JP2005212432A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a recording device, which is composed so as to support a tray with a paper-discharge unit for performing the printing operation on a pasteboard, CD-R and the like using the tray, to correspond to the miniaturization of the device with a simple structure and perform a tray-printing which is excellent in the operability with a low cost and in its reliability. <P>SOLUTION: In the recording device, which can perform the recording operation also on the recording media by conveying the tray, which has mounted the recording media, using a paper-discharge roller and a conveying roller, the paper-discharge unit holding the recording medium discharged at the time of usual printing is equipped with a guide means consisting of right and left guiding surfaces 925b supporting the tray and a tray-conveying means such as spring-loaded members 956, 957 for acquiring a conveying force by making a tray 83 pressure-contacted to a tray-set surface 952a and the paper-discharge roller 41. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus such as a printer or an image forming apparatus that can use a tray loaded with a recording medium.

Conventionally, various recording media have been proposed as recording media recorded by a recording device such as a printer. Among them, a compact and thick CD (compact disc) such as a CD-R, a DVD, or a card is included. There is a recording medium. In the current general-purpose recording apparatus, if a single-sheet paper transport path is used when printing on a recording medium such as a CD, the transportability deteriorates or scratches occur due to the high rigidity of the CD. Or problems such as inability to convey due to the distance between the conveying rollers. Therefore, when transporting a small and thick recording medium (recording medium) such as a CD, a tray for mounting the recording medium is used, and a recording medium such as a CD is mounted on the tray to form a single sheet. It is transported through a route different from the transport route. A configuration in which a separate unit is attached to a recording device and used as a support unit for the tray when recording on a recording medium mounted on such a tray, or a configuration in which a paper discharge unit is moved to a tray support position by a lever unit or the like Etc. are being implemented.
JP 2003-104590 A

  However, the above conventional example has the following technical problems. That is, in the configuration in which the above-mentioned separate unit is attached to the recording apparatus, since it is a separate unit, it is possible to configure a stable tray transport means with a high degree of freedom in configuration, but on the other hand, the cost is high because of the separate unit. There is a problem that a setting work by the user is required and a storage place when not in use is required. In the configuration in which the paper discharge unit is moved to the tray support position by the lever means or the like, the upper surface of the paper discharge unit becomes the recording medium stacking surface, which makes it difficult to configure the tray transfer means. In the case where irregularities are formed on the stacking surface due to the addition of parts for the purpose, there has been a problem that inconveniences such as a decrease in recording medium support performance and a decrease in discharge capacity are likely to occur.

  There is a configuration in which such a problem can be dealt with only by the conveying unit on the recording apparatus side. In this configuration, however, a user operation for pinching the tray into the conveying unit of the recording apparatus when the tray is set (pinch by lever operation or the like). Roller release, etc.) is required, and it is necessary for the user to pull out the tray after recording, which causes inconvenience that the user operation becomes complicated. The present invention has been made in view of the technical problems as described above, and an object of the present invention is to use a tray with a paper discharge unit to print the tray on a recording medium such as cardboard or CD-R. In a recording apparatus configured to support the recording apparatus, it is possible to provide a recording apparatus that can cope with downsizing of the apparatus with a simple configuration, can perform low-cost, excellent operability, and highly reliable printing.

  In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveyance roller that conveys a recording medium, a discharge roller that discharges the recording medium, and a discharge unit that holds the discharged recording medium. In a recording apparatus capable of recording on a recording medium by recording means for recording on the recording medium by conveying a tray on which the recording medium is mounted by the discharge roller and the conveying roller, the discharge unit includes: Guide means for supporting the tray and tray transport means for transporting the tray are provided.

  In the configuration of the present invention, the paper discharge unit can be rotated between a closed position and an open position, and the normal print position and the tray for holding the recording medium discharged in the open state are provided. The tray transport means has a rotatable biasing member biased in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tray transport direction, and the biasing member transports the tray. It is preferable that it is rotatable between a transport position for carrying out and a storage position in the paper discharge tray. Further, the paper discharge unit is provided with a pullable tip support for accommodating the length of the recording material, and switching between the transport position and the storage position of the tray transport means is performed for the movement of the storage and withdrawal of the tip support. It is preferable to employ a configuration in which a stopper for preventing the tray from being inserted when the urging member is in the storage position is provided in a part of the tray conveying means.

  According to the present invention, the discharge unit that holds the discharged recording medium includes the guide unit that supports the tray on which the recording medium is mounted and the tray transfer unit that transfers the tray. Even in a configuration in which the tray is supported by a paper discharge unit for printing on a recording medium such as cardboard or CD-R using the tray, the apparatus can be reduced in size with a simple configuration, and can be operated at low cost. A recording apparatus capable of performing excellent and highly reliable printing is provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of an embodiment of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied as viewed from the right front, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal mechanism of the recording apparatus in FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1 to 3, a recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a paper feeding unit 2, a paper feeding unit 3, a paper discharging unit 4, a carriage unit (recording unit 7 and its moving unit) 5, and a recovery mechanism unit (cleaning). Part) 6 and an exterior part. The structure of each part will be described below in order. .

