IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS AND SHEET END MOVING METHOD

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-123035 filed on Jul. 28, 2023. The entire content of the priority application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND ART

An image processing apparatus including two sheet feed trays (feed trays) is known. In the image processing apparatus, the two sheet feed trays are mounted on a body (casing) of the image processing apparatus in a manner that the two sheet feed trays can be drawn out from the body and each of the two feed trays is capable of accommodating roll sheet (roll body) having a sheet (sheet-like medium) wound in a roll shape. The two sheet feed trays are arranged in two tiers, one above the other, and each of the sheet feed trays includes a feeding roller which conveys a sheet unwound from the roll sheet, a sheet feed path via which the sheet conveyed by the feeding roller is guided, and a cutter (cutting part) which is capable of cutting the sheet passing in the sheet feed path.

SUMMARY

Each of sheet feed trays described above includes a cutter, and thus the structure of the sheet feed tray itself becomes complicated.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an image recording apparatus and a sheet end moving method capable of reducing occurrence of contact between a casing etc. and a downstream end of a sheet-like medium in a conveying direction due to movement of a feed tray with respect to the casing.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an image recording apparatus including:

- a feed tray configured to accommodate a roll body including a sheet medium wound in a roll shape, the feed tray having a support surface configured to support the sheet medium unwound from an accommodated roll body being the roll body accommodated in the feed tray;
- a casing configured to support the feed tray movably;
- a cutter configured to cut the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body, the cutter being disposed inside the casing and above the feed tray supported by the casing;
- a recorder configured to record an image on the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body; and
- a supplier configured to supply energy to the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body in a time period in which the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body is conveyed from the accommodated roll body to the cutter so as to move an end of the sheet medium unwound from the roll body toward the feed tray by the energy, the end being an end formed at a position between the cutter and the feed tray by cutting the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body with the cutter.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a sheet end moving method of moving an end of a sheet medium toward a feed tray in an image recording apparatus, the image recording apparatus including:

- the feed tray configured to accommodate a roll body including a sheet medium wound in a roll shape, the feed tray having a support surface configured to support the sheet medium unwound from an accommodated roll body being the roll body accommodated in the feed tray;
- a casing configured to support the feed tray movably;
- a cutter configured to cut the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body, the cutter being disposed inside the casing and above the feed tray supported by the casing; and
- a recorder configured to record an image on the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body,
- wherein the end is an end formed at a position between the cutter and the feed tray by cutting the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body with the cutter,
- the method including supplying energy to the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body in a time period in which the sheet medium unwound from the accommodated roll body is conveyed from the accommodated roll body to the cutter so as to move the end, of the sheet medium unwound from the roll body, formed by the cutting toward the feed tray by the energy.

According to the image recording apparatus and the sheet end moving method of the present disclosure, by cutting the sheet medium in the lifted state by the cutter, the downstream end of the sheet medium in the conveying direction formed by this cutting operation moves downward. Therefore, even in a case where the feed tray is moved with respect to the casing after cutting the sheet medium at the cutting part, occurrence of contact between the downstream end of the sheet medium in the conveying direction and the casing, etc. can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view depicting an internal structure of a printer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting an electrical configuration of the printer depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of main parts including a pair of rollers depicted in FIG. 1 and the surrounding thereof.

FIG. 4 is a side view of main parts and depicts a state that a roll sheet is lifted from a bottom surface.

FIG. 5 is a side view of main parts depicting a situation after the roll sheet lifted from the bottom surface has been cut.

FIG. 6 is a side view of main parts and depicts a situation in a case where a feed tray depicted in FIG. 5 is moved to an outer position.

FIG. 7 is a side view of main parts of a printer.

FIG. 8 is a side view of main parts of a printer.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of main parts of a printer.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are each a side view of main parts of a printer. FIG. 10A depicts a situation in a case where a support plate is located at an upper position, and FIG. 10B depicts a situation in a case where the support plate is located at a lower position.

DESCRIPTION

In view of the above, the inventor of the present disclosure considered including the cutting part in the casing, rather than in the feed tray, in order to simplify the configuration of the feed tray itself, and found the following problem.

In a case where the cutting part is provided in the casing, the cutting part cuts the sheet-like medium, which is unwound from the roll body, at a position above the feed tray, and a downstream end part, of the sheet-like medium cut at the cutting part, in the conveying direction is placed at a position which protrudes above the feed tray. In a case where the feed tray is moved with respect to the casing in this state, the downstream end of the sheet-like medium in the conveying direction tends to come into contact with the casing and/or a component provided in the casing (for example, the feeding roller). In such a case, the downstream end of the sheet-like medium in the conveying direction might be bent, by which a paper jam might occur.

An object of the present disclosure is as described above.

A printer 100 (an example of an “image recording apparatus”) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. Note that the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction depicted in FIG. 1 are the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction of the printer 100. The left-right direction is a direction in a case where the printer 100 is viewed from the front; the front side in the sheet surface of FIG. 1 is the right side, and the rear side in the sheet surface of FIG. 1 is the left side.

(Overall Configuration of Printer 100)

As depicted in FIG. 1, the printer 100 mainly includes a casing 100A, a feed tray 1, a conveyer 3, a cutting part 5 (an example of “cutter”), a head 6, a sheet discharge tray 7, and a controller 70. The feed tray 1 is disposed below the head 6 inside the casing 100A. The feed tray 1 can be inserted into and drawn out from the casing 100A in the front-rear direction through an opening 101 defined in the front wall of the casing 100A. That is, the feed tray 1 is movable along the front-rear direction between an inner position at which the feed tray 1 is inside the casing 100A (the position depicted in FIG. 1) and an outer position at which the feed tray 1 is outside the casing 100A.

The feed tray 1 has a first accommodating part 20 capable of accommodating a roll body R, and a second accommodating part 30 capable of accommodating a plurality of cut sheets Ks in a stacked state. The roll body R includes a roll sheet Rs (an example of a “sheet-like medium”), which is a sheet longer than the cut sheets Ks, wound in a roll shape around the outer circumferential surface of a core member Rc having a cylindrical shape. The roll body R is accommodated in the first accommodating part 20 such that the axial direction of a central axis Rx of the roll body R coincides with the left-right direction. The cut sheets Ks are, for example, A4-size or letter-size sheets, and are stored in the second accommodating part 30 such that a longitudinal direction of the cut sheets Ks coincides with the left-right direction.

