JP6222321B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a sheet and discharges the image onto a discharge tray.

  There is an image recording apparatus that records an image on a transported sheet and discharges the image onto a discharge tray (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the image recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of support ribs are provided on the paper discharge tray. The support rib protrudes upward from the support surface of the sheet discharge tray and extends in the sheet discharge direction. The support rib is formed so that the upper end surface is along the support surface. The sheet is discharged to the paper discharge tray while being in sliding contact with the upper end surface of the support rib.

JP 2007-50989 A

  In some image recording apparatuses, for example, for the purpose of miniaturization, a sheet discharge tray is formed to a size that can support a portion other than the downstream end portion in the discharge direction of the largest size sheet among the used sheets. is there. In an image recording apparatus having this type of paper discharge tray, the downstream end of the discharged sheet may hang down from the paper discharge tray depending on the size of the sheet. When the downstream end hangs down, the upstream end is lifted, and the next discharged sheet is less likely to slide on the previously discharged sheet, or the rear end of the previously discharged sheet is discharged next. It may interfere with the sheet ejection operation. If it does so, there exists a possibility that a sheet | seat may not be discharged normally, such as a sheet | seat bend | folding, the front and back of a sheet | seat being reversed, or a sheet | seat being jammed.

  The support rib described in Patent Document 1 makes the sheet discharged first slip easily. However, this support rib is formed substantially horizontally, and the above-mentioned problem cannot be solved.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide means for enabling normal discharge of a sheet after image recording.

(1) The image recording apparatus of the present invention is a recording unit that records an image on a sheet, a discharge mechanism that discharges a sheet on which an image is recorded in the recording unit in a first direction, and the discharge mechanism that discharges the sheet. A sheet discharge tray that supports the sheet, and the sheet discharge tray is disposed apart from the support surface in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and the support surface is more than the support surface. projecting in a third direction orthogonal, the pair of collision pieces extending along a first direction, is disposed between the pair of collision pieces in the second direction, spaced from each other in the second direction a three or more protrusions that will be disposed Te protrudes to the third direction than the supporting surfaces, each of which extends along the first direction, comprising a three or more projections, a, each of the pair of collision pieces is provided at the upstream end of the first direction, A first upper surface that is inclined with respect to the support surface so that a distance from the support surface in the third direction increases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the first direction, and the first upper surface of the first upper surface. A second upper surface connected to an end portion on the downstream side in the direction and having a smaller angle of inclination with respect to the support surface than the first upper surface, and the tip ends of the three or more protrusions are than the upstream end of each of said first upper surface provided in the first direction of the collision piece, in the third direction positioned away from said support surface, each of said three or more protrusions tip, than the downstream end of the first direction of the first upper surface provided on each of the pair of collision pieces, close to the support surface in the third direction, further, the 3 each of the tip of the pieces more projections are provided on each of the pair of butt pieces The than the second upper surface, in the third direction is close to the supporting surface, each of the upstream end of the first direction of the three or more protrusions may exit the pair of collision Positioned on the upstream side in the first direction of the first upper surface of the first upper surface provided on each of the pieces, the downstream side in the first direction of the three or more protrusions each of the end, than the end portion on the downstream side of the first direction of the second upper surface provided on each of the pair of collision pieces, positioned upstream of the first direction, and further, the each of the downstream end of the first direction three or more protrusions, rather than the downstream end of the first direction of the first upper surface provided on each of the pair of collision pieces, Located on the downstream side in the first direction.

  The downstream end portion in the first direction of the image-recorded sheet discharged from the discharge mechanism slides on the upper end of the second support piece, and then rides on the first support piece and contacts the upper end of the first support piece. For this reason, the second support piece comes into contact with the second support piece earlier than the first support piece with a steep inclination angle, and it is difficult to prevent the sheet from being discharged. The sheet is supported on the sheet discharge tray with the downstream end protruding from the first support piece to the downstream side in the first direction.

  Since the upper ends of the first support piece and the second support piece are inclined so as to become higher toward the downstream side in the first direction, the sheet is placed on the discharge tray in a state where the sheet becomes higher from the upstream end in the first direction toward the downstream end. Supported. Further, the sheet is supported by the paper discharge tray in a curved state in the second direction. By supporting the sheet in such a state, it is possible to prevent the downstream end portion of the sheet in the first direction from hanging down from the sheet discharge tray, and it is possible to normally discharge a plurality of sheets.

  In the present invention, it is possible to suppress the discharged sheet from drooping from the discharge tray, and as a result, it is possible to normally discharge a plurality of sheets.

It is a perspective view of an image recording device. It is a typical sectional view of a printer part. It is a perspective view of a feeding part and a tray body. It is a perspective view of the tray body in the 2nd posture. It is a perspective view of the tray body in the 1st posture. It is a perspective view of a tray body in a state where there is no paper discharge tray. (A) is a front view of a tray body, (B) is a side view of a tray body. It is a figure which shows a tray body and a switchback roller, (A) is a top view, (B) is BB sectional drawing of (A). It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of a printer part, (A)-(C) is sectional drawing, (D) is a front view. It is a typical sectional view for explaining operation of a printer part. It is a perspective view of the tray body in a modification. It is a front view of the left side of the paper discharge tray in a modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the state where the image recording apparatus 10 is installed (the state of FIG. 1), and the side where the display unit 14 is provided is the front side (front side). A direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the image recording apparatus 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).
[Image recording apparatus 10]
The image recording apparatus 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape including a lower printer unit 11 and an upper scanner unit 12, and is a multi-function machine having print, scan, and copy functions. The scanner unit 12 has an arbitrary configuration.

  Control of the printer unit 11 is performed by a control unit (not shown). The control unit is realized by, for example, a microcomputer mounted on a substrate. The control unit controls the operation of the printer unit 11 based on information input from an input unit (not shown) or an external device such as a personal computer, and records an image on the sheet 17 (FIG. 2).

