched from the branch portion 36, and extends between the paper feed cassette 78 and the recording unit 24 toward the rear of the apparatus. The terminal end of the branch path 67A reaches the support section 71 provided on the rear side of the feeding section 15 and on the front side of the outer curved path 65A. The inner curved path 67 </ b> B is formed between the vicinity of the rear end of the branch path 67 </ b> A and the junction part 37 on the upstream side of the recording unit 24. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner curved path 67B is formed on the front side (the inner side of the printer unit 11) with respect to the outer curved path 65A.

  The branch path 67 </ b> A is formed by inclined guides 32 and 33 extending rearward and downward from the branch portion 37, and a slide guide 34 protruding and retracting from the inside of the paper discharge holding portion 79. The inclined guides 32 and 33 are arranged so as to face each other, and thereby, an inclined portion inclined from the branch portion 36 is formed in the branch path 67A. The slide guide 34 will be described later.

  The inner curved path 67B is formed by a curved guide surface 19B (an example of a second guide surface of the present invention) and a guide surface 72A that face each other at a predetermined interval. Specifically, the inner curved path 67B is defined by the guide flap 19 having the guide surface 19B on the front side (inside the printer unit 11) and the fixed guide 72 having the guide surface 72A on the rear side. ing. The fixed guide 72 is provided in front of the guide flap 19, and a conveyance roller 73 is provided on the guide surface 72 </ b> A. The conveying roller 73 is rotatably supported by the outer guide member 18 with the width direction (left-right direction 9) of the inner curved path 67B as an axial direction. The outer peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 73 is exposed to the inner curved path 67B. When the recording paper passes through the inner curved path 67B, the conveyance roller 73 smoothly conveys the recording paper that contacts the guide surface 72A of the fixed guide 72.

  The recording paper fed from the main tray 20 or the second tray 21 by the feeding unit 15 is conveyed to the recording unit 24 through the outer curved path 65A. At this time, the recording sheet is reversed so that the surface opposite to the surface with which the sheet feeding roller 25 contacts is opposed to the recording unit 24. The recording sheet that has passed through the recording unit 24 is conveyed to the sheet discharge holding unit 79 through the sheet discharge path 65B, or the conveyance path is switched by the path switching unit 41, so that the branch path 67A of the reverse conveyance path 67 is reached. And it is conveyed again to the recording unit 24 through the inner curved path 67B.

[Recording unit 24]
The recording unit 24 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 78. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 38 and a recording head. The recording head is mounted on the carriage 38 and is configured to reciprocate along a guide rail (not shown) extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface (main scanning direction) in FIG. In the reciprocating process of the carriage 38, the recording head discharges ink supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) to the recording paper conveyed on the platen 42 as fine ink droplets. Thereby, an image is recorded on the recording paper.

  A conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 are provided between the end of the curved path 65 </ b> A and the recording unit 24. These are paired. The pinch roller 61 is disposed so as to be in pressure contact with the lower side of the conveying roller 60. The conveyance roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 nipping the recording sheet conveyed through the curved path 65 </ b> A and feeding it onto the platen 42.

Further, a paper discharge roller 62 and a spur roller 63 are provided between the recording unit 24 and the start end of the paper discharge path 65B. The paper discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63 sandwich the recorded recording paper and convey it further downstream (on the paper discharge holding portion 79 side). The conveyance roller 60 and the paper discharge roller 62 are rotated by a rotational driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown). These rollers 60 and 62 are intermittently driven during image recording. As a result, the recording sheet is image-recorded while being sent with a predetermined line feed width.

[Feeding unit 15]
The feeding unit 15 is for conveying the recording paper stored in the paper feeding cassette 78 toward the outer curved path 65A, and includes a paper feeding roller 25, a paper feeding arm 26, a drive transmission mechanism (not shown), and the like. It has. The paper feed roller 25 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 78. The paper feed roller 25 feeds the recording paper stored in the main tray 20 or the second tray 21 of the paper feed cassette 78 to the curved path 65A, and is rotatably supported at the tip of the paper feed arm 26. Yes. The paper feed roller 25 is rotationally driven via the drive transmission mechanism using an electric motor (not shown) such as a motor as a drive source. The drive transmission mechanism is composed of a plurality of gears arranged substantially linearly, and is configured by meshing them.