Note that, for the sake of description, FIG. 1 depicts a state that the feed tray 1 accommodates both the roll body R and the cut sheets Ks. However, in a case where an image is recorded on the roll sheet Rs in the printer 100, the roll body R is accommodated in the feed tray 1 and the cut sheets Ks are removed from the feed tray 1. On the other hand, in a case where an image is recorded on the cut sheet(s) Ks, the cut sheets Ks are accommodated in the feed tray 1 and the roll body R is removed from the feed tray 1 or the roll sheet Rs is removed from a conveyance route.

The conveyer 3 conveys the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R, or the cut sheet(s) Ks, along the conveying direction. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveyer 3 includes a feeding roller 2A, an arm 2B, a separation wall 3A, a guide 3B, an intermediate roller pair 4A, a conveying roller pair 4B, a sheet discharging roller pair 4C, a guide 4D, a feeding motor 2M, an intermediate motor 4AM, a conveying motor 4BM, and a sheet discharging motor 4CM.

The feeding roller 2A feeds the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R accommodated in the first accommodating part 20, from the feed tray 1 to the cutting part 5 and to the intermediate roller pair 4A along a first route L1. The first route L1 is a route which is depicted in FIG. 1 and in which the roll sheet Rs fed out by the feeding roller 2A extends from the roll body R to the cutting part 5. Further, the feeding roller 2A feeds a cut sheet Ks, of the cut sheets Ks accommodated in the second accommodating part 30, from the feed tray 1 along a downstream portion of the first route L1. In the following description, in a case where the cut sheet Ks and the roll sheet Rs are not distinguished from each other, the cut sheet Ks and the roll sheet Rs will be referred to as a “sheet S”.

The feeding roller 2A is pivotally supported at an end part of the arm 2B. The feeding roller 2A rotates about an axis, extending in the left-right direction, by the drive of the feeding motor 2M.

The arm 2B is rotatably supported by a support shaft 2C. The support shaft 2C is supported by the casing 100A. The arm 2B is biased by a non-illustrated biasing member so that the feeding roller 2A approaches a bottom surface 11A (an example of a “support surface”) of the feed tray 1. In a case where the arm 2B rotates about the support shaft 2C, the feeding roller 2A is movable between a contact position at which the feeding roller 2A comes into contact with a roller (not depicted) disposed on the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1, and a separation position (see FIG. 6) at which the feeding roller 2A is separated from the roller. The arm 2B is retractable, by a non-illustrated retracting mechanism, to a first retracted position at which a tray body 10 of the feed tray 1 and the feeding roller 2A do not interfere with each other (see FIG. 6), in conjunction with a movement of the feed tray 1 from the inner position inside the casing 100A to the outer position outside the casing 100A. As depicted in FIG. 6, the separation position is a position to which the feeding roller 2A moves in a case where the arm 2B moves to the first retracted position.

Further, the feeding roller 2A selectively takes a first feed position and a second feed position, in an area between the contact position and the separation position. The first feed position (an example of a “first position”) is a position at which the feeding roller 2A comes into contact with the roll sheet Rs supported by the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The second feed position is a position at which the feeding roller 2A comes into contact with the cut sheet Ks accommodated in the second accommodating part 30.

In a case where the feeding motor 2M is driven under the control of the controller 70, the feeding roller 2A rotates so as to apply a conveying force in a direction from the front toward the rear, with respect to the sheet S which is in contact with the feeding roller 2A. As a result, the sheet S is fed out from the feed tray 1.

The separation wall 3A is configured to prevent double feeding of the cut sheets Ks in a case where the cut sheet Ks is fed from the feed tray 1. The separation wall 3A extends obliquely upward from the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The separation wall 3A is disposed in the casing 100A. As depicted in FIG. 1, the separation wall 3A is disposed in a rear end part of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction.

The guide 3B defines, in an area between the guide 3B and the separation wall 3A, guide routes via which the sheet S is guided toward the cutting part 5. The guide route constructs downstream portions in the conveying direction of the first route L1 and a second route L2 which will be described later. The guide 3B has a rear end rotatably supported by a support shaft 3C in the front-rear direction. The support shaft 3C is supported by the casing 100A. Further, a front part of the guide 3B is supported by the arm 2B so as to be rotatable with respect to the arm 2B and movable in the extending direction of the arm 2B.

The guide 3B is movable between a lower limit position and a second retracted position (see FIG. 6), and moves in conjunction with the movement of the arm 2B. The second retracted position is a position to which the guide 3B moves in a case where the arm 2B retracts to the first retracted position, as depicted in FIG. 6. The lower limit position is a position of the guide 3B in a case where the feeding roller 2A is located at the contact position. Further, the guide 3B selectively takes a first guide route defining position and a second guide route defining position, in an area between the lower limit position and the second retracted position. The first guide route defining position (an example of a “third position”) is a position of the guide 3B in a case where the feeding roller 2A is located at the first feed position. The second guide route defining position is a position of the guide 3B in a case where the feeding roller 2A is located at the second feed position.

The intermediate roller pair 4A (an example of a “driver (driving mechanism)” and an example of a “conveying roller pair”) is constructed of a driving roller which rotates in a case where the driving force of the intermediate motor 4AM is transmitted thereto, and a driven roller which rotates together with the driving roller. In a case where the intermediate motor 4AM is driven under the control of the controller 70, the intermediate roller pair 4A rotates while nipping the sheet S so as to convey the sheet S. The intermediate roller pair 4A is positioned above the separation wall 3A. The intermediate roller pair 4A conveys the sheet S, fed out from the feed tray 1 by the feeding roller 2A, upward while nipping the sheet S. The guide 4D is positioned above the intermediate roller pair 4A. The guide 4D guides the sheet S conveyed upward by the intermediate roller pair 4A forward.

The conveying roller pair 4B is constructed of a driving roller which rotates by the driving force of the conveying motor 4BM transmitted thereto, and a driven roller which rotates together with the driving roller. The sheet discharging roller pair 4C is constructed of a driving roller which rotates by the driving force of the sheet discharging motor 4CM transmitted thereto, and a driven roller which rotates together with the driving roller. In a case where the conveying motor 4BM and the sheet discharging motor 4CM are driven by the control of the controller 70, the conveying roller pair 4B and the sheet discharging roller pair 4C rotate while nipping the sheet S so as to convey the sheet S. The conveying roller pair 4B is positioned behind the head 6, and the sheet discharging roller pair 4C is positioned in front of the head 6. The conveying roller pair 4B conveys the sheet S, guided forward by the guide 4D, forward while nipping the sheet S. The sheet discharging roller pair 4C conveys the sheet S, conveyed forward by the conveying roller pair 4B, forward while nipping the sheet S.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the cutting part 5 is positioned between the separation wall 3A and the intermediate roller pair 4A. The cutting part 5 includes a fixed blade 5A which is elongated in the left-right direction, a disc-shaped rotary blade 5B which is movable in the left-right direction in a state that the rotary blade 5B is in contact with the fixed blade 5A, and a cutting motor 5M. The rotary blade 5B is rotated by the drive of the cutting motor 5M and reciprocates along the left-right direction. In a case where the cutting motor 5M is driven under the control of the controller 70, the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R and conveyed is thereby cut in the left-right direction by the fixed blade 5A and the rotary blade 5B. With this, a rear end is formed in the roll sheet Rs which is cut and being fed to the sheet discharge tray 7, and a leading end (downstream end in the conveying direction) is formed in the roll sheet Rs connected to the roll body R.

