The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2018-098898, filed May 23, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a recording apparatus.
Hitherto, recording apparatuses having various configurations are used. Among such recording apparatuses, a recording apparatus configured such that a recording medium on which recording was performed is stacked on an output tray is used.
For example, JP-A-2013-32197 discloses an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) configured such that a sheet (recording medium) on which recording was performed is stacked on a sheet output tray (output tray). The image forming apparatus includes a movable tray portion and a sheet press member.
When recording is performed on a recording medium, the recording medium may be deformed or specifically curved due to, for example, the influence of moisture in ink. Hence, with the recording apparatus configured such that the recording medium on which recording was performed is stacked on the output tray, the recording medium output on the output tray may be deformed and stacking efficiency for recording media may be decreased. The image forming apparatus of JP-A-2013-32197 includes the sheet press member. When a new sheet is stacked, the movable tray portion is lowered and the sheet press member is rotated to press the new sheet. The sheet is in an unpressed state while the sheet press member is rotated. Because the unpressed state of the sheet occurs, the sheet may be deformed while the sheet is not pressed, and the stacking efficiency may be decreased.
An object of the present disclosure is to suppress deformation of a recording medium output on an output tray and to increase stacking efficiency for recording media.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a recording apparatus includes a recording head that performs recording by ejecting liquid on a recording medium; an output unit that outputs the recording medium on which the recording was performed by the recording head; an output tray that receives, from below, the recording medium output from the output unit in an output direction; a pressing member that is configured to be displaced in an up-down direction and that presses the recording medium toward the output tray by displacement of the pressing member from an upper side to a lower side with respect to the recording medium output from the output unit; and a restricting member configured to be advanced in an advance direction that is a direction intersecting with the up-down direction and in which the restricting member is advanced toward the output tray, and configured to be retracted in a retract direction that is a direction intersecting with the up-down direction and in which the restricting member is retracted from the output tray. The restricting member restricts deformation of an upstream end portion in the output direction of the recording medium pressed by the pressing member, at a position at which the restricting member is advanced in the advance direction. The pressing member is displaced upward in a state in which the restricting member restricts the deformation of the upstream end portion.
With the aspect, the pressing member that is configured to be displaced in the up-down direction and that presses the recording medium toward the output tray, and the restricting member configured to be advanced and retracted in the direction intersecting with the up-down direction and in which the restricting member restricts deformation of the upstream end portion of the recording medium pressed by the pressing member are provided. Accordingly, deformation of the recording medium can be suppressed by at least one of the pressing member and the restricting member, and occurrence of a state in which deformation of the recording medium is not suppressed can be suppressed. Thus, deformation of the recording medium output on the output tray can be suppressed and stacking efficiency for recording media can be increased.
In the recording apparatus according to the present disclosure, during the displacement of the pressing member from the upper side to the lower side with respect to, end portions of the pressing member are lower than a center portion of the pressing member in a width direction intersecting with the output direction, the pressing member contacts from above the recording medium being output from the output unit, and hence the pressing member may be configured to form a curved shape protruding upward in a view in the output direction at the recording medium.
With the aspect, the pressing member contacts the end portions of the recording medium being output from the output unit such that the end portions of the recording medium are lower than the center portion of the recording medium in the width direction, and hence the pressing member is configured to form the curved shape extending in the output direction and protruding upward at the recording medium. Accordingly, deformation of the recording medium can be suppressed and stacking efficiency for recording media can be increased by stacking the recording medium while forming the curved shape extending along the output direction and protruding upward at the recording medium.
In the recording apparatus according to the present disclosure, the pressing member may be configured to press the upstream end portion of the recording medium toward the output tray by displacement of the pressing member from a position at which the pressing member contacts the recording medium having the curved shape to a pressing position, and the restricting member may be configured to be retracted along with the displacement of the pressing member to the pressing position.
With the aspect, the pressing member is configured to press the upstream end portion toward the output tray by the displacement of the pressing member to the pressing position at which the pressing member is configured to contact the upstream end portion of the recording medium having the curved shape. Accordingly, deformation of the recording medium along the output direction can be effectively suppressed and stacking efficiency for recording media can be increased by pressing the upstream end portion toward the output tray. In addition, the restricting member is configured to be retracted along with the displacement of the pressing member to the pressing position. Accordingly, occurrence of an unpressed state of the recording medium can be suppressed by retracting the restricting member after the recording medium is pressed by the pressing member.