  A base shaft 28 is provided further above the branch path 67 </ b> A formed above the paper feed cassette 78 and below the recording unit 24. That is, the base shaft 28 is provided between the branch path 67 </ b> A and the recording unit 24. The paper feed arm 26 has a base end portion supported by a base shaft 28 and is configured to be rotatable about the base shaft 28 as a rotation center axis. For this reason, the paper feed arm 26 can move up and down so as to be able to contact and separate from the main tray 20. Further, the paper feed arm 26 is urged to rotate downward by its own weight or urged by a spring or the like. For this reason, the paper feed roller 25 can come into contact with the upper surface of the recording paper accommodated in the paper feed cassette 78. The paper feed arm 26 is configured to be pushed upward by being pressed by the rear end portion of the paper feed cassette 78 when the paper feed cassette 78 is inserted into the printer unit 11.

[Paper Feed Cassette 78]
The paper feed cassette 78 is provided below the feeding unit 15. The main tray 20 of the paper feed cassette 78 is arranged on the bottom side of the printer unit 11 and is configured in a rectangular box shape with an open top surface. The main tray 20 can accommodate recording paper of A4 size (210 mm × 297 mm) at the maximum. In the multifunction machine 10 of the present embodiment, recording paper of B5 size, A4 size, etc. is mainly stored in the main tray 20.

  The second tray 21 is arranged on the upper stage of the main tray 20. The second tray 21 can accommodate recording paper of a postcard size (100 × 148 mm) at maximum. In the multi-function device 10 of the present embodiment, postcard size, business card size, and photo L size recording paper (postcard, glossy paper, etc.) are mainly accommodated in the second tray 21.

  The second tray 21 is supported on the upper portion of the main tray 20 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8. Specifically, the second tray 21 has a rear position (see FIGS. 2 and 3) where the rear end 21 </ b> A abuts on a later-described separation inclined plate 22, and the rear end 21 </ b> A forwards a predetermined distance from the separation inclined plate 22. Slide to the front position separated to the side.

  When the second tray 21 is slid from the front position to the rear position, the rear end 21A presses the paper feed arm 26 and pushes the paper feed arm 26 upward. As a result, the paper feed roller 25 is disposed on the second tray 21 as shown in FIGS. When the paper feed roller 25 is arranged on the second tray 21, the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the upper surface of the recording paper stored in the second tray 21. In this state, when the paper feed roller 25 is rotated, it is possible to feed the recording paper stored in the second tray 21 toward the outer curved path 65A.

On the other hand, when the second tray 21 is slid from the rear position to the front position, the upper surface on the rear side of the main tray 20 is opened. The paper feed roller 25 is connected to the main tray 20.
When it descends to the main tray 20 side from the opening on the upper surface on the rear side, it comes into contact with the recording paper stored in the main tray 20. As a result, the recording paper in the main tray 20 can be fed.

  As a slide support mechanism for the second tray 21, for example, a rail (not shown) provided on the main tray 20 is inserted into a slide groove (not shown) provided on the second tray 21, so that the inside of the slide groove Thus, a sliding support mechanism that can slide the rail and other known mechanisms can be adopted. The second tray 21 may be manually operable, or may be operable by receiving power from an electric motor such as a motor via a known transmission mechanism (for example, a rack-pinion mechanism). May be. The second tray 21 is not limited to a mechanism that is slidably supported, and any support mechanism may be employed as long as the second tray 21 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8 above the main tray 20.

  A paper discharge holding portion 79 is provided on the front side of the second tray 21. The discharged recording sheet on which the image has been recorded is held on the upper surface of the discharge holding unit 79. An opening is provided in the rear side wall of the paper discharge holding portion 79, and the slide guide 34 is disposed in the paper discharge holding portion 79 so as to be able to appear and retract from the opening.

