Patent Application
20170361634
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus which is provided with a housing which configures at least a portion of the outside of an apparatus main body which includes a recorder which performs recording on a medium, and a lid body which opens and closes at least a portion of a top portion of the apparatus main body and is capable of tilting.
A recording apparatus which performs recording on a medium is integrally provided with a recording mechanism unit which performs recording on a medium, and a reading mechanism unit which reads a document, and a medium supply port for supplying a medium to the recording mechanism unit is provided on a rear top portion of the apparatus main body (for example, refer to JP-A-2011-20828, JP-A-2005-253037, and JP-A-2011-20454).
In the recording apparatus which is described in JP-A-2011-20828, JP-A-2005-253037, and JP-A-2011-20454, a lid body which opens and closes a medium supply port is provided as an example of the lid body, and it is possible to close the lid body when the recording apparatus is not in use. Furthermore, the lid body is configured to function as a medium support which supports the medium which is fed from the medium supply port. Hereinafter, the lid body which opens and closes the medium supply port will be referred to as a medium supply port cover to distinguish the lid body from other lid bodies.
As an example of the lid body, the recording apparatus which is described in JP-A-2011-20828 is provided with a lid body which opens and closes a document stand. The document stand is provided on a scanner unit which corresponds to the reading mechanism unit. Hereinafter, this lid body will be referred to as a document cover.
A medium supply port cover which covers the medium supply port is provided on the medium supply port, and when the recording mechanism unit is not in use, it is possible to cover the medium supply port using the medium supply port cover, and it is possible to prevent the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port.
However, in a case in which an image which is read using the reading mechanism unit is recorded on a recording medium using the recording mechanism unit, the reading mechanism unit is operated in a state in which the medium supply port cover is opened to open the medium supply port.
When the reading mechanism unit or the document cover tilts with respect to the top portion of the recording mechanism unit to open and close in a state in which a clip or the like is placed on the top surface of the reading mechanism unit, the clip or the like may fall into the medium supply port which is provided on the rear top portion of the recording apparatus main body as foreign matter.
Therefore, there is a case in which a regulating member which prevents the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port is provided.
A lid body which is similar to that described above opens and closes through tilting around a tilting shaft. In this configuration, a gap between the lid body and the housing of the apparatus, more specifically, a gap between an end portion of the opposite side of the lid body from a free end side (an end portion of the tilting shaft side: hereinafter referred to as “tilting shaft side end portion”) and the housing becomes a gap which is necessary for the lid body to tilt. When this gap is not present, the tilting shaft side end portion of the lid body comes into contact with the housing, and the lid body is not capable of tilting any further. However, when the gap between the tilting shaft side end portion of the lid body and the housing is too large, this leads to dust and the like easily infiltrating the inner portion of the apparatus, and is unfavorable from the perspective of the external appearance of the apparatus. It is also unfavorable from the perspective of the external appearance of the apparatus to provide the tilting shaft of the lid body such that the tilting shaft is exposed to the outside of the apparatus in order to avoid the problem which is described above.
The recording apparatus which is described in JP-A-2005-253037 is provided with a foreign matter falling prevention cover which prevents the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port, and is configured such that when the scanner unit is opened from the state in which the medium supply port cover is closed, the foreign matter falling prevention cover comes into contact with the bottom surface of the medium supply port cover, pushes up the medium supply port cover, and the distal end side of the medium supply port cover lifts up. According to this configuration, in the recording apparatus which is described in JP-A-2005-253037, damage to the medium supply port cover which is caused by the scanner unit opening in a state in which the medium supply port cover is closed is prevented.
However, depending on the user, there is a case in which an operation of opening the scanner unit is performed in a state in which the document cover which is provided on the scanner unit is opened. In this case, there is a case in which the medium supply port cover closes the document cover against the will of the user. Since the medium supply port cover assumes an angular posture so as to come into contact with the document cover, the medium supply port cover may be damaged by the opening of the scanner unit.
On the other hand, it is considered to greatly separate the medium supply port cover from the document cover such that the two do not interfere with each other in order to avoid the problem which is described above; however, in this case, a large gap is formed between the two in the state in which both are closed, and this is unfavorable from the perspective of external appearance.
An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus which is capable of suitably opening and closing a lid body while maintaining a small gap between a tilting shaft side end portion of a lid body and a housing. Another advantage of some aspects of the invention is to suppress or avoid damage to at least one of the covers without greatly separating the covers from each other in a recording apparatus which is provided with a medium supply port cover which opens and closes a medium supply port and a document cover which opens and closes a document stand. Still another advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus which is capable of achieving both a suppression of falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port and securing ease of use in the area of the medium supply port.
According to an aspect of the invention, a recording apparatus includes a housing which configures at least a portion of an outside of an apparatus main body which is provided with a recorder which performs recording on a medium, a lid body which opens and closes at least a portion of a top portion of the apparatus main body and is capable of tilting, and a tilting shaft of the lid body, in which the tilting shaft is capable of being displaced in a direction intersecting an axial line direction of the tilting shaft, and in which the lid body is capable of tilting from a closed state in which a gap between the housing and an end portion of an opposite side from a free end side is filled to an opened state by the displacement of the tilting shaft.
According to this aspect, the tilting shaft of the lid body which opens and closes at least a portion of the top portion of the apparatus main body and is capable of tilting is capable of being displaced in a direction which intersects the axial line direction, and the lid body is capable of tilting from a closed state in which a gap between the end portion of the opposite side from the free end side and the housing is filled to an opened state by the displacement of the tilting shaft, and so it is possible to suitably open and close the lid body while maintaining a small gap between the housing and the tilting shaft side end portion of the lid body.
In the recording apparatus, the tilting shaft may be configured using a hinge member which is provided to be capable of sliding in a direction including a vertical direction component with respect to the apparatus main body.
According to this aspect, the tilting shaft is configured using a hinge member which is provided to be capable of sliding in a direction including a vertical direction component with respect to the apparatus main body, and so it is possible to realize a configuration in which the tilting shaft is displaced in a direction which intersects the axial line direction with a simple structure and at low cost.
In the recording apparatus, the hinge member may be biased in a direction including a vertical downward direction component by a biasing unit.
According to this aspect, since the hinge member is biased in a direction including a vertical downward direction component by a biasing unit, it is possible to maintain a state in which the gap between the lid body and the housing is filled, that is, it is possible to maintain a state which is favorable from the perspective of external appearance.
In the recording apparatus, a plurality of pairs of the hinge member and the biasing unit may be provided along a tilting axial line direction of the lid body, and a biasing force of the biasing unit may be set to a magnitude at which the lid body is tilted without the hinge member which is in a position close to a side portion lifting up using the hinge member which is in a distant position from the side portion as a fulcrum when lifting up the side portion of the lid body in the tilting axial line direction to open the lid body.
According to this aspect, a plurality of the hinge members are provided along a tilting axial line direction of the lid body, and a biasing force of the biasing unit is set to a magnitude at which the lid body is tilted without the hinge member which is in a position close to a side portion lifting up using the hinge member which is in a distant position from the side portion as a fulcrum when lifting up the side portion of the lid body in the tilting axial line direction to open the lid body, and so it is possible to suitably open the lid body when the user lifts up the side portion of the lid body in the tilting axial line direction to open the lid body.
