JP2009007136A - Sheet carrying device and image recorder having this sheet carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet carrying device capable of surely checking double feeding of a sheet, when the sheet of a predetermined size or smaller is placed on a tray. <P>SOLUTION: Side guides 80 and 81 for positioning recording paper are movably arranged in a paper feeding tray 20. A friction pad 100 is arranged on an upper surface of the paper feeding tray 20. A plate 136 projecting to the central side of the paper feeding tray 20 is arranged in the side guide 81, and friction pads 131 and 132 having a friction coefficient larger than a friction pad 104 are arranged on an upper surface of this plate 136. When the side guide 81 is moved to a position of a postcard size, the friction pad 131 is arranged on the friction pad 104, and when moved to a position of an L print size for a photograph, the friction pad 132 is arranged on the friction pad 104. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus including a positioning member that positions a sheet placed on a tray at a predetermined position, and an image recording apparatus including the sheet conveying apparatus.

  An image recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer or a laser printer includes a sheet conveying device. The sheet conveying device separates sheets one by one from a plurality of sheet bundles placed in a stacked manner on a tray and conveys the sheets in a predetermined direction. Separation / conveyance of the sheet is performed by a frictional force generated on the contact surface when a rotating body such as a roller is brought into contact with the uppermost sheet placed on the tray and the rotating body is driven (Patent Document 1 and Patent Document). 2). In such a type of sheet conveying apparatus, in order to reliably separate the sheets, the frictional force acting between the rotating body and the sheet is larger than the frictional force acting between the sheets. The coefficient of friction is set.

  On the other hand, when the amount of sheets stacked on the tray (the number of stacked sheets) decreases, so-called multi-feeding may occur in which several sheets are conveyed while being overlapped. Therefore, a friction member having a predetermined friction coefficient is disposed on the tray mounting surface so that the frictional force acting between the tray and the sheet is larger than the frictional force acting between the sheets. Thereby, the double feeding of sheets is reduced.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-42246 JP-A-5-69971

  In recent years, glossy paper whose surface is coated with a coating material such as alumina has been frequently used in image recording apparatuses in order to increase ink absorbability. Such glossy paper has a higher surface friction coefficient than so-called plain paper (matte paper) or inkjet paper. Therefore, when glossy paper is set on the tray in a stacked state, the friction force acting between the sheets may be larger than the friction force acting between the friction member and the sheet. In particular, a sheet for double-sided printing (for example, glossy postcards) formed with glossy paper on one side and plain paper or inkjet paper other than glossy paper is placed on the tray with the glossy side up. When placed, the above phenomenon is likely to occur. In this case, the sheets are not separated well when the sheets are conveyed, and the sheets are likely to be double-fed. On the other hand, if a friction coefficient greater than that of the conventional friction member is used, the load applied to the sheet during conveyance increases. For example, when a sheet such as plain paper with low stiffness (rigidity) is conveyed In addition, there may be a problem that the surface of the sheet is wrinkled or scratched.

  By the way, in the market, for example, glossy paper of various sizes such as A3 size, A4 size, B5 size, postcard size, photographic L size, and business card size is sold. As glossy papers of various sizes are sold in this way, in particular, there is a great demand for glossy papers smaller than the postcard size for photographic printing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to increase the frictional force that acts between the tray and the sheet when a sheet having a predetermined size or less is placed. A sheet conveying apparatus capable of reliably preventing double feeding of sheets even when a sheet having a large friction coefficient such as glossy paper frequently used in a predetermined size or less is placed on a tray, and the sheet conveying apparatus Is to provide an image recording apparatus including the above.

(1) The present invention is configured as a sheet conveying apparatus including a tray, a positioning member, a rotating body, a first friction member, and a second friction member. Sheets of various sizes are placed on the tray. The positioning member is provided on the tray and is movable to a first position for positioning a sheet larger than a predetermined size and a second position for positioning a sheet having a predetermined size or less. The rotating body is configured to be movable in a direction in which the rotating body is in contact with or separated from the tray. When the rotating body comes into contact with the sheet on the tray, the sheet is conveyed from the tray. The first friction member has a predetermined coefficient of friction. The first friction member is disposed at a predetermined position on the tray corresponding to the position of the rotating body when the positioning member is moved to the first position. The second friction member has a friction coefficient larger than the predetermined friction coefficient of the first friction member. The second friction member is disposed at the predetermined position when the positioning member is moved to the second position.

  In the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention, the positioning member is configured to be movable between the first position and the second position. The first position is set as a position for positioning a sheet larger than a predetermined size, and the second position is set as a position for positioning a sheet having the predetermined size or less. Then, the first friction member or the second friction member is arranged on the tray according to the position of the positioning member. That is, when the positioning member is moved to the first position, the first friction member is disposed at a predetermined position on the tray. On the other hand, when the positioning member is moved to the second position, a second friction member having a friction coefficient larger than that of the first friction member is disposed at a predetermined position on the tray.

  Thereby, for example, when the predetermined size is a postcard size, the sheet and the second friction member come into contact with each other when glossy paper frequently used as a postcard size or smaller sheet is placed. Therefore, the frictional force acting between the tray and the sheet is increased. Therefore, the friction force does not fall below the friction force acting between the sheets. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent double feeding of sheets.

(2) The first friction member is fixed at the predetermined position on the tray. The second friction member is provided on the positioning member. The first friction member is exposed when the positioning member is moved to the first position, and the second friction member is moved to the first friction member when the positioning member is moved to the second position. It is arranged at a position that covers.

  Accordingly, the second friction member can be easily arranged at a predetermined position on the tray by performing a simple operation of adjusting the positioning member to the size of the sheet.

(3) The positioning member includes a parallel plate that is configured in parallel to the tray and supports an end portion of a sheet placed on the tray from the lower surface. In this case, it is preferable that the second friction member is provided on the upper surface of the parallel plate.

(4) It is preferable that the second friction member is composed of at least two friction members corresponding to at least two specified sizes not more than the predetermined size. In this case, when the positioning member is moved to a position corresponding to one of the specified sizes, the friction member corresponding to the specified size is disposed at the predetermined position.

  Thereby, the friction member having a friction coefficient corresponding to the size of the sheet can be arranged at a predetermined position on the tray.

(5) The at least two specified sizes may be glossy paper sizes frequently used for photographic printing, for example, postcard size or equivalent size, and photographic L size or equivalent size. preferable.

(6) The sheet conveying apparatus further includes a conveying path that reverses the front and back surfaces of the sheet conveyed by the rotating body and guides the sheet to the image recording position of the image recording apparatus. In this case, it is preferable that the friction member corresponding to the postcard size or the size corresponding thereto has a friction coefficient larger than that of the friction member corresponding to the photographic L size or the size corresponding thereto.

  In the sheet conveying apparatus having such a conveying path, when image recording is performed on L-size glossy paper for photographs, the glossy paper is placed on the tray so that the glossy surface faces the upper surface of the tray. The glossy surface has a higher coefficient of friction than the other surfaces. On the other hand, when image recording is performed on a postcard having a glossy surface, the postcard is placed so that the glossy surface faces the upper surface of the tray. Further, when image recording is performed on the postcard address surface, the postcard is placed so that the address surface faces the upper surface of the tray. In general, the address surface is not glossy. Therefore, in order to separate the postcards well, it is necessary to generate a larger frictional force than when the glossy surface is opposed to the upper surface of the tray. In the present invention, the friction member corresponding to the postcard size or the size corresponding thereto has a friction coefficient larger than the friction coefficient of the friction member corresponding to the L size for photographs or the size corresponding thereto. Even when the address surface is opposed to the upper surface of the tray, it is possible to reliably prevent double feeding.