  The printer unit 11 accommodates a tray body 16 on which sheets 17 of various sizes are placed. The sheet 17 is recording paper (A4, B5, etc.), glossy paper, postcard, sealed letter, or the like. The tray body 16 is supported by the housing 13 so that it can be pulled out from an opening 15 provided on the front surface of the housing 13 of the printer unit 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 20, a transport unit 30, a recording unit 40, and a driving unit (not shown). The drive unit includes a plurality of drive motors that are driven and controlled by the control unit, and a drive transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the drive motor to the feeding unit 20, the conveyance unit 30, the recording unit 40, and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the feeding unit 20 includes a rotating shaft 21, an arm 22, a pair of left and right feeding rollers 23, and a plurality of transmission gears 24. The rotating shaft 21 is formed in a round bar shape extending in the left-right direction 9. The rotating shaft 21 is disposed above the rear portion of the tray body 16 and is rotatably supported by a frame (not shown). The rotating shaft 21 is rotated by the drive unit.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the arm 22 is provided so as to extend rearward and obliquely downward from the rotating shaft 21. The arm 22 is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 21 at one end on the rotating shaft 21 side, and rotatably supports the feeding roller 23 at the other end. That is, the arm 22 supports the feed roller 23 disposed above the rear portion of the tray body 16 so that the feed roller 23 can be displaced vertically and rotated. The arm 22 presses the feeding roller 23 from above on the sheet 17 accommodated in the tray body 16 by being biased by its own weight or a spring.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the arm 22 includes a sliding contact portion 25 extending from the vicinity of the center of the tray body 16 to the right end in the left-right direction 9. When the tray body 16 is moved in the front-rear direction 8, the sliding contact portion 25 is in sliding contact with the first sliding contact surface 66 or the second sliding contact surface 76 (FIG. 5) provided on the tray body 16. As shown in FIG. 2, when the tray body 16 is attached to the printer unit 11 (FIG. 1), the arm 22 is in sliding contact with the first sliding contact surface 66 or the second sliding contact surface 76 at the sliding contact portion 25. As a result, the arm 22 and the feeding roller 23 are swung up and down.

A plurality of transmission gears 24 for transmitting the rotation of the rotating shaft 21 to the feeding roller 23 are provided on the arm 22. The feeding roller 23 pressed against the sheet 17 by the arm 22 is rotated by the driving unit via the rotating shaft 21 and the transmission gear 24 to feed the sheet 17 backward. The fed sheet 17 is conveyed by the conveyance unit 30.
[Conveying unit 30]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance unit 30 is a space through which the sheet 17 passes, the first conveyance roller pair 50, the second conveyance roller pair 53, and the switchback roller pair 56 that convey the sheet 17. 1 conveyance path 31 and 2nd conveyance path 32 are provided.

  The first transport path 31 is curved upward from the upper end of the rear wall 63 of the main tray 60 of the tray body 16 described later, and then extends linearly toward the front. The first conveyance path 31 is disposed in front of the platen 35, the inner guide member 33 disposed on the curved inner side, the outer guide member 34 disposed on the curved outer side, the platen 35 disposed above the tray body 16, and the platen 35. The upper guide member 36 and the lower guide member 37 are partitioned. The sheet 17 sent out from the tray body 16 by the feeding unit 20 moves in the first transport direction 45 along the first transport path 31.

  The second transport path 32 passes below the platen 35 and is a first transport path at a first connection point 46 upstream of the platen 35 and a second connection point 47 downstream of the platen 35 in the first transport direction 45. 31 is connected. The second conveyance path 32 is partitioned by an upper first guide member 38 and a lower second guide member 39.

  The first transport roller pair 50 is disposed at a position between the first connection point 46 and the platen 35 in the first transport direction 45. The first conveying roller pair 50 includes a first driving roller 51 rotated by a driving unit, and a first driven roller 52 pressed against the first driving roller 51 by a spring or the like. The first drive roller 51 is disposed on the upper side of the first conveyance path 31. The first driven roller 52 is disposed below the first conveyance path 31.

  The second transport roller pair 53 is disposed at a position between the platen 35 and the second connection point 47 in the first transport direction 45. The second transport roller pair 53 includes a second drive roller 54 that is rotated by a drive unit, and a second driven roller 55 that is pressed against the second drive roller 54 by a spring or the like. The second driven roller 55 is a spur. The second drive roller 54 is disposed below the first conveyance path 31. The second driven roller 55 is disposed on the upper side of the first conveyance path 31.

  The switchback roller pair 56 is disposed downstream of the second connection point 47 in the first transport direction 45. Further, the switchback roller pair 56 is disposed above a discharge tray 80 of the tray body 16 described later. The switchback roller pair 56 includes a third drive roller 57 provided on a shaft 59 rotated by a drive unit, and a third driven roller 58 pressed against the third drive roller 57 by a spring or the like. The third driven roller 58 is a spur. The shaft 59 is along the left-right direction 9. The third drive roller 57 is disposed below the first conveyance path 31. The third driven roller 58 is disposed on the upper side of the first conveyance path 31. The third drive roller 57 corresponds to the discharge roller.