  First, the paper feed unit 2 will be described. The sheet feeding unit 2 includes a pressure plate 21 on which a sheet material P as a recording medium (or a recording material) is stacked, a sheet feeding roller 28 that feeds the sheet material P, a separation roller 241 that separates the sheet material P, and a sheet material P. And a return lever 22 for returning to the loading position is attached to the base 20). A paper feed support 26 (see FIG. 5) for holding the stacked sheet material P is attached to the base 20 or the exterior. The paper feed support 26 is a multistage type that is pulled out during use. The sheet feeding roller 28 has a bar shape with a circular arc in section, and the sheet feeding roller is provided with one sheet feeding roller rubber 281 based on the sheet reference, thereby feeding (sending out) the sheet material.

  The driving of the paper feed roller 28 is transmitted from a paper feed motor 273 provided in the paper feed unit 2 by a drive transmission gear 271 and a planetary gear 272. A movable side guide 23 is movably provided on the pressure plate 21, thereby restricting the stacking position of the sheet material P. The pressure plate 21 is rotatable about a rotation shaft coupled to the base 20, and is urged toward the paper feed roller 28 by a pressure plate spring 212. A separation sheet 213 made of a material having a large coefficient of friction such as artificial leather for preventing the sheet material P near the top of the stack from being double fed is provided at a portion of the pressure plate 21 facing the sheet feeding roller 28. The pressure plate 21 is configured to be able to abut against and separate from the paper feed roller 28 by a pressure plate cam 214.

  Further, a separation roller holder 24 to which a separation roller 241 for separating the sheet material P one by one is attached to the base 20 is rotatable about a rotation shaft provided on the base 20 and the separation roller. The spring 242 is attached to the paper feeding roller 28 while being urged. A clutch spring 243 is attached to the separation roller 241. When a load greater than a predetermined value is applied to the separation roller 241, a portion to which the separation roller 241 is attached can rotate. The separation roller 241 is configured to be able to contact and separate from the paper feed roller 28 by a separation roller release shaft 244 and a control cam 25. The positions of the pressure plate 21, the return lever 22, and the separation roller 241 are detected by an ASF (paper feeding unit) sensor 29. The return lever 22 for returning the sheet material P to the stacking position is rotatably attached to the base 20 and is urged by a return lever spring 221 in the release direction. The return lever 22 is configured to rotate by a control cam 25 when the sheet material P is returned to the stacking position.

  In a normal standby state, the pressure plate 21 is released by the pressure plate cam 214, the separation roller 241 is released by the control cam 25, and the return lever 22 returns the sheet material P to the stacking position, and the sheet material P enters the back during loading. It is provided at a loading position so as to close the loading port. When paper feeding starts from this state, first, the separation roller 241 contacts the paper feeding roller 28 by driving the motor. Then, the return lever 22 is released, and the pressure plate 21 comes into contact with the paper feed roller 28. In this state, feeding of the sheet material P is started. The sheet material P is limited by the pre-stage separation unit 201 provided on the base 20, and only a predetermined number of the sheet material P is sent to the nip portion formed by the sheet feeding roller 28 and the separation roller 241. The fed sheet material P is separated at the nip portion, and only the uppermost sheet material P is conveyed (paper fed). When the sheet material P reaches a conveyance roller pair composed of a conveyance roller 36 and a pinch roller 37 described later, the pressure plate 21 is released by the pressure plate cam 214 and the separation roller 28 is released by the control cam 25, respectively. The return lever 22 is returned to the loading position by the control cam 25. At this time, the sheet material P that has reached the nip portion between the paper feed roller 28 and the separation roller 241 can be returned to the stacking position.

  Next, the paper feeding unit 3 will be described. A paper feeding section 3 is attached to a chassis 11 made of a bent metal sheet. The paper feeding unit 3 includes a conveyance roller 36 that conveys the sheet material P and a PE (paper edge) sensor 32. The transport roller 36 has a structure in which the surface of the metal shaft is coated with ceramic fine particles, and is attached to the chassis 11 by receiving the metal portions of both shafts with bearings 38. In order to perform stable conveyance by applying a rotation load to the conveyance roller 36, a conveyance roller tension spring 381 is provided between the bearing 38 and the conveyance roller 36. Giving load.

  The transport roller 36 is provided with a plurality of driven pinch rollers 37 in contact therewith. The pinch roller 37 is held by the pinch roller holder 30, and the pinch roller 37 is pressed against the conveying roller 36 by the pinch roller spring 31, thereby generating the conveying force of the sheet material P. The pinch roller holder 30 has a rotation shaft attached to a bearing of the chassis 11 and rotates around the rotation shaft. A paper guide flapper 33 and a platen 34 for guiding the sheet material P are disposed at the entrance of the sheet feeding unit 3 to which the sheet material P is conveyed. The pinch roller holder 30 is provided with a PE sensor lever 321 for transmitting detection of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the sheet material P to the PE sensor 32. The platen 34 is attached to the chassis 11 and positioned. The paper guide flapper 33 can be rotated around a bearing portion 331 that fits and slides on the conveyance roller 36, and is positioned by contacting the chassis 11.