(7) Considering that glossy paper of a postcard size or less is frequently used for photographic printing, the predetermined size is preferably a postcard or a sheet size equivalent thereto.

(8) The positioning member is configured to be movable in the width direction substantially orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction on the tray, and is a side that contacts the end portion in the width direction of the sheet placed on the tray. A guide can be considered.

(9) Further, the positioning member is a rear guide configured to be movable in the sheet conveying direction on the tray and abutting on an upstream end of the sheet placed on the tray in the sheet conveying direction. May be.

(10) The present invention can also be understood as an image recording apparatus that includes the above-described sheet conveying apparatus and records an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying apparatus. Even with such an image recording apparatus, the above-described effects are exhibited.

  According to the present invention, when a sheet of a predetermined size or less is placed, the frictional force acting between the tray and the sheet increases, so that a sheet having a large friction coefficient such as glossy paper frequently used at a predetermined size or less is provided. Even when placed on the tray, it is possible to reliably prevent double feeding of sheets.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Each embodiment described below is only an example in which the present invention is embodied, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]
First, the configuration and operation of a multifunction machine 10 (an example of an image recording apparatus of the present invention) to which a feeding device 16 (see FIG. 2) that is an example of a sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention is applied will be described.

<Schematic configuration of MFP 10>
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 of the multifunction machine 10. In FIG. 2, a part of the paper feed tray 20 (an example of the tray in the present invention) and the paper discharge tray 21 are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is a multi-function device (MFD: Multi Function Device) integrally including a printer unit 11 and a scanner unit 12, and includes a print function, a scan function, a copy function, and a facsimile. Has functions etc. Note that the image recording apparatus according to the present invention may be implemented as a printer having only a print function, in addition to being implemented as the multifunction machine 10 having a plurality of functions. In the first embodiment, a mode in which the printer unit 11 is an ink jet printer that uses ink for image recording will be described. The printer unit 11 may be a laser printer that uses toner for image recording.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 has a wide and thin, generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape having a width and depth larger than the height. The upper part of the multifunction machine 10 is a scanner unit 12. The scanner unit 12 is configured as a so-called flat bed scanner. A document cover 8 is provided as a top plate of the multifunction machine 10 so as to be freely opened and closed. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a platen glass and an image sensor are provided inside the main body below the document cover 8. The image of the document placed on the platen glass is read by an image sensor. In realizing the present invention, the scanner unit 12 has an arbitrary configuration, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  The lower part of the multifunction machine 10 is a printer unit 11. The printer unit 11 records an image or a document on a recording sheet based on image data read by the scanner unit 12 or print data input from the outside. The printer unit 11 is configured so that the paper feed cassette 70 can be attached and detached. The recording paper stored in the paper feed cassette 70 is fed into the printer unit 11 by the feeding device 16 (see FIG. 2). The printer unit 11 is provided with a recording unit 24 (see FIG. 2). The recording unit 24 records a desired image on the recording paper conveyed from the paper feed cassette 70.

  An operation panel 14 is provided in the upper front portion of the multifunction machine 10. The operation panel 14 includes a liquid crystal display for displaying various information, an input key for a user to input information, and the like. The multi-function device 10 operates based on an operation input from the operation panel 14 or information transmitted from an external information device. Note that the printer unit 11 and the scanner unit 12 also operate based on an instruction signal input from the operation panel 14 or an instruction signal transmitted from an external device using a printer driver or a scanner driver.

<Printer unit 11>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the printer unit 11 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding device 16, an arm 26, and a power transmission mechanism 27. The feeding device 16 includes a paper feed cassette 70, a paper feed roller 25 (an example of a rotating body in the present invention), and a first transport path 22 (an example of a transport path in the present invention).

  The paper feed cassette 70 is configured to be able to be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 35 through the opening 13 (see FIG. 1). That is, the paper feed cassette 70 can be inserted into the apparatus main body 35 in the transport direction 90 and can be pulled out from the apparatus main body 35 in the pull-out direction 92. The paper feed cassette 70 has a paper feed tray 20 and a paper discharge tray 21 (see FIG. 3). On the paper feed tray 20, a plurality of recording papers used for image recording are placed in layers. A recording sheet on which an image is recorded is discharged to the discharge tray 21. The transport direction 90 is a direction in which the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 is supplied to the first transport path 22 (see FIG. 2). The drawing direction 92 is a direction in which the paper feed tray 20 is drawn from the apparatus main body 35.

<Paper feed roller 25>
The paper feed roller 25 is disposed on the upper side of the paper feed tray 20. The paper feed roller 25 supplies recording paper on the paper feed tray 20 to the first transport path 22. An arm 26 is provided above the paper feed tray 20. The paper feed roller 25 is rotatably provided on the tip side of the arm 26. The paper feed roller 25 is rotated by being transmitted through a power transmission mechanism 27 using a motor (not shown) as a drive source. The power transmission mechanism 27 has a plurality of gears and is configured by meshing them in series.

<Arm 26>
The arm 26 is supported by the base shaft 28. The base end portion of the arm 26 is supported by the base shaft 28. As a result, the arm 26 can rotate in a direction in which the arm 26 contacts and separates from the paper feed tray 20 around the base shaft 28. Accordingly, the paper feed roller 25 is configured to be movable in a direction in which it is in contact with or separated from the paper feed tray 20. The arm 26 is biased to rotate downward by being biased by the weight of the arm 26 and the paper feed roller 25 or a spring.

  As the arm 26 is urged to rotate downward, the paper feed roller 25 is pressed against the recording paper on the paper feed tray 20. When the paper feeding roller 25 is rotated in this state, the uppermost recording paper in the paper feeding tray 20 is directed toward the inclined plate 32 by the frictional force generated between the roller surface of the paper feeding roller 25 and the recording paper. Sent out. When the leading edge of the recording sheet comes into contact with the inclined plate 32, the recording sheet conveyance direction is changed upward by the inclined plate 32. As a result, the recording sheets are supplied one by one to the upper first conveyance path 22.

  A separation member 34 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is provided on the inner surface of the inclined plate 32. The separating member 34 is disposed at the center in the longitudinal direction of the inclined plate 32 on the inner surface. The separating member 34 is formed by arranging a plurality of teeth protruding from the inner side surface in the inclined direction of the inclined plate 32. If a plurality of recording sheets are fed (multiple feeding) in a stacked state, when the leading ends of the recording sheet bundles contact the inner surface of the inclined plate 32, the leading ends of the recording sheet bundles are It is sown by the separating member 34. At that time, the teeth of the separating member 34 enter between the recording sheets and a gap is formed between the recording sheets. This facilitates separation of the recording paper, and in combination with the force applied to the recording paper from the paper supply roller 25 during feeding, only the uppermost recording paper is reliably separated from the lower recording paper. The In the present embodiment, the separation member 34 is not an essential component, and is provided to assist the separation of the recording paper by the paper feed roller 25.

  Note that the paper feed roller 25 does not necessarily need to be supported by the arm 26 as long as it can move in a direction in which the paper feed tray 20 moves toward and away from the paper feed tray 20. The paper feed roller 25 may be supported by a frame that can move up and down with respect to the paper feed tray 20, for example.