The sheet 17 fed from the tray body 16 by the feeding unit 20 is transported in the first transport direction 45 by the first transport roller pair 50 and the second transport roller pair 53. The sheet 17 has an image recorded on the platen 35 by a recording unit 40 described later. In the case of single-sided printing, the sheet 17 on which an image is recorded on one surface (front surface) by the recording unit 40 is discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 to the discharge tray 80 of the tray body 16 in the discharge direction 49. In the case of duplex printing, the sheet 17 on which an image is recorded on one side by the recording unit 40 is one direction of the switchback roller pair 56 until the upstream end (rear end) in the first transport direction 45 exceeds the second connection point 47. , And then, the switchback roller pair 56 enters the second conveyance path 32 from the second connection point 47 by rotation in the other direction (FIG. 10). The sheet 17 is conveyed by the switchback roller pair 56 through the second conveyance path 32 in the second conveyance direction 48, enters the first conveyance path 31 from the first connection point 46, and the first and the second conveyance path 31 are reversed. Is conveyed in the first conveyance direction 45. After the image is recorded on the back surface by the recording unit 40, the sheet 17 is discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 to the discharge tray 80 in the discharge direction 49. The discharge direction 49 corresponds to the first direction. The switchback roller pair 56 and the second transport path 32 correspond to a double-sided recording mechanism.
[Recording unit 40]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 40 includes a carriage 41 disposed above the platen 35 and a recording head 42 mounted on the carriage 41. The carriage 41 is supported by a rail member (not shown) so as to be movable along the left-right direction 9. The recording head 42 ejects ink droplets toward the sheet 17 passing over the platen 35 when power is supplied. Instead of the recording unit 40 that records an image by the above-described inkjet recording method, a recording unit that records an image by an electrophotographic recording method or other recording methods may be used. The recording unit 40 corresponds to the recording unit.
[Tray body 16]
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the tray body 16 includes a main tray 60, a second tray 70, and a paper discharge tray 80. The tray body 16 corresponds to the tray body. The main tray 60 corresponds to the first tray. The second tray 70 corresponds to the second tray.
[Main tray 60]
As shown in FIG. 4, the main tray 60 has a flat box-like outer shape with a low height and an open top, and includes a bottom 61, left and right side walls 62, a rear wall 63, and a front wall 64. The sheet 17 (FIG. 2) is placed on the upper surface 65 of the bottom 61. The upper surface 65 of the bottom 61 corresponds to the first placement surface. The size of the main tray 60 in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 is set so that the maximum size that can be placed is A4.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rear wall 63 of the main tray 60 extends rearward and obliquely upward from the rear end of the bottom 61 and is inclined with respect to the bottom 61. The rear wall 63 guides the sheet 17 fed by the feeding roller 23 to the first conveyance path 31.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the right side wall 62 of the main tray 60 is provided with a first sliding contact surface 66 that descends toward the front as part of the upper end surface. The first slidable contact surface 66 is provided so that the slidable contact portion 25 (FIG. 3) of the arm 22 can be slidably contacted when the tray body 16 is attached to the printer unit 11.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the main tray 60 includes a first rear guide 68 and a first side guide mechanism 69. The first rear guide 68 is for positioning the seat 17 placed on the upper surface 65 of the bottom 61 in the front-rear direction 8. The first side guide mechanism 69 positions the sheet 17 placed on the upper surface 65 of the bottom 61 in the left-right direction 9 and guides the sheet 17 to the first conveyance path 31. The first rear guide 68 has the same configuration as a second rear guide 100 described later provided on the second tray 70. The first side guide mechanism 69 has the same configuration as a second side guide mechanism 90 described later provided on the second tray 70.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of left and right guide rails 67 that support the second tray 70 are provided at the center in the vertical direction 7 on the inner side surface of the left and right side walls 62 of the main tray 60. The main tray 60 supports the second tray 70 by the guide rail 67 so as to be movable along the front-rear direction 8.
[Second tray 70]
As shown in FIG. 6, the second tray 70 has a rectangular plate-like outer shape in which the length in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length in the front-rear direction 8 of the main tray 60. The left and right ends of the second tray 70 are supported by a pair of left and right guide rails 67, and can move along the front-rear direction 8. A placement area 72 on which the sheet 17 is placed is provided on the upper surface 71 of the second tray 70. The placement area 72 corresponds to the second placement surface. In the second tray 70, the pair of left and right support protrusions 73 and the second rear guide 100 for positioning the sheet 17 placed in the placement area 72 in the front-rear direction 8 and the sheet 17 in the left-right direction 9 are located. A second side guide mechanism 90 is provided. The support protrusion 73 extends rearward and obliquely upward from the rear end of the second tray 70.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the second rear guide 100 is disposed in front of the placement area 72. As shown in FIG. 8B, the second rear guide 100 includes a main body portion 101, a contact portion 102, a stop portion 103, and a coupling portion 104. The contact portion 102 is disposed on the rear side of the main body portion 101 so as to be able to contact the sheet 17 placed on the second tray 70. The main body 101 and the contact portion 102 are disposed on the upper surface 71 side of the second tray 70. The stopper 103 is disposed on the lower surface 74 side of the second tray 70. The coupling portion 104 is disposed in a through hole 75 provided in the center portion of the second tray 70 in the left-right direction 9 along the front-rear direction 8, and the main body portion 101 and the contact portion 102 on the upper surface 71 side, and The stopper 103 is coupled. The width of the main body portion 101, the contact portion 102, and the stopper portion 103 in the left-right direction 9 is wider than the width of the through hole 75 in the left-right direction 9. That is, the second rear guide 100 is supported by the second tray 70 so as to be movable along the front-rear direction 8 in which the through hole 75 extends.

  The user picks the second rear guide 100 between the main body 101 and the contact portion 102, moves the second rear guide 100 rearward, and moves the contact portion 102 to the front end of the seat 17 placed on the placement region 72. The sheet 17 is sandwiched back and forth between the support protrusion 73 and the contact portion 102. The movement of the seat 17 is restricted in the front-rear direction 8 by contacting the contact portion 102. The second rear guide 100 corresponds to a restricting member.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the second side guide mechanism 90 includes a pinion gear 91, a pair of left and right side guides 92, a pair of left and right rack gears 96, and an operation knob 97. The pinion gear 91 is rotatably provided at the central portion of the second tray 70 in the left-right direction 9. The side guides 92 are disposed on the left and right sides of the pinion gear 91 on the upper surface 71 side of the second tray 70. Each rack gear 96 is provided so as to be coupled to one side guide 92 and mesh with the pinion gear 91. The operation knob 97 is disposed at a position near the left end of the upper surface 71 of the second tray 70, and is supported by the second tray 70 so as to be movable along the left-right direction 9. The operation knob 97 is coupled to the left side guide 92 and is moved along the left-right direction 9 by the user to move the left side guide 92.