In the recording apparatus, the hinge member may be provided on an inside of the housing, and the hinge member may be concealed on an inside of the housing when the lid body is closed.
According to this aspect, since the hinge member is concealed on an inside of the housing when the lid body is closed, it is possible to improve the external appearance of the recording apparatus in a state in which the lid body is closed.
In the recording apparatus, the hinge member may be provided with a spring member which biases the lid body in a closing direction when the lid body is opened at an opening angle from a closed state to a predetermined opening angle, and biases the lid body in an opening direction when the lid body is further opened at the opening angle in a range from the predetermined opening angle to a further opened state.
According to this aspect, since the hinge member may be provided with a spring member which biases the lid body in a closing direction when the lid body is opened at an opening angle in a range from a closed state to a predetermined opening angle, and biases the lid body in an opening direction when the lid body is further opened at an opening angle in a range from the predetermined opening angle to a further opened state, the ease of use is improved during opening and closing of the lid body.
According to another aspect, a recording apparatus includes a medium supply port which is provided on a top portion of an apparatus main body to be capable of setting a medium therethrough, the apparatus main body being provided with a recorder which performs recording on the medium, a reading mechanism unit which is provided on the top portion of the apparatus main body to be capable of opening and closing and which reads a document, a medium supply port cover which opens and closes the medium supply port and is provided on the apparatus main body, and a document cover which is a cover which opens and closes a document stand with which the reading mechanism unit is provided, has a same opening direction as the medium supply port cover, and is provided on the reading mechanism unit, in which the document cover and the medium supply port cover are in a positional relationship in which a distal end of the medium supply port cover comes into contact with the document cover in a process in which the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened, and the document cover applies an external force to the medium supply port cover in the opening direction.
According to this aspect, the document cover and the medium supply port cover are in a positional relationship in which a distal end of the medium supply port cover comes into contact with the document cover in a process in which the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened, and the document cover applies an external force to the medium supply port cover in the opening direction, and so it is possible to suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover when opening the reading mechanism unit from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened. As a result, it is no longer necessary to greatly separate the document cover from the medium supply port cover, and it is possible to realize a favorable external appearance of the apparatus.
In the recording apparatus, in the process in which the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened, a repulsive force which the document cover receives from the medium supply port cover may not exceed a magnitude which is necessary for closing the document cover.
According to this aspect, in the process in which the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened, a repulsive force which the document cover receives from the medium supply port cover may not exceed a magnitude which is necessary for closing the document cover, and so it is possible to avoid a problem of unintentionally closing the document cover in the process in which the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened.
The recording apparatus may further include a rocking member which is capable of engaging with the document cover and the medium supply port cover and is capable of rocking, in which the rocking member may be configured to rock to push up the medium supply port cover when the document cover is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit, and the document cover and the medium supply port cover are closed.
According to this aspect, since the rocking member is configured to rock to push up the medium supply port cover when the document cover is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit, and the document cover and the medium supply port cover are closed, it is possible to render the contact angle of the medium supply port cover with respect to the document cover less acute when opening the reading mechanism unit by also opening the medium supply port cover by a certain degree in advance when the document cover is opened.
As a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover when the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit, and the document cover and the medium supply port cover are closed.
In the recording apparatus, in the process in which the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened, an angle from a contact position at which the medium supply port cover comes into contact with the document cover, formed between a top surface of the document cover of a tilting shaft side of the document cover and a top surface of the medium supply port cover may be an acute angle.
According to this aspect, in the process in which the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit and the medium supply port cover are closed and the document cover is opened, an angle from a contact position at which the medium supply port cover comes into contact with the document cover, formed between a top surface of the document cover of a tilting shaft side of the document cover and a top surface of the medium supply port cover is an acute angle, and so it is possible to more smoothly open the medium supply port cover, and as a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover.
In the recording apparatus, a first inclined surface may be formed on a distal end of the medium supply port cover, a second inclined surface which faces the first inclined surface may be formed on a base end side of the document cover, and when the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit, the document cover, and the medium supply port cover are closed, the second inclined surface may be provided to push up the first inclined surface in a direction in which the medium supply port cover opens.
According to this aspect, when the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit, the document cover, and the medium supply port cover are closed, the second inclined surface is provided with a configuration to push up the first inclined surface in a direction in which the medium supply port cover opens, and so it is possible to suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover when the reading mechanism unit is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit, the document cover, and the medium supply port cover are closed.
In the recording apparatus, in plan view of the document cover and the medium supply port cover, at least a portion of the second inclined surface may overlap the first inclined surface.
According to this aspect, since in plan view of the document cover and the medium supply port cover, at least a portion of the second inclined surface overlaps the first inclined surface, it is possible to realize a favorable external appearance of the apparatus without the inside of the document cover and the medium supply port cover, that is, the top portion of the apparatus main body being exposed in plan view of the document cover and the medium supply port cover.
In the recording apparatus, a reading mechanism unit which reads a document and a medium supply port which it capable of setting the medium through the medium supply port may be included on a top portion of the apparatus main body, the lid body may open and close the medium supply port, the reading mechanism unit may include a document cover which opens and closes a document stand on which the document is placed and has a same opening direction as the lid body, the lid body and the document cover may have widths corresponding to a horizontal width of the apparatus main body and a top surface of the lid body and a top surface of the document cover may form the same surface, and an end portion of an opposite side from the free end side of the lid body and a rear surface of the apparatus main body may form the same surface.
According to this aspect, it is possible to obtain a recording apparatus with an excellent external appearance.
In the recording apparatus, a reading mechanism unit which reads a document and a medium supply port which is capable of supplying the medium may be included on a top portion of the apparatus main body, the reading mechanism unit may include a document cover which opens and closes a document stand on which a document is placed, the lid body may open and close the medium supply port, and the recording apparatus may further include a regulating member which is capable of assuming a storage state in which the regulating member is positioned on an inside of the lid body and is closed in a state in which the lid body is closed, and a regulating state in which the regulating member opens together with an opening operation of the lid body and forms a surface which intersects a top surface of the document cover to regulate slipping and falling of an object from a top surface of the document cover into the medium supply port, and a biasing member which biases the regulating member from the storage state to the regulating state.
According to this aspect, since the regulating member is biased by the biasing member from the storage state to the regulating state, it is possible to transition the regulating member from the storage state to the regulating state together with the opening and closing of the lid body.
Therefore, in the state in which the lid body and the medium supply port are opened, regardless of the opening/closing state of the document cover, the regulating member always assumes the regulating state, that is, the state in which the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port is regulated, and it is possible to more reliably suppress or avoid the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port.
The recording apparatus may further include a regulating member which is capable of assuming a storage state in which the regulating member is positioned on an inside of the medium supply port cover and is closed in a state in which the medium supply port cover is closed, and a regulating state in which the regulating member opens together with an opening operation of the medium supply port and forms a surface which intersects a top surface of the document cover to regulate slipping and falling of an object from a top surface of the document cover into the medium supply port, and a biasing member which biases the regulating member from the storage state to the regulating state.
According to this aspect, since the regulating member is biased by the biasing member from the storage state to the regulating state, it is possible to transition the regulating member from the storage state to the regulating state together with the opening and closing of the medium supply port cover. Therefore, in the state in which the medium supply port cover and the medium supply port are opened, regardless of the opening/closing state of the document cover, the regulating member always assumes the regulating state, that is, the state in which the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port is regulated, and it is possible to more reliably suppress or avoid the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port.