<First transport path 22>
A first transport path 22 is provided above the inclined plate 32. The first conveyance path 22 is bent in a U-shaped sideways toward the front side 36 (the right side in FIG. 2) after going upward from the inclined plate 32. The first transport path 22 extends from the rear side (left side in FIG. 2) of the multifunction machine 10 to the front side 36 and passes through the recording unit 24 to the paper discharge tray 21 (see FIG. 3). That is, the paper discharge tray 21 is disposed on the downstream side of the first conveyance path 22 in the conveyance direction of the recording paper. The recording paper supplied from the paper feed tray 20 is transported along the first transport path 22. The recording sheet is guided to make a U-turn from the lower side to the upper side along the first conveyance path 22 to reach the recording unit 24, and after the image is recorded by the recording unit 24, the recording sheet is discharged to the paper discharge tray 21.

  The first conveyance path 22 is defined by an outer guide surface and an inner guide surface, except for a portion where the recording unit 24 and the like are disposed. For example, the curved portion of the first conveyance path 22 on the back side of the multifunction machine 10 is configured by arranging the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 to face each other at a predetermined interval. In this case, the outer guide member 18 constitutes a curved outer guide surface, and the inner guide member 19 constitutes a curved inner guide surface.

<Recording unit 24>
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is disposed in the middle of the first conveyance path 22 extending from the back side to the front side 36 of the multifunction machine 10. The recording unit 24 records an image on the recording paper during the recording paper transporting process in the first transport path 22. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40, an inkjet recording head 41, and a platen 42. The ink jet recording head 41 is mounted on the carriage 40. The carriage 40 is reciprocated along the guide rails 43 and 44 in the width direction of the recording paper (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2). Although not shown in FIG. 2, the guide rail 44 is provided with a belt drive mechanism using a motor as a drive source. Such a belt drive mechanism is well known. For example, a drive pulley and a driven pulley are provided near both ends of the guide rail 44 in the width direction, and an endless annular drive belt is wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley. Become. By connecting the carriage 40 to the drive belt of the belt drive mechanism, the drive of the motor is transmitted to the carriage 40 via the belt drive mechanism, and the carriage 40 reciprocates.

  A platen 42 facing the ink jet recording head 41 is provided in the first transport path 22. The platen 42 supports the recording paper conveyed through the first conveyance path 22 from below. A recording sheet is supported by the platen 42 with a predetermined head gap from the inkjet recording head 41. An ink cartridge 68 is disposed inside the multifunction device 10 independently of the ink jet recording head 41 (see FIG. 1). Each color ink accommodated in the ink cartridge 68 is supplied to the inkjet recording head 41 through an ink tube. While the carriage 40 is reciprocated, each color ink is selectively ejected from the inkjet recording head 41 toward the platen 42 as fine ink droplets. An image is recorded on the recording sheet conveyed on the platen 42 by the recording unit 24 during the conveyance process.

<Second transport path 23>
As shown in FIG. 2, the second transport path 23 is connected to the first transport path 22 and the paper feed tray 20. Specifically, one end side of the second conveyance path 23 is connected to the downstream side (downstream part 45) of the recording unit 24 in the first conveyance path 22. Further, the other end side of the second transport path 23 is connected to the upstream side (the right side in FIG. 2) of the paper feed tray 20 from the paper feed roller 25. The paper feed tray 20 is connected to the first transport path 22 via an inclined plate 32 on the downstream side (left side in FIG. 2) of the paper feed roller 25. For this reason, the second transport path 23 is connected to the upstream side (upstream part 46) of the recording unit 24 in the first transport path 22 via the paper feed tray 20. The second transport path 23 guides the recording paper 65, on which an image is recorded on one surface and transported in a switchback manner, onto the paper feed tray 20. In other words, the recording paper 65 conveyed through the first conveyance path 22 is switched back and conveyed.

  The second transport path 23 is defined by a pair of an upper guide member 47 and a lower guide member 48 that face each other at a predetermined interval. The upper guide member 47 and the lower guide member 48 extend obliquely downward from the downstream portion 45 of the first transport path 22 toward the upstream side of the paper feed roller 25.

<Transport section 15>
The transport unit 15 transports the recording paper along the first transport path 22 and the second transport path 23. The transport unit 15 includes a transport roller 50, a paper discharge roller 51, and a path switching unit 72.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance roller 50 is provided on the upstream side of the recording unit 24 in the first conveyance path 22. A pinch roller (not shown) that is in pressure contact with the conveyance roller 50 is provided below the conveyance roller 50. The transport roller 50 is provided across the width direction of the first transport path 22 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2). A plurality of pinch rollers are provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the first conveyance path 22. The recording sheet conveyed through the first conveying path 22 is nipped and conveyed onto the platen 42 by the conveying roller 50 and the pinch roller.

  A paper discharge roller 51 and a spur 52 are provided downstream of the recording unit 24 in the first conveyance path 22. The spur 52 is provided on the upper side of the paper discharge roller 51 and is in pressure contact with the paper discharge roller 51. The paper discharge roller 51 is provided across the width direction of the first transport path 22. A plurality of spurs 52 are provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the first conveyance path 22. The recording paper on which the image is recorded is sandwiched between the paper discharge roller 51 and the spur 52 and is transported to the downstream portion 45 of the first transport path 22.

  The transport roller 50 and the paper discharge roller 51 are driven using a motor (not shown) as a drive source. The driving of the transport roller 50 and the paper discharge roller 51 is synchronized, and is intermittently driven during image recording, and continuously driven before and after image recording. As a result, the recording sheet is conveyed at a predetermined speed through the first conveyance path 22 until reaching the recording unit 24, and is intermittently conveyed at a predetermined line feed width when reaching the recording unit 24. While the recording paper is intermittently conveyed, the carriage 40 is reciprocated, and an image is recorded at a predetermined position on the recording paper by the ink jet recording head 41.

<Route switching unit 72>
As shown in FIG. 2, a path switching unit 72 is provided in the downstream portion 45 in the first transport path 22. The path switching unit 72 sends the recording paper conveyed through the first conveyance path 22 to the paper discharge tray 21 or the second conveyance path 23. The path switching unit 72 includes a switchback roller 53, a spur 54, a frame 55, and a spur 56.

  A switchback roller 53 and a spur 54 are provided immediately downstream of the downstream portion 45 in the first transport path 22. When single-sided recording is performed on a recording sheet, the recording sheet conveyed through the first conveyance path 22 is discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the switchback roller 53 and the spur 54. When performing double-sided recording on the recording sheet, the recording sheet conveyed through the first conveyance path 22 is switched back and conveyed through the second conveyance path 23 by the switchback roller 53 and the spur 54. Thereafter, the recording paper whose leading edge has reached the paper feed roller 25 is conveyed again by the paper feed roller 25 toward the recording unit 24 through the first conveyance path 22. Since the route switching unit 72 is not related to the present invention, detailed description thereof is omitted in the first embodiment.

<Paper cassette 70>
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the paper feed cassette 70. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the paper feed tray 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed cassette 70 is formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and includes a paper feed tray 20 and a paper discharge tray 21. The paper feed tray 20 and the paper discharge tray 21 are arranged in two upper and lower stages with the paper discharge tray 21 as the upper side of the paper feed tray 20. The paper feed tray 20 and the paper discharge tray 21 are integrally configured as a paper feed cassette 70. The paper feed cassette 70 is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 35 through the opening 13.