The head 6 (an example of a “recorder (recording part)”) includes a plurality of nozzles (not depicted) formed in the lower surface of the head 6, and a driver IC 6A (see FIG. 2). The head 6 records an image on the sheet S conveyed by the conveyer 3. In a case where the driver IC 6A is driven under the control of the controller 70, an ink is ejected from the nozzles, and in a case where the sheet S conveyed by the conveyer 3 passes through an image recording position facing the lower surface of the head 6, an image is formed on the sheet S. Note that the head 6 may be of either the line system in which the ink is ejected from the nozzles in a state that the position of the head 6 is fixed, or the serial type in which the ink is ejected from the nozzles while the head 6 is moving in the left-right direction.

The sheet discharge tray 7 is disposed, inside the casing 100A, in front of the head 6 and above the feed tray 1. The sheet discharge tray 7 is capable of being inserted into and drawn out from the casing 100A along the front-rear direction through an opening 102 defined in the front wall of the casing 100A. The sheet discharge tray 7 receives the sheet S on which an image is formed by the head 6 and is conveyed forward by the sheet discharging roller pair 4C.

Next, the control configuration of the printer 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The controller 70 of the printer 100 controls the entirety of the printer 100 and includes a CPU 71, a ROM 72 and a RAM 73, an ASIC 74, and a flash memory 75 which are connected to one another by a bus 76A. The ASIC 74 of the controller 70 is also connected to the driver IC 6A, the feeding motor 2M, the intermediate motor 4AM, the conveying motor 4BM, the sheet discharging motor 4CM, and the cutting motor 5M by a bus 76B. The CPU 71, the ROM 72 and the RAM 73, the ASIC 74, and the flash memory 75 cooperate to control the operations of the driver IC 6A, the feeding motor 2M, the intermediate motor 4AM, the conveying motor 4BM, the sheet discharging motor 4CM, the cutting motor 5M, etc.

In the controller 70, only the CPU 71 may perform various processes, only the ASIC 74 may perform the various processes, or the CPU 71 and ASIC 74 may cooperate to perform the various processes. Further, the controller 70 may be configured such that one CPU 71 singly performs a process, or that a plurality of CPUs 71 performs the process in a sharing manner. Alternatively, the controller 70 may be configured such that one ASIC 74 singly performs the process, or that a plurality of ASICs 74 performs the process in a sharing manner.

(Configuration of Feed Tray 1)

The configuration of the feed tray 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As described above, the feed tray 1 is configured to be capable of being inserted into and drawn out from the casing 100A in the front-rear direction. A position at which the feed tray 1 is located at a rearmost position inside the casing 100A is defined as an inner position. A position at which the feed tray 1 is located in front of the inner position is defined as an outer position. Furthermore, although the feed tray 1 in the present embodiment is configured such that the entirety of the feed tray 1 can be drawn out from the casing 100A and detached from the casing 100A, the feed tray 1 may be configured such that the feed tray 1 can be drawn out only to such a state that a part (for example, a rear end part) of the feed tray 1 is inside the casing 100A.

The feed tray 1 has the tray body 10. The tray body 10 has a bottom wall 11 and four side walls (that is, a pair of side walls 13, a side wall 14 and a side wall 15) disposed in a peripheral end part of the bottom wall 11, and the tray body 10 is formed to have a box shape which is open upward. Note that FIG. 1 depicts one of the pair of side walls 13, the side wall 14 and the side wall 15 among the four side walls. The other of the pair of side walls 13 faces the one of the pair of side walls 13 in the left-right direction and is arranged between the side walls 14 and 15.

The bottom wall 11 extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The upper surface of the bottom wall 11 serves as the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The bottom surface 11A supports the roll sheet Rs, unwound from the roll body R, from below, as depicted in FIG. 1.

Among the four side walls, the pair of side walls 13 disposed on the left and right extends upward from both left and right end parts of the bottom wall 11. Further, the pair of side walls 13 extend in the front-rear direction from a front end part to a rear end part of the bottom wall 11. The side wall 14 extends upward from the front end part of the bottom wall 11. The side wall 14 extends in the left-right direction from the right end part to the left end part of the bottom wall 11.

The side wall 15 are disposed as two side walls 15 disposed at the rear end part of the bottom wall 11. The two side walls 15 are positioned, respectively, at both left and right end parts, in the left-right direction, of the rear end part of the bottom wall 11. The two side walls 15 are disposed to be separated from each other in the left-right direction; in a case where the feed tray 1 is attached to the casing 100A, the separation wall 3A (see FIG. 1) is located between the two side walls 15 arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

The first accommodating part 20 accommodates the roll body R in a posture in which the axial direction of the central axis Rx coincides with the left-right direction. The first accommodating part 20 and the second accommodating part 30 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. The first accommodating part 20 is positioned in front of the second accommodating part 30. As depicted in FIG. 1, the first accommodating part 20 has a support part 29 which supports the roll body R from below.

The support part 29 has two holders 21 and 22 and two rollers 23 and 24. The two holders 21 and 22 are disposed to be separated from each other in the front-rear direction. The holder 21 is positioned in front of the holder 22. Each of the two holders 21 and 22 extends in the left-right direction.