In the recording apparatus according to the present disclosure, the pressing member may be configured to restrict the deformation of the upstream end portion by displacement of the pressing member to a restricting position that is lower than the pressing position, and the restricting member may be configured to be advanced along with the displacement of the pressing member to the restricting position.
With the aspect, the pressing member is configured to restrict the deformation of the upstream end portion by the displacement of the pressing member to the restricting position that is lower than the pressing position. Accordingly, deformation of the recording medium along the output direction can be effectively suppressed and stacking efficiency for recording media can be increased by restricting the deformation of the upstream end portion using the pressing member. In addition, the restricting member is configured to be advanced along with the displacement of the pressing member to the restricting position. Accordingly, deformation of a newly stacked recording medium can be restricted using the restricting member by advancing the restricting member after the recording medium is restricted by the pressing member.
In the recording apparatus according to the present disclosure, the pressing member may have a hole portion that permits advancement and retraction of the restricting member that is configured to be advanced in the advance direction when the pressing member is located at the restricting position.
With the aspect, the pressing member has the hole portion that permits advancement and retraction of the restricting member that is configured to be advanced in the advance direction when the pressing member is located at the restricting position. Accordingly, interference between the pressing member and the restricting member can be suppressed because the restricting member is advanced when the pressing member is located at the restricting position.
In the recording apparatus according to the present disclosure, the pressing member may be displaced in the up-down direction when the pressing member pivots on a pivot shaft, and the pressing member may be configured to be displaced in the up-down direction in a state in which the restricting member is advanced in the advance direction when the pressing member pivots.
With the aspect, the pressing member is configured to be displaced in the up-down direction in the state in which the restricting member is advanced in the advance direction. The restricting member can be avoided from being retracted along with the displacement of the pressing member in the up-down direction.
The recording apparatus according to the present disclosure may further include a lifting/lowering mechanism of the output tray. In the recording apparatus, the lifting/lowering mechanism may be configured to adjust a position of the output tray such that the pressing member does not contact the upstream end portion when the pressing member is displaced to the restricting position in a case where the upstream end portion is not deformed.
With the aspect, the position of the output tray can be adjusted such that the pressing member does not contact the upstream end portion when the pressing member is displaced to the restricting position in the case where the upstream end portion is not deformed. Accordingly, the pressing member can restrict deformation of the recording medium when the recording medium is deformed through recording, and meaningless contact between the recording medium and the pressing member can be avoided in the case where the recording medium is not deformed and hence it is not required to restrict deformation of the recording medium.
The recording apparatus according to the present disclosure may further include a casing portion that houses the recording head. In the recording apparatus, the output tray and the lifting/lowering mechanism may be housed in the casing portion.
With the aspect, since the output tray and the lifting/lowering mechanism are housed in the casing portion, for example, contact of the output tray with an external object along with movement (lifting or lowering) of the output tray can be suppressed.
In the recording apparatus according to the present disclosure, the output tray may have a rib that is provided at a center portion of the output tray in a width direction intersecting with the output direction and that extends along the output direction, and the pressing member is configured to press the recording medium toward the output tray at both sides of the rib in the width direction, the both sides being configured to be displaced to a position lower than a top portion of the rib.
With the aspect, the recording medium output on the output tray can be curved along the rib, that is, along the output direction. Accordingly, deformation of the recording medium can be suppressed and stacking efficiency for recording media can be increased by stacking the recording medium while forming the curved shape along the output direction at the recording medium.
A recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, an ink jet printer is described as an example of the recording apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure.
Ink jet systems include various types, such as a type of mounting an ink cartridge on a carriage and a type of providing an ink housing portion outside a carriage and coupling the ink housing portion and the carriage to each other via an ink tube. The present disclosure can be applied to any type. The recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment is the type of providing the ink housing portion outside the carriage and coupling the ink housing portion and the carriage to each other via the ink tube.