  The side guide 92 includes a support plate 93, a side plate 94, and a top plate 95. The support plate 93 is disposed such that the upper surface is substantially the same height as the upper surface 71 of the second tray 70. In the left side guide 92, the side plate 94 protrudes upward from the left end portion of the support plate 93. In the right side guide 92, the side plate 94 protrudes upward from the right end portion of the support plate 93. Further, the side plate 94 extends rearward from the support plate 93. The top plate 95 protrudes leftward or rightward from the front portion of the upper end portion of the side plate 94 so as to face the support plate 93 in the vertical direction 7.

  When the left side guide 92 is moved to the right by the user via the operation knob 97, the rack gear 96 coupled to the right side guide 92 is moved to the right, and the pinion gear 91 meshing with the rack gear 96 is rotated. When the pinion gear 91 is rotated, the right rack gear 96 coupled to the right side guide 92 is moved leftward, and the right side guide 92 is moved leftward. Similarly, when the left side guide 92 is moved leftward by the user, the right side guide 92 is moved rightward. Thus, the pair of left and right side guides 92 move in conjunction with each other in a direction toward each other or a direction away from each other.

  The user operates the operation knob 97 to move the pair of left and right side guides 92 toward each other, and sandwiches the sheet 17 placed in the placement region 72 with the side plates 94 of the left and right side guides 92 in the left-right direction 9. . The sheet 17 is positioned in the left-right direction 9 by the side plates 94 of the side guides 92 coming into contact with the left and right ends. When the sheet 17 is fed by the feeding roller 23, the sheet 17 is prevented from being skewed to the first conveyance path 31. Guided.

  The sheet 17 placed in the placement area 72 is positioned by the second side guide mechanism 90 so that the center in the left-right direction 9 coincides with the center in the left-right direction 9 of the second tray 70. That is, the sheet 17 is placed on the second tray 70 with center alignment. Similarly, the sheet 17 placed on the main tray 60 is also placed on the main tray 60 by center adjustment by the first side guide mechanism 69.

  The second tray 70 is integrally provided with an operated portion 77 that protrudes upward from the upper surface 71. The operated portion 77 is provided at a position near the right end of the second tray 70. When the operated portion 77 is pushed forward or backward by the user, the second tray 70 supported so as to be movable along the front-rear direction 8 by the guide rail 67 of the main tray 60 is the second tray 70 near the rear portion of the main tray 60. The posture changes to one posture (FIG. 5) and a second posture (FIG. 4) near the front of the main tray 60.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a second sliding contact surface 76 on which the sliding contact portion 25 (FIG. 3) of the arm 22 slides in the first posture is provided in an area other than the placement area 72 on the upper surface 71 of the second tray 70. It has been. The 2nd sliding contact surface 76 inclines so that it may fall as it goes ahead.

  When the tray body 16 is attached to the printer unit 11 in the state where the second tray 70 is in the first posture, the sliding contact portion 25 (FIG. 3) of the arm 22 slides on the second sliding contact surface 76 so that the arm 22 is moved. The arm 22 and the feeding roller 23 get over the rear wall 63 by swinging upward. Thereafter, the arm 22 swings downward while being in sliding contact with the second sliding contact surface 76, and the feeding roller 23 (FIG. 2) is brought into contact with the sheet 17 placed on the upper surface 71 of the second tray 70. The feeding roller 23 is rotated by the driving unit to send out the sheet 17 placed on the second tray 70 to the first conveyance path 31 (FIG. 2).

When the tray body 16 is mounted on the printer unit 11 with the second tray 70 in the second posture, the sliding contact portion 25 (FIG. 3) of the arm 22 is in sliding contact with the first sliding contact surface 66 of the main tray 60. As a result, the arm 22 rotates and the feeding roller 23 (FIG. 2) is pressed against the sheet 17 placed on the upper surface 65 of the bottom 61 of the main tray 60. The feed roller 23 is rotated by the drive unit to send out the sheet 17 placed on the main tray 60 to the first transport path 31 (FIG. 2). The user can select the sheet 17 placed on the main tray 60 or the sheet 17 placed on the second tray 70 by changing the posture of the second tray 70 and cause the printer unit 11 to record an image.
[Discharge tray 80]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the discharge tray 80 has a rectangular plate-like outer shape in which the length in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length in the front-rear direction 8 of the main tray 60. It is arranged close to. Since the discharge tray 80 is shorter than the length of the main tray 60 in the front-rear direction 8, the downstream end (front end) of the large size sheet 17 such as A4 in the discharge direction 49 is the discharge tray 80 as will be described later. It is supported by the paper discharge tray 80 in a state of protruding forward from the front end (FIG. 9). The paper discharge tray 80 corresponds to the paper discharge tray.

  By disposing the discharge tray 80 close to the front end of the main tray 60, a part of the second tray 70 in the first posture is exposed. Most of the second tray 70 in the second posture is covered with the paper discharge tray 80. The second side guide mechanism 90 is exposed in the first posture and accepts an operation by the user.

  In a state where the tray body 16 is mounted on the printer unit 11, the third drive roller 57 of the switchback roller pair 56 is positioned above the rear end of the paper discharge tray 80. Therefore, the sheet discharge tray 80 can receive the sheet 17 discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 on the upper surface 81. The upper surface 81 of the paper discharge tray 80 corresponds to the support surface.

  A first opening 82 is provided at a position near the right end of the paper discharge tray 80 to expose the operated portion 77 provided at a position near the right end of the second tray 70. The first opening 82 is long in the front-rear direction 8 and exposes the operated portion 77 in both the first posture and the second posture. The user pushes the operated portion 77 forward or backward through the first opening 82. The first opening 82 corresponds to the first opening. The operated portion 77 corresponds to the operated portion.