  A paper feed cassette 70 is attached to the apparatus main body 35. Thus, the paper feed tray 20 is disposed below the arm 26 and the paper feed roller 25 (see FIG. 3). The base shaft 28 of the arm 26 is rotatably provided on a frame (not shown) in the apparatus main body 35 so that the axial direction thereof is the first direction 94. Here, the first direction 94 is a horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction 90 of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. The base shaft 28 is rotated around the axial direction using a motor (not shown) as a drive source. The rotation of the base shaft 28 is transmitted to the paper feed roller 25 through the power transmission mechanism 27, and the paper feed roller 25 is rotationally driven. The base shaft 28 is provided with a large number of ribs extending in the radial direction and the axial direction. As a result, the base shaft 28 has high torsional rigidity and bending rigidity. As shown in FIG. 4, the paper feed tray 20 is provided with a friction pad 104 (an example of the first friction member of the present invention) described later at the center in the width direction (first direction 94). The paper feed cassette 70 is attached to the apparatus main body 35 with no recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. In this case, the arm 26 rotates toward the paper feed tray 20 and the paper feed roller 25 is brought into contact with the friction pad 104.

<Discharge tray 21>
The paper discharge tray 21 is configured to be rotatable upward with respect to the paper feed tray 20 with the width direction (first direction 94) of the paper feed cassette 70 as an axial direction. By raising the paper discharge tray 21 with respect to the paper feed tray 20, the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20 is opened. In other words, the recording paper can be replenished to the paper feed tray 20. When the paper discharge tray 21 is laid down with respect to the paper feed tray 20, the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20 is covered with the paper discharge tray 21. As will be described later, the paper feed tray 20 is provided with an extension tray 114 (see FIG. 4) that can slide in the transport direction 90 and the pull-out direction 92 with respect to the tray body 102. When the paper discharge tray 21 is laid down with respect to the paper feed tray 20, the rear end portion 75 of the paper discharge tray 21 is supported from below by the rear end portion 78 of the expansion tray 114, and the side wall 106 of the paper discharge tray 21 is fed. It is supported on the side wall 123 of the paper tray 20 from below. In this state, the paper discharge tray 21 holds a recording sheet on which an image is recorded and functions as a lid of the paper feed tray 20. This prevents paper dust and dust from entering the paper feed tray 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper side on the back side of the paper feed tray 20 is open because the paper feed roller 25 and the arm 26 are arranged.

<Paper Tray 20>
As shown in FIG. 4, the paper feed tray 20 is generally formed in a rectangular dish shape that is long in the transport direction 90 and the pull-out direction 92 in plan view. The paper feed tray 20 includes a tray main body 102 and an expansion tray 114. The sheet feeding tray 20 is configured such that the expansion tray 114 can slide in the transport direction 90 and the drawing direction 92 with respect to the tray body 102. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the extension tray 114 is pushed in the conveyance direction 90 with respect to the tray body 102. Here, the transport direction 90 is a direction in which the recording paper on the paper feed tray 20 is supplied to the first transport path 22. The transport direction 90 is substantially the same as the direction in which the paper feed tray 20 is pushed into the opening 13 (see FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body 35. The drawing direction 92 is a direction in which the paper feed tray 20 is drawn from the apparatus main body 35.

  The expansion tray 114 is slid in the transport direction 90 or the pull-out direction 92 with respect to the tray body 102 as necessary. Thereby, the sheet stacking surface of the paper feed tray 20 is expanded or reduced, and recording papers of various sizes can be stored in the paper feed tray 20. In the first embodiment, recording papers of various sizes stipulated by Japanese Industrial Standards are placed on the paper feed tray 20. Examples of various sizes include A4 size, B5 size, A5 size, postcard size, and L size for photographs. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the maximum size of recording paper that can be placed on the paper feed tray 20 is A4 size, and the minimum size of recording paper that can be placed on the paper feed tray 20 is L size for photographs. It is. However, the maximum size and the minimum size of the recording paper that can be placed on the paper feed tray 20 are not limited to this. For example, the paper feed tray 20 may be capable of placing recording paper of various sizes from L size for photographs to A3 size.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the tray body 102 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the transport direction 90 and the pull-out direction 92. The tray body 102 has a bottom plate 84. The recording sheet is placed on the bottom plate 84. The inclined plate 32 described above is provided at the tip 74 of the tray body 102. The inclined plate 32 is a plate-like member that is long in the width direction of the tray body 102 (first direction 94). The inclined plate 32 is tilted toward the back side of the apparatus (the conveyance direction 90 side). Therefore, when the leading edge of the recording sheet comes into contact with the inclined plate 32, the leading edge is guided obliquely upward along the inner surface 77 of the inclined plate 32. That is, the inner surface 77 serves as a guide surface for guiding the recording sheet to the first transport path 22 (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 4, a friction pad 104 is provided at the center of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94. For example, the friction pad 104 is formed in a thin plate shape using a material such as cork or rubber. In the first embodiment, the friction pad 104 has a friction coefficient larger than that of the surface of plain paper (matte paper) frequently used for text printing or the like. When the arm 26 is rotated and the paper feed roller 25 is moved toward the paper feed tray 20, the paper feed roller 25 is disposed immediately above the friction pad 104. The friction pad 104 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the same direction as the axial direction of the paper feed roller 25. The length of the friction pad 104 in the longitudinal direction is at least the axial length of the paper feed roller 25 (H1 in FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 3, the friction pad 104 is formed in a length corresponding to the two paper feed rollers 25 when two paper feed rollers 25 are provided in the axial direction. Needless to say, when there is one paper feed roller 25, the friction pad 104 is formed to have a length corresponding to one paper feed roller 25.

  When the paper feed tray 20 is attached to the apparatus main body 35 with the recording paper placed, the paper feed roller 25 is pressed against the recording paper on the paper feed tray 20. As a result, the recording paper is sandwiched between the friction pad 104 and the paper feed roller 25. When the paper feed roller 25 rotates in the transport direction, the friction force in the transport direction 90 is applied to the uppermost recording paper among the plurality of recording papers sandwiched between the friction pad 104 and the paper feed roller 25. It is given from. On the other hand, a frictional force in the pull-out direction 92 acts between the recording sheets or between the friction pad 104 and the recording sheet on the lower layer recording sheet.

  The bottom plate 84 is provided with a pair of guide grooves 86 and 87 along the width direction (first direction 94) of the bottom plate 84 (see FIG. 4). The guide grooves 86 and 87 have a rectangular shape that is long in the first direction 94 and are formed in a shape that penetrates the bottom plate 64 from the front surface to the back surface. A guide groove 86 is provided on the left side when the sheet feeding tray 20 is viewed from the upstream side in the conveyance direction 90, and a guide groove 87 is provided on the right side. The guide groove 86 and the guide groove 87 are separated in the first direction 94.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a pinion gear 82 is provided at the center in the width direction of the bottom plate 84. The pinion gear 82 is provided at an intermediate position between the guide groove 86 and the guide groove 87. The pinion gear 82 meshes with rack gears 88 and 89 described later on the back surface of the bottom plate 84.

<Side guide 80, 81>
As shown in FIG. 4, the tray body 102 is provided with a pair of side guides 80 and 81. The side guide 80 is disposed on the left side when the tray body 102 is viewed from the upstream side in the transport direction 90. The side guide 81 (an example of a positioning member in the present invention, which corresponds to the side guide in the present invention) is disposed on the right side when the tray body 102 is viewed from the upstream side in the transport direction 90. The side guides 80 and 81 are made of synthetic resin such as ABS resin. The side guides 80 and 81 are formed in a substantially L-shaped longitudinal section in the first direction 94. The side guides 80 and 81 are configured to be movable in the paper feed tray 20. Specifically, the side guides 80 and 81 are provided to be slidable in the width direction (first direction 94) of the tray main body 102. The side guide 80 is supported by the bottom plate 84 so as to be slidable along the guide groove 86. The side guide 81 is supported by the bottom plate 84 so as to be slidable along the guide groove 87.