The roller 23 is attached to the holder 21 to be rotatable about the rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. The roller 24 is attached to the holder 22 to be rotatable about the rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The rollers 23 and 24 are disposed to be separated from each other in the front-rear direction. The roller 23 is positioned above the roller 24. The two rollers 23 and 24 support the roll body R from below in a state that the two rollers 23 and 24 contact the outer peripheral surface of a lower portion of the roll body R.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the holder 21 has a curved surface 21A which covers the outer peripheral surface on the front side of the roll body R. The holder 22 has a curved surface 22A which covers the outer peripheral surface on the rear side of the roll body R (mainly the lower portion of the roll body R). Further, the holder 22 is disposed so that a passage 25 causing the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R to pass therethrough is defined between the lower surface of the holder 22 and the bottom surface 11A. The roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R accommodated in the first accommodating part 20 is caused to pass through the passage 25 from a space between the two holders 21 and 22 and is drawn up to a roller (not depicted), along the bottom surface 11A.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the second accommodating part 30 has a support plate 31 which supports the cut sheet(s) Ks from below. The support plate 31 is a plate-like member which extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and has the upper surface serving as a support surface 31A. A part of the front end part of the support plate 31 is inserted into the lower part of the holder 22, and the support plate 31 is disposed on the bottom surface 11A. Further, the support plate 31 is configured such that the rear end part of the support plate 31 is swingable upward and downward, with the part inserted into the holder 22 as the fulcrum. Furthermore, the support plate 31 extends rearward from the fulcrum to the vicinity of the rear end part of the bottom surface 11A.

Moreover, as depicted in FIG. 1, the support plate 31 and the bottom wall 11 define a route 27. The route 27 is a part of the first route L1 for causing the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R to pass therethrough. In other words, the support plate 31 is disposed so as to face the bottom surface 11A so that the roll sheet Rs can pass a space between the support plate 31 and the bottom surface 11A. Note that the support plate 31 also has a function of reducing curling of the roll sheet Rs passing the space between the support plate 31 and the bottom surface 11A.

The support plate 31 has a cutout part 32 formed in the rear end part of the support plane 31. The cutout part 32 is disposed at the center of the support plate 31 in the left-right direction. The cutout part 32 is disposed on a movement trajectory of the feeding roller 2A which is movable from the contact position to the separation position. Note that the non-illustrated roller is located in the inside of the cutout part 32 of the support plate 31, as viewed from above.

As depicted in FIG. 3, the printer 100 further includes a pair of rollers 61 and 62 and a biasing mechanism 9. The pair of rollers 61 and 62 (an example of a “roller pair”) is disposed in a lower part of the holder 22. The pair of rollers 61 and 62 are disposed side by side in the up-down direction. The roller 61 is rotatable about a rotating shaft 61A which extends in the left-right direction. The both ends of the rotating shaft 61A are rotatably supported, respectively, by the side walls 13 disposed on the left and right. The roller 61 rotates together with the rotating shaft 61A. A lower portion of the roller 61 is disposed below the lower surface of the holder 22 and disposed in the inside of the passage 25.

The roller 62 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 62A extending in the left-right direction. The pair of rollers 61 and 62 are disposed so that the pair of rollers 61 and 62 is capable of nipping the roll sheet Rs, and the pair of rollers 61 and 62 are driven rollers which rotate in conjunction with the conveyance of the roll sheet Rs. The roller 62 is rotatably supported by a holder 91 of the biasing mechanism 9 via the rotation shaft 62A.

The biasing mechanism (an example of the “biasing part”) 9 moves the roller 62 between a nip position and a release position in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 1 between the inner position and the outer position. In the present embodiment, the release position is a position at which the rollers 61 and 62 are separated from each other. However, the release position may be any position at which the nip pressure by the pair of rollers 61 and 62 is smaller than the nip pressure by the pair of rollers 61 and 62 at the nip position.

As depicted in FIG. 3, the biasing mechanism 9 includes a holder 91 which supports the roller 62, a moving member 92, and a biasing member 93. The holder 91 is disposed in a through hole 11D formed in the bottom wall 11 of the feed tray 1. The through hole 11D is formed at a position overlapping with the roller 61 in the up-down direction. Further, the holder 91 includes a holder body 91A which rotatably supports the roller 62, and an extending part 91B which extends rearward from a rear end part of the holder body 91A. The holder body 91A supports both end parts of the rotation shaft 62A. An outer peripheral surface 91A1 of the holder body 91A is formed to have an arc shape which can contact the upper surface 92A of the moving member 92. The extending part 91B has a rotation shaft 91C which is formed in the extending part 91B and which extends in the left-right direction.

The holder 91 is rotatable about the rotation shaft 91C. As depicted in FIG. 3, both ends of the rotation shaft 91C are rotatably supported by the bottom wall 11. With this, in a case where the outer circumferential surface 91A1 of the holder 91 is in contact with the moving member 92, the holder 91 rotates to be located at the nip position at which the roller 62 is in contact with the roller 61. On the other hand, in a case where the outer circumferential surface 91A1 of the holder 91 is not in contact with the moving member 92, the holder 91 rotates to be located at the release position at which the roller 62 is separated from the roller 61.

The moving member 92 is disposed in a recessed part 100A2 formed in the bottom surface 100A1 of the casing 100A. The recessed part 100A2 is open upward. The recessed part 100A2 is formed in the bottom surface 100A1, at an area of the bottom surface 100A1 overlapping with the roller 61 in the up-down direction (that is, as seen in the up-down direction) in a state that the feed tray 1 is attached to the casing 100A and is located at the inner position.

The upper surface 92A of the moving member 92 is a surface which comes into contact with the holder 91. The upper end of the biasing member 93 is connected to the lower surface 92B of the moving member 92. The lower end of the biasing member 93 is connected to the bottom surface of the recessed part 100A2. With this, the moving member 92 is biased upward by the biasing member 93 so as to protrude out from the recessed part 100A2. Although the biasing member 93 in the present embodiment is a coil spring, the biasing member 93 may be another elastic member, and may be any member provided that the member is capable of biasing the moving member 92 toward the holder 91.

In such a structure of the biasing mechanism 9, in a case where the feed tray 1 moves forward from the inner position toward the outer position, the contact between the moving member 92 and the holder 91 is released. This causes the holder 91 to rotate downward. This displacement of the holder 91 causes the roller 62 to be located from the nip position to the release position. In this situation, the nipping of the roll sheet Rs by the pair of rollers 61 and 62 is also released.

On the other hand, in a case where the feed tray 1 moves from the outer position to the inner position, the moving member 92 comes into contact with the holder 91, thereby causing the holder 91 to rotate upward. This displacement of the holder 91 causes the roller 62 to be located from the release position to the nip position. In the roll sheet Rs nipped between the pair of rollers 61 and 62, a back tension (load) is generated in the roll sheet Rs by the pair of rollers 61 and 62 during the conveyance of the roll sheet Rs. In other words, in a case where the intermediate roller pair 4A conveys the roll sheet Rs under the control of the controller 70, the conveyance route of the roll sheet Rs is changed from the first route L1 to the second route L2. Note that, a rotational load of at least one of the pair of rollers 61 and 62 may be greater than a rotational load of the roll body R. A magnitude of the rotational load of the roll body R may be a magnitude corresponding to a magnitude of a rotational load of the roller 23 and/or a magnitude of a rotational load of the roller 24.