  On the paper reference side of the platen 34, a paper presser 341 that covers an end portion of the sheet material P as a recording medium is provided. Thus, even in the sheet material P whose end portion is deformed or curled, the end portion is prevented from being lifted and interfered with the carriage 50 or the recording head 7. A recording head 7 as a recording unit for forming an image based on image information is provided on the downstream side of the conveying roller 36 in the sheet material conveying direction.

  In the above-described configuration, the sheet material P sent to the paper feeding unit 3 is guided by the pinch roller holder 30 and the paper guide flapper 33, and sent to the roller pair of the conveyance roller 36 and the pinch roller 37. At this time, the leading edge of the conveyed sheet material P is detected by the PE sensor lever 321, thereby obtaining the recording position (printing position, image forming position) of the sheet material P. The sheet material P is conveyed on the platen 34 when the conveyance roller pair 36 and 37 is rotated by the conveyance motor 35. A rib serving as a conveyance reference surface is formed on the platen 34, and the waviness of the sheet material P is controlled by controlling the undulation of the sheet material P together with the paper discharge unit described later. I try not to be.

  The conveyance roller 36 is driven by transmitting the rotational force of the conveyance motor 35 made of a DC motor to a pulley 361 provided on the axis of the conveyance roller 36 by a timing belt. A code wheel 362 for detecting the amount of conveyance by the conveyance roller 36 is provided on the axis of the conveyance roller 36. Marking is formed on the code wheel 362 at a pitch of 150 lpi to 300 lpi. An encoder sensor 39 for reading the marking is attached to a portion of the chassis 11 at a position adjacent to the code wheel 362. As the recording means (recording head) 7, an ink jet recording head equipped with a replaceable ink tank for each ink color is used. The recording head 7 can apply heat to the ink by a heater (heating element) or the like. This heat causes the ink to boil, ink is ejected from the ejection openings (nozzles) of the recording head 7 by pressure changes caused by the growth or contraction of bubbles due to the film boiling, and an image is formed on the sheet material P by the ejected ink droplets. Is formed.

  Next, the carriage unit 5 will be described. The carriage unit 5 has a carriage 50 on which a recording head 7 as recording means is mounted. The carriage 50 has a guide shaft 51 for reciprocating scanning in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) with the conveyance direction of the sheet material P, and an appropriate gap between the recording head 7 and the sheet material P while holding the rear end of the carriage. It is guided and supported by a guide rail 111 that maintains the above. The guide shaft 52 is attached to the chassis 11. The guide rail 111 is formed integrally with the chassis 11. A thin sliding sheet 53 of SUS or the like is stretched on the sliding side of the guide rail 111 with respect to the carriage 50 in order to reduce sliding noise.

  The carriage 50 is driven via a timing belt 541 by a carriage motor 54 attached to the chassis 11. The timing belt 541 is stretched and supported by an idle pulley 542. The timing belt 541 and the carriage 50 are coupled via a damper 55 made of rubber or the like, and image unevenness or the like is reduced by attenuating vibration of the carriage motor 54 or the like. In order to detect the position of the carriage 50, a code strip 561 in which markings are formed at a pitch of 150 lpi to 300 lpi is provided in parallel with the timing belt 541. An encoder sensor 56 for reading the code strip 561 is provided on a carriage substrate 92 mounted on the carriage 50. The carriage substrate 92 is provided with contacts 921 for electrical connection with the recording head 7. The carriage 50 is provided with a flexible substrate 57 for transmitting a head signal from the electric section (electric substrate) 9 to the recording head 7.

  In order to fix the recording head 7 to the carriage 50, the carriage 50 is provided with an abutting portion 501 for positioning and a pressing means (head pressing means) 511 for pressing. The pressing means 511 is mounted on the head set lever 51, and a pressing force acts on the recording head 7 when the head set lever 51 is rotated and set around the rotation fulcrum. Eccentric cams 521 are provided at both ends of the guide shaft 52, and the guide shaft 52 can be moved up and down by transmitting the drive to the eccentric cam 521 through the gear train 581 by driving the carriage elevating motor 58. it can. By raising and lowering the guide shaft 52, the carriage 50 is similarly raised and lowered, and an optimum gap can be formed even for the sheet material P having different thicknesses.

  On the carriage 50, a CD printing tray 83, which will be described later, that is, a mark 83 for detecting the position of the tray 83 which is transported by carrying a small and thick recording medium (recording medium) such as a CD-R or a DVD. A tray position detection sensor 59 composed of a reflection type optical sensor for detection is attached. The tray position detection sensor 59 can detect the position of the tray 83 by emitting light from the light emitting element and receiving the reflected light. When an image is formed on the sheet material P, the sheet material P is conveyed to the position of the row where the image is to be formed (position in the conveyance direction of the sheet material P), and the carriage motor 54 forms an image on the carriage 50 (sheet material). And the recording head 7 is made to face the image forming position. Thereafter, the recording head 7 ejects ink toward the sheet material P in response to a signal from the electric substrate 9 to form an image.

