This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-27593 filed on Feb. 7, 2008, the entire subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional inkjet recording apparatus ejects ink to record an image onto a recording medium, e.g., a sheet of paper. When a sheet jam occurs in this inkjet recording apparatus, a jammed sheet is removed by shifting a sheet conveying mechanism (including a belt) away from a recording head.
The above-mentioned inkjet recording apparatus includes, in a housing thereof, a recording head, a sheet conveying mechanism, and a sheet cassette disposed in this order from the top. If foreign substances, e.g., ink and/or sheet powder, on a belt of the sheet conveying mechanism drop from the belt, the sheet cassette becomes soiled with the foreign substances. In order to prevent the soiling of the sheet cassette and other components, a plate may be provided directly below the sheet conveying mechanism to block the foreign substances. Such blocking plate, however, might interfere with the sheet conveying mechanism, if the sheet conveying mechanism is shifted down for removal of a jammed sheet.
It may be beneficial for a recording apparatus to include a member for blocking foreign substances falling from a recording medium conveying mechanism from soiling a unit disposed below the recording medium conveying mechanism and in which the recording medium conveying mechanism is shifted without interference from the blocking member.
The member may include one or more plates. The member may optionally include one or more elements to trap the foreign substances. The member may be movable with the conveying mechanism or may be movable apart from the conveying mechanism.
Other objects, features, and advantages will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the needs satisfied thereby, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
One or more aspects described herein relate to an image recording apparatus with a blocking member where the blocking member may be shifted to allow for access inside the image recording apparatus.
It is noted that various connections are set forth between elements in the following description. It is noted that these connections in general and, unless specified otherwise, may be direct or indirect and that this specification is not intended to be limiting in this respect.
Embodiments of the present invention may be understood by referring to
As shown in
Referring now to
The sheet P is conveyed from the sheet feed unit 1b toward the output portion 31 in a direction shown by boldface arrows in
As shown in
An outer circumferential surface 8a of the conveying belt 8 is opposed to the inkjet heads 2 at an upper portion of the loop of the conveying belt 8. The outer circumferential surface is treated with silicone to be tacky. This allows the sheet P to make a flat and close contact with the outer circumferential surface 8a of the belt. A nip roller 4 is disposed on the sheet conveying path at a position that opposes the belt roller 6 via the conveying belt 8. The nip roller 4 presses the sheet P fed by the sheet feed unit 1b against the outer circumferential surface 8a of the conveying belt 8. Then the sheet P is conveyed rightward in
As shown in
As shown in
The blocking plate 12 has a V-shaped cross-section that conforms to lower ends of the pair of support frames 11. In an alternative embodiment, the blocking plate 12 may have a different cross section including U-shaped or other concave cross sections. In further embodiments, the blocking plate 12 may have cross sections that are convex.
In the first embodiment, as shown in
In alternative embodiments, the blocking plate 12 may be composed of two or more plates joined together and/or other structures that prevent foreign substances from accumulating on the sheet tray 23.
Also, as shown in
In yet further embodiments, the blocking plate 12 may only extend as far as the end of the sheets in sheet tray 23. This minimizes the overall length of the blocking plate 12. By minimizing the length of the blocking plate 12, other structures may be placed in housing 1a without interference from blocking plate 12 when shifting positions as shown in, for instance,
In an additional embodiment, a trapping member, e.g., an absorbing member 14, for trapping or absorbing ink dropping from the conveying belt 8 may optionally be disposed on an upper surface 13 of the blocking plate 12. The absorbing member 14 may be made of a porous material, e.g. a sponge, and covers the entire area of the upper surface 13 sandwiched between the pair of frames 11. This allows the absorbing member 14 to quickly absorb the ink dropping from the conveying belt 8, thereby preventing the ink from being splashed by the blocking plate 12 and adhering back to the conveying mechanism 21. In addition, the ink is less likely to drop from the absorbing member 14 of the blocking plate 12 even when the conveying mechanism 21 and the blocking plate 12 are shifted as will be described later. Alternatively, absorbing member 14 may be provided in various positions on upper surface 13. For instance, absorbing member 14 may only be provided on side 12a or side 12b of blocking plate 12. In yet another alternative example, absorbing member may only be provided along the periphery of blocking plate 12.