(Control During Printing)

Next, the control during printing in a case where an image is recorded on the roll sheet Rs will be described. In the printer 100, in a case where a recording command to execute printing is received, the controller 70 starts control so as to execute the printing. In a case where the controller 70 receives the recording command, the controller 70 first starts conveying the roll sheet Rs toward the head 6 by the conveyer 3.

More specifically, the controller 70 drives the feeding motor 2M so as to convey the roll sheet Rs along the first route L1 toward the intermediate roller pair 4A. In this situation, although the roll sheet Rs is in a state that a conveyance load is applied to the roll sheet Rs by the pair of rollers 61 and 62, since the conveying direction of the roll sheet Rs by the feeding roller 2A is the rearward direction along the bottom surface 11A, the roll sheet Rs is conveyed along the first route L1.

In a case where the roll sheet Rs is conveyed to the intermediate roller pair 4A, the controller 70 sequentially controls the intermediate motor 4AM, the conveying motor 4BM, and the sheet discharging motor 4CM, so as to convey the roll sheet Rs toward the head 6. In this situation, the controller 70 controls the rotation of the intermediate roller pair 4A so as to generate a conveying force greater than the back tension generated by the pair of rollers 61 and 62. Therefore, in a case where the roll sheet Rs is conveyed while being nipped between the intermediate roller pair 4A, a relatively large tension is generated in a part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the pair of rollers 61 and 62 and the pair of intermediate rollers 4A, and the conveyance route of the roll sheet Rs is changed from the first route L1 to the second route L2 depicted in FIG. 4.

Here, the second route L2 will be described. As depicted in FIG. 4, the second route L2 is also a route along which the roll sheet Rs extends from the roll body R to the cutting part 5, similar to the first route L1. This second route L2 is a route along which the roll sheet Rs, which has been supported by the bottom surface 11A, is conveyed in a state that the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A due to the tension generated in the part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the pair of rollers 61 and 62 and the intermediate roller pair 4A in a case where the roll sheet Rs is conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A. Further, a route length of the second route L2 is shorter than a route length of the first route L1. Furthermore, a length obtained by subtracting a roll sheet length, of the roll sheet Rs conveyed along the second route L2, from the roll body R to the cutting position of the cutting part 5 from a roll sheet length, of the roll sheet Rs conveyed along the first route L1, from the roll body R to the cutting position of the cutting part 5 is same as or greater than a length along the conveyance route from the upper end of a rear part of the feed tray 1 to the cutting position at the cutting part 5.

In a case where the conveyance route of the roll sheet Rs is changed from the first route L1 to the second route L2, a tension of some extent is applied to the roll sheet Rs. Thus, as depicted in FIG. 4, the roll sheet Rs lifts the feeding roller 2A to an upper position (an example of a “second position”). A distance in the up-down direction between the feeding roller 2A at the upper position and the bottom surface 11A is larger than a distance between the feeding roller 2A at the first feeding position and the bottom surface 11A. In this situation, the arm 2B rotates by the lifting of the feeding roller 2A. Thus, the guide 3B is lifted to an upper position (an example of a “fourth position”) above the first guide route defining position. The guide 3B is arranged at the upper position in a case where the feeding roller 2A is lifted and located at the upper position of the feeding roller 2A. Further, in this situation, the support plate 31 is also lifted upward so as to rotate about the part inserted into the holder 22 as the fulcrum.

The back tension (load) on the roll sheet Rs may be increased by further increasing the biasing force with respect to the pair of rollers 61 and 62. Further, the tension on the part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the pair of rollers 61 and 62 and the intermediate roller pair 4A may be increased by controlling the rotation of the intermediate roller pair 4A by the controller 70. With this, the feeding roller 2A can be lifted further upward.

In a case where the roll sheet Rs reaches the position facing the head 6, the controller 70 controls the driver IC 6A so as to eject the ink from the nozzles onto the roll sheet Rs, thereby recording an image on the roll sheet Rs. Then, in a case where a part, of the roll sheet Rs which is to be a rear end (a cutting scheduled position) of the roll sheet Rs reaches the cutting position of the cutting part 5, the controller 70 controls the conveyer 3 so as to temporarily stop the conveyance of the roll sheet Rs.

Next, the controller 70 drives the cutting motor 5M so as to cause the cutting part 5 to cut the roll sheet Rs. Then, the tension generated in the part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the pair of rollers 61 and 62 and the intermediate roller pair 4A disappears. With this, the force causing the roll sheet Rs to lift the feeding roller 2A, the guide 3B, and the support plate 31 also disappears. Therefore, the roll sheet Rs connected to the roll body R moves downward due to the weight of each of the feeding roller 2A, the guide 3B, and the support plate 31, as depicted in FIG. 5. The state of this situation is that the load is applied to the pair of rollers 61 and 62. Therefore, even in a case where the roll sheet Rs is pressed downward by the feeding roller 2A, the roll sheet Rs is not unwound from the roll body R. As a result, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs formed by the cutting operation (an example of “an end formed at a position between the cutter and the feed tray by cutting the sheet medium”) moves toward the feed tray 1. In the present embodiment, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs is placed in the feed tray 1.

Next, the controller 70 controls the intermediate motor 4AM, the conveying motor 4BM, and the discharging motor 4CM so as to discharge the roll sheet Rs which has been cut (the roll sheet Rs downstream in the conveying direction of the cutting part 5) onto the discharge tray 7. This completes the control during the printing.

Next, an operation in a case where the feed tray 1 moves between the inner position and the outer position in a state that the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5 will be described below, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the printer 100 of the present embodiment, in a case where the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs formed by the cutting operation returns to the inside of the feed tray 1 as described above. In this state, in a case where the feed tray 1 is moved from the inner position to the outer position as depicted in FIG. 6, the arm 2B is rotated by the non-illustrated retracting mechanism so as to retract each of the feeding roller 2A and the guide 3B to a position at which each of the feeding roller 2A and the guide 3B does not interfere with the tray body 10. Further, since the leading end of the roll sheet Rs is placed in the feed tray 1 in advance, the roll sheet Rs does not come into contact with the casing 100A, the feeding roller 2A, the guide 3B, etc. Further, by the movement of the feed tray 1 to the outer position, the roller 62 moves from the nip position to the release position.

Then, in a case where the feed tray 1 is moved from the outer position to the inner position, the roller 62 is located from the release position to the nip position by the biasing mechanism 9. Further, as depicted in FIG. 5, the arm 2B rotates so as to locate the feeding roller 2A at the first feed position at which the feeding roller 2A nips the roll sheet Rs between the feeding roller 2A and the roller. With this, the roll sheet Rs can be fed.