  The slide guide 34 is supported on the second tray 21 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8 between the retracted position shown in FIG. 2 and the guide position shown in FIG. Note that the retracted position is a position where the rear end 34 </ b> A of the slide guide 34 is retracted further forward than the feeding unit 15. Further, the guide position is a position where the rear end portion 34 </ b> A of the slide guide 34 is close to the support portion 71 provided on the rear side of the feeding portion 15.

  As a slide support mechanism of the slide guide 34, for example, a rail (not shown) provided in the second tray 21 is inserted into a slide groove (not shown) provided in the slide guide 34, and the inside of the slide groove Thus, a sliding support mechanism that can slide the rail and other known support mechanisms can be employed. The slide guide 34 may be manually operable, or may be operable by receiving power from an electric motor such as a motor via a known transmission mechanism (for example, a rack-pinion mechanism). May be. The slide guide 34 is not limited to a mechanism that is slidably supported, and any support is possible as long as the slide guide 34 is movably supported between the guide position (see FIG. 3) and the retracted position (see FIG. 2). The mechanism can also be adopted.

  When the slide guide 34 is slid from the retracted position (see FIG. 2) to the guide position (see FIG. 3) in a state where the second tray 21 is arranged at the rear position shown in FIGS. The rear end 34A presses the paper feeding arm 26 of the feeding unit 15 and pushes the paper feeding arm 26 upward. As a result, the paper feed roller 25 is disposed on the slide guide 34 so as to contact the upper surface of the slide guide 34 as shown in FIG. In a state where the paper feed roller 25 is disposed on the slide guide 34, it becomes possible to feed the recording paper passing on the slide guide 34 to the downstream side. On the other hand, when the slide guide 34 is slid from the guide position to the retracted position, the paper feed roller 25 is disposed on the second tray 21 so as to fall downward from the slide guide 34 and contact the recording paper of the second tray 21. Is done. In this state, the recording paper stored in the second tray 21 can be fed toward the outer curved path 65A.

An inclined guide 69 is erected on the rear end 34 </ b> A of the slide guide 21. The inclined guide 69 is inclined rearward from the rear end portion 34A. When the sly guide 34 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, the inclined guide 69 protrudes upward toward the inner curved path 67B, and the upper end thereof is disposed on the inner curved path 67B. By the inclined guide 69, the recording paper passing through the reverse conveyance path 67 is smoothly guided from the branch path 67A to the inner curved path 67B.

[Separation inclined plate 22]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main tray 20 is provided with a separation inclined plate 22. The separation inclined plate 22 is erected at the rear end portion of the main tray 20 and is inclined rearward. An outer curved path 65 </ b> A is formed from the upper side of the separation inclined plate 22 toward the rear and obliquely upward. The inner surface 23 of the separation inclined plate 22 serves as a guide surface for guiding the recording sheet to the outer curved path 65A. Accordingly, when the leading edge of the recording sheet fed out from the main tray 20 in contact with the inner surface 23 of the separating inclined plate 22 is changed, the traveling direction of the recording sheet is changed to the inclined direction of the separating inclined plate 22, that is, obliquely upward to the rear. The A plurality of separation teeth protruding from the inner surface 23 are arranged in the vertical direction 7 at the center of the inner surface 23 of the separation inclined plate 22. Since such a separation inclined plate 22 is provided, even if a plurality of recording sheets are fed from the main tray 20 as a bundle, the end of the recording sheet is placed on the inner surface 23 of the separation inclined plate 22. When contacted, the recording sheets are separated by the separating teeth, and only the uppermost recording sheet is guided to the upper curved path 65A.

[Route switching unit 41]
Next, the route switching unit 41 will be described. The path switching unit 41 is disposed in the paper discharge path 65B. Specifically, the path switching unit 41 is disposed in the branch portion 36 in the paper discharge path 65B, that is, in the vicinity of the connection portion between the paper discharge path 65B and the reverse conveyance path 67. The path switching unit 41 is provided with a first roller 45 and a second roller 46 constituting a roller pair, and an auxiliary roller 47 arranged in parallel with the second roller 46.