Additionally, additional trapping members may be used. For example, where the blocking plate 12 directs ink to one side or another when shifting between the positions of
When the absorbing member 14 absorbs the ink dropping from the conveying belt 8 and becomes wet, sheet powder (also referred to as sheet dust or paper dust) falling from the conveying belt 8 is likely to adhere to the surface of the absorbing member 14. This prevents the sheet powder fallen from the conveying belt 8 and adhered to the absorbing member 14 from floating via an air current produced as the conveying belt 8 moves. Accordingly, the sheet powder is prevented from adhering to parts of the conveying mechanism 21. In addition, the sheet powder is less likely to fall from the absorbing member 14 of the blocking plate 12 even when the conveying mechanism 21 and the blocking plate 12 are shifted.
Alternatively, the absorbing member 14 may be made of an adhesive material that traps foreign substances other than liquid, e.g., sheet powder, by physical contact with the foreign substances. In this case, also, the absorbing member 14 prevents the sheet powder having fallen onto the blocking plate 12 from adhering to the conveying mechanism 21, similarly to when the absorbing member 14 formed by a porous material becomes wet. In addition, the sheet powder is less likely to fall from the absorbing member 14 of the blocking plate 12 even when the conveying mechanism 21 and the blocking plate 12 are shifted. The absorbing member 14, which has an adhesive property regardless when the absorbing member 14 is wet or dry, is allowed to constantly achieve both of the above-described benefits.
A member for removing foreign substances from the outer circumferential surface 8a of the conveying belt 8, e.g., a blade 15, may be disposed on the upper surface 13 of the blocking plate 12 at a position that opposes the belt roller 7 via the conveying belt 8. As shown in
The driven belt roller 6 is configured to move downward toward the space B, as will be described in detail later. The sheet feed unit 1b is accommodated in the space B. The conveying mechanism 21 and the blocking plate 12 are partially disposed in the space B when they are shifted down.
A separating plate 5 is disposed on the sheet conveying path at a position that opposes the belt roller 7 via the conveying belt 8. The separating plate 5 separates the sheet P being conveyed by the conveying belt 8 from the outer circumferential surface 8a of the conveying belt 8. The separated sheet P is conveyed while being pinched by two pairs of conveying rollers 28 and is discharged from an opening 30 formed at the top of the housing 1a toward the output portion 31.
The four inkjet heads 2 extend in the main scanning direction and are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction. The inkjet heads 2 are supported via a frame 3 by the housing 1a. The inkjet printer 1 is of a line-type inkjet printer. An ink ejecting surface 2a is formed on a lower surface of each of the inkjet heads 2 and has a plurality of ink ejecting nozzles (not shown) arranged in the main scanning direction.
A platen 19 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is disposed inside the loop of the conveying belt 8 so as to oppose the inkjet heads 2. Ends of the platen 19 that are opposed in the main scanning direction are fixed to the frames 11. The platen 19 supports the conveying belt 8 from an inner circumferential side of the conveying belt 18 while an upper surface of the platen 19 contacts an inner circumferential surface of an upper portion of the conveying belt 8. The outer circumferential surface 8a of the upper portion of the conveying belt 8 opposes the lower surfaces of the inkjet heads 2, i.e., the ink ejecting surfaces 2a in parallel with each other, while leaving a small gap therebetween. This gap forms a part of the sheet conveying path. When the sheet P passes right below the inkjet heads 2 sequentially while being held on the outer circumferential surface 8a of the conveying belt 8, color inks are ejected from the inkjet heads 2 onto an upper surface of the sheet P to form a desired color image thereon.
The inkjet heads 2 are respectively connected to ink tanks 50 in the ink tank unit 1c disposed in the space C. Each of the ink tanks 50 stores ink of a color for a corresponding one of the inkjet heads 2, and the ink is supplied via a tube (not shown) or the like to the corresponding inkjet head 2. The ink tanks 50 are replaced with new ones by detaching and attaching the ink tank unit 1c.