As described above, according to the printer 100 of the present embodiment, the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5 in the state that the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A, thereby causing the leading end (the downstream end in the conveying direction) of the roll sheet Rs formed by the cutting operation to move downward. Therefore, even in a case where the feed tray 1 is moved with respect to the casing 100A after the roll sheet Rs has been cut by the cutting part 5, occurrence of contact between the leading end of the roll sheet Rs and the casing 100A, etc. can be reduced. Accordingly, occurrence of bent and a conveyance jam of the leading end of the roll sheet Rs can be reduced.

The controller 70 controls the rotation of the intermediate roller pair 4A so that the roll sheet Rs is in the state lifted from the bottom surface 11A. With such a relatively simple configuration, the roll sheet Rs can be in the state lifted from the bottom surface 11A.

Further, the controller 70 controls the rotation of the intermediate roller pair 4A in the state that the roll sheet Rs is nipped by the pair of rollers 61 and 62 and the intermediate roller pair 4A. With such a simple configuration, the conveyance load can be applied to the roll sheet Rs and a tension by which the roll sheet Rs is stably lifted from the bottom surface 11A can be applied to the roll sheet Rs.

Furthermore, the controller 70 controls the rotation of the intermediate roller pair 4A so that a tension capable of lifting the feeding roller 2A to the position above the first feeding position is applied to the roll sheet Rs. With this, in a case where the roll sheet Rs in the lifted state is cut by the cutting part 5, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs can be effectively moved downward by the weight of the feeding roller 2A. Note that in the present embodiment, the support plate 31 is also lifted upward, in a similar manner with respect to the feeding roller 2A. Therefore, in a case where the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs can be effectively moved downward by the weight of the support plate 31.

Further, the guide 3B is connected to the feeding roller 2A via the arm 2B. Therefore, as the feeding roller 2A is lifted upward by the roll sheet Rs, the guide 3B also moves to the position above the first guide route defining position. Therefore, in a case where the roll sheet Rs in the lifted state is cut by the cutting part 5, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs can be moved downward more effectively by the weight of the guide 3B in addition to the weight of the feeding roller 2A.

Furthermore, the length obtained by subtracting the roll sheet length, of the roll sheet Rs conveyed along the second route L2, from the roll body R to the cutting position of the cutting part 5 from the roll sheet length, of the roll sheet Rs conveyed along the first route L1, from the roll body R to the cutting position of the cutting part 5 is same as or greater than the length along the conveyance route from the upper end of the rear part of the feed tray 1 to the cutting position at the cutting part 5. With this, since the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5 while the roll sheet Rs is in the lifted state, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs is thereby moved downward and is placed in the inside of the feed tray 1. Accordingly, even in a case where the feed tray 1 is moved with respect to the casing 100A after the roll sheet Rs has been cut by the cutting part 5, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs is further less likely to come into contact with the casing 100A, etc.

Instead of the roller 62 and the biasing mechanism 9 in the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 may include a roller 261 and a biasing member 262 as depicted in FIG. 7. The roller 261 in a first modification is disposed to be rotatable about the rotation axis extending along the left-right direction and to be movable in the up-down direction. Further, the roller 261 is disposed to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the roll body R. Although the biasing member 262 in the first modification is a coil spring, the biasing member 262 may be another clastic member, and may be any member provided that the member is capable of biasing the roller 261 toward the center of the roll body R. In such a manner, the biasing member 262 biases the roller 261 so that the roller 261 can apply the load to the rotation of the roll body R.

Note that the application of the load to the rotation of the roll body R may be achieved by abutting the roller 261 having a rotational load greater than rotational loads of the rollers 23 and 24. Additionally or alternatively, the application of the load to the rotation of the roll body R may be achieved by pushing the rollers 23 and 24 via the roll body R by applying a load to the roll body R by the roller 261 in a radial direction of the roll body R. In this case, the rollers 23 and 24 are pressed against their rotational shafts, and thus the rotational loads of the rollers 23 and 24 are increased.

With this, in a case where the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R is conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A under the control of the controller 70, the back tension due to the rotation load of the roll body R is applied to the roll sheet Rs, in a similar manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment. In this situation, the controller 70 controls the rotation of the intermediate roller pair 4A so that a conveying force greater than the back tension is generated. Therefore, in a case where the roll sheet Rs is nipped by the intermediate roller pair 4A and conveyed, a relatively large tension is generated in the part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the roll body R and the intermediate roller pair 4A, and the conveyance route of the roll sheet Rs is changed from the first route L1 to the second route L2 depicted in FIG. 4. In other words, the roll sheet Rs is in the state lifted from the bottom surface 11A. Further, the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5 in the state that the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A in a similar manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment, and thus a similar effect as the effect in the above-mentioned embodiment can be achieved.

Instead of the roller 62 and the biasing mechanism 9 in the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 may include a friction member 361, as depicted in FIG. 8. The friction member 361 in a second modification is disposed on the curved surface 22A of the holder 22 so that the friction member 361 can contact the outer circumferential surface of the roll body R. The friction member 361 may be any member capable of applying the load to the rotation of the roll body R by contacting the outer circumferential surface of the roll body R.

With this, in a case where the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R is conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A in a similar manner as in the first modification, the roll sheet Rs is in a state of being lifted from the bottom surface 11A in a similar manner as in the first modification as described above. Further, the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5 in a state in which the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A, in a similar manner as in the embodiment described above, and thus a similar effect as the effect in the above-described embodiment can be also achieved in the second modification.

Instead of the roller 62 and the biasing mechanism 9 in the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 may include a pair of friction members 461 as depicted in FIG. 9. The pair of friction members 461 in a third modification are disposed in an area, of each of two side walls 12, 13 disposed, respectively, on the left and right sides in the tray body 10, the area facing the core member Rc in the left-right direction. Further, the pair of friction members 461 may be any member which is capable of applying the load to the rotation of the roll body R by contacting both the left and right ends of the core member Rc.

With this, in a case where the roll sheet Rs unwound from the roll body R is conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A in a similar manner as in the first modification, the roll sheet Rs is a state of being lifted from the bottom surface 11A in a similar manner as in the first modification as described above. Further, the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5 in a state that the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A in a similar manner as in the embodiment described above, and thus a similar effect as the effect in the above-described embodiment can be also achieved in the third modification.