  The side guides 80 and 81 are for positioning the recording paper with respect to the paper feed tray 20. The side guides 80 and 81 are in contact with the end portions in the first direction 94 of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. As a result, the position in the width direction of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 is regulated by the side guides 80 and 81. The side guides 80 and 81 have a central position in the width direction (first direction 94) of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 as a reference position (in the first embodiment, the paper feed tray 20). Approximate to the center in the width direction. In this manner, restricting the recording sheet so that the center position in the width direction of the recording sheet coincides with the reference position is generally called a center register. The recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 is guided in the transport direction 90 by the side guides 80 and 81 and supplied to the first transport path 22.

  The tray body 102 is provided with side walls 122 and 123 at both ends in the width direction of the tray body 102. The side walls 122 and 123 stand vertically upward from the bottom plate 84 of the tray main body 102. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the vertical wall 128 of the side guide 80 is in contact with the side wall 122 and the vertical wall 118 of the side guide 81 is in contact with the side wall 123. In this state, A4 size recording paper is placed on the paper feed tray 20. The side guide 80 is slid in a first direction 94 in which the vertical wall 128 is separated from the side wall 122. The side guide 81 is slid in a first direction 94 in which the vertical wall 118 is separated from the side wall 123. Thus, for example, when a photographic L-size recording sheet is placed on the sheet feeding tray 20, the recording sheet is positioned at the approximate center of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the side guide 81 includes a bottom wall 117 and a vertical wall 118. The bottom wall 117 is disposed in parallel to the bottom plate 84 of the tray main body 102. One end of the recording sheet in the width direction is placed on the bottom wall 117. The vertical wall 118 is erected vertically from the outer edge in the width direction of the bottom wall 117. Although not shown in the drawing, the recording sheet is placed on the bottom wall 117, and one end in the width direction is brought into contact with the inner surface of the vertical wall 118. As described above, the end portion of the recording sheet in the first direction 94 is brought into contact with the side guide 81.

  A lever 99 is provided on the vertical wall 118. The lever 99 is formed integrally with the side guide 81 and is made of the same resin. A plurality of engaged portions 95 are formed on the surface of the bottom plate 84. Each engaged portion 95 is formed so that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the transport direction 90. These engaged portions 95 are arranged in the first direction. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, two engaged portion groups including a plurality of engaged portions 95 are formed. Although not shown in the drawing, the lever 99 is provided with two claws at positions corresponding to the two engaged portion groups. The side guide 81 is fixed to the bottom plate 84 by inserting these claws into the engaged portion 95 of one of the two engaged portion groups. When the user operates the lever 99, the nail is lifted. As a result, the claw is extracted from the engaged portion 95, the side guide 81 is released, and the side guide 81 can slide.

  The side guide 81 is provided with a rack gear 89 extending from the bottom wall 117 to the center in the width direction. The rack gear 89 is disposed on the back surface side of the bottom plate 84 through the guide groove 87 and is meshed with the pinion gear 82 described above.

  The side guide 80 is formed in a substantially symmetrical shape with the side guide 81 except that the side guide 80 does not have a lever 99 and a plate 136 (an example of a parallel plate in the present invention) described later. Similar to the side guide 81, the side guide 80 has a bottom wall 127 and a vertical wall 128. The other end of the recording sheet in the width direction is placed on the bottom wall 127. The vertical wall 128 is erected vertically from the outer edge of the bottom wall 127 in the width direction. Although not shown in the drawing, the recording sheet is placed on the bottom wall 127, and the other end in the width direction is brought into contact with the inner surface of the vertical wall 128.

  The side guide 80 is provided with a rack gear 88 configured substantially the same as the rack gear 89. The rack gear 88 is disposed on the back surface side of the bottom plate 84 via the guide groove 86 and meshes with the pinion gear 82 described above.

  One of the side guides 80 and 81 is slid in the first direction 94. In conjunction with this, the other of the side guides 80 and 81 is slid in the opposite direction. Accordingly, when the width of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 is shorter than the separation distance between the side guides 80 and 81, the side guides 80 and 81 are simultaneously moved by sliding one of the side guides 80 and 81. Moved. As a result, the central position in the width direction of the recording paper substantially matches the reference position.

  Note that only one of the side guides 80 and 81 may be slidable. For example, when the side guide 80 is fixed at the position shown in FIG. 6, it is conceivable that only the side guide 81 slides. The reference position of the paper feed tray 20 at which the center of the recording paper in the first direction 94 is substantially matched changes according to the size of the recording paper.

<Rear guide 120>
A rear guide 120 is provided in the center of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94. The rear guide 120 is for positioning the recording paper with respect to the paper feed tray 20. The rear guide 120 is brought into contact with an upstream end portion in the transport direction 90 of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. Therefore, the rear guide 120 restricts the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 from moving in the drawing direction 92 with respect to the paper feed tray 20.

  The rear guide 120 is configured to be movable in the paper feed tray 20. Specifically, the rear guide 120 is configured to be slidable in the transport direction 90 and the drawing direction 92 with respect to the paper feed tray 20. The bottom plate 84 is formed with a long groove 97 in the transport direction 90 and the drawing direction 92. The groove 97 extends from the vicinity of the center of the tray body 102 in the longitudinal direction to the rear end. The rear guide 120 is provided on the tray main body 102 so as to be slidable along the groove 97.

  A plurality of engaged portions 85 are formed on both sides of the groove 97 in the first direction 94. Each engaged portion 85 has a longitudinal direction that coincides with a direction orthogonal to the groove 97. Although not shown in the drawing, the rear guide 120 is provided with two claws that are inserted into and removed from the engaged portions 85 on both sides of the groove 97. The rear guide 120 is provided with a lever 79 formed integrally with the rear guide 120. The lever 79 is formed integrally with the rear guide 120 and is made of the same resin. The rear guide 120 is fixed to the bottom plate 84 by inserting the claws of the rear guide 120 into any of the engaged portions 85. When the user operates the lever 79, the claw of the rear guide 120 is lifted. As a result, the pawl is extracted from the engaged portion 85, the rear guide 120 is released, and the rear guide 120 can be slid.

  With the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20, the rear guide 120 is slid along the groove 97 in the transport direction 90. As a result, the rear guide 120 contacts the trailing edge of the recording paper. As a result, the upstream end in the recording sheet conveyance direction 90 is aligned, and the end is restricted to a position corresponding to the size of the recording sheet. The downstream end of the recording sheet in the transport direction 90 is substantially coincident with a predetermined position close to the inclined plate 32 in the sheet feeding tray 20 regardless of the size of the recording sheet.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion V in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the tray main body 102 and shows a state in which the side guides 80 and 81 are arranged at positions for positioning the maximum size recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the side guide 81 being slid toward the center of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94. In FIG. 6, a part of the tray body 102 on the side of the drawing direction 92 and the rear guide 120 are omitted.