  Next, the paper discharge unit 4 will be described. The paper discharge unit 4 drives the two paper discharge rollers 40 and 41, a spur 42 that can be driven and rotated by contacting the paper discharge rollers 40 and 41 with a predetermined pressure, and the transport roller 36. 41, a gear train for transmitting, and the like. The paper discharge rollers 40 and 41 are attached to a member integrated with the platen 34. The upstream discharge roller 40 is configured by providing a plurality of rubber portions (discharge roller rubber) 401 on a metal shaft. The paper discharge roller 40 is driven by the drive from the transport roller 36 being transmitted through an idler gear. The downstream discharge roller 41 has a structure in which a plurality of elastic bodies 411 such as an elastomer are attached to a resin shaft. The paper discharge roller 41 is driven by the drive transmitted from the paper discharge roller 40 via an idler gear.

  As the spur 42, for example, a SUS thin plate provided with a plurality of convex shapes around it and integrally molded with the resin portion is used. Such a spur 42 is attached to a spur base 43. A spur spring 44 provided with a coil spring in a bar shape attaches the spur 42 to the spur base 43 and press-contacts the paper discharge rollers 40 and 41. The spurs 42 include those that mainly generate the conveying force of the sheet material P and those that mainly prevent the sheet material P from being lifted when recording. The spur that generates the conveyance force is disposed at a position corresponding to the rubber portion (the discharge roller rubber portion, the elastic portion) of the discharge rollers 40 and 41. On the other hand, the spur for preventing the sheet material P from being lifted is disposed at a position where the rubber portion 401 of the paper discharge rollers 40 and 41 is not present (between the rubber portion 401 and the rubber portion 401).

  The spur base 43 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the platen 34, and is urged toward the platen 34 by a spur base spring 202 that exerts a biasing force larger than the biasing force of the spur spring 44 at both ends thereof. The spur base 43 is positioned in such a manner that a part of the spur base 43 abuts against the platen 34. A paper end support 45 is provided between the paper discharge rollers 40 and 41. The paper edge support 45 lifts both ends of the sheet material P and holds the sheet material P at the tip of the paper discharge rollers 40 and 41, thereby rubbing the image recording portion on the previous sheet material P. This is to prevent damage or deterioration. A resin member provided with a roller 451 at the front end is urged by a paper end support spring 452 and presses the roller 451 against the sheet material P with a predetermined pressure, thereby lifting both ends of the sheet material P and creating a waist. It is comprised so that the material P can be hold | maintained.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state (appearance) when the paper discharge unit 95 is closed in the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state in which the paper discharge unit 95 is opened in the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where normal printing is possible with the tip support 953 pulled out from the state of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the state of FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a tray printable state in which the paper unit 95 is raised to a tray printing position and fixed.

  In FIG. 1 to FIG. 7, the sheet material P on which an image is formed by the carriage unit 5 is conveyed by being sandwiched between the nip portion between the sheet discharge roller 41 and the spur 42, and on the sheet discharge unit 95 opened to a horizontal position. Discharged. The paper discharge unit 95 has a divided structure composed of a plurality of members, and can be stored on the front surface of an upper case 98 described later when not in use, and does not take up space. When recording on the sheet material P, the tip support 953 is pulled out and used. The front end support 953 is formed so as to increase in height toward the front end thereof, and is also formed at a high height at both side edges, thereby improving the stackability of the discharged sheet material P and the sheet. The printed surface of the material P is prevented from rubbing.

  Next, the recovery mechanism unit 6 will be described. The recovery mechanism unit 6 includes a pump 60 (a suction pump or the like as a negative pressure generation source) for performing a suction recovery process for maintaining and recovering the discharge performance of the recording head 7, and protecting the discharge port surface of the recording head 7. A cap 61 for preventing drying, and a wiping means (blade) 62 for wiping off (cleaning) deposits such as ink and dust around the discharge port on the discharge port surface of the recording head 7. ing. The recovery mechanism unit 6 includes a dedicated recovery motor 69. The recovery mechanism 6 is provided with a one-way clutch 691, which operates the pump 60 by rotating the recovery motor 69 in one direction (forward rotation) and wiping the blade 62 by rotating in the other direction (reverse rotation). It is comprised so that operation and the raising / lowering operation | movement of the cap 61 may be actuated.

  The pump 60 is configured to generate negative pressure by squeezing two tubes 67 with a pump roller 68, and a valve 65 is provided in the middle of a suction path (tube or the like) from the cap 61 to the pump 60. The suction recovery means including the pump 60 generates a negative pressure in the cap 61 by operating the pump 60 with the cap 61 in close contact with the discharge port surface of the recording head 7 (capping state). The negative pressure is configured to suck and discharge thickened ink, bubbles, dust, and other foreign matter together with ink from the ejection port of the recording head 7. The cap 61 is filled with a cap absorber (ink absorber) 611 for reducing the amount of residual ink (adhered ink) on the ejection port surface of the recording head 7 after suction. In addition, since the cap absorber 611 is provided, the residual ink in the cap 61 is removed by operating the suction pump 60 with the cap 61 opened in order to prevent the problem that the residual ink adheres to the cap absorber 611. It is configured to perform an empty suction operation for suction removal. The waste ink sucked by the pump 60 is absorbed and held in a waste ink absorber 991 provided in a lower case 99 described later.