As a fourth modification, the biasing mechanism 9 may further include a cam 591, a support plate 592, and a cam motor 591M (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), as depicted in FIGS. 10A and 10B. The support plate 592 is connected to the lower end of the biasing member 93, and is disposed between the biasing member 93 and the bottom surface of the recessed part 100A2. The cam 591 (an example of the “driving mechanism”) is disposed between the support plate 592 and the bottom surface of the recessed part 100A2. Further, the cam 591 is disposed to be rotatable about the rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The cam motor 591M is driven by the controller 70 so as to rotate the cam 591. The cam 591 rotates so as to selectively move the support plate 592 between an upper position and a lower position.

The upper position is a position at which the moving member 92 protrudes above the bottom surface 100A1, as depicted in FIG. 10A. In a case where the feed tray 1 is located at the inner position and where the support plate 592 is located at the upper position, the moving member 92 comes into contact with the holder 91 and locates the roller 62 at the nip position. A back tension (load) is generated in the roll sheet Rs which is nipped by the pair of rollers 61 and 62 (an example of a “load member”) during the conveyance of the roll sheet Rs. That is, in a case where the intermediate roller pair 4A conveys the roll sheet Rs under the control of the controller 70, the conveyance route of the roll sheet Rs is changed from the first route L1 to the second route L2, and the roll sheet Rs is in the state lifted from the bottom surface 11A.

The lower position is a position at which the movable member 92 is below the bottom surface 100A1, as depicted in FIG. 10B. In a case where the support plate 592 is located at the lower position, the movable member 92 does not bias the holder 91 so as to locate the roller 62 at the nip position, even in a case where the feed tray 1 is located at the inner position. In other words, the roller 62 is located at the release position separated from the roller 61. As a result, even in a case where the roll sheet Rs is conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A, any tension sufficient to lift the feeding roller 2A, etc., upward is not generated in the roll sheet Rs, and thus the conveyance route for the roll sheet Rs is the first route L1.

In such a manner, the cam 591 can selectively be in a state (an example of a “first state”) that the cam 59 can locate the pair rollers 61 and 62 at the release position and a state (an example of a “second state”) that the cam 59 can locate the pair rollers 61 and 62 at the nip position and that the pair of rollers 61 and 62 applies a load, to the roll sheet Rs, greater than a load applied to the roll sheet Rs by the pair of rollers 61 and 62 in the state of being located at the release position.

The controller 70 in the fourth modification controls the cam motor 591M during the control in the printing so as to locate the support plate 592 from the lower position to the upper position immediately before cutting the roll sheet Rs. In the fourth modification, the phrase “immediately before cutting the roll sheet Rs” refers to a period of time since the scheduled cutting position of the roll sheet Rs has passed the feeding roller 2A until the scheduled cutting position reaches a cutting position of the cutting part 5. In a case where the controller 70 controls the cam motor 591M during the above-described period so as to locate the support plate 592 from the lower position to the upper position, the roll sheet Rs conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A is in a such a state that a tension sufficient for lifting the feeding roller 2A, etc., upward is applied to the roll sheet Rs conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A, and the conveyance route of the roll sheet Rs is changed from the first route L1 to the second route L2. Note that in such a case where the support plate 592 is located at the lower position, even if the roll sheet Rs is conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A, the state of the roll sheet Rs is such that the tension sufficient for lifting the feeding roller 2A, etc., upward is not generated in the roll sheet Rs. In other words, the controller 70 controls the pair of intermediate rollers 4A so that the roll sheet Rs is conveyed in a state where the roll sheet Rs is not lifted from the bottom surface 11A, and then controls the cam 591 so that the state of the roll sheet Rs is changed to the state that the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A.

Afterwards, in a case where the scheduled cutting position of the roll sheet Rs reaches the cutting position of the cutting part 5, the controller 70 controls the conveyer 3 to temporarily stop the conveyance of the roll sheet Rs. Then, the controller 70 cuts the roll sheet Rs with the cutting part 5, in a similar manner in the above-described embodiment. As a result, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs formed by the cutting operation moves toward the feed tray 1. Also in the fourth modification, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs is placed in the feed tray 1.

Next, after cutting the roll sheet Rs, the controller 70 controls the cam motor 591M so as to locate the support plate 592 from the upper position to the lower position. Then, the controller 70 controls the intermediate motor 4AM, the conveying motor 4BM, and the sheet discharging motor 4CM, and discharges the cut roll sheet Rs (the roll sheet Rs located downstream of the cutting part 5 in the conveying direction) to the sheet discharge tray 7. In such a manner, the control during the printing is completed.

Also in the fourth modification, in a similar manner in the above-described embodiment, the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5 in a state that the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A to thereby cause the leading end (the downstream end in the conveying direction), of the roll sheet Rs, which is formed by the cutting operation is moved downward. Therefore, even in a case where the feed tray 1 is moved with respect to the casing 100A after the roll sheet Rs has been cut by the cutting part 5, occurrence of contact between the leading end of the roll sheet Rs and the casing 100A, etc. can be reduced.

Further, since no large tension is applied to the roll sheet Rs during the conveyance of the roll sheet Rs until immediately before cutting the roll sheet Rs by the cutting part 5, the accuracy of conveyance of the roll sheet Rs by the conveyer 3 can be maintained.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with various example structures outlined above and illustrated in the figures, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or that may be presently unforeseen, may become apparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the example embodiments of the disclosure, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative of the invention, and not limiting the invention. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to embrace all known or later developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents. Some specific examples of potential alternatives, modifications, or variations in the described invention are provided below:

In the above-described embodiment and each of the modifications, the conveyance load is applied to the upstream part, of the roll sheet Rs, upstream of the cutting part 5 in the conveying direction or the rotation load is applied to the roll body R, thereby applying the tension to the part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the roll body R and the cutting part 5 so as to realize a state that the roll sheet Rs supported by the bottom surface 11A is lifted upward. However, a feed tray may include a support plate capable of directly lifting the part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the roll body R and the cutting part 5 upward from below. The support plate is configured to selectively be in a support state in which the roll sheet Rs is supported by the bottom surface 11A and a lifted state in which the roll sheet Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A, by the power transmitted to the support plate by a driving part (driver) controlled by the controller. Further, a feeding roller is disposed above the feed tray, and the roll sheet Rs lifted by the support plate comes into contact with the feeding roller so that the roll sheet Rs is fed by the feeding roller. The controller causes the support plate to move upward so that the support plate lifts the roll sheet Rs from the bottom surface 11A so that the roll sheet Rs is in the lifted state until the roll sheet Rs is cut by the cutting part 5. After cutting the roll sheet Rs, the controller may move the roll sheet Rs downward by lowering the support plate to be the support state. A transmission mechanism which transmits the power from the driving part to the support plate may be connected to the driving part only in a case where the feed tray is located at the inner position, and the transmission mechanism may be disconnected from the driving part by the feed tray moving from the inner position to the outer position. The support plate may be configured to be forcibly in the support state by disconnecting the transmission mechanism and the driving part from each other. In such a manner, even in a case where the controller does not control the support plate to cause the support plate to be in the support state after cutting the roll sheet Rs, or even in a case where the above-described control is not executed for some reason, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs formed by the cutting operation moves toward the inside of the feed tray at a timing at which the feed tray is moved from the inner position to the outer position. In this case also, a similar effect as the effect in the above-mentioned embodiment can be achieved.