<Plate 136>
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, in the side guide 81, the plate 136 extends from the bottom wall 117 toward the center of the tray main body 102 in the first direction 94. The plate 136 is a flat plate member having the first direction 94 as a longitudinal direction, and is provided in parallel with the bottom plate 84, similarly to the bottom wall 117. The plate 136 is provided at substantially the same position as the friction pad 104 in the transport direction 90 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). The recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 is placed on the bottom wall 117 and the plate 136 at the end on the side wall 123 side. That is, the plate 136 is brought into contact with a part of the lower surface of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. The end of the recording paper on the side wall 123 side is supported by the bottom wall 117 and the plate 136 from below.

<Friction pads 130 and 131>
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the side guide 81 is provided with two friction pads 131 and 132 (both are examples of the second friction member in the present invention). Specifically, the friction pad 131 and the friction pad 132 are disposed on the upper surface of the plate 136. Similar to the friction pad 104, the friction pads 131 and 132 apply a frictional force to the recording paper. Although details will be described later, when the side guide 81 is slid to the center of the tray main body 102 in the first direction 94, either the friction pad 131 or the friction pad 132 is caused to friction depending on the position of the side guide 81. It arrange | positions in the position which covers the pad 104 (refer FIG.7 (C) and (D)).

  As with the friction pad 104, the friction pads 131 and 132 are made of a material such as cork or rubber in a thin plate shape. Further, the friction pads 131 and 132 are formed in the same size as the friction pad 104. That is, the length in the longitudinal direction of the friction pads 131 and 132 (L1 in FIG. 7) is at least equal to or longer than the length in the axial direction of the paper feed roller 25 (H1 in FIG. 7). The friction pad 131 and the friction pad 132 are arranged along the direction of the first direction 94 on the upper surface of the plate 136. Specifically, the friction pad 131 is disposed on the front end side of the plate 136, and the friction pad 132 is disposed on the side guide 81 side. Each of the friction pads 131 and 132 has a friction coefficient larger than that of the friction pad 104. Specifically, the friction pads 131 and 132 have a friction coefficient corresponding to glossy paper frequently used for photographic printing or the like.

  In the first embodiment, the friction coefficient of the friction pad 131 corresponds to postcard-sized glossy paper (glossy postcard), and the friction coefficient of the friction pad 132 corresponds to L-size glossy paper for photography. Yes. There is a difference between the friction coefficient of the friction pad 131 and the friction coefficient of the friction pad 132. Specifically, the friction coefficient of the friction pad 131 is larger than the friction coefficient of the friction pad 132. That is, the friction pad 131 corresponding to the postcard size has a friction coefficient larger than the friction coefficient of the friction pad 132 corresponding to the photographic L size. Thus, the difference in the coefficient of friction is that the glossy postcard address surface is opposed to the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20 as compared to the case where L-size glossy paper for photographs is placed on the paper feed tray 20. This is because a larger frictional force is required when placed. In addition, the effect by providing a difference in a friction coefficient as mentioned above is mentioned later.

  Next, the positions of the friction pads 131 and 132 accompanying the sliding of the side guide 81 will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of the tray main body 102 and shows a state in which the friction pad 131 is disposed at a position covering the friction pad 104. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the tray main body 102 and shows a state in which the friction pad 132 is disposed at a position covering the friction pad 104. 8 and 9, a part of the tray body 102 on the side of the drawing direction 92 and the rear guide 120 are omitted. In the following, for convenience of explanation, a position where the friction pad 131 covers the friction pad 104 (see FIG. 8) is referred to as a first covering position, and a position where the friction pad 132 covers the friction pad 104 (see FIG. 9). 2 referred to as the coating position. The first covering position and the second covering position correspond to the second position of the present invention, and the side guides 80 and 81 when the friction pad 104 is exposed without being covered by any of the friction pads 131 and 132. The position corresponds to the first position of the present invention.

  As described above, the side guides 80 and 81 are configured to be slidable in the first direction 94 within the paper feed tray 20. The side guide 81 can move to the first covering position and the second covering position by sliding in the first direction 94.

  The first covering position (see FIG. 8) is a position for positioning a postcard-sized recording sheet placed on the paper feed tray 20 at the reference position with the side guide 81 and the side guide 80. That is, when the side guide 81 and the side guide 80 are moved to the first covering position in order to position the postcard size recording paper, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 131. On the other hand, the second covering position (see FIG. 9) is a position for positioning the photographic L-size recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 at the reference position by the side guide 81 and the side guide 80. That is, when the side guide 81 and the side guide 80 are moved to the second covering position in order to position the photographic L size recording paper, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 132.

  Note that the first cover position and the second cover position in the first embodiment are not limited to the postcard size and the L size for photographs, but may be positions corresponding to a business card size or other sizes, for example. In short, any position corresponding to a predetermined size frequently used for photo printing, such as glossy paper, may be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, the friction pads 104 are exposed to the tray body 102 in a state where the side guides 80 and 81 are disposed at the end portions in the first direction 94 of the tray body 102. . In the first embodiment, the exposed state of the friction pad 104 is maintained when the side guides 80 and 81 are disposed in the range from the end portion of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94 to the first covering position. The When a recording sheet is placed on the sheet feeding tray 20 in this state, the friction pad 104 comes into contact with the lowest recording sheet. At this time, the recording paper is sandwiched between the friction pad 104 and the paper feed roller 25. Although the friction pads 131 and 132 of the plate 136 are also in contact with the lowermost recording sheet, these friction pads 131 and 132 are not disposed immediately below the paper feed roller 25. Therefore, the frictional force that the recording paper receives from the friction pads 131 and 132 is very small, and the frictional force does not affect the feeding of the recording paper.

  As shown in FIGS. 7C and 8, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 131 when the side guides 80 and 81 are disposed at the first covering position. In this state, when the recording paper is placed on the paper feed tray 20, the friction pad 131 contacts the lowest recording paper instead of the friction pad 104. At this time, the recording paper is sandwiched between the friction pad 131 and the paper feed roller 25. As a result, during conveyance, the recording sheet is given a friction force from the friction pad 131 that is larger than the friction force given from the friction pad 104. Although the friction pad 132 of the plate 136 also contacts the lowest recording sheet, the friction pad 132 is not disposed immediately below the paper feed roller 25. Therefore, the frictional force that the recording paper receives from the friction pads 132 is very small, and the frictional force does not affect the feeding of the recording paper.

  As shown in FIGS. 7D and 9, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 132 in a state where the side guides 80 and 81 are disposed at the second covering position. When the recording paper is placed on the paper feed tray 20 in this state, the friction pad 132 contacts the lowest recording paper instead of the friction pad 104. At this time, the recording paper is sandwiched between the friction pad 132 and the paper feed roller 25. As a result, during conveyance, the recording paper is applied with a frictional force greater than the frictional force applied from the friction pad 104 from the friction pad 132. Although the friction pad 131 of the plate 136 is also in contact with the lowest recording sheet, the friction pad 131 is not disposed immediately below the paper feed roller 25. Accordingly, since the frictional force that the recording paper receives from the friction pad 131 is very small, the frictional force does not affect the feeding of the recording paper.

<Operational effects of the first embodiment>
As described above, when the side guides 80 and 81 are moved to the first covering position on the paper feed tray 20 to position the postcard-size recording paper, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 131. That is, the friction pad 131 is disposed on the friction pad 104. The friction pad 131 has a friction coefficient larger than that of the friction pad 104 and corresponding to a postcard-sized glossy paper (glossy postcard). Therefore, when a postcard-sized glossy paper is placed on the paper feed tray 20, even if the frictional force between the recording papers increases, an optimum frictional force is applied from the friction pad 131. Glossy paper is separated and conveyed one by one without double feeding. In particular, when the number of stacked sheets is small, the frictional force from the friction pad 131 greatly affects the conveyance of the recording paper, so that the multi-feeding of the recording paper can be more reliably prevented.