  A series of various recovery processing operations in the recovery mechanism section 6, that is, a wiping operation by the blade 62, an opening / closing operation of the cap 61, an on / off operation of the pump 60, an opening / closing operation of the valve 65 between the cap 61 and the pump 60, etc. This operation is controlled by a main cam 63 provided with a plurality of cams on the same axis. A predetermined recovery processing operation is executed by actuating a cam, an arm (lever), or the like corresponding to each recovery processing operation by the main cam 63. The position (rotation position etc.) of the main cam 63 can be detected by a position detection sensor 64 such as a photo interrupter. When the cap 61 is separated from the recording head 7, the blade 62 moves in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction of the carriage 5, thereby wiping (cleaning) the discharge port surface of the recording head 7. The blade 62 is provided with a plurality of blades including a blade for wiping the vicinity of the discharge port of the recording head 7 and a blade for wiping the entire discharge port surface. When the blade 62 moves to the innermost position, the blade 62 is brought into contact with the blade cleaner 66 to remove ink (transfer ink) and the like attached to the blade 62 itself, thereby restoring the wiping performance of the blade 62. be able to.

  Next, the exterior of the recording apparatus 1 will be described. Each functional part and each mechanism part (each unit) described above is incorporated in the chassis 11 of the recording apparatus 1 to form a mechanism part of the recording apparatus. An exterior part is attached so as to cover the periphery of these mechanism parts. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the exterior portion mainly includes a lower case 99, an upper case 98, an access cover 97, and a paper discharge unit 95. An access cover 97 is rotatably attached to the upper case 98. An opening is formed in a part of the upper surface of the upper case 98, and the ink tank 71 and the recording head 7 can be exchanged through this opening. The upper case 98 and the lower case 99 are attached with elastic fitting claws.

  A door switch lever (not shown) for detecting opening / closing of the access cover 97 is provided, and a multistage paper feed support 26 is rotatably attached to the upper case 98. If the paper feed support 26 is stored when the paper feed unit 2 is not used, the paper feed support 26 functions as a cover for the paper feed unit. 4 to 7, the basic configuration of the paper discharge unit 95 is such that the paper discharge base 951 and the paper discharge cover 952 are fixed so as to sandwich the tip support 953 corresponding to the length of the recording medium to be discharged. The tip support 953 can be stored and pulled out. The upper surface of the paper discharge cover 952 forms a part of the sheet material placement surface that holds the discharged sheet material P, and a tray setting surface for setting the tray 83 on which the recording medium is mounted during tray printing. 952a.

  That is, the discharge cover 952 of the discharge unit 95 for holding the discharged sheet material P has left and right edges of the tray 83 set with the set portion (tray set surface) 952a for supporting the tray 83. Left and right guide surfaces 952b for positioning and guiding are provided. The paper discharge unit 95 can be rotated (opened / closed) and moved (vertically moved) with respect to the lower case 99 by inserting the rotation center 951a into the guide support groove 99a of the lower case 99, and the tray 95 83, a raised position (tray printing position) for printing (recording) on a recording medium mounted on the recording medium, and a lowered position for printing (recording) on a sheet material P as a recording medium. It is supported so as to be fixedly held at (normal printing position). When the recording apparatus is not used, the installation area can be reduced by closing the paper discharge unit 95 as shown in FIG.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the recording medium is provided with a conveyance roller 36 that conveys the recording medium, a discharge roller 41 that discharges the recording medium, and a discharge unit 95 that holds the discharged recording medium. In a recording apparatus capable of recording on a recording medium by recording means for recording on the recording medium by conveying the mounted tray 83 by the discharging roller 41 and the conveying roller 36, the tray 83 is provided in the discharging unit 95. Guide means for supporting the tray 83 and tray transport means for transporting the tray 83 are provided. In the above configuration, the tray conveying means has rotatable urging members (urging arms) 956 and 957 urged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tray conveying direction, and the urging member conveys the tray 83. And a storage position in the paper discharge unit 95 are configured to be rotatable. Further, the paper discharge unit 95 is provided with a pullable front end support 953 corresponding to the length of the recording material, and the transfer and storage positions of the tray transfer means are switched between storage and withdrawal of the front end support 953. It is preferable to be configured to be interlocked with the movement of the

  The characteristics of the recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied are particularly the above-described paper discharge unit 95 and the configuration for CD printing using it. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing an appearance of the paper discharge unit 95 when the front end support 953 is pulled out for normal printing, and FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a state in which the paper discharge cover 952 is removed from the state of FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the tip support 953 is housed and tray printing is possible from the state of FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing the relative positional relationship between the paper discharge unit 95 and the spur base 43 when the paper discharge unit 95 is closed (state shown in FIG. 4), and FIG. 12 shows the paper discharge unit 95 opened. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing the relative positional relationship between the paper discharge unit 95 and the spur base 43 at the time (the state of FIG. 5), and FIG. 13 raises the paper discharge unit 95 from the state of FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing a relative positional relationship between the paper discharge unit 95 and the spur base 43 when held (state of FIG. 7).

  14 is a schematic perspective view showing the paper discharge unit 95 (FIGS. 7 and 13) set at the tray printing position together with the paper discharge roller 41, the spur base 43 and the platen 34, and FIG. 15 is set at the tray printing position. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a tray 83 on which a recording medium is mounted is set on a discharged paper discharge unit 95 (FIGS. 7 and 13) together with paper discharge rollers 40 and 41 and a platen 34. FIG. Next, Embodiment 1 of the recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The discharge unit 95 is slidably engaged with guide support grooves 99a (FIGS. 5 and 6) formed on both sides of the lower case 99 so that the rotation centers 951a on both sides thereof are slidably engaged with the lower case 99. On the other hand, it is guided and supported so that it can be rotated (opened / closed) and moved (moved up and down) and fixedly held at the raised position (tray printing position) and lowered position (sheet material P printing position).