  A second opening 83 that exposes the second rear guide 100 of the second tray 70 in the first posture is provided at the center of the discharge tray 80 in the left-right direction 9 and near the rear end. . The user pushes the second rear guide 100 forward or backward through the second opening 83. The second opening 83 corresponds to the second opening.

From the upper surface 81 of the discharge tray 80, a pair of left and right first support pieces 110, a pair of left and right second support pieces 120, a plurality of third support pieces 85, and a pair of left and right protrusions 84 protrude upward. . The left-right direction 9 in which the first support pieces 110, the second support pieces 120, and the protrusions 84 are separated from each other corresponds to the second direction. The upper surface 81 corresponds to the upper surface.
[Protrusions 84]
As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the protrusions 84 are provided on both the left and right sides of the second opening 83, and the contact surfaces 84 </ b> A orthogonal to the discharge direction 49 are formed on the discharge direction 49. At the downstream side. The protrusion 84 is provided at a position where the contact surface 84 </ b> A is on the upstream side with respect to the downstream end portion in the discharge direction 49 of the third drive roller 57 which is a lower roller of the switchback roller pair 56. Therefore, the sheet 17 discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 is discharged to the front side of the protrusion 84. When the sheet 17 discharged to the discharge tray 80 is pushed rearward by the user, the sheet 17 contacts the contact surface 84A of the protrusion 84. In double-sided printing, when the sheet 17 on the paper discharge tray 80 is about to move backward due to frictional force with the sheet 17 fed to the second transport path 32 by the switchback roller pair 56, the paper discharge tray The sheet 17 on 80 abuts against the protrusion 84 (FIG. 9C). By abutting against the protrusion 84, the positional deviation of the sheet 17 in the front-rear direction 8 and the entry of the sheet 17 on the paper discharge tray 80 into the printer unit 11 are prevented.

The pair of protrusions 84 are arranged such that the center of separation is the center in the left-right direction 9 of the paper discharge tray 80. As described above, since the sheet 17 is placed on the main tray 60 and the second tray 70 in a centered manner, the discharge tray is set so that the center in the left-right direction 9 coincides with the center in the left-right direction 9 of the discharge tray 80. 80 is discharged. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9D, the center of separation between the pair of protrusions 84 coincides with the center of the sheet 17 to be discharged in the left-right direction 9. In addition, the pair of protrusions 84 has a separation distance smaller than the width of the sheet 17 (for example, a postcard) having the smallest width in the left-right direction 9 among various sizes of sheets 17 on which images are recorded. Is provided. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the sheet 17 from entering the printer unit 11 in all the various sizes of sheets 17 on which the image recording apparatus 10 can record images. Since the pair of protrusions 84 are provided, the sheet 17 does not contact the protrusions 84 and rotate on the paper discharge tray 80. The protrusion 84 corresponds to the protrusion. The sheet 17 having various sizes on which an image can be recorded by the image recording apparatus 10 is a sheet size that can be placed on the main tray 60 and the second tray 70. The sheet that can be placed is a sheet that can be positioned by the first side guide mechanism 69 or the second side guide mechanism 90. Accordingly, the length between the protrusions 84 is set to be smaller than the minimum guide width by the first side guide mechanism 69 or the second side guide mechanism 90.
[First support piece 110]
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIGS. 8A and 8B, the pair of left and right first support pieces 110 is provided upstream at the front end portion of the discharge tray 80 so as to extend along the discharge direction 49. The inclined portion 116 has a downstream inclined portion 117 that descends toward the upper surface 81 along the discharge direction 49 from the downstream end 115 that is the downstream end portion of the upstream inclined portion 116 in the discharge direction 49. The upper end surface 113 of the upstream inclined portion 116 is inclined with respect to the upper surface 81 of the paper discharge tray 80 so as to rise toward the discharge direction 49 (forward). An upstream end 114 that is an upstream end in the discharge direction 49 of the upstream inclined portion 116 of the right first support piece 111 is provided on the front side of the first opening 82. The left first support piece 112 is provided at a position facing the right first support piece 111 in the left-right direction 9. The downstream inclined portion 117 does not normally support the seat 17. The first support piece 110 corresponds to the first support piece.
[Second support piece 120]
The pair of left and right second support pieces 120 are arranged in the front-rear direction 8 at a position between the central portion of the discharge tray 80 in the left-right direction 9 and the first support piece 111 on the right side or the first support piece 112 on the left side. It is provided so that it may extend along. The upstream end 121 (rear end) of the second support piece 120 in the discharge direction 49 is located downstream of the protrusion 84 in the discharge direction 49.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the pair of left and right second support pieces 120 have different shapes on the left and right. One second support piece 125 is formed on the left side, and one second support piece 126 is formed on the right side. The two are combined to form a pair of left and right second support pieces 120. The left second support piece 125 is continuous from the upstream side to the downstream side in the discharge direction 49, but the right second support piece 126 is discontinuous from the upstream side to the downstream side in the discharge direction. Specifically, it is divided into three.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second support piece 125 on the left side includes a first upstream inclined portion 127 that rises along the discharge direction 49 and a downstream end portion in the discharge direction 49 of the first upstream inclined portion 127. A first downstream inclined portion 128 that descends from a certain downstream end (front end) 122 toward the upper surface 81 along the discharge direction 49. The first upstream inclined portion 127 is inclined so as to rise halfway from the upstream end 121 that is the upstream end portion in the discharge direction 49 toward the downstream side in the discharge direction 49, and is substantially parallel to the upper surface 81 from the middle. Is formed. And the 1st downstream inclination part 128 inclines so that it may descend from the downstream end 122 of the 1st upstream inclination part 127 which became substantially parallel. The downstream end 122, which is the downstream end in the discharge direction 49 of the first upstream inclined portion 127 of the second support piece 125 on the left side in the discharge direction 49, is the upstream inclined portion 116 of the first support piece 110 in the discharge direction 49. It is located between the upstream end 114 and the downstream end 115.