In the X-Y-Z coordinate system in each drawing, the X-axis direction indicates a direction in which a front surface and a rear surface of the apparatus face each other, and a medium-width direction; the Y-axis direction indicates a medium transport direction when recording is performed on a recording medium, and a direction in which side surfaces of the apparatus face each other; and the Z-axis direction indicates a height direction of the apparatus and the gravity direction. The direction to which a recording medium is transported is referred to as “downstream” and the opposite direction is referred to as “upstream”. In each drawing, part of components is occasionally omitted or simplified for easier understanding of the inside configuration and so forth.
A general configuration of the recording apparatus 1 is briefly described first with reference to
In
The recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes an operation unit 5 with which various operations are performed, an output tray 4 that receives a sheet P on which recording was performed and which is output, and a feed unit 35 that can be opened and closed with respect to the apparatus body 2A by pivoting on a pivot axis (not illustrated). To be more specific, the output tray 4 is a face-down output tray that receives a sheet P which is output such that a recording surface on which recording was performed most recently faces down.
The recording apparatus 1 includes an opening/closing cover 6 that constitutes the feed unit 35. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The side of the recording apparatus 1 arranged with the operation unit 5 is an apparatus front side, and the side thereof provided with the opening/closing cover 6 is an apparatus right side. A sheet P is fed, transported, and output along an apparatus left-right direction in the recording apparatus 1.
A sheet transport path in the recording apparatus 1 is briefly described next with reference to
In addition, the recording apparatus 1 has two sheet output methods of face-up output of outputting a sheet such that a recording surface on which recording was performed most recently faces up (see a face-up output locus T1), and face-down output of outputting a sheet such that a recording surface on which recording was performed most recently faces down (see a face-down output locus T2).
The recording apparatus 1 includes a face-up output tray 7 that receives a sheet P output face up as illustrated in
The recording apparatus 1 has five sheet transport paths including a recording transport path R1, a switch-back path R2, an inversion path R3, a face-down output path R4, and a face-up output path R5.
The recording apparatus 1 includes a flap (path switching member) 33 that is driven by a driving source (not illustrated). The flap 33 switches the state between a state indicated by a solid line in
A control unit 9 that performs various control acquires recording data that is data for recording generated by a printer driver operable in an external computer (not illustrated) or a printer driver included in the control unit 9. The control unit 9 controls an ink jet recording head (hereinafter, “recording head”) 8, transport rollers for various types of sheets driven by a motor (not illustrated), and path switching members (flaps) in accordance with the recording data. The control unit 9 also performs required control based on the detection states of various sensors such as a sensor that detects passing of a sheet P.
A sheet feed path to a registration roller pair 17 is described here.
The sheet cassette 10A removably provided at the apparatus body 2A includes a hopper 11. When the hopper 11 swings about a shaft 11a, a sheet housed in the sheet cassette 10A comes into contact with or is separated from a feed roller 12 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated).
The sheet P fed from the sheet cassette 10A by the feed roller 12, in a state in which the sheet P is separated when passing through a nip position provided by a separation roller pair 13 and multifeed is prevented, receives a feed force from a transport roller pair 14 and reaches the registration roller pair 17. The additional units 2B and 2C located below the apparatus body 2A each include a feed roller 12 and a separation roller pair 13 likewise. A sheet P fed from each sheet cassette receives a feed force from a transport roller pair 14 illustrated in
First to fourth transport paths that define a sheet transport path located downstream of the registration roller pair 17 are described next based on an assumption that a sheet P is output face down through the face-down output path R4.
The sheet transport path is provided with the registration roller pair 17, transport roller pairs 20 to 24, transport roller pairs 26 to 29, and an output roller pair 25 serving as an output unit that outputs a sheet P. The output roller pair 25 provided most downstream of the face-down output path R4 constitutes the output unit that outputs the sheet P from the face-down output path R4.
Each roller pair includes a driving roller that is driven by a motor (not illustrated) and a driven roller that can nip a sheet P between the driven roller and the driving roller and that is rotated while being in contact with the sheet P. For the driving roller, for example, a plurality of rubber rollers provided at proper intervals in a sheet-width direction may be used. For the driven roller, for example, a serrated roller having a plurality of teeth on its outer periphery may be used.
The recording transport path R1 serving as the first transport path passes below the recording head 8 serving as a recording unit that performs recording on a sheet P, and extends to the upstream and downstream of the recording head 8. A sheet P receives feed forces from the registration roller pair 17 and a belt unit 18 in the recording transport path R1.
