Image recording device

The present invention relates to an image recording device that records an image on a sheet, and more particularly to an image recording device that can record an image on both sides of the sheet.

Conventionally, an image recording device capable of recording an image on both sides of a sheet has been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a double-sided image forming apparatus as an example of this type of image recording apparatus. In the double-sided image forming apparatus, the sheet sent out from the sheet supply unit is conveyed by a conveying roller to an image forming means composed of a photosensitive drum or the like. An image is recorded on the surface of the sheet in the image forming means. The sheet on which the image is recorded on the surface is switched back by the discharge roller on the downstream side of the image forming means. The switched back sheet reaches the transfer roller again via the sheet resupply transfer path provided below the image forming means. The image is recorded on the back surface of the sheet by the image forming means in the same manner as when the image is formed on the front surface. After that, the sheet on which the image is recorded on both sides is discharged to the discharge tray by the discharge roller.

The sheet resupply transport path is provided above a tray for storing sheets, and is provided between an arm provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a predetermined rotation axis and an arm provided at an end of the arm. It is equipped with a sheet supply roller that sends out the sheet stored in the tray by rotating.

Further, the double-sided image forming apparatus is configured so that the sheet resupply transfer path to the transfer roller can be rotated downward. As a result, when a jam occurs in the sheet resupply transport path, the double-sided image forming apparatus exposes the sheet transport surface of the sheet resupply transport path by rotating the sheet resupply transport path downward, and jams. The sheet can be easily removed.

<p><patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-362766</text></patcit></p>

<p> The sheet supply roller comes into contact with the sheet when the sheet is fed out. Therefore, the paper dust of the sheet adheres to the surface of the sheet supply roller. It is desirable that the sheet supply rollers be cleaned regularly to remove the paper dust from the surface of the sheet supply rollers.</p><p> However, in an image recording device such as the double-sided image forming device described above, the sheet supply roller exists in the space between the tray and the sheet resupply transfer path. Therefore, the sheet supply roller is difficult to access from the outside and is difficult to clean.</p><p> Further, when the sheet resupply transfer path is configured to be rotatable downward as in the double-sided image forming apparatus described above, there is an advantage that the sheet stuck in the apparatus can be easily removed. However, the sheet resupply transfer path rotates downward, which makes the sheet supply roller more difficult to access from the outside.</p><p> The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device capable of easily cleaning a roller for supplying a sheet from a tray.</p>