  The second support piece 126 on the right side includes an upstream second support piece 126A on the upstream side in the discharge direction 49, a downstream second support piece 126C on the downstream side, and an upstream second support piece 126A and a downstream second support piece 126C. The intermediate second support piece 126B is divided into three. The upstream second support piece 126A has an upstream end located at a position facing the upstream end 121 of the left second support piece 125 in the left-right direction 9, and a downstream end located at a position to the right of the protrusion 84. Yes. The upstream second support piece 126 </ b> A is formed in the same shape as the portion of the left second support piece 125 that faces in the left-right direction 9.

  The intermediate second support piece 126 </ b> B has an upstream end positioned at a predetermined distance from the downstream end of the upstream second support piece 126 </ b> A in the paper discharge direction 49, and more than the downstream end of the first opening 81 in the discharge direction 49. It extends along the paper discharge direction 49 so that the downstream end is positioned slightly upstream. The intermediate second support piece 126 </ b> B is formed in a shape that descends from the upper surface 81 along the discharge direction 49 toward the upper surface 81 from the middle. The intermediate second support piece 126B is formed so that the height of the upper end is equal to or lower than the height of the upper end of the portion facing the intermediate second support piece 126B in the left-right direction 9 of the second support piece 125 on the left side. .

  The downstream second support piece 126 </ b> C has an upstream end located at a position between the downstream end of the upstream second support piece 126 </ b> A and the downstream end of the first opening 82 in the paper discharge direction 49. It extends along the paper discharge direction 49 so that the downstream end is positioned near the front end of 81. The second downstream support piece 126C extends along the discharge direction 49 from the second upstream inclined portion 129 upstream of the discharge direction 49 that rises along the discharge direction 49 and the downstream end 122 of the second upstream inclined portion 129 in the discharge direction 49. And a second downstream inclined portion 130 that descends toward the upper surface 81. The second upstream inclined portion 129 is formed such that the height of the upper end is equal to or lower than the height of the upper end of the portion facing the second upstream inclined portion 129 in the left-right direction 9 of the second support piece 125 on the left side. .

  The second upstream inclined portion 129 is inclined so as to rise partway along the discharge direction 49 from the upstream end 121 in the discharge direction 49, and is formed to be substantially parallel to the upper surface 81 from the middle. The second downstream inclined portion 130 extends from the downstream end 122 of the second upstream inclined portion 129 that is substantially parallel to the upper surface 81 of the paper discharge tray 80. The downstream end 122 of the second upstream inclined portion 129 faces the downstream end 122 of the left second support piece 125 in the left-right direction 9. That is, the downstream end 122 of the second upstream inclined portion 129 is located between the upstream end 114 and the downstream end 115 of the upstream inclined portion 116 of the first support piece 110 in the discharge direction 49.

  Further, the left second support piece 125 and the right second support piece 126 have a protruding amount from the upper surface 81 of the downstream end 122 that is larger than the upper surface 81 of the downstream end 115 of the first upstream inclined portion 116 of the first support piece 110. It is formed so as to be smaller than the protruding amount. The left second support piece 125 and the downstream second support piece 126C correspond to a pair of second support pieces.

  The upper end surface 123 of the second support piece 120 is inclined with respect to the upper surface 81 of the paper discharge tray 80 so as to rise toward the discharge direction 49 (forward).

As shown in FIG. 8B, the first support piece 110 has a height at the upstream end 114 higher than the height from the upper surface 81 of the upper end of the portion of the second support piece 120 that faces the upstream end 114 in the left-right direction 9. It is formed so as to be low. Further, the second support piece 120 is formed such that the height of the downstream end 122 is lower than the height from the upper surface 81 of the upper end of the portion facing the downstream end 122 in the left-right direction 9 of the first support piece 110. Yes. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the sheet 17 discharged in the discharge direction 49 by the switchback roller pair 56 (FIG. 2) reaches the downstream end 122 after sliding on the upper end surface 123 of the second support piece 120. Prior to this, it passes through the position of the upstream end 114 of the first support piece 110, rides on the upper end surface 113 of the first support piece 110 without being caught by the upstream end 114, and slides on the upper end surface 113. The first downstream inclined portion 128 and the second downstream inclined portion 130 do not normally support the seat 17.
[Third support piece 85]
The plurality of third support pieces 85 are provided inside the pair of second support pieces 120 in the left-right direction 9 so as to extend along the front-rear direction 8. The third support piece 85 is provided so that the upper end thereof is along the upper surface 81 of the paper discharge tray 80. That is, unlike the first support piece 110 and the second support piece 120, the third support piece 85 does not have a configuration in which the upper end is inclined with respect to the upper surface 81 of the paper discharge tray 80.
[Operation]
The sheet 17 placed on the main tray 60 or the second tray 70 of the tray body 16 shown in FIG. 2 is sent out to the first transport path 31 by the feeding roller 23. The fed sheet 17 is conveyed by the first conveying roller pair 50, and an image is recorded on one surface by the recording unit 40 on the platen 35. The sheet 17 on which the image is recorded is conveyed to the switchback roller pair 56 by the second conveyance roller pair 53. As shown in FIG. 9, in the case of single-sided printing, the sheet 17 is discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 to the discharge tray 80.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the case of double-sided printing, the sheet 17 on which an image is recorded on one side (front side) is conveyed to the discharge direction 49 by the rotation of one direction of the switchback roller pair 56, and the first conveyance direction 45, the downstream end (front end) hangs down from the switchback roller pair 56 and the upstream end (rear end) of the first transport direction 45 exceeds the second connection point 47, and then the switchback roller pair 56 rotates in the other direction. Thus, the printer unit 11 is pulled into the printer unit 11 and enters the second conveyance path 32 from the rear end side. The sheet 17 that has entered the second conveyance path 32 enters the first conveyance path 31 from the first connection point 46 (FIG. 2), is conveyed again onto the platen 35 with the front and back sides reversed, and is back-faced by the recording unit 40. An image is recorded on The sheet 17 on which images are recorded on both sides is discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 to the discharge tray 80.