  When the side guides 80 and 81 are moved to the second covering position on the paper feed tray 20 to position the L-size recording paper for photography, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 132. That is, the friction pad 132 is disposed on the friction pad 104. The friction pad 132 has a friction coefficient that is larger than the friction coefficient of the friction pad 104 and that corresponds to glossy paper of L size for photography. Therefore, when a photographic L-size glossy paper is placed on the paper feed tray 20, even if the frictional force between the recording papers is increased, the optimum frictional force is applied from the friction pad 132. L-size glossy paper for photographs is separated and conveyed one by one without being double fed. In particular, when the number of stacked sheets is small, the frictional force from the friction pad 132 greatly affects the conveyance of the recording paper, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent the recording paper from being double fed.

  Further, as in the first embodiment, in the feeding device 16 in which the recording paper is supplied from the paper feed tray 20 to the first conveyance path 22 bent in a U-shape, the photo paper is L-sized glossy paper. When performing image recording, the glossy paper is placed so that the glossy surface faces the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20. On the other hand, when image recording is performed on postcard-sized glossy paper (glossy postcard), a glossy postcard is placed on the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20 so that the glossy surface faces the glossy surface, and the destination surface. In order to perform image recording, a glossy postcard is placed on the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20 so that the addressed surface faces. Usually, the address surface is not glossy. Therefore, when the address surface is made to face the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20, a larger frictional force is generated than when the glossy surface is made to face the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20 in order to separate the glossy postcards well. There is a need. In the first embodiment, the friction coefficient of the friction pad 131 is larger than the friction coefficient of the friction pad 132. Therefore, even when the address face of the glossy postcard is opposed to the upper surface of the paper feed tray 20, a sufficient frictional force is generated for separation, so that double feeding can be reliably prevented.

  In the first embodiment, the two friction pads 131 and 132 are arranged on the plate 136. Of course, instead of the friction pads 131 and 132, both the postcard size and the photographic L size are used. One friction pad having an applicable coefficient of friction may be used.

  In the first embodiment, the friction pads 131 and 132 are provided only on one side guide 81. For example, the friction pad 131 is provided on the side guide 81 and the friction pad 132 is provided on the side guide 80. May be. Of course, in this case, needless to say, a plate corresponding to the plate 136 is required for the side guide 80.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the two paper feed rollers 25 are arranged on the arm 26 in the axial direction, the friction pads 131 and 132 corresponding to the one paper feed roller 25 are provided on the side guide 80. Alternatively, the side guide 81 may be provided with friction pads 131 and 132 corresponding to the other paper feed roller 25.

  In the first embodiment, the friction pads 131 and 132 are arranged on the friction pad 104 in accordance with the position of the side guide 81. However, for example, the side guide 81 may be configured using a known link mechanism. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the friction pad 104 is replaced with the friction pad 131 or the friction pad 132 depending on the position.

[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The multifunction machine 10 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the above-described first embodiment except that a part of the tray main body 102 is different. Therefore, the description of the configuration other than the tray main body 102 is omitted. In the first embodiment, the side guide 81 (see FIG. 8) functions as the positioning member of the present invention, whereas in the second embodiment, the rear guide 140 (corresponding to the rear guide in the present invention, see FIG. 10). It functions as a positioning member of the present invention.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the tray main body 102 showing how the rear guide 140 is slid in the transport direction 90 with respect to the tray main body 102.

  The tray body 102 in the second embodiment is different from the tray body 102 in the first embodiment in the following points. That is, in the second embodiment, the side guide 81 is not provided with the plate 136, and the rear guide 140 (see FIG. 10) is provided in the tray body 102 instead of the rear guide 120 (see FIG. 4). The point is different.

<Rear guide 140>
The tray body 102 is provided with a rear guide 140 at the center of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 10). Similar to the rear guide 120, the rear guide 140 is configured to be slidable in the transport direction 90 and the pull-out direction 92 with respect to the paper feed tray 20 along the groove 97 (see FIG. 4). The rear guide 140 is for positioning the recording paper with respect to the paper feed tray 20. Similar to the rear guide 120, the rear guide 140 is brought into contact with an upstream end portion in the conveyance direction 90 of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. As a result, the movement of the recording paper to the rear end side (the drawing direction 92 side) of the tray main body 102 is restricted by the rear guide 140. The rear guide 140 is different from the rear guide 120 in that it includes a plate 146 (an example of a parallel plate in the present invention) described later that supports the friction pad 100.

  With the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20, the rear guide 140 is slid along the groove 97 in the transport direction 90. As a result, the rear guide 140 contacts the trailing edge of the recording paper. As a result, the trailing edge of the recording paper is aligned and the trailing edge is regulated at a position corresponding to the size of the recording paper. Regardless of the size of the recording paper, the recording paper is positioned at a predetermined position close to the inclined plate 32 in the paper feed tray 20. That is, the rear guide 140 aligns the downstream end portion in the conveyance direction 90 of the recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 with the reference position of the paper feed tray 20.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the rear guide 140 has a plate 146 and a vertical wall 134. The plate 146 is a flat plate member arranged in parallel with the bottom plate 84 of the tray main body 102. The plate 146 is disposed at the approximate center of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94 (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 10). The recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20 is placed on the plate 146 at the end in the drawing direction 92 side. Thereby, the plate 146 is brought into contact with a part of the lower surface of the recording paper. The vertical wall 134 is erected vertically from the edge of the plate 146 on the side of the drawing direction 92. Although not shown in the drawing, the recording paper is placed on the plate 146, and one end on the drawing direction 92 side is brought into contact with the inner surface of the vertical wall 134. In this manner, the end of the recording paper in the drawing direction 92 side is in contact with the rear guide 140.

<Friction pad 100>
A friction pad 100 (an example of a second friction member in the present invention) is provided on the upper surface of the plate 146. The friction pad 100 is disposed immediately above the friction pad 104 by the rear guide 140 being slid in the transport direction 90 with respect to the tray body 102 (see FIGS. 10C and 10D).

  Similar to the friction pad 104 and the friction pads 131 and 132, the friction pad 100 applies a friction force to the recording paper. The friction pad 100 has the same configuration and size as the friction pad 104, but is different from the friction pad 104 in that it has a friction coefficient applicable to both a postcard size and a photographic L size. Since the other configuration of the friction pad 100 is the same as that of the friction pad 104, the description of the common configuration is omitted here.

<Convex 149>
As shown in FIG. 10, a convex portion 149 is provided on the back surface of the plate 146. The convex portion 149 is provided at the approximate center of the plate 146 in the first direction 94 (the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 10). That is, the convex portion 149 is provided at substantially the same position as the groove 97 (see FIG. 4) in the first direction 94. The rear guide 140 is slid in the transport direction 90 or the pull-out direction 92 with the convex portion 149 disposed in the groove 97. The convex portion 149 has a vertical wall 130 that extends downward from the back surface of the plate 146 in the vertical direction. The vertical wall 130 is provided on the downstream side (left side in FIG. 10) of the convex portion 149 in the transport direction 90. The vertical wall 130 is a surface that comes into contact with a stopper 148 (see FIG. 10) described later.