  Therefore, when printing (recording) on a disc-shaped recording medium such as a compact and thick CD-R set on the tray 83, first, as described above, the paper discharge unit 95 is opened and the tip support 953 is attached. The paper discharge unit 95 is set at the tray printing position while being stored. The tray is set to the tray printing position by placing the paper discharge unit 95 opened in the state of FIG. 5 with its rotation center 951a along the guide support groove 99a (FIGS. 5 and 6) formed in the lower case 99. This operation is performed as an operation of fixing to the raised position (tray printing position) shown in FIGS. That is, the paper discharge unit 95 moves the rotation center 951a along the groove 99a of the lower case 99 to the position shown in FIG. 7 without pulling out the tip support 953 from the open position in FIG. The tray set surface 952a of the paper discharge unit 95 is set to a tray printing position where the height is substantially the same as the upper surface of the paper discharge roller 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the paper discharge unit 95 is configured to fix the paper discharge base 951 and the paper discharge cover 952 so as to sandwich the tip support 953 and to store and pull out the tip support 953. Yes. The upper surface of the paper discharge cover 952 forms a part of the sheet material placement surface that holds the discharged sheet material P, and a tray setting surface for setting the tray 83 on which the recording medium is mounted during tray printing. 952a. Further, left and right guide surfaces 952b for positioning and guiding the left and right edges of the tray 83 are provided at the left and right side edges of the tray set surface 952a of the discharge cover 952. The left and right guide surfaces 952b constitute guide means for supporting the tray 83. In a state in which the paper discharge tray unit 95 is set at the tray printing position, the tray setting surface 952a of the paper discharge unit 95 (discharge cover 952) is substantially at the same height as the upper surface of the paper discharge roller 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, in the paper discharge unit 95, biasing arms 956 and 957 are pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the rotation axis X formed by the paper discharge cover 952. A rotating roller 954 is rotatably supported at the respective distal ends of the urging arms 956 and 957. The urging arms 956 and 957 are urged by an urging spring 955 in the direction in which the rotating roller 954 is directed toward the sheet discharge base 951 (toward the storage position in the sheet discharge unit 95). The urging arms 956 and 957 are substantially L-shaped so as not to hinder the transport movement (transport path) of the tray 83, and are positioned outside the transport path (outside the left and right edges of the tray set surface 952a). The downward biasing position by the rotating roller 954 is selected inside the left and right end edges of the transport path. The urging arms 956 and 957 and the rotating roller 954 constitute a part of a tray transport unit for transporting the tray 83.

  FIG. 8 shows a state of the paper discharge unit 95 when the front end support 953 is pulled out for stacking the sheet material at the time of printing the sheet material. In this state, the urging arms 956 and 957 move the rotating roller 954 portion. Except at the storage position stored inside the discharge base 951, there is no loss in the number of sheets that can be stacked when the sheet material P is stacked. Further, in the state of FIG. 8, the portions 956a and 957a of the urging arms 956 and 957 serve as stoppers that block the conveyance unit so that the tray 83 set on the tray setting surface 952a is not inserted in an incorrect state. . When the tray is printed, the front end support 953 is pushed between the paper discharge base 951 and the paper discharge cover 952 and stored. In this state, as shown in FIG. , 957 is pushed up, and the urging arm 957 and the rotating roller 954 are in a position protruding from the upper surface of the discharge cover 952 by a predetermined height, as shown in FIG. The position protruding by the predetermined height is a transport position for transporting the tray 83.

  14, the clearance (clearance) between the rotary roller 954 and the tray set surface 952a of the paper discharge cover 952 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the tray 83. In some cases, the tray 83 can be slidably brought into contact with the tray set surface 952a with a prescribed pressure. In the operation of pushing up the rotating roller 954 of the biasing arms 956 and 957 by storing the tip support 953 described above, the tip support 953 is stored by providing an uneven portion between the biasing arms 956 and 957 and the tip support 953. It can be held with a click feeling, thereby improving user operability without adding parts.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 11 to FIG. 13, the positional relationship seen from the side of the paper discharge unit 95 and the spur base 43 that supports the spur 42 will be described. When the paper discharge unit 95 is closed, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 11, the rotation center 951a is positioned at the lower part in the groove 99a and the paper discharge unit 95 is in a vertical posture. When the paper discharge unit 95 is opened by rotating it counterclockwise as shown in the figure from the closed position in FIG. 11 around the rotation center 951a located at the bottom, the state shown in FIG. 12 is obtained. By pulling out the tip support 953 from the state shown in FIG. 12, normal printing (normal recording) on the sheet material P is possible. In the state of FIG. 12, the spur base 43 is abutted against the platen 34 by the downward biasing force of the spur base spring 202, and the spur 42 is biased (contacted) with the paper discharge roller 41. Accordingly, when the rotation center 951a is moved upward along the groove 99a while keeping the paper discharge unit 95 in the horizontal posture from the state of FIG. 12, the tray printable state (tray printing position) as shown in FIG. Become. At this time, the tip support 953 remains housed in the paper discharge unit 95.