  The first roller 45 and the second roller 46 sandwich the recording paper sent from the paper discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63. The first roller 45 and the second roller 46 can transport the recording paper further downstream (on the paper discharge holding portion 79 side) along the paper discharge path 65B, and can transport the recording paper to the reverse conveyance path 67. is there.

  The second roller 46 and the auxiliary roller 47 are attached to the frame 48. The frame 48 extends in the left-right direction 9 (vertical direction in FIG. 2) of the multifunction machine 10. A plurality of second rollers 46 and auxiliary rollers 47 are arranged in the frame 48 at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction 9 (width direction) of the multifunction machine 10. The second roller 46 and the auxiliary roller 47 are rotatably supported by two rotation shafts whose axial direction is a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. Since the second roller 46 and the auxiliary roller 47 are in contact with the recording surface of the paper, they are formed in a spur shape like the spur roller 63. The auxiliary roller 47 is disposed upstream of the second roller 46 by a predetermined distance. The second roller 46 is urged toward the first roller 45 by an elastic member.

  The first roller 45 is connected to a motor (not shown) via a predetermined drive transmission mechanism, and is rotationally driven using this motor as a drive source. The first roller 45 includes a central shaft 52, and the central shaft 52 is supported by the frame of the printer unit 11.

  A second roller 46 is disposed above the first roller 45. The first roller 45 may be formed in a single elongated cylindrical shape, and a plurality of rollers may be disposed to face the second rollers 46, respectively. The first roller 45 is rotated forward or reverse by a motor. The recording paper conveyed from the recording unit 24 along the paper discharge path 65 </ b> B is sandwiched between the first roller 45 and the second roller 46.

The path switching unit 41 is configured such that the frame 48, the second roller 46, and the auxiliary roller 47 rotate integrally with the central shaft 52 as the rotation center. The path switching unit 41 rotates around the central axis 52 and changes its posture according to the presence or absence of the driving force transmitted from the motor. Specifically, the path switching unit 41 reverses the recording sheet that has passed the recording unit 24 and the discharge posture (see FIG. 2) for discharging the recording sheet that has passed the recording unit 24 to the discharge tray 21 and then reversely conveyed. It can be changed to a reverse posture (see FIG. 3) for guiding to the road 67.

  When the first roller 45 is rotated forward (clockwise rotation in FIGS. 2 and 3) by the motor, the path switching unit 41 maintains its posture in the above-described discharge posture. As a result, the recording sheet that has passed through the recording unit 24 is sent to the front side (the discharge holding unit 79 side). When performing single-sided recording, the first roller 45 continues to rotate forward, so that the recording paper is sandwiched between the first roller 45 and the second roller 46 and conveyed downstream, and is discharged to the paper discharge holding unit 79. The paper is ejected.

  When performing double-sided recording, the path switching unit 41 is configured such that the first roller 45 and the second roller 46 sandwich the trailing edge of the recording paper and the reverse posture (see FIG. 3) from the discharge posture (see FIG. 2). ) Is changed. This posture change is achieved by switching the rotation direction of the motor and switching the first roller 45 from forward rotation to reverse rotation (counterclockwise rotation in FIGS. 2 and 3). When the path switching unit 41 is changed to the reverse posture, the rear end portion of the recording sheet is pressed downward by the auxiliary roller 47. As a result, the recording paper that has passed through the recording unit 24 is transported in a switchback manner, and sent from the rear end side to the branch path 67A of the reverse transport path 67.

  In the present embodiment, the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the paper feed roller 25 via the base shaft 28 when the first roller 45 is rotating forward, and is driven to the paper feed roller 25 when the first roller 45 is reverse rotating. It is configured not to transmit force. In other words, the driving force of the motor is not transmitted to the base shaft 28 while the recording paper is being conveyed along the reverse conveyance path 67 by the first roller 45 or the like. Such a configuration can be realized by independently controlling a motor that supplies a driving force to the paper feed roller 25. Of course, when a drive transmission system in which the rollers such as the paper feed roller 25 and the conveyance roller 62 are driven by a common motor is used, the above operation can be realized by using a transmission switching mechanism such as a clutch or a planetary gear. it can.