In the recording apparatus, the regulating member may be configured to be capable of switching between the storage state and the regulating state by tilting.
According to this aspect, it is possible to realize a configuration which switches between the storage state and the regulating state with a simple structure.
In the recording apparatus, the regulating member may be configured to be capable of switching between the storage state and the regulating state by tilting.
According to this aspect, it is possible to realize a configuration which switches between the storage state and the regulating state with a simple structure.
In the recording apparatus, the regulating member may be provided with an induction portion with which the lid body comes into contact and which leads the regulating member to the storage state when the lid body is changed from an opened state to a closed state.
According to this aspect, due to the regulating member being provided with the induction portion, it is possible to smoothly transition the regulating member to the storage state using the change from the opened state to the closed state of the lid body.
In the recording apparatus, the regulating member may be provided with an induction portion with which the medium supply port cover comes into contact and which leads the regulating member to the storage state when the medium supply port cover is changed from an opened state to a closed state.
According to this aspect, due to the regulating member being provided with the induction portion, it is possible to smoothly transition the regulating member to the storage state using the change from the opened state to the closed state of the medium supply port cover.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
Description will be given of the recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment which is described hereinafter, description will be given of an ink jet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) as an example of the recording apparatus. The same configurations in each of the examples of the embodiment will be described only in the first example, the same reference symbols will be applied, and description of the configuration thereof will be omitted in the following examples.
First, description will be given of an outline of the printer according to the first embodiment of the invention.
In an X-Y-Z coordinate system which is illustrated in the drawings, an X direction indicates a main scanning direction (a movement direction) of a carriage, that is a width direction of the recording apparatus, a Y direction indicates a medium transport direction, that is, a depth direction of the recording apparatus, and a Z direction indicates an apparatus height direction. In the drawings, a +X direction side is the apparatus left side, a −X direction side is the apparatus right side, a −Y direction is an apparatus front surface side, a +Y direction is an apparatus rear surface side, a +Z direction side is the apparatus top side, and a −Z direction side is the apparatus bottom side.
With reference to
A front surface cover 20 is disposed on the bottom of the operation unit 16 on the apparatus front surface side of the apparatus main body 12. A paper output tray 22 is provided in the apparatus main body 12. The paper output tray 22 is configured to be capable of switching between a state of being stored inside the apparatus main body 12 (refer to
A medium supply port cover 24 which serves as the “lid body” is attached to the top portion of the rear surface side of the apparatus main body 12 to be capable of tilting such that the rear surface side in the apparatus depth direction becomes the tilting fulcrum. The medium supply port cover 24 is configured to be capable of switching between a state of being closed with respect to the apparatus main body 12 which is illustrated in
When the medium supply port cover 24 is closed, the medium supply port cover 24 configures a portion of the top surface of the apparatus main body 12, specifically, the top surface of the rear surface side in the apparatus depth direction. A rear surface side end portion 24a (refer to
As illustrated in
Next, description will be given of a medium transport path 30 of the recording medium in the apparatus main body 12 with reference to
The cassette 32 which stores the recording medium is provided in the bottom portion of the apparatus main body 12. The cassette 32 is formed in a box shape, and the inner portion thereof is capable of storing the recording medium. A pickup roller 34, an inversion roller 36, follower rollers 38a, 38b, and 38c, a transport roller pair 40, a recording unit 42, and an output roller pair 44 are provided in this order along the medium transport path 30 inside the apparatus main body 12. The pickup roller 34 is disposed above the cassette 32 to be capable of tilting, using the tilting shaft 46 as a fulcrum. The recording medium which is fed from the cassette 32 by the pickup roller 34 is nipped by the inversion roller 36 and the follower rollers 38a and 38b, and is transported to the transport roller pair 40.
The transport roller pair 40 transports the recording medium to the recording unit 42. The recording unit 42 is provided with a carriage 48, a recording head 50 which serves as the “recorder”, and a medium guide member 52. The carriage 48 is configured to be capable of reciprocally moving in the apparatus width direction. The recording head 50 is provided on the bottom portion of the carriage 48. The recording head 50 is configured to discharge an ink toward the bottom side in apparatus height direction.
The medium guide member 52 is provided under the recording head 50 in a region which faces the recording head 50. The medium guide member 52 is disposed to face the recording head 50, leaving an interval between the medium guide member 52 and the recording head 50. The medium guide member 52 supports the bottom surface (a surface of the opposite side from the recording surface) of the recording medium which is transported by the transport roller pair 40 to the region which faces the recording head 50. The recording head 50 discharges the ink onto the recording medium which is supported by the medium guide member 52, and executes recording on the recording surface of the recording medium.
The recording medium on which the recording is executed is nipped by the output roller pair 44 which is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the recording unit 42, and is output toward the paper output tray 22 (refer to
The medium supply port cover 24 is opened, and the recording medium which is inserted into the medium supply port 26 from above the printer 10 is guided to the medium guide path 28, is transported to the recording unit 42, and recording is performed in the recording unit 42. After the recording is performed, the recording medium is output to the paper output tray 22.
In a case in which after recording is executed on a first surface (the recording surface) of the recording medium in the recording unit 42, recording is performed on a second surface (the bottom surface) of the opposite side from the first surface, the transport roller pair 40 is reversed to transport the recording medium to the upstream side in the transport direction. The recording medium which is transported to the upstream side in the transport direction is nipped by the inversion roller 36 and the follower roller 38c. The first surface and the second surface of the recording medium are inverted by the inversion roller 36, and after the recording medium is transported again to the recording unit 42 and the recording of the second surface is executed in the recording unit 42, the recording medium is output toward the paper output tray 22.
Next, description will be given of the reading mechanism unit 14 with reference to
As illustrated in
The hinge member 60 is connected to the main body portion 54 by snap fitting, for example. In other words, the document cover 58 is connected to be capable of tilting due to the hinge member 60 with respect to the main body portion 54. When an external force greater than or equal to a predetermined amount is applied to the document cover 58, the engagement state between the hinge member 60 and the main body portion 54, that is, the snap fitting is released, and damage to the document cover 58 is suppressed or avoided. Description of the specifics of the attachment mechanism of the hinge member 60 with respect to the main body portion 54 will be omitted.
The document cover 58 opens and closes the document stand 56 by tilting to the rear surface side and the front surface side in the apparatus depth direction. In other words, the document cover 58 has the same opening direction as the medium supply port cover 24. The document cover 58 covers the document stand 56 in the closed state (refer to
By opening the document cover 58 to expose the document stand 56, setting the document on the top surface of the document stand 56, and closing the document cover 58, it becomes possible to read the document on the document stand 56. A reader (not illustrated) which is capable of reading the document which is set on the document stand 56 is provided under the document stand 56, that is, inside the main body portion 54.