The release arm 201 provided on the spur base 43 is inserted between the platen 34 and the spur base 43 in synchronization with the movement of moving the paper discharge unit 95 to the tray printing position. As a result, the spur base 43 is moved upward from the sheet material printing position, and the spur 42 is released (separated) from the paper discharge roller 41. As a result, a gap (clearance) is secured in order to insert the tray 83 into the conveyance start position. 14 shows a state in which the paper discharge unit 95 is set at the tray printing position, and FIG. 15 shows a state in which the tray 83 is set on the tray setting surface 952a of the paper discharge unit 95 shown in FIG. 14 with the spur base 43 removed. It is. The insertion position of the tray 83 shown in FIG. 15 is also the conveyance start position of the tray 83.

  In the state shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 for setting the tray 83, the tip support 953 is of course stored, and the urging arms 956 and 957 and the rotating roller 954 protrude from the upper surface of the paper discharge cover 952. 14 and 15, a part of the urging arms 956 and 957 (parts slightly protruding from the tray set surface 952a) 956a and 957a facilitate the operation of inserting the tray 83 into the recording apparatus. In addition to functioning as a guide means, the sheet material P functions as a stopper for preventing the tray 83 from being inserted into the recording apparatus during normal printing. Therefore, when inserting the tray 83, it can be easily inserted into the conveyance start position with the help of the biasing arm portions 956a and 957a. Further, in the transfer position where the tray can be transferred, the biasing spring that acts via the biasing arms 956 and 957 and the rotating roller 954 at the transfer start position where the tip of the tray 83 is set at the specified position on the platen 34. A conveying force can be obtained by pressing the tray 83 against the paper discharge roller 41 with an appropriate pressure by a downward spring force of 955.

  The tray 83 set under the configuration described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 does not release the pinch roller 37 by lever operation or the like, and does not release the pinch roller 37 by reverse rotation of the paper discharge roller 41. Is conveyed (conveyed) to the nip portion between them, and thus can be conveyed into the recording apparatus by the conveying roller 36. When transported by the transport roller 36, the reflecting plate provided on the tray 83 is read by a position detection sensor provided on the carriage 50, thereby transporting the tray 83 or a recording medium mounted on the tray (sub-scanning direction). In addition, accurate positioning in the main scanning direction can be performed.

  When the above series of initial operations is completed, the tray 83 is transported to a recording position inside the recording apparatus, that is, a predetermined position where the entire surface of the recording medium (CD-R, etc.) on the tray can be printed. Thereafter, recording (printing) on the recording medium is started in accordance with image data sent from the host. In image formation, by using so-called multi-pass printing that forms images by multiple scans, band accuracy is improved by improving transport accuracy and printing position accuracy (e.g., landing accuracy of ejected ink droplets in the case of an inkjet recording method). The occurrence of printing unevenness can be prevented or reduced. After the printing is completed, the tray 83 is transported (sent out) onto or near the paper discharge unit 95 by the normal rotation of the transport roller 36 and the paper discharge roller 41. The discharged tray 83 can be easily taken out from the paper discharge unit 95. As is clear from the above, according to the present embodiment, the operability when performing tray printing can be greatly improved, and the accuracy can be improved on a recording medium such as a CD-R mounted on the tray 83 with a simple operation. It is possible to print well.

In the embodiment described above, the urging arms 956 and 957 are formed of separate members. However, this may be configured such that the two urging arms on the left and right are integrated. Further, the position switching of the urging arm may be performed by a slide operation instead of the rotation operation as in the present embodiment, and instead of the operation of storing and pulling out the tip support 953 as in the present embodiment. Therefore, a configuration may be adopted in which switching is performed using the movement of the paper discharge unit 95 to the tray printing position.

  According to the embodiment described above, the guide unit (left and right guide surfaces 952b, part of the urging members 956, 957) that supports the tray 83 on which the recording medium is mounted on the paper discharge unit 95 that holds the discharged recording medium. 956a, 957a) and tray conveying means (urging members 956, 957 and rotating rollers 954) for conveying the tray 83, the tray 83 is used to provide cardboard, CD-R, etc. Even in a configuration in which the tray is supported by the paper discharge unit 95 for printing on a recording medium, it is possible to cope with downsizing of the apparatus with a simple configuration, and to perform highly reliable printing with low cost and excellent operability. A recording device is provided.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the recording apparatus is an ink jet recording apparatus has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to other recording systems such as a wire dot type, a thermal type, and a laser beam type recording apparatus. The present invention can be similarly applied to the recording apparatus to be used, and the same function and effect can be achieved. The present invention also relates to a recording apparatus for performing monochromatic recording, a color recording apparatus for recording with a plurality of different colors using one or a plurality of recording heads, and a gradation recording apparatus for recording with a plurality of densities of the same color and different densities. Furthermore, the present invention can be similarly applied to a recording apparatus that combines these, and the same effect can be achieved.