[Guide flap 19]
Next, the guide flap 19 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the guide flap 19. 5 shows a guide surface 19B on the front side of the guide flap 19, and FIG. 6 shows a guide surface 19A on the rear side of the guide flap 19.

  The guide flap 19 is a curved flap that guides the recording paper conveyed through the branch path 67A through the inner curved path 67B toward the upstream joining portion of the recording unit 24. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide flap 19 is rotatably supported near the end of the branch path 67A. Specifically, the guide flap 19 has a rotation shaft 81 extending in the left-right direction 9, and the rotation shaft 81 can be rotated by a support portion 71 provided on the rear side of the feeding unit 15. It is supported by. The leading end (rotating end) 82 of the guide flap 19 reaches the joining portion 37.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the guide flap 19 secures a recording sheet conveyance path in the outer curved path 65 </ b> A and closes the merging portion 37 side of the inner curved path 67 </ b> B with the tip 82. In the curved path 67B, the recording paper conveyance path is ensured and it is possible to rotate between a posture in which the joining portion 37 side of the outer curved path 65A is closed by the tip 82. In the present embodiment, when the recording paper is transported through one of the outer curved path 65A and the inner curved path 67B, the recording paper is not transported to the other transport path. Therefore, if the recording paper is transported to one transport path (for example, the inner curved path 67B), even if the other transport path (for example, the outer curved path 68A) is blocked, the recording paper cannot be transported. Does not occur.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide flap 19 has a narrow width and is elongated in the left-right direction 9. The guide flap 19 has two guide surfaces 19A and 19B. The guide surface 19B is curved from the rotating shaft 81 to the tip 82. Specifically, the guide surface 19B is formed in a curved surface that substantially matches an arc centered on a center point defined on the feeding unit 15 side. An inner curved path 67B is defined by the guide surface 19B. Further, the guide surface 19 </ b> A extends from the tip 82 along the guide surface 18 </ b> A of the outer guide member 18 toward the separation inclined plate 22. The curved surface 19A is curved with a curvature in substantially the same manner as the guide surface 18A of the outer guide member 18. An outer curved path 65A is defined by the guide surface 19A.

  The guide flap 19 is formed so as to gradually taper toward the joining portion 37. The front end 82 of the guide flap 19 is formed in an acute angle shape and is directed to the pressure contact portion between the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61.

  Two transport rollers 84 are provided near the tip of the guide flap 19. Each conveyance roller 84 is rotatably supported in a mounting hole 85 that penetrates the guide flap 19 with the left-right direction 9 as an axial direction. The outer peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 84 is exposed on both the guide surface 19A and the guide surface 19B. A plurality of conveying rollers 87 are also rotatably supported on the guide surface 19A of the guide flap 19. When the recording sheet passes through the inner curved path 67B, the conveying roller 84 smoothly conveys the recording sheet that contacts the guide surface 19B. Further, the conveyance roller 87 facilitates the conveyance of the recording paper contacting the guide surface 19A when the recording paper passes through the outer curved path 65A.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a narrow and long opening 89 having an opening on the rotating shaft 81 side is provided at the end of the guide surface 19 </ b> A on the rotating shaft 81 side, specifically, at the center of the end portion. It has been. The opening 89 is a portion into which the recording paper enters when the recording paper is fed from the second tray 21 toward the outer curved path 65A and the feeding direction of the recording paper is changed upward. Accordingly, the width D (the dimension in the left-right direction 9) of the opening 89 is formed to a dimension corresponding to the width of the recording paper that can be accommodated in the second tray 21. That is, the width D of the opening 89 is formed such that the recording paper that can be accommodated in the second tray 21 can enter the opening 89. For example, when the maximum size of the recording paper that can be accommodated in the second tray 21 is a postcard size, at least the width D of the opening 89 is set to be larger than the width (100 mm) of the postcard.