In the present example, a tilting shaft (not illustrated) is provided in the reading mechanism unit 14 near to the rear surface side of the main body portion 54 in the apparatus depth direction. The reading mechanism unit 14 is joined to the apparatus main body 12 to be capable of tilting via the tilting shaft. The reading mechanism unit 14 is configured to be capable of switching between a posture of being closed with respect to the apparatus main body 12 (refer to
Next, description will be given of the medium supply port cover 24 with reference to
With reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Next, with reference to
A biasing unit 72 is provided between the hinge member 62 and the apparatus main body 12. The biasing unit 72 is configured as a compressed coil spring, for example. As illustrated in
The other end of the biasing unit 72 is engaged with the biasing unit attachment portion 12c which is provided on the hinge member attachment portion 70. Here, the biasing force of the biasing unit 72 biases the hinge member 62 in a direction including a vertical direction component inside the hinge member attachment portion 70, for example, the biasing unit 72 biases the hinge member 62 to the bottom side in the apparatus height direction.
With reference to
The tilting shafts 62d are inserted into the bearings 68 of the medium supply port cover 24. The pair of tilting shaft portions 62b which face each other have elasticity. When an external force greater than or equal to a predetermined amount acts on the medium supply port cover 24 in a state in which the tilting shafts 62d are inserted into the bearings 68, the pair of tilting shaft portions 62b warp in directions so as to separate from each other, the tilting shafts 62d escape from the bearings 68, and the linking between the medium supply port cover 24 and the hinge member 62 is released. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover 24 or the hinge member 62.
The hook 62c is formed on the bottom end portion of the hinge member 62. The hook 62c defines the range of the slide movement of the hinge member 62 in the apparatus height direction by coming into contact with or separating from the hook engagement portion 12d when the hinge member 62 is slide moved in the apparatus height direction inside the hinge member attachment portion 70.
The spring member 74 is provided on the top end portion of the hinge member 62, and the spring member 74 is disposed between the pair of tilting shaft portions 62b in the apparatus width direction. The spring member 74, for example, is configured as a plate spring, more specifically, a so-called double stability spring. The spring member 74 is in contact with the bearings 68 of the medium supply port cover 24. The spring member 74 biases in a direction in which the medium supply port cover 24 closes in a range in which the medium supply port cover 24 opens to a predetermined opening angle from a closed state, and biases in a direction in which the medium supply port cover 24 opens in a range in which the medium supply port cover 24 is further opened from the predetermined opening angle.
Hereinafter, description will be given of the opening and closing operations of the medium supply port cover 24 with reference to
Here, as illustrated in
In the state in which the medium supply port cover 24 is closed, the hinge member 62 is biased to the bottom side in the apparatus height direction by the biasing unit 72, and the hook 62c is in a state of being separated from the hook engagement portion 12d which is provided on the apparatus main body 12.
As illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
When the sliding target surface 66 comes into contact with the sliding surfaces 64, the contacting portion becomes a fulcrum, and the hinge member 62 is caused to slide to the top side in the apparatus height direction against the biasing force of the biasing unit 72. At this time, the hook 62c moves to the top side in the apparatus height direction and approaches the hook engagement portion 12d.
As illustrated in
Since the hook 62c in this state engages with the hook engagement portion 12d, the sliding movement to the top side in the apparatus height direction of the hinge member 62 is regulated.
Here, the hinge member 62 is biased to the bottom side in the device height direction by the biasing unit 72; however, the sliding target surface 66 is in contact with the sliding surfaces 64, and the displacement of the hinge member 62 to the bottom side in the apparatus height direction is regulated. Therefore, the medium supply port cover 24 maintains a posture of being inclined to the rear surface side in the apparatus depth direction with respect to the apparatus main body 12. In this state, the medium supply port cover 24 may be configured to function as a medium support member which supports the medium which is inserted into the medium supply port 26 in an inclined posture.
In order to switch from the state in which the medium supply port cover 24 is opened to the state in which the medium supply port cover 24 is closed, it is possible to close the medium supply port cover 24 by tilting the medium supply port cover 24 from the rear surface side toward the front surface side in the apparatus depth direction using a force greater than or equal to the biasing force of the spring member 74. At this time, when the opening angle of the medium supply port cover 24 is less than or equal to a predetermined angle, the direction in which the biasing force of the spring member 74 acts is switched from the direction in which the medium supply port cover 24 opens to the direction in which the medium supply port cover 24 closes, and so even if an external force is not applied, the medium supply port cover 24 naturally switches to the closed state.
With reference to
Here, the biasing force of the biasing unit 72 is set to a magnitude at which, for example, when lifting up a side portion of the medium supply port cover 24 in the apparatus width direction to open the medium supply port cover 24, the medium supply port cover 24 tilts without the hinge member 62 which is in a distant position from the side portion lifting up, using the hinge member 62 which is in a position far from the side portion as a fulcrum. Accordingly, even if the user lifts up the side portion of the medium supply port cover 24, it is possible to tilt the medium supply port cover 24 using the tilting shaft 62d as a fulcrum without the hinge member 62 being lifted up, and it is possible to improve the ease of use.
Since a configuration is adopted in which the hinge member 62 is caused to move by sliding in the apparatus height direction, it is possible to prevent the medium supply port cover 24 from interfering with the apparatus main body 12 during the opening and closing operations of the medium supply port cover 24. As a result, it is no longer necessary to provide an escape shape or the like for preventing the interference in the medium supply port cover 24 or the apparatus main body 12, and it is possible to improve the design characteristics of the printer 10.
Although the medium supply port cover 24 is configured as a single member, it is possible to configure the medium supply port cover 24 using a plurality of components which are capable of expanding and contracting along the direction in which the medium is inserted into the medium supply port 26 in order to increase the support region of the medium.
To summarize the description given above, the printer 10 is provided with the housing 12a which configures at least a portion of the outside of the apparatus main body 12 which is provided with the recording head 50 which performs the recording on the medium, the medium supply port cover 24 which opens and closes at least a portion of the top portion of the apparatus main body 12 and is capable of tilting, and the tilting shaft 62d of the medium supply port cover 24, in which the tilting shaft 62d is capable of being displaced in the apparatus height direction which is a direction intersecting the axial line direction of the tilting shaft 62d, and in which the medium supply port cover 24 is capable of tilting from the closed space which fills the gap 76 between the rear surface side end portion 24a and the housing 12a of the opposite side with respect to the free end side to the opened state due to the displacement of the tilting shaft 62d. According to this configuration, it becomes possible to suitably open and close the medium supply port cover 24 while reducing the size of the gap between the rear surface side end portion 24a and the housing 12a of the tilting shaft side end portion of the medium supply port cover 24.
The tilting shaft 62d is configured by the hinge member 62 which is provided to be capable of sliding in the apparatus height direction which is a direction including a vertical direction component with respect to the apparatus main body 12. According to this configuration, it is possible to realize a configuration which displaces the tilting shaft 62d in the direction intersecting the axial line direction with a simple structure and low cost.
The hinge member 62 is biased in the downward direction in the apparatus height direction which is a direction including a vertical downward direction component by the biasing unit 72. According to this configuration, it is possible to maintain a state in which the gap 76 between the medium supply port cover 24 and the housing 12a is filled, that is, a state which is preferable from the perspective of the external appearance.
A plurality of pairs of the hinge member 62 and the biasing unit 72 are provided along the apparatus width direction which is the tilting axial line direction of the medium supply port cover 24, and the biasing force of the biasing unit 72 is set to a magnitude at which when lifting up a side portion of the medium supply port cover 24 in the apparatus width direction which is the tilting axial line direction to open the medium supply port cover 24, the medium supply port cover 24 tilts without the hinge member 62 which is in a position close to the side portion lifting up, using the hinge member 62 which is in a distant position from the side portion as a fulcrum. According to this configuration, when the user lifts up the side portion of the medium supply port cover 24 in the apparatus width direction which is the tilting axial line direction to open the medium supply port cover 24, it is possible to suitably open the medium supply port cover 24.