The recording head 8 of this embodiment is a recording head (what is called line head) in which nozzles that eject ink are provided to cover the entire region in the sheet-width direction. The recording head 8 is configured as a recording head that can perform recording entirely for the sheet width without movement in the sheet-width direction. However, the recording head 8 is not limited to the line head as far as the recording head 8 performs recording by ejecting liquid such as ink on a recording medium.
The switch-back path R2 serving as the second transport path is a transport path coupled to the recording transport path R1, and is a path in which the sheet P passing below the recording head 8 is initially fed leftward in
The inversion path R3 serving as the third transport path is a transport path coupled to the switch-back path R2. In the inversion path R3, the sheet P transported in the opposite direction or rightward in
The face-down path R4 serving as the fourth transport path is a transport path coupled to the recording transport path R1, and is a path in which the sheet P passing below the recording head 8 is curved such that a surface of the sheet P facing the recording head 8 faces inside, the sheet P is inverted, and the sheet P is output. In the face-down output path R4, the sheet P receives feed forces from the transport roller pairs 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24, and the output roller pair 25. The most downstream portion of the face-down output path R4 is constituted by the output mechanism unit 36 as described above.
A flap serving as a path switching member for switching the transport path is provided at the coupling portion of each transport path. With the flap, the path through which the sheet P is advanced is set.
The pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51 that are principal portions of the recording apparatus 1 are described next in detail with reference to
As illustrated in
In addition, the recording apparatus 1 includes the pressing member 50 that presses a sheet P stacked on the output tray 4 toward the output tray 4, and the restricting member 51 that restricts deformation of an upstream end portion Pe in the output direction D of the sheet P illustrated in
The recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes, as described above, the recording head 8 that performs recording by ejecting liquid on a sheet P, the output roller pair 25 that outputs the sheet P on which the recording was performed by the recording head 8, and the output tray 4 that receives, from below, the sheet P output from the output roller pair 25 in the output direction D; and the recording apparatus 1 further includes the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51. In this case, the pressing member 50 can be displaced in the up-down direction, and by displacement thereof from an upper side to a lower side with respect to the sheet P output from the output roller pair 25, that is, by displacement thereof from the state illustrated in
Since the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment is thus configured, at least one of the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51 can suppress deformation of the sheet P. In other words, the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment can suppress occurrence of a state in which deformation of the sheet P is not restricted. Thus, the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment suppresses deformation of a sheet P output on the output tray 4, for example, noticeable deformation of the sheet P such as a curve in a view in the width direction W, and increases stacking efficiency for sheets P.
It is to be noted that “deformation of a sheet P” in this specification does not include a desirable deformation when a sheet P is deformed into a desirable shape, and represents deformation of a sheet P other than deformation into a desirable shape. For example, in a case where a sheet P is stacked on the output tray 4 while a curved shape extending along the output direction D and protruding upward is formed (described later), it can be said that the sheet P is deformed when the sheet P is further deformed from the curved shape extending along the output direction D and protruding upward.
As illustrated in
In addition, the pressing member 50 of this embodiment has a hole portion 50a (an advance/retract permitting portion of the restricting member 51) that allows the restricting member 51 to be advanced in the advance direction as illustrated in
When the restricting member 51 is in the advanced state in the advance direction, that is, when the restricting member 51 is at the advanced position, the pressing member 50 of this embodiment can be displaced in the up-down direction. Thus, in the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment, retraction of the restricting member 51 along with the displacement of the pressing member 50 in the up-down direction can be avoided, and occurrence of an unpressed state of a sheet P along with the retraction of the restricting member 51 can be suppressed.
Moreover, as illustrated in
The recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes the casing portion 53 that houses the recording head 8 as illustrated in
In addition, as described above, the output tray 4 of this embodiment has the rib 4a that is provided at the center portion in the width direction W and that extends along the output direction D. As illustrated in
Described next is an output operation flow of a recording medium, in other words, a stack flow of a sheet P on the output tray 4, to be performed using the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment.