Referring now to
The printer 1 includes a roller shifting mechanism 60 that shifts the belt roller 6. The roller shifting mechanism 60 includes the rotary member 61, a pair of rings 62, a pair of link members 63, and a pair of slits 64. Each of the rings 62 is disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of both ends of a shaft 6x of the belt roller 6 to rotatably support the shaft 6x. Each of the slits 64 is formed in a main body of the printer at a position that opposes a corresponding one of the both ends of the shaft 6x. The both ends of the shaft 6x are disposed movably in the slits 64. Each of the slits 64 is a narrow elongate hole having an upper end and a lower end and an arcuate shape formed about the shaft 7x of the belt roller 7 as a center. The upper end corresponds to a position of the shaft 6x that is in a normal printing position. The lower end corresponds to a position of the shaft 6x that is in the space B.
Each of the link members 63 is a wire, for example. One end of the link member 63 is fixed to an upper end of the corresponding ring 62, the other end of the link member 63 is fixed to a shaft 61x of the rotary member 61, and the wire is wound around the shaft 61x. When the conveying mechanism 21 is located in the normal printing position as shown in
In order to remove a jammed sheet P, the user pulls out the sheet feed unit 1b from the housing 1a toward a front side of the housing 1a in the main scanning direction. When the sheet feed unit 1b is detached from the housing la, the space B becomes open and accessible.
Because the link member 63, the ring 62, and the slit 64 functions in the same manner on either side of the shaft 6x, the following description is made only for one side of the shaft 6x. When the user rotates the rotary member 61 counterclockwise in
A gap between the conveying belt 8 and the inkjet heads 2 becomes large when the belt roller 6 is shifted from the position shown in
After removing the jammed sheet P, the user closes the door id and rotates the rotary member 61 clockwise in
Although, in this embodiment, the sheet feed unit 1b is detached from the housing 1a before shifting the conveying mechanism 21 in order to remove the jammed sheet P, it is not necessary to do so if an open space enough for shifting the conveying mechanism 21 is formed in the space B only by pulling the sheet feed unit 1b outward. A rear end of the sheet feed unit 1b may be located inside the housing 1a unless the rear end will interfere with the conveying mechanism 21 to be shifted.
Although, in this embodiment, the sheet feed unit 1b is pulled out from the housing 1a in the main scanning direction, the sheet feed unit 1b may be configured to be pulled out in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, an open space for shifting the conveying mechanism 21 and the blocking plate 12 is formed in the space B by pulling the sheet feed unit 1b to a position where a left end of the sheet feed unit 1b vertically opposes the belt roller 7 in
As describe above, the blocking plate 12 is disposed blow the conveying mechanism 21 so as to vertically overlap the entire area of the conveying belt 8. Accordingly, if foreign substances fall from the conveying belt 8, the foreign substances are received by the blocking plate 12. This prevents the sheet feed unit 1b disposed in the space C and the sheets P stored in the sheet feed unit 1b from being soiled with the foreign substances. In addition, because the blocking plate 12 is attached to the conveying mechanism 21, the blocking plate 21 is shifted as the conveying mechanism 21 is shifted. Accordingly, the blocking plate 21 will not interfere with the conveying mechanism 21 when the conveying mechanism 21 is shifted.
In addition, an open space is formed in the space C by detaching the sheet feed unit 1b from the housing 1a, thereby allowing a part of the conveying mechanism 21 and a part of the blocking plate 12 to move down into the open space. Accordingly, there is no need to provide an open space exclusively for shifting the conveying mechanism 21 and the blocking plate 12. As a result, the inkjet printer 1 is downsized in the height direction.
When used to permit blocking plate 12 to pivot away from conveying mechanism 12, both pivots 501 and 502 provide a user with access to the area between blocking plate 12 and an underside of conveying mechanism 12.
Blocking plate 12 may be shortened by the distance 601 as it extends beyond the vertical projection of the end of belt 8 and/or roller 6. Alternatively, blocking plate 12 may be kept extended to permit any sheet powder being conveyed by air currents to be trapped by blocking plate 12.
A container 602 for receiving sheet power or ink falling from belt 8 and blocking plate 12 may be disposed adjacent to sheet tray 23. The container 602 may extend so as to vertically overlap the lower end of blocking plate 12 and the end of belt 8 and/or roller 7.