<p>(1) The image recording device of the present invention has a recording unit for recording an image on a sheet, a tray provided below the recording unit, on which the sheet can be placed, and which can be inserted and removed from the device, and from the tray. A first guide member forming a curved first transport path for guiding the fed sheet to the recording unit, a rotatable arm provided between the recording unit and the tray, and an arm of the arm. It is composed of rollers that are rotatably provided on the tip side and supply the sheet placed on the tray to the first transport path, and the first posture in which the roller abuts on the sheet mounting surface of the tray and the above. When the tray is pulled out of the device, the roller is provided between the feeding unit that can rotate between the second posture and the second posture that is lower than the first posture, and between the recording unit and the feeding unit. The third posture forming at least a part of the second transport path for guiding the sheet on which the image is recorded on one surface to the first transport path, and the above-mentioned first in a state where the tray is pulled out from the device. The second guide member that can rotate between the recording unit and the fourth posture that is separated from the three postures and the sheet transport surface of the second guide member are opened, and the second guide member is the fourth posture. In this state, the first opening is provided, through which at least a part of the roller in the second posture penetrates and projects upward from the sheet transport surface.</p><p> The second guide member is rotated to the fourth posture when the tray is pulled out from the image recording device. As a result, the space between the recording unit and the second guide member becomes large. Therefore, since the first guide member is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the image recording device, the sheet can be easily taken out even if the sheet is clogged in the second guide member. However, when the second guide member is rotated to the fourth posture as described above, access to the rollers is hindered by the second guide member.</p><p> However, according to the above configuration, the first opening is provided. Then, when the second guide member is rotated to the fourth posture, at least a part of the roller penetrates the first opening and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the second guide member. This prevents access to the rollers from being blocked by the second guide member.</p><p>(2) The image recording device of the present invention is provided integrally with the tray along the direction of transporting the sheet from the sheet mounting surface to the first transport path, and the sheet mounting surface and the first transport path are provided. An inclined plate that constitutes an angle of inclination that relaxes the angle between the two is further provided. In the process of inserting and removing the tray from the device, the paper feed unit is pushed upward by the tray, the inclined plate, or both, so as to be separated from the sheet mounting surface and retracted from the insertion / removal area of the tray. The paper feed is rotatable in the fifth posture, is opened in the sheet transport surface of the second guide member, and is rotated in the fifth posture in the state of the second guide member in the third posture. It is provided with a second opening through which at least a part of the portion penetrates and projects upward from the sheet transport surface.</p><p> When the tray is inserted and removed from the image recording device, if the paper feed unit hits the tray, the inclined plate, or both the tray and the inclined plate, the tray cannot be inserted and removed properly. In order to solve such a problem, the image recording device may be configured so that the paper feed unit retracts above the tray when the tray is inserted or removed. In the above configuration, the paper feed unit can be retracted to the fifth posture above the tray. However, when the image recording device is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feed unit is required inside the image recording device. As a result, the image recording device becomes large.</p><p> However, in the above configuration, when the paper feed unit is rotated from the first posture to the fifth posture in the process of inserting and removing the tray from the device, at least a part of the paper feed unit is opened in the second opening. It penetrates the portion and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the second guide member. As a result, the space for retracting the paper feed unit can be shared with the space above the sheet transport surface of the second guide member. Therefore, the image recording device can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit.</p><p>(3) The image recording device of the present invention is provided in the paper feeding unit, and when the paper feeding unit is in the fifth posture, it comes into contact with the second guide unit, so that the surface of the roller is brought into contact with the second guide unit. 2 Further provided with a stopper to prevent contact with the guide member.</p><p> If the surface of the roller comes into contact with the second guide member, the surface of the roller may be damaged. However, in the above configuration, the stopper can prevent the surface of the roller from coming into contact with the second guide member.</p><p>(4) The second guide member can rotate in a sixth posture closer to the recording unit than in the third posture. The area for the paper feed unit to take the fifth posture and the area for the second guide member to take the third posture overlap. The second guide member is provided with an interlocking portion that rotates the second guide member in the sixth posture in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feed unit in the fifth posture.</p><p> In the above configuration, the second guide member is arranged in the space existing between itself and the recording unit by taking the sixth posture. As a result, the paper feed unit can exist in the space where the second guide member previously existed. Therefore, the image recording device can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit.</p><p>(5) The second guide member can rotate in a sixth posture closer to the recording unit than in the third posture. The area for the paper feed unit to take the fifth posture and the area for the second guide member to take the third posture overlap. The second guide member is provided in the paper feed unit and is rotated to the sixth posture in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feed unit to the fifth posture, and the paper feed unit is in the fifth posture. In this state, the interlocking portion is provided to prevent the surface of the roller from coming into contact with the second guide member by coming into contact with the second guide portion.</p><p> In the above configuration, the interlocking portion serves as a stopper for preventing contact between the surface of the roller and the second guide member, and the second guide is interlocked with the rotation of the paper feed portion to the fifth posture. The member is rotated to the sixth posture. As a result, compared to the configuration in which the mechanism for preventing contact between the surface of the roller and the second guide member is provided separately from the mechanism for rotating the second guide member in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feed unit, the image The number of components arranged in the recording device can be reduced. As a result, the image recording device can be miniaturized.</p><p>(6) The arm in the paper feeding section in the fifth posture is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is substantially parallel to the sheet transport surface of the second guide member in the sixth posture.</p><p> By making the longitudinal direction of the arm parallel to the sheet transport surface of the second guide member, the distance between the arm and the second guide member can be reduced. Therefore, the image recording device can be miniaturized.</p><p>(7) In the image recording apparatus of the present invention, when the paper feed unit is rotated to the first posture, the second opening is closed to form a part of the sheet transport surface, and the paper feed unit is formed. Further includes an opening / closing member that opens the second opening when the paper is rotated to the fifth posture.</p><p> If the second guide member is provided with an opening, the sheet may be caught in the opening and clogged. In order to prevent this, the second guide member may be provided with a member for preventing the sheet from being guided to the opening on the sheet transport surface. As such a member, for example, there is a convex portion provided along the periphery of the opening. However, the thickness of the second guide member is increased by providing the convex portion. As a result, the size of the device is increased. Therefore, in the above configuration, an opening / closing member for closing the second opening is provided in a state where the sheet is transported in the second transport path. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the sheet is caught in the second opening and is clogged without increasing the thickness of the second guide member.</p><p>(8) The first opening is the second opening.</p><p> By sharing the first opening and the second opening, the number and area of openings provided in the second guide member can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the sheet gets caught in the opening and becomes clogged.</p><p>(9) The second guide member includes an elastic member on a surface opposite to the sheet transport surface.</p><p> When the tray is pulled out of the image recording device, the second guide member is rotated to the fourth posture. At this time, the second guide member may come into contact with the housing or the like constituting the bottom surface of the image recording device existing below the tray and make a loud noise. However, in the above configuration, the elastic member alleviates the impact at the time of contact between the second guide member and the landing surface. As a result, the sound when the second guide member comes into contact with the landing surface can be reduced.</p><p>(10) The image recording device of the present invention includes a recording unit that records an image on a sheet, a tray provided below the recording unit, on which the sheet can be placed, and a tray that can be inserted and removed from the device. A first guide member that forms a curved first transport path that guides the sheet fed from the tray to the recording unit, a rotatable arm provided between the recording unit and the tray, and a rotatable arm. A first roller that is rotatably provided at the rotational tip of the arm and supplies a sheet placed on the tray to the first transport path, and the roller comes into contact with the sheet mounting surface of the tray. A sheet that can rotate between the posture and the second posture that is separated from the sheet mounting surface, and a sheet that is provided between the recording unit and the paper feeding unit and has an image recorded on one surface. The second guide member forming at least a part of the second transport path for guiding the image to the first transport path, and the sheet transport surface of the second guide member were opened and rotated in the second posture. It is provided with a third opening through which at least a part of the paper feeding portion penetrates and projects upward from the upper surface of the second guide member.</p><p> For example, if the paper feed unit hits the side plate of the tray when the tray is inserted or removed from the image recording device, the tray cannot be inserted or removed properly. In order to solve such a problem, the image recording device may be configured so that the paper feed unit retracts above the tray when the tray is inserted or removed. In the above configuration, the paper feed unit can take a second posture above the tray. However, when the image recording device is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feed unit is required inside the image recording device. As a result, the image recording device becomes large.</p><p> However, in the above configuration, when the paper feed unit is rotated from the first posture to the second posture in the process of inserting and removing the tray from the device, at least a part of the paper feed unit is opened in the third opening. It penetrates the portion and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the second guide member. As a result, the space for retracting the paper feed unit can be shared with the space above the sheet transport surface of the second guide member. Therefore, the image recording device can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit.</p>