  A case where a large size sheet 17 such as A4 is discharged to the discharge tray 80 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9A, the sheet 17 is discharged such that the downstream end (front end) in the discharge direction 49 hangs down from the switchback roller pair 56, and the front end is the second support piece 120 of the discharge tray 80. It slides on the top (the upper end of the first upstream inclined portion 127 of the left second support piece 125 and the upper end of the intermediate second support piece 126B of the right second support piece 126) and on the third support piece 85. The pair of left and right second support pieces 120 and the plurality of third support pieces 85 are disposed inside the pair of left and right first support pieces 110, and the separation distance is smaller than that of the first support piece 110. Therefore, even if it is a low-rigidity sheet such as the laterally-oriented sheet 17 whose eye direction is in the left-right direction 9, it slides on the second support piece 120 and the third support piece 85 without being caught. The sheet 17 is supported on the left side second support until the front end of the right side second support piece 126 sliding on the intermediate second support piece 126B passes the intermediate second support piece 126B and reaches the downstream second support piece 126C. The sheet is discharged while coming into contact with the first upstream inclined portion 127 of the piece 125. When the front end reaches the downstream second support piece 126C, the seat 17 contacts the first upstream inclined portion 127 of the left second support piece 125 and also on the second upstream inclined portion of the right second support piece 126C. Further, it is discharged along the discharge direction 49 while abutting. At this time, the inclination angle of the second upstream inclined portion 129 with respect to the upper surface 81 is larger than that of the first upstream inclined portion 127, but is in contact with the first upstream inclined portion 127. The paper can be discharged smoothly without being caught.

  The front end of the sheet 17 sliding on the second support piece 120 and the third support piece 85 in the discharge direction 49 is the upper end surface of the first support piece 110 from the second support piece 120 as shown in FIG. 9B. Step on 113 and slide on top surface 113. As shown in FIG. 9C, the seat 17 is discharged in a state in which the front end portion protrudes forward from the downstream end 115 of the first support piece 110 and the rear end is located on the front side of the protrusion 84. Supported by a paper tray 80.

  As shown in FIG. 10D, the sheet 17 supported on the paper discharge tray 80 has a first support piece 110 and a second support piece 120 so that the center portion in the left-right direction 9 of the front end is more than the left end and the right end. The curved state is lowered. This is because the downstream end 115 of the first support piece 110 is formed to protrude above the downstream end 122 of the second support piece 120. By curving the front end, the rigidity of the sheet 17 is increased, and the front end portion of the sheet 17 is prevented from hanging from the paper discharge tray 80. Accordingly, the rear end portion of the sheet 17 is suppressed from being lifted.

  In addition, since the downstream end 115 of the first support piece 110 is formed higher, the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion 116 with respect to the upper surface 81 becomes larger. However, since the sheet 17 has the first upstream inclined portion 127 and the second upstream inclined portion 129 of the second support piece 120 having the downstream end 122 formed lower than the downstream end 115, the upstream inclined portion 116 is first contacted. Therefore, the first upstream inclined portion 127 and the second upstream inclined portion 129 having a smaller inclination angle with respect to the upper surface 81 are guided. Further, since the first support piece 110 and the second support piece 120 are formed so that the first upstream inclined portion 127, the second upstream inclined portion 129, and the upstream inclined portion 116 are continuous in the discharge direction 49, smooth The sheet 17 is discharged.

In addition, since the first support piece 110 and the second support piece 120 are formed to become higher toward the downstream side in the discharge direction 49, the sheet 17 is formed by the first support piece 110 and the second support piece 120. As it goes from the rear end to the front end, the discharge direction 49 is curved so that the radius of curvature gradually decreases. The downstream end in the discharge direction 49 of the sheet 17 subsequently discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 first comes into sliding contact with the substantially uncurved rear end of the sheet 17 on the discharge tray 80. In a configuration in which a conventional discharge tray on which a plurality of support pieces whose upper end surfaces are not inclined is formed is simply tilted and attached to the tray body, the rear end of the sheet 17 on the discharge tray 80 is also curved and discharged. Further, the sheet 17 may come into contact with only the left and right ends of the sheet 17 on the sheet discharge tray 80 and be caught by the sheet 17. In this embodiment, the front end of the sheet 17 to be discharged next is first brought into contact with the rear end of the sheet 17 on the discharge tray 80 which is hardly curved, and the front end of the sheet 17 on the discharge tray 80 is also contacted. Since it is possible to suppress the trailing edge of the sheet 17 from being lifted by suppressing the part from hanging down, it is possible to smoothly discharge a plurality of sheets 17 onto the sheet discharge tray 80.
[Effect of this embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the first support piece 110 and the second support piece 120 prevent the downstream end (front end) in the discharge direction 49 of the sheet 17 supported by the discharge tray 80 from hanging down from the discharge tray 80. In addition, the next sheet 17 can be smoothly discharged without being caught by the previously discharged sheet 17. As a result, a plurality of sheets 17 can be normally discharged onto the discharge tray 80.

  Further, two types of support pieces, that is, the outer first support piece 110 and the inner second support piece 120 are provided, and the discharged sheet 17 is first brought into contact with the inner second support piece 120. Even the horizontal sheet 17 whose eyes are aligned in the left-right direction 9 can be discharged normally.

Further, the sheet 17 stacked on the sheet discharge tray 80 is prevented from moving backward by the upstream end (rear end) in the discharge direction 49 coming into contact with the protrusion 84. When the sheet 17 is pushed backward by the user, or when the sheet 17 enters the second conveying path 32 by the switchback roller pair 56 in double-sided printing (FIG. 10), the protrusion 84 causes the sheet 17 to move in the front-rear direction 8. The positional deviation of the sheet 17 and the sheet 17 are prevented from being pulled into the printer unit 11.
[Modification]
In the present embodiment, an example in which the double-sided recording function is provided and the sheet 17 is discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 has been described. However, the present invention can also be used for an image recording apparatus that does not have the double-sided recording function. When the double-sided recording function is not provided, the second conveying roller pair 53 is provided at the position of the switchback roller pair 56. In this configuration, the second conveyance roller pair 53 corresponds to a discharge roller.