The hinge member 62 is provided on the inside of the housing 12a, and in a state in which the medium supply port cover 24 is closed, the hinge member 62 is concealed on the inside of the housing 12a and the medium supply port cover 24. According to this configuration, in the state in which the medium supply port cover 24 is closed, it is possible to improve the external appearance of the printer 10.
The hinge member 62 is provided with the spring member 74 which biases the medium supply port cover 24 in a closing direction in a range in which the medium supply port cover 24 opens to a predetermined opening angle from a closed state, and biases the medium supply port cover 24 in an opening direction in a range in which the medium supply port cover 24 is further opened from the predetermined opening angle. According to this configuration, the ease of use is improved during the opening and closing of the medium supply port cover 24.
The reading mechanism unit 14 which reads the document, and the medium supply port 26 in which it is possible to set the medium are included on the top portion of the apparatus main body 12, the medium supply port cover 24 opens and closes the medium supply port 26, the reading mechanism unit 14 is provided with the document cover 58 which opens and closes the document stand 56 on which the document is placed and has the same opening direction as the medium supply port cover 24, the medium supply port cover 24 and the document cover 58 have widths corresponding to the horizontal width of the apparatus main body 12 and the top surface 24b of the medium supply port cover 24 and the top surface 58a of the document cover 58 form the same surface, and the rear surface side end portion 24a which is the end portion of the opposite side from the free end side of the medium supply port cover 24 and the rear surface 12b of the apparatus main body 12 form the same surface. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain a recording apparatus with an excellent external appearance.
In the present embodiment, the medium supply port cover 24 is applied to the ink jet printer which serves as an example of the recording apparatus; however, it is also possible to apply the medium supply port cover 24 to other liquid ejecting apparatuses in general.
Description will be given of an outline of the printer according to the second embodiment of the invention.
The X-Y-Z coordinate system which is illustrated in the drawings is the same as in the first embodiment.
With reference to
The front surface cover 20 is disposed on the bottom of the operation unit 16 on the apparatus front surface side of the apparatus main body 112. The paper output tray 22 is provided in the apparatus main body 112. The paper output tray 22 is configured to be capable of switching between a state of being stored inside the apparatus main body 112 (refer to
A medium supply port cover 124 is attached to the top portion of the rear surface side of the apparatus main body 112 to be capable of tilting. The medium supply port cover 124 is configured to be capable of switching between a state of being closed with respect to the apparatus main body 112 which is illustrated in
When the medium supply port cover 124 is opened, the medium supply port 26 into which the recording medium (the medium) is to be set is exposed on the rear surface side of the top portion of the apparatus main body 112. It is possible to insert the recording medium into the medium supply port 26 in the direction of arrow A, and the medium which is inserted is guided down the inclined medium guide path 28 which is illustrated in
The medium transport path 30 and the guide path of the medium to which the reference symbol R is attached of the present embodiment which are illustrated in
Even in the present embodiment, the medium supply port cover 124 is opened, and the recording medium which is inserted into the medium supply port 26 from above the printer 110 is guided to the medium guide path 28, is transported to the recording unit 42, and recording is performed in the recording unit 42. After the recording is performed, the recording medium is output to the paper output tray 22.
Next, with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
When an external force greater than or equal to a predetermined amount is applied to the document cover 158, for example, when an attempt is made to open the document cover 158 in a state in which the medium supply port cover 124 is retained so as not to tilt, the engagement state between the hinge 160 and the main body portion 54, that is, the snap fitting is released, the hinge 160 escapes upward, and damage to the document cover 158 is suppressed or avoided. Description of the specifics of the attachment mechanism of the hinge 160 with respect to the main body portion 54 will be omitted.
The document cover 158 opens and closes the document stand 56 by tilting to the rear surface side and the front surface side in the apparatus depth direction. In other words, the document cover 158 has the same opening direction as the medium supply port cover 124. The document cover 158 covers the document stand 56 in the closed state (refer to
By opening the document cover 158 to expose the document stand 56, setting the document on the top surface of the document stand 56, and closing the document cover 158, it becomes possible to read the document on the document stand 56. A reader (not illustrated) which is capable of reading the document which is set on the document stand 56 is provided under the document stand 56, that is, inside the main body portion 54.
In the present example, a tilting shaft (not illustrated) is provided in the reading mechanism unit 114 near to the rear surface side of the main body portion 54 in the apparatus depth direction. The reading mechanism unit 114 is joined to the apparatus main body 112 to be capable of tilting via the tilting shaft. The reading mechanism unit 114 is configured to be capable of switching between a posture of being closed with respect to the apparatus main body 112 (refer to
Next, description will be given of the medium supply port cover 124 with reference to
With reference to
Here, as illustrated in
In this state, the hinge 162 is biased to the bottom side in the apparatus height direction by the biasing force of the biasing unit 164. Accordingly, the end portion 124b of the medium supply port cover 124 presses the top portion 112c of the apparatus main body 112. As a result, the medium supply port cover 124 maintains a state of being opened with respect to the apparatus main body 112. It is also possible to displace the medium supply port cover 124 to the top side in the apparatus height direction against the biasing force of the biasing unit 164 while maintaining a posture of being closed with respect to the apparatus main body 112.
Next, with reference to
Here,
A second inclined surface 58b is formed on the rear surface side end portion of the document cover 158 in the apparatus depth direction. The second inclined surface 58b is configured to head from the front surface side toward the rear surface side in the apparatus depth direction, and to be inclined from the top side toward the bottom side in the apparatus height direction. The first inclined surface 124c and the second inclined surface 58b face each other. For example, the first inclined surface 124c and the second inclined surface 58b are formed in parallel. As illustrated in
As is clear from
As illustrated in
Here, the medium supply port cover 124 is configured to be capable of being displaced in the apparatus height direction against the biasing force of the biasing unit 164. As illustrated in
In other words, when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened in a state in which the medium supply port cover 124 and the document cover 158 are closed, since the medium supply port cover 124 is configured to escape with respect the document cover 158, it is possible to reduce the concern of damage to the cover of at least one of the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124 due to interference.
Next, description will be given of a rocking member 166 with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
With reference to
When the engagement portion 66c protrudes from the slit 168, the engagement portion 66c engages with a bottom surface 124d of the medium supply port cover 124, and as illustrated in
With reference to
Here, an angle α in
The magnitude of the repulsive force which the document cover 158 receives from the medium supply port cover 124 is set, for example, so as not to exceed a magnitude which is necessary in order to close the document cover 158 from the opened state. Accordingly, when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened in a state in which the document cover 158 is opened, the medium supply port cover 124 suppresses unintentional closing, and it is possible to smoothly open the medium supply port cover 124.
When the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened in a state in which the medium supply port cover 124 and the document cover 158 are in contact with each other, since it is possible to suppress or avoid the medium supply port cover 124 assuming a state of being propped against the document cover 158, it is possible to prevent at least one of the medium supply port cover 124 and the document cover 158 from being damaged.