As illustrated in
Then, in step S120, output of a sheet P from the output roller pair 25 is started. In this case, immediately after output of a sheet P is started from the output roller pair 25, the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51 are located at the initial positions as illustrated in
Then, in step S130, the pressing member 50 is moved downward to move the pressing member 50 to the pressing position, or in other words, a position at which the pressing member 50 can press the sheet P (specifically, the upstream end portion Pe) output from the output roller pair 25 toward the output tray 4. The pressing position of the pressing member 50 is a position in the state illustrated in
Then, in step S140, the pressing member 50 is further moved downward to move the pressing member 50 to the restricting position, or in other words, a position at which the pressing member 50 can press the sheet P (specifically, the upstream end portion Pe) stacked on the output tray 4 toward the output tray 4 and hence can restrict the sheet P. Further in this step, the restricting member 51 is moved to the retracted position retracted from the output tray 4, or in other words, a position at which the restricting member 51 does not contact the sheet P stacked on the output tray 4. In this case, the restricting position of the pressing member 50 and the retracted position of the restricting member 51 are positions in the state illustrated in
Then, in step S150, as illustrated in
Then, in step S160, it is determined whether a further new sheet P is transported, that is, whether a further new sheet P is output on the output tray 4. When it is determined that a further new sheet P is transported, the flow returns to step S110. When it is determined that transport of a sheet P is completed, the output operation flow of a recording medium of this example is ended. That is, when a single sheet P is output, step S110 to step S160 are performed once, and when a plurality of sheets P are output, step S110 to step S160 are repetitively performed by the number of sheets P. When the flow returns from step S160 to step S110, the pressing member 50 moves upward. While the flow returns from step S160 to step S110, the restriction on the sheet P by the pressing member 50 is released, but the restriction on the sheet P by the restricting member 51 is kept.
As described above, in the output operation flow of a recording medium of this example, a sheet P stacked on the output tray 4 is constantly restricted by at least one of the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51. Thus, the output operation flow of a recording medium of this example can suppress a decrease in stacking efficiency because a sheet P stacked on the output tray 4 is not restricted for a certain period of time and the sheet P is deformed.
In addition, as described above, when a sheet P is noticeably deformed to be curved in a view in the width direction W, the pressing position of the pressing member 50 in step S140 is a position at which the pressing member 50 can contact the upstream end portion Pe of the sheet P output on the output tray 4 and having a curved shape extending along the output direction D and protruding upward.
That is, the pressing member 50 in the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment is displaced to the pressing position at which the pressing member 50 can contact the upstream end portion Pe of the sheet P having a curved shape, and hence the pressing member 50 can press the upstream end portion Pe. Accordingly, the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment can effectively suppress deformation of the sheet P along the output direction D, and can increase stacking efficiency for sheets P, by pressing the upstream end portion Pe toward the output tray 4.
The restricting member 51 can be retracted to the retracted position along with the displacement of the pressing member 50 to the pressing position in step S130 and step S140. Accordingly, the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment can suppress occurrence of an unpressed state of a sheet P by retracting the restricting member 51 after the sheet P is pressed by the pressing member 50.
In addition, like step S150 described above, the pressing member 50 in the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment is displaced to the restricting position located below the pressing position, and hence can restrict deformation of the upstream end portion Pe. Accordingly, the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment can effectively suppress deformation of the sheet P along the output direction D and can increase stacking efficiency for sheets P, by restricting the deformation of the upstream end portion Pe using the pressing member 50.
The restricting member 51 can be advanced along with the displacement of the pressing member 50 to the restricting position in step S140 and step S150. Accordingly, the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment can restrict deformation of a newly stacked sheet P using the restricting member 51 by advancing the restricting member 51 after the sheet P is restricted by the pressing member 50.
The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, various modifications can be made within the scope of the disclosure described in the claims, and the modifications are included in the scope of the disclosure.
For example, the timings at which the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51 are moved, and further whether the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51 are moved or not may be changed in accordance with, for example, the size of a sheet P to be used or the density of ink to be ejected on a sheet P. In addition, a sensor that can detect the position of the upstream end portion Pe may be provided. The timings at which the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51 are moved, and further whether the pressing member 50 and the restricting member 51 are moved or not may be changed in accordance with the detection result of the sensor.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2018-098898 | May 2018 | JP | national |