<Stopper 148>
As shown in FIG. 10, the tray main body 102 is provided with a stopper 148 substantially at the center of the bottom plate 84 in the first direction 94 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 10). The stopper 148 constitutes an end of the groove 97 (see FIG. 4) formed in the bottom plate 84 on the conveyance direction 90 side. The stopper 148 is provided at a position facing the convex portion 149 in the transport direction 90 and the drawing direction 92.

  Next, the position of the friction pad 100 as the rear guide 140 slides will be described.

  As described above, the rear guide 140 is configured to be slidable in the conveyance direction 90 and the drawing direction 92 in the paper feed tray 20. The rear guide 140 can be moved to a third covering position (see FIG. 10D) where the friction pad 100 covers the friction pad 104 by sliding in the transport direction 90 and the drawing direction 92. The third covering position corresponds to the second position of the present invention, and the position of the rear guide when the friction pad 104 is exposed without being covered with the friction pad 100 corresponds to the first position of the present invention. .

  The third covering position (see FIG. 10D) is a position for positioning the rear end of the recording paper of the postcard size or less placed on the paper feed tray 20 to the reference position by the rear guide 140. That is, when the rear guide 140 is moved to the third covering position in order to position the rear end of the recording paper of the postcard size or less, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 100.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the friction pad 104 is exposed to the tray body 102 in a state where the rear guide 140 is disposed at the rear end of the tray body 102. In the second embodiment, when the rear guide 140 is disposed in a range from the rear end of the tray body 102 to the third covering position (see FIGS. 10B and 10C), the friction pad 104 is exposed. State is maintained. When a recording sheet is placed on the sheet feeding tray 20 in this state, the friction pad 104 comes into contact with the lowest recording sheet. At this time, the recording paper is sandwiched between the friction pad 104 and the paper feed roller 25. Although the friction pad 100 of the plate 146 also contacts the lowest recording sheet, the friction pad 100 is not disposed immediately below the paper feed roller 25. Accordingly, since the frictional force that the recording paper receives from the friction pad 100 is very small, the frictional force does not affect the feeding of the recording paper.

  As shown in FIG. 10D, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 100 in a state where the rear guide 140 is disposed at the third covering position. When a recording sheet is placed on the sheet feeding tray 20 in this state, the friction pad 100 abuts on the lowest recording sheet instead of the friction pad 104. At this time, the recording paper is sandwiched between the friction pad 100 and the paper feed roller 25. As a result, during conveyance, the recording paper is given a friction force from the friction pad 100 that is greater than the friction force given from the friction pad 104.

<Effects of Second Embodiment>
As described above, the friction pad 104 is covered with the friction pad 100 when the rear guide 140 is moved to the third covering position on the paper feed tray 20 in order to position the recording paper of the postcard size or less. That is, the friction pad 100 is disposed on the friction pad 104. The friction pad 100 has a friction coefficient that is larger than the friction coefficient of the friction pad 104 and that corresponds to glossy paper of a postcard size or less. Therefore, when glossy paper of a postcard size or less is placed on the paper feed tray 20, even if the frictional force between the recording papers is increased, the optimum frictional force is applied from the friction pad 100. The following glossy paper is separated and conveyed one by one without being double fed. In particular, when the number of stacked sheets is small, the frictional force from the friction pad 100 greatly affects the conveyance of the recording paper, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent the recording paper from being double fed.

  In the second embodiment, one friction pad 100 is arranged on the plate 146. Of course, as in the first embodiment, the friction coefficient 2 differs depending on the size of the recording paper. Two friction pads may be arranged.

  In the second embodiment, the friction pad 100 is arranged on the friction pad 104 in accordance with the position of the rear guide 140. For example, a well-known link mechanism is used in accordance with the position of the rear guide 140. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the friction pad 104 is replaced with the friction pad 100.

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 internal structure of the printer unit 11 of the multifunction machine 10. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the paper feed cassette 70. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the paper feed tray 20. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion VIII in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the tray main body 102 and shows a state in which the side guides 80 and 81 are arranged at the first position for holding the maximum size recording paper placed on the paper feed tray 20. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the side guide 81 being slid toward the center of the tray body 102 in the first direction 94. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the tray main body 102 and shows a state in which the friction pad 131 is disposed at a position covering the friction pad 104. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the tray main body 102 and shows a state in which the friction pad 132 is disposed at a position covering the friction pad 104. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the tray main body 102 showing how the rear guide 140 is slid in the transport direction 90 with respect to the tray main body 102.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Multifunction machine 11 ... Printer part (an example of the image recording apparatus of this invention)
16 ... Feeding device (an example of a sheet conveying device of the present invention)
20 ... Paper feed tray (an example of the tray of the present invention)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Paper discharge tray 22 ... 1st conveyance path 23 ... 2nd conveyance path 24 ... Recording part 25 ... Paper feed roller (an example of the rotary body of this invention)
65. Recording paper (an example of the sheet of the present invention)
72: path switching unit 80: side guide 81: side guide (an example of the positioning member of the present invention, corresponding to the side guide of the present invention)
90 ... conveying direction 94 ... first direction 100 ... friction pad (an example of the second friction member of the present invention)
104... Friction pad (an example of the first friction member of the present invention)
131, 132 ... friction pads 136, 146 ... plate 140 ... rear guide (an example of the positioning member of the present invention, corresponding to the rear guide of the present invention)
148 ... Stopper

Claims (10)

A sheet conveying apparatus applied to an image recording apparatus,
A tray on which sheets are placed;
A positioning member provided on the tray and movable between a first position for positioning a sheet larger than a predetermined size and a second position for positioning a sheet of the predetermined size or less;
A rotating body configured to be movable in a direction in which the tray is brought into contact with and separated from the tray, and contacting the sheet on the tray to convey the sheet;
A first friction member having a predetermined friction coefficient and disposed at a predetermined position on the tray corresponding to the position of the rotating body when the positioning member is moved to the first position;
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a second friction member having a friction coefficient larger than the predetermined friction coefficient and disposed at the predetermined position when the positioning member is moved to the second position. The first friction member is fixed to the predetermined position on the tray;
The second friction member is provided on the positioning member,
The first friction member is exposed when the positioning member is moved to the first position, and the second friction member covers the first friction member when the positioning member is moved to the second position. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus is disposed at a position. The positioning member is configured in parallel to the tray, and includes a parallel plate that supports an end portion of a sheet placed on the tray from the lower surface,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second friction member is provided on an upper surface of the parallel plate. The second friction member is composed of at least two friction members corresponding to at least two specified sizes not more than the predetermined size,
The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the positioning member is moved to a position corresponding to one of the specified sizes, a friction member corresponding to the specified size is disposed at the predetermined position. Conveying device.   5. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least two specified sizes are at least a postcard size or a size corresponding thereto, and a L size for photographs or a size corresponding thereto. Further comprising a conveyance path that reverses the front and back surfaces of the sheet conveyed by the rotating body and guides it to the image recording position of the image recording apparatus;
6. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the friction member corresponding to a postcard size or a size corresponding to the postcard size has a friction coefficient larger than a friction coefficient of a frictional member corresponding to a photographic L size or a size corresponding thereto. .   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined size is a postcard or a sheet size corresponding to the postcard.   The positioning member is a side guide configured to be movable in a width direction substantially orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction on the tray and to be in contact with an end portion in the width direction of a sheet placed on the tray. Item 8. The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 7.   The positioning member is a rear guide configured to be movable in the sheet conveying direction on the tray, and abutting on an upstream end of the sheet placed on the tray in the sheet conveying direction. The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the above. A sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying apparatus.

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