Conveying mechanism 21 may pivot downward about shaft 7x of roller 7 together with blocking plate 12 such that blocking plate 12 enters a space above sheet tray 23.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations may be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Although, in the above-described embodiment, the user pulls out the sheet feed unit 1b from the housing 1a and then operates the rotary member 61 to shift the belt roller 6 for removing a jammed sheet, the shifting of the belt roller 6 may be performed automatically by a controller of the inkjet printer 1. For example, the printer 1 may include a sheet jam sensor for detecting a jam of the sheet P, a sheet feed unit sensor for detecting an attachment and a detachment of the sheet feed unit 1b, and a motor for driving the rotary member 61. In this case, when the sheet jam sensor detects a jam of the sheet P, the controller notifies the user of an occurrence of a sheet jam and instructs the user to pull out the sheet feed unit 1b. When the sheet feed unit sensor detects a detachment of the sheet feed unit 1b by the user, the controller causes the motor to shift the belt roller 6 into the space B of the sheet feed unit 1b. When the belt roller 6 is shifted, the controller instructs the user to remove a jammed sheet P. The user opens the door 1d, removes the jammed sheet P from the housing 1a, and closes the door 1d. In response to a detection of the removal of the jammed sheet P and the closing of the door 1d, the controller causes the motor to return the belt roller 6 to the original position. Then the controller instructs the user to attach the sheet feed unit 1b back to the housing 1a. When the sheet feed unit sensor detects an attachment of the sheet feed unit 1b, the printer 1 is made ready for printing. The attachment and detachment of the sheet feed unit 1b to and from the housing 1a may be performed by the controller and other appropriate mechanisms, without interaction of the user. The shifting of the belt roller 6 may be performed by various methods other than the above-described method. The belt roller 6 may be shifted without detaching the sheet feed unit 1b from the housing 1a and with a part of the sheet feed unit 1b remaining inside the housing 1a.
The roller shifting mechanism 60 may be configured by various components other than the rotary member 61, the ring 62, the link member 63, and the slit 64. Although, in the above-described embodiment, the driven belt roller 6 is shifted while the driving belt roller 7 remains stationary, the belt roller 7 may be shifted while the drive roller 6 remains stationary. Or, the belt rollers 6, 7 may be shifted simultaneously such that the conveying mechanism 21 is shifted parallel to itself In this case, the foreign substances received by the blocking plate 12 are less likely fall therefrom.
In the above-described embodiment, the feed roller 25, which is attached to the sheet feed unit 1b, is detached from the housing 1a when the sheet feed unit 1b is detached from the housing 1a. Alternatively, the feed roller 25 may be attached to the housing 1a. In this case, the feed roller 25 may be retracted from the space B before the sheet feed unit 1b is detached from the housing 1a. The position of the feed roller 25 may be changed as appropriate.
As an alternative to the above-described embodiment, the ink tank unit 1c as well as the sheet feed unit 1b may be detached from the housing 1a, and the belt roller 6 may be shifted into the space C. Or, the ink tank unit 1c may be omitted. Or, the sheet feed unit 1b may be shifted into spaces located below the conveying mechanism 21 and provided for storing an ink tank unit, a conveying mechanism for double-sided printing, or other units, instead of the space B for storing the sheet feed unit 1b.
As an alternative to the endless conveying belt 8 of the conveying mechanism 21, a rotating drum may be used to hold and convey the sheet P on an outer circumferential surface thereof, or a platen may be used to hold and convey the sheet P on a flat conveying surface thereof.
Although, in the above-described embodiment, the blocking plate 12 is made of stainless steel, the blocking plate 12 may be made of resin into a film-like shape or other shapes as long as it can receive foreign substances falling from the above. The blocking plate 12 may not include the blade 15, or may include a cleaning roller, instead of the blade 15.
A recording apparatus according to the invention is not limited to an inkjet printer and may be applied to a thermal printer, or is not limited to a line-type printer and may be applied to a serial-type printer with a reciprocating printhead, or is not limited to a printer and may be applied to a facsimile or a copying machine.
The preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
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