The pair of rollers 61 and 62 and the biasing mechanism 9 may be omitted, the controller 70 may simply control the rotation of the intermediate roller pair 4A so as to cause the roll sheet Rs supported by the bottom surface 11A to be in the lifted state, and the controller 70 may cut the roll sheet Rs in the lifted state with the cutting part 5. Note that the roll body R itself has the weight to a certain extent, and thus by conveying the roll sheet Rs with the intermediate roller pair 4A at a relatively slow speed, tension is generated in the part, of the roll sheet Rs, located between the roll body R and the intermediate roller pair 4A, and the roll sheet Rs can be in the state lifted from the bottom surface 11A. In this configuration also, a similar effect as the effect in the above-mentioned embodiment can be achieved.

The biasing mechanism 9 may include only a biasing member capable of biasing one roller of a roller pair toward the other roller of the pair.

Further, the feeding roller 2A may be omitted. Furthermore, the guide 3B may be omitted. The roll sheet Rs cut by the cutting part 5 moves downward due to its own weight even if the roll sheet Rs is not pushed down by the feeding roller 2A. That is, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs (connected to the roll body R) moves toward the inside of the feed tray 1 after being cut. Therefore, a similar effect as the effect in the above-mentioned embodiment can be achieved.

Moreover, the length obtained by subtracting the roll sheet length, of the roll sheet Rs conveyed along the second route L2, from the roll body R to the cutting position of the cutting part 5 from the roll sheet length, of the roll sheet Rs conveyed along the first route L1, from the roll body R to the cutting position of the cutting part 5 may be less than the length along the conveyance route from the upper end of the rear part of the feed tray 1 to the cutting position at the cutting part 5. Even in this case, the leading end of the roll sheet Rs formed by the cutting operation moves toward the inside of the feed tray 1. Therefore, a similar effect as the effect in the above-mentioned embodiment can be achieved.

The pair of rollers 61 and 62 may be disposed upstream of the cutting part 5 in the conveying direction, and may be disposed downstream of the holder 22 in the conveying direction. Further, the intermediate roller pair 4A may be omitted. In this case, instead of controlling the intermediate roller pair 4A, the controller 70 may control the conveying roller pair 4B or the sheet discharge roller pair 4C located downstream of the cutting part 5 in the conveying direction.

In the embodiment and the modifications described above, energy to move the leading end of the roll paper Rs toward the feed tray 1 is supplied to the roll paper Rs by making a state in which the roll paper Rs is lifted from the bottom surface 11A in a time period in which the roll paper Rs is conveyed from the roll body R to the cutting part 5. However, there is no limitation thereto. For example, the energy to move the leading end of the roll paper Rs toward the feed tray 1 may be supplied to the roll paper Rs by making a state in which the roll paper Rs is biased toward the roll body R in the time period in which roll paper Rs is conveyed from the roll body R to the cutting part 5.

For example, a support shaft that rotatably supports the roll body R may have a dual structure including an inner shaft rotatably supported by the pair of side walls of the feed tray 1 and an outer cylinder provided around the inner shaft. The inner shaft is configured to rotate relative to the feed tray 1 in a case where torque greater than a predetermined value is applied to the inner shaft. A spring (for example, a coil spring, a plate spring, etc.) is provided between the outer cylinder and the inner shaft so as to bias the outer cylinder relative to the inner shaft in one direction of the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder and the inner shaft. The roll body R is fixed around the outer cylinder.

In such a configuration, in a case where the roll paper Rs is conveyed by the intermediate roller pair 4A and the outer cylinder rotates in the other direction of the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder and the inner shaft, and where the torque applied to the inner shaft via the spring exceeds the predetermined value to rotate the inner shaft, the roll body R, the outer cylinder, and the inner shaft rotate as one body. In this state, if the predetermined value to rotate the inner shaft relative to the feed tray 1 is sufficiently great, the spring is kept deformed during the rotation of the roll body R, the outer cylinder and the inner shaft, and thus biasing of the outer cylinder by the spring is maintained. Therefore, the roll paper Rs is biased toward the roll body R in the time period in which roll paper Rs is conveyed from the roll body R to the cutting part 5 and in the time period in which the cutting part 5 cuts the roll paper Rs.

In the present disclosure, the mechanism to supply energy to move the leading end of the roll paper Rs toward the feed tray 1 to the roll paper Rs is referred to as an energy supply mechanism (an example of “supplier (supply mechanism)”. In the present disclosure, the wording of “a part, of the sheet medium, located between an accommodated roll body and a cutting part is lifted from the support surface” includes a state in which entire of the part, of the sheet medium, located between the accommodated roll body and the cutting part is lifted from the support surface and a state in which at least a portion of the part, of the sheet medium, located between the accommodated roll body and the cutting part is lifted from the support surface.

Although the cutting part 5 has the fixed blade 5A in the above-described embodiment, the cutting part 5 may have a rotary blade movable in the left-right direction together with the rotary blade 5B, instead of the fixed blade 5A. Note that a movable blade which moves without rotating may be used instead of the rotary blade.

The present disclosure is generally applicable to an image recording apparatus including a feed tray capable of accommodating the roll body R. In other words, the feed tray 1 may not be capable of accommodating the cut sheets Ks. Namely, the feed tray 1 may not have the second accommodating part 30. Further, the support plate 31 may also be omitted. The feed tray 1 may be supported movably in a direction, crossing the front-rear direction and the up-down directions, with respect to the casing 100A.

For example, the present disclosure is applicable not only to an ink-jet printer including, as the recording part, a head which ejects an ink from a nozzle, but is applicable also, for example, to an electrophotographic printer including a recording part of the laser system configured to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing a photoreceptor with a laser beam, or the LED system configured to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing a photoreceptor with an LED. Further, the sheet-like medium is not limited to a paper sheet, and may be cloth, resin materials such as films, etc., as long as having a sheet-like shape.

IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS AND SHEET END MOVING METHOD

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CPC

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Priority Claims (1)