<p> In the present invention, the first opening is opened in the second guide member. Then, when the second guide member is rotated to the fourth posture, the roller penetrates the first opening and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the second guide member. This prevents access to the rollers from being blocked by the second guide member. Therefore, the rollers can be easily cleaned.</p>

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multifunction device 10 which is an example of the embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feed unit 15 takes the first posture and the rotation guide member 70 takes the third posture.</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feed unit 15 takes the second posture and the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture.</figref><figref num="5">FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feed unit 15 comes into contact with the rotation guide member 70.</figref><figref num="6">FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 when the paper feed unit 15 takes the fifth posture and the rotation guide member 70 takes the sixth posture.</figref><figref num="7">FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11 of the modified example.</figref>

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It goes without saying that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the multifunction device 10 is installed so that it can be used (the state in FIG. 1), and the side in which the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front) in the front-rear direction. 8 is defined, and 9 is defined in the left-right direction when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front side (front).

As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 is generally formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped, and an inkjet recording type printer unit 11 is provided at the lower portion. The multifunction device 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. As a printing function, it has a double-sided image recording function for recording an image on both sides of a recording paper. The presence or absence of a function other than the print function is arbitrary. The printer unit 11 has a casing (housing) 14 having an opening 13 formed in the front surface, and a tray 20 (an example of a tray of the present invention) on which recording papers of various sizes (an example of a sheet of the present invention) can be placed. The paper cassette 78 provided with) can be inserted and removed from the opening 13 in the front-rear direction 8. An operation panel 17 is provided on the upper part of the front surface of the multifunction device 10. The operation panel 17 is a device for operating the printer unit 11. The multifunction device 10 operates based on the operation input from the operation panel 17.

[Configuration of printer unit 11] Next, the configuration of the printer unit 11 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the front side (right side of the paper surface) of the paper feed cassette 78 is not shown. The printer unit 11 picks up the recording paper from the tray 20 and feeds (feeds) the recording paper to the paper feeding unit 15 (an example of the paper feeding unit of the present invention) and the recording paper fed by the paper feeding unit 15. It includes an inkjet recording type recording unit 24 (an example of the recording unit of the present invention) that ejects drops and records an image on recording paper, a path switching unit 41, and the like. The recording unit 24 is not limited to the inkjet method, and various recording methods such as an electrophotographic method can be applied.

[Transportation path 65] Inside the printer unit 11, a transport path 65 is formed from the tip of the tray 20 (the end on the rear side) to the paper ejection holding unit 79 via the recording unit 24. The transport path 65 is formed between a curved path 65A (an example of the first transport path of the present invention) formed between the tip of the tray 20 and the recording unit 24, and between the recording unit 24 and the paper ejection holding unit 79. It is divided into the output paper passage 65B. The curved passage 65A is a curved passage extending from the vicinity of the upper end of the separation inclined plate 22 (an example of the inclined plate of the present invention) provided on the tray 20 to the recording unit 24.

The separation inclined plate 22 extends diagonally upward and rearward at the rear end of the tray 20 in the left-right direction 9 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2). The angle formed by the separation inclined plate 22 and the sheet mounting surface on the tray 20 is an angle at which the recording paper placed on the sheet mounting surface is smoothly guided to the curved path. For example, the angle between the separation inclined plate 22 and the seat mounting surface is half the angle formed by the straight line parallel to the seat mounting surface and the extended battle from the starting end 64 of the curved road 65A. Is set to. From the above, the separation inclined plate 22 is provided integrally with the tray 20 along the direction of transporting the recording paper from the sheet mounting surface to the curved path 65A, and the angle formed by the sheet mounting surface and the curved path 65A is relaxed. Make up the tilt of the angle.

The curved path 65A is generally formed in an arc shape centered on the inner side of the printer unit 11. The recording paper fed from the tray 20 is guided to the recording unit 24 via the curved path 65A. The curved road 65A is partitioned by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 facing each other at predetermined intervals. That is, the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 are examples of the first guide member of the present invention. The outer guide member 18, the inner guide member 19, the upper guide member 82, the lower guide member 83, the upper tilt guide member 32, the lower tilt guide member 33, and the support member 43, which will be described later, are all shown in FIG. It extends in the vertical direction of the paper (9 in the left-right direction in Fig. 1).

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer guide member 18 rotates in the direction of arrow 85 about the base shaft 84. The rotation is performed manually, for example, by the user of the multifunction device 10.