By modifying the shapes of the engaged portion 66b and the engagement portion 66c in the rocking member 166, as appropriate, it is possible to modify the timing of the contact between the document cover 158 and the engaged portion 66b, and the timing of the contact between the engagement portion 66c and the medium supply port cover 124, as appropriate. Accordingly, it is possible to set the timing at which the medium supply port cover 124 opens in relation to the timing at which the document cover 158 opens, as appropriate.
Next, description will be given of the second example with reference to
Here, when an external force (refer to arrow B in
When the external force (the force in the orientation of arrow B) which is applied to the medium supply port cover 170 to the rear surface side in the apparatus depth direction is removed, the medium supply port cover 170 slides to the front surface side in the apparatus depth direction due to the biasing force of the biasing unit 172, and returns to the original state.
The hinge 162 engages with one end of the biasing unit 164 in the same manner as in the first example. The other end of the biasing unit 164 engages with the biasing unit attachment portion 112b. The biasing unit 164 biases the hinge 162 to the bottom side in the apparatus height direction. The medium supply port cover 170 is capable of being displaced in the apparatus height direction with respect to the apparatus main body 112 in the same manner as in the first example.
As illustrated in
Accordingly, the medium supply port cover 170 is caused to slide to the rear surface side in the apparatus depth direction against the biasing force of the biasing unit 172 due to the document cover 158. As a result, even if the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened in the state in which the document cover 158 is opened, it is possible to suppress or prevent damage to the medium supply port cover 170.
To summarize the description hereunto, the printer 110 is provided with the medium supply port 26 which is provided on the top portion of the apparatus main body 112 which is provided with the recording head 50 which performs recording on the medium and in which it is possible to set the medium, the reading mechanism unit 114 which is provided on the top portion of the apparatus main body 112 to be capable of opening and closing and which reads the document, the medium supply port cover 124 which opens and closes the medium supply port 26 and is provided on the apparatus main body 112, and the document cover 158 which is a cover which opens and closes the document stand 56 with which the reading mechanism unit 114 is provided, has the same opening direction as the medium supply port cover 124, and is provided on the reading mechanism unit 114, in which the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124 are in a positional relationship in which the distal end of the medium supply port cover 124 comes into contact with the document cover 158 in a process in which the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened, and the document cover 158 applies an external force to the medium supply port cover 124 in the opening direction.
According to the configuration which is described above, the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124 are in a positional relationship in which the distal end of the medium supply port cover 124 comes into contact with the document cover 158 in a process in which the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened, and the document cover 158 applies an external force to the medium supply port cover 124 in the opening direction, and so it is possible to suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover 124 when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from the state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened. As a result, it is no longer necessary to greatly separate the document cover 158 from the medium supply port cover 124, and it is possible to realize a favorable external appearance of the apparatus.
In the process in which the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened, the repulsive force which the document cover 158 receives from the medium supply port cover 124 does not exceed a magnitude which is necessary for closing the document cover 158. According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid a problem of the document cover 158 being unintentionally closed in the process in which the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened.
The printer 110 is configured to be provided with the rocking member 166 which is capable of engaging with the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124 and is capable of rocking, and when the document cover 158 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114, and the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed, the rocking member 166 rocks to push up the medium supply port cover 124. According to this configuration, by also opening the medium supply port cover 124 to a certain degree when the document cover 158 is opened, it is possible to render the contact angle of the medium supply port cover 124 with respect to the document cover 158 when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened less acute. As a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover 124 when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114, and the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed.
In the process in which the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened, the angle α from the contact position S1 at which the medium supply port cover 124 comes into contact with the document cover 158, formed between the top surface 58a′ of the document cover 158 of the tilting shaft side of the document cover 158 and the top surface 124e of the medium supply port cover 124 is an acute angle. According to this configuration, it is possible to still more smoothly open the medium supply port cover 124, and as a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover 124.
The first inclined surface 124c is formed on the distal end of the medium supply port cover 124, the second inclined surface 58b which faces the first inclined surface 124c is formed on the base end side of the document cover 158, and when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114, the document cover 158, and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed, the second inclined surface 58b is provided with a configuration to push up the first inclined surface 124c in the direction in which the medium supply port cover 124 opens. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover 124 when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114, the document cover 158, and the medium supply port cover 124 are closed.
In plan view of the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124, at least a portion of the second inclined surface 58b overlaps the first inclined surface 124c. According to this configuration, the inside of the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124, that is, the top portion of the apparatus main body 112 is not exposed in plan view of the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 124, and it is possible to realize a favorable external appearance of the apparatus.
The printer 110 is provided with the medium supply port 26 which is provided on the top portion of the apparatus main body 112 which is provided with the recording head 50 which performs recording on the medium and in which it is possible to set the medium, the reading mechanism unit 114 which is provided on the top portion of the apparatus main body 112 to be capable of opening and closing and which reads the document, the medium supply port cover 170 which opens and closes the medium supply port 26 and is provided on the apparatus main body 112, and the document cover 158 which is a cover which opens and closes the document stand 56 with which the reading mechanism unit 114 is provided, has the same opening direction as the medium supply port cover 170, and is provided on the reading mechanism unit 114, in which the medium supply port cover 170 is capable of sliding in the apparatus depth direction which is a direction intersecting the tilting axial line direction, and in which the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 170 are in a positional relationship in which the distal end 70b of the medium supply port cover 170 comes into contact with the document cover 158 in a process in which the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 170 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened, and the document cover 158 causes the medium supply port cover 170 to slide.
According to the configuration which is described above, the medium supply port cover 170 is capable of sliding in the apparatus depth direction which is a direction intersecting the tilting axial line direction, the document cover 158 and the medium supply port cover 170 are in a positional relationship in which the distal end 70b of the medium supply port cover 170 comes into contact with the document cover 158 in a process in which the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from a state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 170 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened, and the document cover 158 is configured to cause the medium supply port cover 170 to slide, and so it is possible to suppress or avoid damage to the medium supply port cover 170 when the reading mechanism unit 114 is opened from the state in which the reading mechanism unit 114 and the medium supply port cover 170 are closed and the document cover 158 is opened. As a result, it is no longer necessary to greatly separate the document cover 158 from the medium supply port cover 170, and it is possible to realize a favorable external appearance of the apparatus.
The top surface 124e of the medium supply port cover 124 and the top surface 58a of the document cover 158 form the same surface. According to this configuration, it is possible to realize a more favorable external appearance of the apparatus.
In the present embodiment, the reading mechanism unit 114, the medium supply port covers 124 and 170, and the document cover 158 are applied to the ink jet printer which serves as an example of the recording apparatus; however, it is also possible to apply the reading mechanism unit 114, the medium supply port covers 124 and 170, and the document cover 158 to other liquid ejecting apparatuses in general.
Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus indicated in the first and second embodiments is not limited to a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copier, or a facsimile in which an ink jet recording head is used and which performs recording on a recording medium by ejecting an ink from the recording head, and the liquid ejecting apparatus includes an apparatus which, instead of the ink, ejects a liquid which corresponds to the use of the ink from a liquid ejecting head which corresponds to the ink jet recording head onto an ejection target medium which corresponds to the recording medium, and causes the liquid to adhere to the ejection target medium.