  In the above embodiments, the case of a serial type recording apparatus that records while moving the recording head as the recording means in the main scanning direction has been described as an example. Any recording apparatus having recording means moving means for moving in a direction crossing the direction may be used, and the recording means moving means is not limited to a serial type recording apparatus that uses a carriage 50 for main scanning. The same applies to recording devices of other recording methods, such as a line recording method (line-type recording device) that records only by sub-scanning using a line-type recording head that covers the entire width or part of it. It is possible to achieve the same effect. The present invention can also be applied to an ink jet recording apparatus that uses a recording means that uses an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element. Among others, a system that ejects ink using thermal energy In the ink jet recording apparatus using the recording means, an excellent effect is brought about. This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition.

1 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of an embodiment of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied as viewed from the right front side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal mechanism of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1 as viewed from the left front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the recording apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state when the paper discharge unit is closed in the recording apparatus to which the invention is applied. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state when the paper discharge unit is opened in the recording apparatus to which the invention is applied. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a normal printable state in which the tip support is pulled out from the state of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a tray printable state in which the paper discharge unit is lifted and fixed from the state of FIG. 5 to the tray printing position. It is a typical perspective view which shows the external appearance of the paper discharge unit when a front end support is pulled out for normal printing. It is a typical perspective view which shows the state which removed the paper discharge cover from the state of FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the tip support is accommodated from the state of FIG. 9 to enable tray printing. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a relative positional relationship between the paper discharge unit and the spur base when the paper discharge unit is closed (state shown in FIG. 4). FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a relative positional relationship between the paper discharge unit and the spur base when the paper discharge unit is opened (state in FIG. 5). FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing a relative positional relationship between the paper discharge unit and the spur base when the paper discharge unit is lifted from the state of FIG. 12 and held at the tray printing position (state of FIG. 7). It is a typical perspective view which shows the paper discharge unit (FIG. 7, FIG. 13) set to the tray printing position with a paper discharge roller, a spur base, and a platen. FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a tray loaded with a recording medium is set on a paper discharge unit (FIGS. 7 and 13) set at a tray printing position together with a paper discharge roller and a platen.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording device 2 Paper feed part 3 Paper feed part 4 Paper discharge part 5 Carriage part 6 Recovery mechanism part (cleaning part)
7 Recording means (recording head)
11 Chassis 111 Guide rail 20 Base 21 Pressure plate 212 Pressure plate spring 213 Separation sheet 214 Pressure plate cam 22 Return lever 221 Return lever spring 23 Movable side guide 231 Sheet guide portion 233 Operation portion 241 Separation roller 242 Separation roller spring 243 Separation roller clutch 244 Separation roller Release shaft 245 Separating roller shaft 25 Control cam 26 Paper feed support 27 Drive unit 273 Paper feed motor 28 Paper feed roller 281 Paper feed roller rubber 29 ASF sensor 30 Pinch roller holder 31 Pinch roller spring 32 PE sensor 321 PE sensor lever 33 Paper guide flapper 34 Platen 341 Paper press 35 Transport motor 36 Transport roller 361 Pulley 362 Code wheel 37 Pinch roller 381 Roller tension spring 39 D Coder sensor 40 Paper discharge roller 41 Paper discharge roller 42 Spur 43 Spur base 44 Spur spring 45 Paper end support 50 Carriage 51 Headset lever 511 Head pressing means 52 Guide shaft 54 Carriage motor 541 Timing belt 542 Idle pulley 56 Encoder sensor 561 Code strip 57 Flexible substrate 58 Carriage raising / lowering motor 59 Tray position detection sensor 60 Pump 61 Cap 62 Blade 63 Main cam 64 Position detection sensor 65 Valve 66 Blade cleaner 67 Tube 68 Pump roller 69 Recovery motor (cleaning motor)
7 Recording means (recording head)
71 Ink tank 83 Tray (for CD printing)
95 Paper discharge unit 951 Paper discharge base 952 Paper discharge cover 953 Tip support 954 Rotating roller 955 Biasing springs 956 and 957 Biasing members (biasing arms)
956a, 957a Part of biasing member (biasing arm) 96 Connector cover 97 Access cover 98 Upper case 99 Lower case 201 Release arm 202 Spur base spring

Claims (5)

A transport roller that transports the recording medium; a paper discharge roller that discharges the recording medium; and a paper discharge unit that holds the discharged recording medium. In a recording apparatus capable of recording on a recording medium by recording means for recording on the recording medium by being conveyed by a roller,
A recording apparatus comprising: a guide unit that supports the tray; and a tray transport unit that transports the tray.   The paper discharge unit is rotatable between a closed position and an open position, and in the open state, a normal print position for holding a recording medium to be discharged and a tray print position for supporting the tray The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is movable between the two.   The tray conveying means has a rotatable urging member urged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tray conveying direction, and the urging member has a conveying position for conveying the tray and a storage position in the paper discharge unit. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is rotatable between the two.   The paper discharge unit is provided with a pullable tip support for accommodating the length of the recording material, and the switching between the transport position and the storage position of the tray transport means is interlocked with the movement of the storage and withdrawal of the tip support. The recording apparatus according to claim 3.   The recording apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a stopper for preventing the tray from being inserted when the urging member is in the storage position is provided in a part of the tray conveying unit. .

Images