[Image recording operation]
Hereinafter, an image recording operation in the printer unit 11 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are cross-sectional views showing the transport state of the recording paper S during image recording in chronological order. In the following, for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that image recording is performed on a postcard-sized recording paper S accommodated in the second tray 21.

[Single-sided image recording]
When an image is recorded only on one side (front surface) of the recording paper S, as shown in FIG. 7A, the recording paper S fed from the second tray 21 by the paper feeding roller 25 goes to the outer curved path 65A. It is guided and conveyed to the recording unit 24. At this time, the recording sheet S is conveyed so as to make a U-turn from below to above along the outer curved path 65A. Thereby, the recording paper S is
The surface (surface) opposite to the surface with which the paper feed roller 25 abuts is reversed so as to face the recording unit 24.

  In the process in which the recording paper S is conveyed along the outer curved path 65A, when the leading edge of the recording paper S enters the outer curved path 65A, the leading edge of the recording paper S contacts the guide surface 18A of the outer guide member 18 and advances. The direction is changed upward. As the recording sheet S travels upward along the outer curved path 65 </ b> A, the recording sheet S gradually increases in inclination with respect to the second tray 21. When the angle exceeds a certain angle, the recording sheet S enters the opening 89 provided in the guide flap 19 (see FIG. 7A). In this case, the opening 89 also constitutes a part of the outer curved path 65A. Therefore, the recording paper S is conveyed along the outer curved path 65A toward the recording unit 24 without being excessively curved. The recording paper S is smoothly conveyed without receiving excessive contact friction from the guide flap 19.

  When the recording paper S is further conveyed, the recording paper S contacts the guide flap 19 and rotates the guide flap 19 toward the fixed guide 72 side. As a result, the confluence portion 37 side of the inner curved path 67 </ b> B is closed by the guide flap 19. At the same time, the outer curved path 65A is enlarged. For this reason, a sufficient conveyance space can be secured in the outer curved path 65A.

  When the recording paper S reaches the conveyance roller 60 and the pinch roller 61, the recording paper S is conveyed between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 by the conveyance roller 60 and the pinch roller 61. Then, image recording is started by the recording unit 24. Then, the recording sheet S on which the image is recorded on the surface by the recording unit 24 is discharged to the discharge holding unit 79 through the discharge path 65B by the discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63.

[Double-sided image recording]
On the other hand, when images are recorded on both surfaces (front and back surfaces) of the recording paper S, when the recording paper S having an image recorded on the front surface reaches the first roller 45 and the second roller 46, the first roller 45 and the second roller It is further conveyed downstream by the roller 46. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7B, the rotation direction of the first roller 45 is changed with the upstream end of the recording sheet S being sandwiched between the first roller 45 and the second roller 46. Reversed. The path switching unit 41 is rotated about the central shaft 52 when the driving force in the reverse rotation direction of the first roller 45 is transmitted. By this rotation, the path switching unit 41 changes from a discharge posture (see FIG. 7B) for discharging the recording paper S to the paper discharge holding unit 79 to a reverse posture (see FIG. 8C). As a result, the upstream end of the recording paper S enters the reverse conveyance path 67 side. Further, the driving force in the reverse rotation direction of the first roller 45 is transmitted to the slide guide 34, and the slide guide 34 moves from the retracted position to the guide position (see FIG. 8C). At this time, the paper feed arm 26 is pushed upward by the slide guide 34, and the paper feed roller 25 is disposed on the slide guide 34.

  When the first roller 45 and the second roller 46 are driven in reverse, the recording paper S is conveyed to the paper feeding roller 25 while being guided by the upper surface of the slide guide 34 through the branch path 67A. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed by the sheet feeding roller 25. At this time, the leading edge of the recording paper S is turned upward by the inclined guide 69 and is guided to the inner curved path 67B before the guide flap 19 (see FIG. 8D). At this time, the recording sheet S contacts the guide surface 19B of the guide flap 19 and rotates the guide flap 19 to the outer guide member 18 side. As a result, the joining portion 37 side of the outer curved path 65 </ b> A is blocked by the guide flap 19. At the same time, the inner curved path 67B is enlarged. For this reason, sufficient conveyance space can be ensured in the inner curved path 67B.