In addition to the recording head, examples of the liquid ejecting head include a color material ejecting head which is used in the manufacture of color filters of liquid crystal displays or the like, an electrode material (conductive paste) ejecting head which is used in the electrode formation of organic EL displays, field emission displays (FED), or the like, a biological organic matter ejecting head which is used in the manufacture of bio chips, and a sample ejecting head which serves as a precision pipette.
Description will be given of an outline of the printer according to the third embodiment of the invention.
In the X-Y-Z coordinate system illustrated in the drawings, the X direction is the scanning direction of the recording head, and the Y direction is the apparatus depth direction. The Z direction is the direction of gravity and indicates the apparatus height direction. The +Y direction side is the apparatus front surface side, and the −Y direction side is the apparatus rear surface side. As viewed from the apparatus front surface side, the right side is the +X direction, and the left side is the −X direction. The +Z direction is the top of the apparatus (the top portion, including the top surface and the like), and the −Z direction side is the bottom of the apparatus (the bottom portion, including the bottom surface and the like).
Hereinafter, the transport direction (the +Y direction side) in which the paper is transported in a printer 201 will be referred to as “downstream”, and the opposite direction (the −Y direction side) will be referred to as “upstream”.
Hereinafter, an outline description will be given of the overall configuration of the printer 201.
The printer 201 (
A medium supply port 207 which is provided with a manual tray 217 (
A manual cover 206 (a first opening/closing body) which serves as a lid body which opens and closes the medium supply port 207 is provided on the rear top portion of the recording mechanism unit main body 202, and it is possible to perform the paper feeding by manually inserting the paper P which uses the manual tray 217 by opening the manual cover 206 as illustrated in
The reading mechanism unit 203 is provided to be capable of tilting with respect to the recording mechanism unit main body 202 of the recording mechanism unit 215, and is capable of assuming a state in which the top portion of the recording mechanism unit 215 is closed (
The reading mechanism unit 203 is connected to be capable of tilting with respect to the recording mechanism unit 215 at connecting portions 235 (
In other words, the reading mechanism unit 203 includes the tilting shafts 236 (refer to
The reading mechanism unit 203 is provided with a document stand cover 204 (
In the document stand cover 204, tilting shafts 238 (refer to
In the same manner as in the reading mechanism unit 203, the document stand cover 204 also includes the tilting shafts 238 (refer to
When the document stand cover 204 or the reading mechanism unit 203 is opened, a regulating member 240 (refer to
On the apparatus front surface of the printer 201 of
The reference symbol 209 is a front surface cover which is provided on a bottom side tray 213 (
The paper output receiving tray 208 is provided to be capable of assuming a state of being stored in the recording mechanism unit main body 202 by a motor which is not illustrated, (
The bottom side tray 213 and the top side tray 214 which is provided above the bottom side tray 213 which are illustrated in
Description will be given later of the paper transport path in the recording mechanism unit 215 of the printer 201.
Next, detailed description will be given of the regulating member 240 which regulates the slipping and falling of an object into the medium supply port 207 which is described earlier.
The regulating member 240 is configured to be capable of assuming a storage state (
In the present example, it can be said that the document stand cover 204 is the second opening/closing body 241 when the document stand cover 204 is opened with respect to the document stand 203a (refer to
In the present example, the regulating member 240 is configured to be capable of switching between the storage state and the regulating state by tilting using a tilting shaft 243 as an axis.
More specifically, the tilting shaft 243 which is provided on the recording mechanism unit main body 202 is inserted (
The regulating member 240 is also provided with a shaft hole 40d in the center portion in the longitudinal direction (the X direction), and a tilting shaft 244 (
The torsion spring 242 which biases the regulating member 240 engages with the recording mechanism unit main body 202 (the housing) and the regulating member 240 to exert a biasing force. By using the torsion spring 242, it is possible to bias the regulating member 240, which is simple in structure and tilts, from the storage state to the regulating state. The biasing mechanism which uses the torsion spring 242 will be described in detail later.
Next, the regulating member 240 is provided (
In the printer 201, an edge guide 233 (
Due to the regulating member 240 being provided to be capable of tilting further in the opening direction from the regulating state by receiving an external force, when a hand is inserted into the inside of the medium supply port 207, for example, it is possible to secure a wide operation space in a case in which the edge guide 233 which is provided on the inside of the medium supply port 207 is operated, or the like.
Next, description will be given of the biasing mechanism of the regulating member 240 which uses the torsion spring 242.
The torsion spring 242 is configured to bias the regulating member 240 in the closing direction in a state in which the regulating member 240 is further opened from the regulating state by switching the part which engages in the recording mechanism unit main body 202 and the regulating member 240 using the regulating state of the regulating member 240 as the boundary for switching.
In other words, the regulating member 240 is configured to be automatically opened from the storage state to the regulating state when the manual cover 206 is opened by the one torsion spring 242, and when the hand is released to remove the external force from the state in which the regulating member 240 is further opened from the regulating state upon receiving an external force such as pushing by hand, the regulating member 240 returns to the regulating state without the intervention of user operation.
Hereinafter, more detailed description will be given of the configuration.
As illustrated in
Furthermore, the recording mechanism unit main body 202 (refer to
Furthermore, the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the regulating member 240 (refer to
The torsion spring 242 is configured to be capable of switching the biasing direction of the regulating member 240 using the regulating state (
In other words, in the state (
In the engagement state (
According to this configuration, it is possible to switch the direction in which the regulating member 240 is biased using one biasing member (the torsion spring 242) to reduce the cost of the apparatus.
Naturally, it is also possible to separately provide a biasing member which biases the regulating member 240 from the storage state to the regulating state, and a biasing member which biases the regulating member 240 from a state of being opened from the regulating state in the closing direction.
The torsion spring 242 may be provided on at least the end portion of one side in the longitudinal direction; however, it is possible to provide the torsion spring 242 on the end portions of both sides. It is also possible to provide the torsion spring 242 on the tilting shaft 244 (
By providing the regulating member 240 which is configured in this manner, the following actions and effects may be obtained.
In other words, since the regulating member 240 is biased by the torsion spring 242 (the biasing member) from the storage state to the regulating state, it is possible to transition the regulating member 240 from the storage state to the regulating state together with the opening and closing of the manual cover 206 which opens and closes the medium supply port 207.
Therefore, in the state in which the manual cover 206 and the medium supply port 207 are opened, regardless of the opening/closing state of the second opening/closing body 241 (the document stand cover 204 or the reading mechanism unit 203), the regulating member 240 always assumes the regulating state, that is, the state in which the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port 207 is regulated, and it is possible to more reliably suppress or avoid the falling of foreign matter into the medium supply port 207.
As illustrated in
In addition, by performing the switching between the storage state and the regulating state by tilting the regulating member 240, it is possible to provide the regulating member 240 using a simple configuration.
In addition to a configuration in which switching between the storage state and the regulating state is performed by tilting the regulating member 240, the regulating member 240 may be configured to switch between the storage state and the regulating state by, for example, advancing and withdrawing.