The paper discharge path 65B is a straight passage extending from the downstream side of the recording unit 24 toward the first transport to the paper discharge holding unit 79. Here, the first transport direction refers to the direction in which the recording paper is transported along the transport path 65 (the orientation indicated by the alternate long and short dash line with an arrow in FIG. 2).

A branch port 36 is formed on the downstream side of the recording unit 24 in the direction of the first transport. At the time of double-sided image recording, the recording paper conveyed through the paper ejection path 65B is switched back on the downstream side of the branch port 36 and directed to the inverted transfer path 67 (an example of the second transfer path of the present invention) described later. Will be transported.

[Recording unit 24] The recording unit 24 is arranged above the tray 20. The recording unit 24 reciprocates in the vertical direction (main scanning direction) of the paper surface shown in FIG. A platen 42 for holding the recording paper horizontally is provided below the recording unit 24. In the process of reciprocating in the main scanning direction, the recording unit 24 ejects ink supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) onto the recording paper conveyed from the nozzle 39 on the platen 42. As a result, the image is recorded on the recording paper.

A first transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 are provided between the end of the curved path 65A and the recording unit 24. The pinch roller 61 is pressed against the roller surface of the first transport roller 60 by an elastic member such as a spring (not shown). The first transfer roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 narrowly hold the recording paper conveyed on the curved road 65A and feed it onto the platen 42. Further, a second transport roller 62 and a spur roller 63 are provided between the recording unit 24 and the start end of the paper discharge path 65B. Like the pinch roller 61, the spur roller 63 is pressed against the roller surface of the second transport roller 62. The second transfer roller 62 and the spur roller 63 hold the recording paper on which the image is recorded by the recording unit 24 and transfer it to the downstream side (paper discharge holding unit 79 side) facing the first transfer.

The first transfer roller 60 and the second transfer roller 62 are rotated by transmitting a rotational driving force from a transfer motor (not shown) via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown). The drive transmission mechanism is composed of planetary gears and the like, and regardless of whether the transfer motor is rotated in the forward or reverse direction, the first transfer roller 60 and the second transfer roller 60 and the second transfer roller are used to transfer the recording paper in the first transfer direction. Rotate the transport roller 62 in one rotation direction.

[Paper feed unit 15] The paper feed unit 15 is provided below the recording unit 24 and above the tray 20, that is, between the recording unit 24 and the tray 20. The paper feed unit 15 conveys the recording paper stored in the tray 20 toward the curved path 65A. The paper feed unit 15 includes a paper feed roller 25 (an example of a roller of the present invention), a paper feed arm 26 (an example of an arm of the present invention), and a drive transmission mechanism 27.

The paper feed roller 25 picks up the recording paper mounted on the tray 20 and feeds it to the curved path 65A, and is rotatably supported by the tip of the paper feed arm 26. The paper feed roller 25 is rotationally driven when a rotational force is transmitted from an ASF (Auto Sheet Feed) motor (not shown), which is a drive source different from the transport motor, via a drive transmission mechanism 27. The drive transmission mechanism 27 is pivotally supported by the paper feed arm 26, and is composed of a plurality of gears arranged in a substantially straight line. The ASF motor is rotated in either forward or reverse rotation, and the paper feed roller 25 is rotated in the direction of feeding the recording paper to the curved path 65A by the rotation of the ASF motor.

The base end of the paper feed arm 26 is supported by the base shaft 28, and the paper feed arm 26 can rotate around the base shaft 28. Therefore, the paper feed arm 26 can move up and down so as to be in contact with and detach from the tray 20. Further, the paper feed arm 26 is rotationally urged in the direction of arrow 29 in FIG. 2 by its own weight or by an elastic force of an elastic member such as a spring. Therefore, the paper feed roller 25 can be pressed against the upper surface of the recording paper housed in the tray 20. That is, in the paper feed unit 15, the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the surface of the tray 20 on which the recording paper is placed (corresponding to the sheet mounting surface of the present invention; hereinafter referred to as the sheet mounting surface). Take one posture (corresponding to the first posture of the present invention).

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the paper feed unit 15 is the upper surface of the tray 20 when the tray 20 is inserted into the printer unit 11 or when the tray 20 is pulled out from the printer unit 11. By being pushed by (for example, the separation inclined plate 22), it is pushed upward. That is, the paper feed unit 15 is pushed upward by the separation inclined plate 22 in the process of inserting and removing the tray 20 from the multifunction device 10, so that the tray 20 is separated from the sheet mounting surface and retracted from the insertion / removal area of the tray 20. It can rotate to the fifth posture (corresponding to the fifth posture of the present invention).

It should be noted that pressing the paper feed unit 15 is not limited to the separation inclined plate 22. For example, it may be the side wall 21 of the tray 20 (see FIG. 2), or it may be both the side wall 21 of the tray 20 and the separation inclined plate 22.

Further, as described above, the paper feed arm 26 is rotationally urged in the direction of the arrow 29 in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the paper feed unit 15 is pressed against the frame 77 of the multifunction device 10 arranged below the tray 20 when the tray 20 is pulled out from the printer unit 11. That is, the paper feed unit 15 can rotate to the second posture (corresponding to the second posture of the present invention) in which the paper feed roller 25 is lower than the first posture when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10. Is. From the above, the paper feed arm 26 rotates between the first posture, the fifth posture, and the second posture.