The recording sheet S conveyed along the inner curved path 67B is conveyed so as to make a U-turn from below to above along the inner curved path 67B. As a result, the recording paper S is reversed so that the surface (back surface) opposite to the surface with which the paper feed roller 25 contacts is opposed to the recording unit 24. Thereafter, when the recording paper S reaches the conveyance roller 60 and the pinch roller 61, the recording paper S is conveyed between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 by the conveyance roller 60 and the pinch roller 61. Then, the recording unit 24 starts image recording on the back surface. Then, the recording sheet S on which the image is recorded on the back surface by the recording unit 24 is discharged to the discharge holding unit 79 through the discharge path 65B by the discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63. Note that before the leading edge of the recording sheet S enters the path switching unit 41, the path switching unit 41 is driven so as to change from the inverted posture to the discharge posture again.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the guide flap 19 that forms the inner curved path 67B is provided in front of the outer curved path 65A, the recording paper conveyed through the branch path 67A is guided by the guide flap 19. Is smoothly guided to the inner curved path 67B. Further, since the guide flap 19 is rotatably supported by the support portion 71, when the recording paper is guided while abutting against the guide surface 19B of the guide flap 19, the guide flap 19 is supported by the recording paper on the outer guide member. It is pushed to 18 side and tilts. Accordingly, the inclination angle of the guide surface 19B of the guide flap 19 with respect to the slide guide 34 becomes gentle, so that the recording paper is smoothly conveyed along the inner curved path 67B.

  Further, since the opening 89 is provided on the side of the rotation shaft 81 of the guide surface 19A of the guide flap 19, the traveling direction of the recording sheet is changed upward in the process in which the recording sheet is conveyed along the outer curved path 65A. Sometimes, the recording paper enters the opening 89 provided in the guide flap 19. As a result, the recording sheet is conveyed along the outer curved path 65A toward the recording unit 24 without being excessively bent. Further, the recording paper is smoothly conveyed without receiving excessive contact friction from the guide flap 19.

  In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a pinch roller 92 may be provided on the slide guide 34. The pinch roller 92 is rotatably supported by the slide guide 34, and the roller surface is exposed on the upper surface of the slide guide 34. The pinch roller 92 is disposed at a position where the roller surface comes into contact with the paper feed roller 25 when the slide guide 34 is at the guide position. By providing such a pinch roller 92, the recording paper is smoothly conveyed through the reverse conveyance path 67, and the recording paper is stably retransmitted from the reverse conveyance path 67 to the upstream side of the recording unit 24.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the main tray 20 and the second tray 21 are provided with the paper feed cassette 78 configured in two upper and lower stages has been described. However, the paper feed cassette 78 is provided with only the second tray 21. Even if it exists, this invention is applicable. Further, when the paper feed cassette 78 includes only the main tray 20, the present invention can be applied by providing the slide guide 34 and the paper discharge holding portion 79 in the upper part thereof.