  In this embodiment, the example in which the sheet 17 is discharged from the switchback roller pair 56 has been described. However, a discharge port is provided on the downstream side of the switchback roller pair 56 in the first conveyance direction 45, and the sheet is discharged from the discharge port. In this configuration, the discharge port is disposed at a position on the front side of the protrusion 84.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the center-adjusted first side guide mechanism 69 and the second side guide mechanism 90 are used has been described, but a left-end alignment or a right-end alignment side guide mechanism may be used. When the end-aligning side guide mechanism is used, the pair of left and right protrusions 84 are provided close to the left end or the right end of the discharge tray 80.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the paper discharge tray 80 is provided on the tray body 16 has been described. However, a configuration in which the paper discharge tray 80 is mounted on the housing 13 separately from the tray body 16 may be employed. Good.

  In the present embodiment, the tray body 16 includes two trays of the main tray 60 and the second tray 70, and the configuration in which an image is recorded on the sheet 17 selected by the user has been described. However, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the second tray 70 is not provided but only the main tray 60 is provided. In the case of this configuration, it is not necessary to provide the first opening 82 and the second opening 83 (FIG. 4) in the paper discharge tray 80 as shown in FIG. 9, the length of the first support piece 110 in the front-rear direction 8, The positions of the first support piece 110 and the second support piece 120 in the left-right direction 9 can be freely set.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the second support piece 120 is provided inside the pair of first support pieces 110 in the left-right direction 9 has been described. However, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the pair of second support pieces 120 is provided. The piece 120 may be disposed outside the pair of first support pieces 110 in the left-right direction 9. Even in this configuration, the sheet 17 can be supported so that the radius of curvature gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side of the discharge direction 49, and a plurality of sheets 17 are normally discharged onto the discharge tray 80. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the upper end surface 113 and the upper end surface 123 are provided on the first support piece 110 and the second support piece 120 has been described. However, in order to make the seat 17 slippery, the first support piece As shown in FIG. 12, the upper ends of 110 and the second support piece 120 may be formed to have an arcuate curved surface (FIG. 12A) protruding upward as viewed from the front side. Or the upper end of the 1st support piece 110 or the 2nd support piece 120 may be formed so that it may become the edge (FIG. 12 (B)) which tapers as it goes upwards.

9 ... Left-right direction (second direction)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image recording device 16 ... Tray body 40 ... Recording part 49 ... Discharge direction (1st direction)
56 ... Switchback roller pair (discharge roller pair)
57... Third drive roller 60... Main tray (first tray)
65 ... Upper surface (first mounting surface)
70 ... Second tray (second tray)
72 ... Upper surface (second mounting surface)
77 .. Operated portion 80... Discharge tray 81 .. upper surface (support surface)
82 ... 1st opening 83 ... 2nd opening 84 ... Projection 100 ... Rear guide (positioning member)
110 ·· first support piece 113 ·· upper end surface 114 ·· upstream end 115 ·· downstream end 120 ·· second support piece 111 ·· upstream end 112 ·· downstream end 113 ·· upper end surface

Claims (5)

A recording unit for recording an image on a sheet;
A discharge mechanism for discharging the sheet on which the image is recorded in the recording unit in the first direction;
A sheet discharge tray that supports the sheet discharged from the discharge mechanism,
The output tray is
A supporting surface;
Are spaced apart in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction protrudes to the third direction perpendicular to the support surface than the support surface, and the pair of collision extending along a first direction piece ,
Is arranged in the second direction between said pair of collision pieces, said a three or more protrusions that will be arranged separately in the second direction, protrudes into the third direction than the supporting surface Each including three or more protrusions extending along the first direction,
Each of the pair of collision pieces are
Provided at the upstream end of the first direction and inclined with respect to the support surface such that the distance from the support surface in the third direction increases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the first direction. A first top surface to
A second upper surface connected to the downstream end of the first upper surface in the first direction and having a smaller angle of inclination with respect to the support surface than the first upper surface;
Each front end of the three or more protrusions, rather than the upstream end of the first direction of the first upper surface provided on each of the pair of collision pieces, the support surface in the third direction Located away from
Each front end of the three or more protrusions, rather than the downstream end of the first direction of the first upper surface provided on each of the pair of collision pieces, the support surface in the third direction Located near
Each front end of the three or more protrusions, rather than the second upper surface provided on each of the pair of collision pieces, is located near the supporting surface in the third direction,
Each of the upstream end of the first direction of the three or more protrusions, rather than the upstream end of the first direction of the first upper surface provided on each of the pair of butt pieces , Located upstream of the first direction,
Each of the downstream end of the first direction of the three or more protrusions, rather than the downstream end of the first direction of the second upper surface provided on each of the pair of butt pieces , Located upstream of the first direction,
Each of the downstream end of the first direction of the three or more protrusions, rather than the downstream end of the first direction of the first upper surface provided on each of the pair of butt pieces An image recording apparatus located on the downstream side in the first direction. Each of the pair of collision pieces are
The support surface is connected to the downstream end of the second upper surface in the first direction, and the distance from the support surface in the third direction decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the first direction. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image recording apparatus has a third upper surface that is inclined with respect to the first surface.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first upper surface has a shorter length in the first direction than the second upper surface. The three or more projections, the length of each of the width in the second direction, claims 1-3 is shorter than the length of each of the width in the second direction of the pair of butt pieces An image recording apparatus according to any one of the above. The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the three or more protrusions are arranged at equal intervals in the second direction.

Images