[Route switching unit 41] As shown in FIG. 2, the route switching unit 41 is arranged near the branch port 36 in the transport path 65. The route switching unit 41 includes a third transport roller 45, a spur roller 46, and a flap 49.

The third transport roller 45 is provided on the downstream side of the lower guide member 83. The third transport roller 45 is rotatably supported by a frame or the like of the printer unit 11. The spur roller 46 is pressed against the roller surface of the third transport roller 45 by its own weight or a spring or the like.

The third transfer roller 45 is rotated in either the forward or reverse direction by transmitting the driving force in the forward / reverse rotation direction from the transfer motor. For example, when single-sided recording is performed, the third transport roller 45 is rotated in the forward rotation direction. As a result, the recording paper is sandwiched between the third transport roller 45 and the spur roller 46, transported to the downstream side, and discharged to the paper discharge holding unit 79. On the other hand, when double-sided recording is performed, the rotation direction of the third transport roller 45 is switched from forward rotation to reverse rotation with the third transport roller 45 and the spur roller 46 sandwiching the rear end portion of the recording paper.

A support shaft 87 extending in the vertical direction of the paper surface in FIG. 2 (9 in the left-right direction in FIG. 1) is provided on the frame of the printer unit 11 or the like. The flap 49 extends substantially downstream from the support shaft 87. The flap 49 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 87. Auxiliary rollers 47 and auxiliary rollers 48 formed in a spur shape are pivotally supported on the flap 49.

The flap 49 is configured so that the posture can be changed, and the discharge posture (the posture shown by the broken line in FIG. 2) located above the lower guide member 83 and the extension end portion 49A are below the branch port 36. It rotates with the inverted posture (the posture shown by the solid line in Fig. 2) that enters into. The recording paper that has passed through the recording unit 24 is further conveyed to the downstream side in the first transport direction when the flap 49 is in the discharge posture, and is switched back to the reverse transport path 67 when the flap 49 is in the reverse posture.

[Reversal transport path 67] The reversing transport path 67 guides the recording paper from the downstream side of the transport path 65 in the first transport direction to the upstream side of the transport path 65 from the first transport roller 60 in the first transport direction. The reversing transport path 67 is branched from the paper discharge path 65B at the branch port 36, passes between the recording unit 24 and the paper feed arm 27, and is curved at the confluence 37 on the upstream side of the recording unit 24 for the first transfer. Merge with Road 65A. The recording paper is conveyed along the reverse transfer path 67 in the second transfer direction. Here, the second transport direction refers to the direction indicated by the alternate long and short dash line with an arrow in FIG. From the above, the reversing transport path 67 is a path for guiding the recording paper on which the image is recorded on at least one surface by the recording unit 24 to the curved path 65A.

The reverse transport path 67 is divided into a first path 67A and a second path 67B. The first path 67A is partitioned by an upper inclined guide member 32 having an inclined surface inclined backward obliquely downward from the branch port 36 and a lower inclined guide member 33.

The second path 67B includes a rotation guide member 70 (an example of the second guide member of the present invention) rotatably supported in the directions shown by arrows 30 and 34 in FIGS. 5 and 6, and a frame of the printer unit 11. It is attached to and is partitioned by a support member 43 that supports the recording unit 24.

The reversing transport path 67 is provided with a fourth transport roller 68 and a spur roller 69. The spur roller 69 is pressed against the roller surface of the fourth transport roller 68 by its own weight or a spring or the like. The fourth transport roller 68 rotates to transport the recording paper in the second transport direction. The fourth transfer roller 68 is rotationally driven by transmitting a rotational force from the transfer motor. The direction of rotation of the fourth transfer roller 68 is the direction in which the recording paper is conveyed in the second transfer direction.

[Rotating guide member 70] The rotation guide member 70 is provided between the recording unit 24 and the paper feeding unit 15. The rotation guide member 70 is a substantially thin flat plate rectangular member whose dimensions in the vertical direction 7 are shorter than those in the front-rear direction 8 and the horizontal direction 9. The tip (rear end) of the rotation guide member 70 is curved diagonally upward. As a result, the reversing transport path 67 and the curved path 65A form a substantially arcuate path, and the recording paper conveyed on the reversing transport path 67 is smoothly guided to the curved path 65A.

The base end portion (front end portion) of the rotation guide member 70 is supported by the base shaft 73 of the paper feeding unit 15, and the rotation guide member 70 can rotate around the base shaft 73. By being supported by the base shaft 73, the rotation guide member 70 can move up and down so as to approach and separate from the recording unit 24.

The rotation guide member 70 is closer to the recording unit 24 side than the third posture (corresponding to the third posture of the present invention) forming at least a part of the reversing transport path 67 by rotating. It is possible to take a sixth posture (corresponding to the sixth posture of the present invention) and a fourth posture (corresponding to the fourth posture of the present invention) which is farther from the recording unit 24 side than the third posture.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the third posture is a posture in which the upper surface of the rotation guide member 70 holds a predetermined distance between the support member 43 and the recording paper. When the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture, the rotation guide member 70 is supported by the side wall 21 of the tray 20. The side wall 21 of the tray 20 is erected along the front-rear direction 8 from both ends of the bottom plate on which the recording paper is placed in the left-right direction 9. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper end of the side wall 21 of the tray 20 is indicated by a broken line. In the present embodiment, the support member 80 is projected from the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70, and the rotation guide member 70 is supported by the side wall 21 by abutting the support member 80 and the side wall 21. There is. In addition, in FIGS. 4 to 6, the side wall 21 is not shown.