  In the above-described embodiment, the mechanism for transporting the recording paper passing through the reverse transport path 67 by the paper feed roller 25 has been described. However, when the slide guide 34 is disposed at the guide position, the paper feed roller 25 is moved to the slide guide 34. It is also possible to employ a mechanism in which another transport roller is provided in the reverse transport path 67 so as to be spaced apart upward. With this mechanism, it is possible to prevent ink contamination of the paper feed roller 25 due to contact with the image recording surface (front surface) of the recording paper.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the guide flap 19 is provided so that the end of the outer curved path 65A and the end of the inner curved path 67B merge at the junction 37, and the recording paper conveyed through the branch path 67A is guided by the guide flap. 19 is guided to the recording unit 24 through the junction 37. In contrast, the guide flap is such that the end of the inner curved path 67B joins not between the end of the outer curved path 65A but between the start and end of the outer curved path 65A (for example, substantially in the middle of the outer curved path 65A). 19 may be provided. Even with such a configuration, the recording paper conveyed through the branch path 67A can be smoothly guided to the recording unit 24 through the outer curved path 65A by the guide flap 19. In this configuration, the curvature of each guide surface 18A, 19B is set so that the curved guide surface 19B of the guide flap 19 and the curved guide surface 18A of the outer guide member 18 are smoothly continuous. The recording paper is smoothly conveyed from the inner curved path 67B to the outer curved path 65A.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the recording paper is guided to the reverse conveyance path 67 when the double-side recording is performed has been described. However, the recording is not limited to double-sided recording. For example, a recording sheet on which an image is recorded on the front surface is guided to the reverse conveyance path 67 without being switched back by the path switching unit 41, and recording is performed so that the front surface again faces the recording unit 24. The recording paper is guided to the reverse conveyance path 67 also when the image is conveyed to the unit 24 and the image is recorded again on the surface. Even when such image recording is performed, by providing the guide flap 19 that forms the inner curved path 67 </ b> B in front of the outer curved path 65 </ b> A, the recording sheet conveyed through the branch path 67 </ b> A is conveyed by the guide flap 19. It is smoothly guided to the inner curved path 67B.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the main part IV in FIG. 2, in which a cross-sectional structure around the guide flap 19 is shown in detail. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the guide flap 19 and shows a guide surface 19 </ b> B on the front side of the guide flap 19. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the guide flap 19 and shows a guide surface 19 </ b> A on the rear side of the guide flap 19. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the conveyance state of the recording paper S at the time of image recording in chronological order. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the transport state of the recording paper S during image recording in chronological order. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modification of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Multifunction machine 11 ... Printer part 18 ... Outer guide member 19 ... Guide flap 20 ... Main tray 21 ... Second tray 24 ... Recording part 34 ... Slide guide 65 ... conveying path 65A ... outer curved path 65B ... discharge path 67 ... reverse conveying path 67A ... branch path 67B ... inner curved path 69 ... inclined guides 84, 87, ...・ Conveying roller 92 ... Pinch roller

Claims (5)

A first tray for storing a recording medium;
A second tray located above the first tray and containing a recording medium;
A recording unit that is located above the second tray and that records an image by discharging ink onto a recording medium;
A first conveyance path that is located above the second tray and guides a recording medium recorded by the recording unit;
A first guide part that forms part of a second transport path for guiding the recording medium on the second tray;
A second guide portion that is located above the second tray and forms a part of a third transport path for guiding the recording medium that has passed through the first transport path;
A fourth conveyance path that guides the recording medium from a junction where the second conveyance path and the third conveyance path merge to the recording unit;
A rotation guide portion having a distal end portion disposed at the merging portion and a proximal end portion that is farther from the merging portion than the distal end portion, and the proximal end portion is rotatably supported;
A feeding unit that feeds a recording medium from the second tray toward the second conveyance path;
With
The second transport path is located on the opposite side to the recording position of the recording unit with respect to the third transport path,
The third conveyance path is curved to be convex toward the second conveyance path,
The rotation guide part is
A first guide surface that faces the first guide part to form the second transport path, and a second guide surface that faces the second guide part to form the third transport path,
By being pressed sheet is fed by the feeding portion, the abutting position with the first guide portion while securing the front Symbol path of the third transport path, while securing a path of the second transport path Rotating toward the second guide part,
The rotation center of the rotation guide unit is located above the second tray, and the recording medium is fed in the direction in which the recording medium is fed from the second tray toward the second transport path. Located downstream,
The image recording apparatus, wherein the second guide surface is curved along the third conveyance path.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotation center of the rotation guide portion is located between the first guide portion and the second guide portion.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first guide surface is curved in the same direction as the second guide surface.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation guide portion has a tapered shape in which a distal end portion side is narrower than a proximal end portion side.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second guide unit is configured by a fixed guide.

Images