In the sixth posture, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the paper feeding unit 15, so that the upper surface of the rotation guide member 70 approaches the vicinity of the support member 43. is there. In the fourth posture, as shown in FIG. 4, when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10, the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 is not supported by the side wall 21 of the tray 20, so that the rotation guide member 70 is not supported. However, following the rotation of the paper feed unit 15 to the second posture, the posture is such that it approaches the upper vicinity of the frame 77 of the multifunction device 10.

[Hole 71] An opening is provided at a position facing the paper feed roller 25 on the surface of the rotation guide member 70 on which the recording paper is conveyed (corresponding to the sheet transfer surface of the present invention; hereinafter referred to as the sheet transfer surface). .. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when the rotation guide member 70 is in the fourth posture, if the rotation guide member 70 is not provided with an opening, at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 ( For example, a first hole 71 (an example of the first opening of the present invention) is provided at a position where the roller surface of the paper feed roller 25 above the paper feed arm 26 abuts on the rotation guide member 70. There is.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture, if the rotation guide member 70 is not provided with an opening, the paper feed roller 25 and / or the paper feed arm 26 A second hole (for example, the roller surface above the paper feed arm 26 of the paper feed roller 25 and the upper surface of the paper feed arm 26) at a position where at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the rotation guide member 70 (the present invention). An example of the second opening) is provided.

In this embodiment, the first hole 71 and the second hole are shared and are the same hole. However, depending on the relative positional relationship between the rotation guide member 70 and the paper feed roller 25, the paper feed roller 25 may take the rotation guide member 25 depending on whether the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture or the third posture. The position of contact with 70 may be different. In that case, the first hole and the second hole are provided separately. Hereinafter, the hole in which the first hole 71 and the second hole are shared is simply referred to as the hole 71.

By providing the hole 71 in the rotation guide member 70, at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 in the second posture penetrates the sheet of the rotation guide member 70 when the rotation guide member 70 is in the fourth posture. It projects upward from the transport surface. Further, in the state where the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture, at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 rotated in the fifth posture penetrates and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70.

[Protrusion 72] As shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion 72 is provided on the upper surface of the paper feed arm 26 in the vicinity of the paper feed roller 25. As shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 72 (an example of the stopper of the present invention) is in contact with the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 when the paper feed unit 15 is in the fifth posture. The position where the protrusion 72 is provided is not limited to the upper surface of the paper feed arm 26 as long as the contact between the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and the rotation guide member 70 due to the rotation of the paper feed unit 15 can be prevented.

[Plate-shaped member 75] As shown in FIG. 3, the base shaft 74 is provided at a position on the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 near the end of the hole 71 on the base shaft 73 side. Further, a plate-shaped member 75 (an example of an opening / closing member of the present invention) having substantially the same shape as the hole 71 is provided at a position of closing the hole 71. The base end portion of the plate-shaped member 75 is supported by the base shaft 74, and the plate-shaped member 75 can rotate around the base shaft 74.

The plate-shaped member 75 is rotationally urged downward by its own weight or by an elastic force of an elastic member such as a spring. However, it is configured so that it is not rotated below the position (position shown in FIG. 3) that closes the hole 71 by a regulating member (not shown) or the like. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate-shaped member 75 is rotated to a position where the hole 71 is closed when the paper feeding unit 15 is in the first posture. As a result, the plate-shaped member 75 forms a part of the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the paper feed unit 15 is in the fifth posture, the plate-shaped member 75 is pushed by the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and rotated to a position where the hole 71 is opened. To.

In the above description based on FIGS. 3 and 6, a case where the plate-shaped member 75 is provided in a configuration in which only the paper feed roller 25 penetrates the hole 71 has been described. However, the plate-shaped member 75 may be provided when not only the paper feed roller 25 but also at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 including the paper feed arm 26 penetrates the hole 71. In this case, the plate-shaped member 75 is configured to be able to change its posture to a position where at least a part of the paper feeding unit 15 including the paper feeding arm 26 penetrates the hole 71 and a position where the hole 71 is opened.

The plate-shaped member 75 is not limited to the one whose posture changes to a position where the hole 71 is closed and a position where the hole 71 is opened by being rotated. For example, the plate-shaped member 75 may change its posture by sliding in parallel with the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70.

[Elastic member] As shown in FIG. 4, an elastic member 76 (an example of the elastic member of the present invention) such as a spring is provided on the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70 (the surface opposite to the seat transport surface). As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 76 is provided at the lowermost portion when the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture. Then, when the rotation guide member 70 takes the fourth posture, the elastic member 76 comes into contact with the frame 77 of the multifunction device 10. It should be noted that the elastic member 76 is not shown except in FIG.

[Rotation of paper feed unit 15 and rotation guide member 70] As shown in FIG. 3, when the process of recording an image on the recording paper is being executed, the paper feed unit 15 is in the first posture, and the rotation guide member 70 is in the third posture. .. In the process of pulling out the tray 20 from the multifunction device 10 when the above process is not executed, the rotation guide member 70 interlocks with the rotation of the paper feed unit 15 from the first posture to the fifth posture. It is rotated from the 3rd posture to the 6th posture. After that, when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10, the paper feed unit 15 is rotated from the fifth posture to the second posture, and the rotation guide member 70 is rotated from the sixth posture to the fourth posture.

It will be described in detail below. In the state shown in FIG. 3, when the tray 20 is pulled out from the printer unit 11, that is, moved forward, the paper feed arm 26 prevents the inner side surface 23 of the separation inclined plate 22 from coming into contact with the paper feed roller 25. Is rotated upward by the tray 20, and the paper feed roller 25 is also rotated upward accordingly. Therefore, the paper feed unit 15 rotates from the first posture to the fifth posture. When the paper feed roller 25 rotates upward by a predetermined amount, the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the plate-shaped member 75.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, when the paper feed roller 25 rotates further upward by moving the tray 20 further forward (see the arrow 30 in FIG. 5), the plate-shaped member 75 is fed. It rotates upward by being pushed by the paper roller 25 (see arrow 31 in FIG. 5). Further, the protrusion 72 comes into contact with the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70. In this state, when the paper feed roller 25 rotates further upward (see arrow 34 in FIG. 6), the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the protrusion 72 and rotates upward integrally with the paper feed unit 15. (See arrow 35 in Figure 6). That is, in the present embodiment, the protrusion 72 constitutes the interlocking portion of the present invention that rotates the rotation guide member to the sixth posture in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feed unit 15 to the fifth posture. ..

The above rotation is continued until the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the upper end of the separation inclined plate, as shown in FIG. In the state of FIG. 6, the paper feed unit 15 is in the fifth posture, and the rotation guide member 70 is in the sixth posture.

In FIG. 6, the paper feed unit 15 is shown in the fifth posture by a solid line. On the other hand, the rotation guide member 70 is shown in the third posture by the broken line. As is clear from FIG. 6, by pushing the rotation guide member 70 upward, the paper feed unit 15 takes the third posture in the region where the rotation guide member 70, which had been in the fifth posture until then, was present. Take. That is, the area for the paper feed unit 15 to take the fifth posture and the area for the rotation guide member 70 to take the third posture overlap.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the paper feed arm 26 of the paper feed unit 15 in the fifth posture is substantially parallel to the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70 in the sixth posture in its longitudinal direction (front-back direction 8). It is arranged so as to be.

In the state of FIG. 6, when the tray 20 is completely pulled out from the multifunction device 10, the paper feed unit 15 is not supported by the tray 20 and the separation inclined plate 22. Then, the paper feed unit 15 that is rotationally urged in the direction of the arrow 29 in FIG. 2 is moved downward. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower surface of the paper feed roller 25 is rotated to the second posture, which is a position lower than the height of the sheet mounting surface of the tray 20 that has existed until then.

[Effect of embodiment] The rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture when the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10. As a result, the space between the recording unit 24 and the rotation guide member 70 becomes large. Therefore, since the outer guide member 18 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the multifunction device 10, even if the recording paper is jammed in the rotating guide member 70, the recording paper can be easily taken out. However, when the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture as described above, access to the paper feed roller 25 is hindered by the rotation guide member 70.

However, according to the above embodiment, the rotation guide member 70 is provided with a hole 71. Then, when the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture, at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 penetrates the hole 71 and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70. As a result, access to the paper feed roller 25 is not obstructed by the rotation guide member 70. Therefore, the paper feed roller 25 can be easily cleaned.

When the tray 20 is inserted and removed from the multifunction device 10, if the paper feed unit 15 hits both the tray 20, the separation inclined plate 22, or both the tray 20 and the separation inclined plate 22, the tray 20 cannot be inserted and removed properly. In order to solve such a problem, the multifunction device 10 may be configured so that the paper feed unit 15 retracts above the tray 20 when the tray 20 is inserted and removed. In the above-described embodiment, the paper feed unit 15 can be retracted to the fifth posture above the tray 20. However, when the multifunction device 10 is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feed unit 15 is required inside the multifunction device 10. As a result, the multifunction device 10 becomes large.

However, in the above-described embodiment, when the paper feed unit 15 is rotated from the first posture to the fifth posture in the process of inserting and removing the tray 20 with respect to the multifunction device 10, at least one of the paper feed units 15 The portion penetrates the hole 71 and projects upward from the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70. As a result, the space for retracting the paper feed unit 15 can be shared with the space above the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit 15.

If the surface of the paper feed roller 25 comes into contact with the rotation guide member 70, the surface of the paper feed roller 25 may be damaged. However, in the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 72 can prevent the surface of the paper feed roller 25 from coming into contact with the rotation guide member 70. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 72 serves as a stopper for preventing the surface of the paper feed roller 25 from coming into contact with the rotation guide member 70, while rotating the paper feed unit 15 to the fifth posture. The rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the sixth posture in conjunction with the movement. As a result, a mechanism for preventing contact between the surface of the paper feed roller 25 and the rotation guide member 70 is provided separately from the mechanism for rotating the rotation guide member 70 in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feed unit 15. Compared to the configuration, the number of components arranged in the multifunction device 10 can be reduced. As a result, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized.

In the above-described embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the paper feed arm 26 and the sheet transport surface of the rotation guide member 70 are parallel to each other. As a result, the distance between the paper feed arm 26 and the rotation guide member 70 can be reduced. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized.

If the rotation guide member 70 is provided with the hole 71, the recording paper may be caught in the hole 71 and clogged. In order to prevent this, the rotation guide member 70 may be provided with a member for preventing the recording paper from being guided to the hole 71 on the sheet transport surface. As such a member, for example, there is a convex portion provided along the periphery of the hole 71. However, the thickness of the rotation guide member 70 is increased by providing the convex portion. As a result, the size of the multifunction device 10 is increased. Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the plate-shaped member 75 that closes the hole 71 is provided in a state where the recording paper is conveyed through the reversing transfer path 67. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the recording paper is caught in the hole 71 and is clogged without increasing the thickness of the rotation guide member 70.

As in the above embodiment, when the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture, the hole through which at least a part of the paper feed roller 25 is passed and the rotation guide member 70 are rotated to the third posture. The number and area of the holes 71 provided in the rotation guide member 70 can be reduced by sharing the holes through which at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 is penetrated when the paper feed unit 15 is moved. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the recording paper is caught in the hole 71 and is clogged.

When the tray 20 is pulled out from the multifunction device 10, the rotation guide member 70 is rotated to the fourth posture. At this time, the rotation guide member 70 may come into contact with the housing forming the bottom surface of the multifunction device 10 existing below the tray 20 and make a loud noise. However, in the above-described embodiment, the elastic member 76 alleviates the impact at the time of contact between the rotation guide member 70 and the landing surface. As a result, the sound when the rotation guide member 70 comes into contact with the landing surface can be reduced.

[Modification 1 of the embodiment] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the protrusion 72 is the interlocking portion of the present invention has been described, but the interlocking portion is not limited to the protrusion 72. For example, the paper feed arm 26 may be an interlocking unit. In this case, when the paper feed arm 26 rotates, the paper feed arm 26, not the protrusion 72, comes into contact with the lower surface of the rotation guide member 70. Then, in this state, when the paper feeding unit 15 further rotates upward, the rotation guide member 70 is pushed by the paper feeding arm 26 and rotates upward integrally with the paper feeding unit 15.

In the present embodiment, the rotation guide member 70 is arranged in the space existing between itself and the recording unit 24 by taking the sixth posture. Therefore, the paper feed unit 15 can exist in the space where the rotation guide member 70 has existed until then. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit 15.

[Modification 2 of the embodiment] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the rotatable rotation guide member 70 is provided in the multifunction device 10 as a member constituting at least a part of the reversing transfer path 67 has been described. However, the member forming at least a part of the reversing transport path 67 may be a fixed member that does not rotate. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the lower side of the reversing transport path 67 may be composed of only a non-rotating lower guide member 33 (an example of the second guide member according to claim 10 of the present invention). In this case, the reversing transport path 67 is partitioned by the upper guide member 32 and the support member 43 arranged on the upper side and the lower guide member 33 arranged on the lower side.

In such a configuration, the paper feed unit 15 has a first posture in which the paper feed roller 25 abuts on the sheet mounting surface of the tray 20 (corresponding to the first posture of claim 10 of the present invention. It is rotatable between the posture shown) and the seventh posture (corresponding to the second posture of claim 10 of the present invention; the posture shown by the solid line in FIG. 7) separated from the seat mounting surface. The rotation is performed in the same manner as the rotation from the first posture to the fifth posture in the above-described embodiment. Further, at least a part of the paper feed unit 15 rotated in the seventh posture penetrates the surface of the lower guide member 33 on which the recording paper is conveyed (corresponding to the sheet transfer surface of claim 10 of the present invention). A third hole 81 (an example of the third opening according to claim 10 of the present invention) is provided so as to project upward from the upper surface of the lower guide member 33. The role of the third hole 81 is similar to that of the hole 71 in the above-described embodiment.

For example, if the paper feed unit 15 hits the side plate of the tray 20 when the tray 20 is inserted / removed from the multifunction device 10, the tray 20 cannot be inserted / removed properly. In order to solve such a problem, the multifunction device 10 may be configured so that the paper feed unit 15 retracts above the tray 20 when the tray 20 is inserted and removed. In the present embodiment, the paper feed unit 15 can take the seventh posture above the tray 20. However, when the multifunction device 10 is configured as described above, a space for retracting the paper feed unit 15 is required inside the multifunction device 10. As a result, the multifunction device 10 becomes large.

However, also in this embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment, the space for retracting the paper feed unit 15 can be shared with the space above the sheet transport surface of the lower guide member 33. Therefore, the multifunction device 10 can be miniaturized while securing the evacuation area of the paper feed unit 15.

10: Multifunction device 15: Paper feed section 20: Tray 22: Separation slope plate 24: Recording section 70: Rotation guide member 71: Hole 72: Protrusion 75: Plate-shaped member 76: Elastic member