Next, description will be given of the opening angle of the regulating member 240 using
In the regulating state (
When the second opening/closing body 241 is opened with an object still placed on the top of the second opening/closing body 241 (the document stand cover 204 in
When the opening angle α1 of the regulating member 240 in the regulating state is approximately 60°, an angle γ which is formed between the second opening/closing body 241 in which the angle β reaches the angle (approximately 30°) at which sliding begins, and the regulating surface 40b of the regulating member 240 reaches approximately 90°. Due to the regulating member 240 being provided, it is possible to effectively suppress the slipping and falling of the object which is placed on the second opening/closing body 241 into the medium supply port 207 when the second opening/closing body 241 is opened.
In the state (
Accordingly, it is possible to easily perform an operation (an operation of the edge guide 233 or the like) which is performed by inserting a hand into the medium supply port 207 while avoiding interference with the second opening/closing body 241 which is in the closed state.
In the present example, the regulating member 240 is provided with an induction portion 40c (
Due to the regulating member 240 being provided with the induction portion 40c, the regulating member 240 is guided in the closing direction by the change of the manual cover 206 from the opened state to the closed state, and it is possible to smoothly adopt the storage state.
In the present example, a configuration is adopted in which the torsion spring 242 is used as the biasing member; however, it is also possible to use a compression spring, a tension spring, or the like.
In the present example, either one of the document stand cover 204 and the reading mechanism unit 203 opens and closes at least a portion other than the medium supply port 207 in the top portion of the recording mechanism unit main body 202 (the housing) as the second opening/closing body 241; however, for example, in a printer which does not include the reading mechanism unit 203, the opening/closing cover which opens and closes the top surface of the recording mechanism unit main body 202 may be provided as the second opening/closing body. It is also possible to use the reading mechanism unit 203 which opens and closes in the top portion of the recording mechanism unit main body 202 (the housing) as the second opening/closing body without providing the document stand cover 204.
Description will be given of other configurations of the document stand cover 204 with reference to
As illustrated in
When the document stand cover 204 is closed, the document which is placed on the document stand 203a is pressed by the document retaining mat 250, and the reading-target surface of the document is in close contact with the document stand 203a.
The document stand cover 204 is provided with a near field wireless communication substrate 251 (hereinafter there are cases in which this is referred to as an NFC substrate 251) on the free end side (the +Y side) of the cover main body 237.
For example, the NFC substrate 251 is capable of performing near field wireless communication between the printer 201 and a portable terminal of the user, and is capable of executing information transmission to the portable terminal, setting of the printer 201 from the portable terminal, transfer of image data, recording in the recording mechanism unit 215, executing the scanning in the reading mechanism unit 203, and the like.
A metal plate 252 which spans a portion other than the position in which the NFC substrate 251 is provided in the apparatus width direction (the X direction) is provided on the free end side (the +Y side) of the cover main body 237. By providing the metal plate 252, the rigidity of the document stand cover 204 is improved.
The NFC substrate 251 and the metal plate 252 are covered by a cover member 256, and are positioned between the cover main body 237 and the cover member 256.
Here, in the cover main body 237, the position at which the NFC substrate 251 is provided is formed thinly. More specifically, as illustrated in
In the present example, the thin portion 253 having a thickness d1 is provided with a slope region 255 which is inclined from the thickness d1 to a thickness d2 between a portion (hereinafter referred to as a thick portion 254) with the original thickness d2 of the cover main body 237.
Here, in a case in which the cover main body 237 is molded using injection molding of resin, when the recess which is formed thinly is a recessed portion shape which has a rectangular cross sectional shape is formed, for example, that is, when the thin portion 253 which has the thickness d1 and the thick portion 254 which has the thickness d2 are formed to be adjacent to each other via a certain boundary line, a difference in the molding shrinkage between the thin portion 253 and the thick portion 254 arises easily due to the thickness deviation, so-called sink marks (depressions or holes) may be formed on the cover main body 237.
When the slope region 255 is present between the thin portion 253 and the thick portion 254, since the thickness continuously changes from the thickness d1 to the thickness d2, and there is no clear boundary of the thickness deviation, a concern of the occurrence of differences in the molding shrinkage between the thin portion 253 and the thick portion 254 is suppressed, and so it is possible to reduce the concern of the occurrence of the “sink marks”.
Hereinafter, description will be given of the paper transport path in the recording mechanism unit 215 of the printer 201 with reference to
In
The uppermost sheet of paper which is set in the manual tray 217 is picked up by a second feed roller 221 and sent to the downstream side.
At the end of the second feed roller 221, a transport drive roller 224 which is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated) and a transport follower roller 225 which is in contact with the transport drive roller 224 and is driven to rotate are provided, the paper P is sent under the recording head 230 by these rollers.
Next, the recording head 230 which discharges the ink which serves as the liquid is provided on the bottom portion of a carriage 229, and the carriage 229 is driven by a motor (not illustrated) so as to reciprocally move in the sub-scanning direction (the X direction).
A medium support member 228 which supports the paper P which is transported thereto is provided in a position opposing the recording head 230, and an interval (PG) is defined between the paper P and the recording head 230 by the medium support member 228.
An output drive roller 231 which is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated) and an output follower roller 232 which is in contact with the output drive roller 231 and is driven to rotate are provided on the downstream side of the medium support member 228. The paper P which is subjected to recording by the recording head 230 is output toward the paper output receiving tray 208 which is described above by the rollers 231 and 232.
The printer 201 is provided with the bottom side tray 213 and the top side tray 214 at the bottom of the apparatus, and it is possible to feed the paper one sheet at a time from the bottom side tray 213 or the top side tray 214.
The top side tray 214 is provided to be capable of sliding (being displaced) between a feed-capable position (
In
A first feed roller (also referred to as a pickup roller) 210 which is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated) is provided on a roller support member 211 (also referred to as a pickup arm or a rocking member) which rocks centered on a tilting shaft 212, and when the top side tray 214 is in a terminal end position at which the top side tray 214 slides to the rearmost side of the apparatus (in
Meanwhile, in a state in which the top side tray 214 slides to the apparatus front surface side (the +Y side), that is, when the top side tray 214 is in the previously-described withdrawn position, the roller support member 211 rocks centered on the tilting shaft 212, the first feed roller 210 is capable of coming into contact with the topmost sheet of the paper P1 which is stored in the bottom side tray 213, and the topmost sheet of the paper P1 is fed out from the bottom side tray 213 due to the first feed roller 210 rotating.
As described above, even in a case in which one of the bottom side tray 213 and the top side tray 214 is not mounted, it is possible to feed the paper from the other side.
An intermediate roller 216 which is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated) is provided on the downstream side of the first feed roller 210, and the paper P is inverted through being curved by the intermediate roller 216 and heads toward the front side of the apparatus. The reference symbols 219 and 220 are follower rollers which are capable of being rotationally driven, and at least the paper P is nipped by the follower roller 219 and the intermediate roller 216, or is nipped by the follower roller 220 and the intermediate roller 216, and is fed to the downstream side.
The paper P which is fed along the feed path T2 which is indicated using a dotted line meets with the feed path T1 (the double-dot-dash line) in front of the transport drive roller 224 and the transport follower roller 225, and from thereon, on the downstream side, in the same manner as the paper P which is fed from the manual tray 217, is transported by the transport drive roller 224 and the transport follower roller 225, is subjected to printing by the recording head 230, and is output by the output drive roller 231 and the output follower roller 232 toward the paper output receiving tray 208.
In a case in which both sides of the paper P are to be subjected to recording, by switching back the paper P after recording the obverse surface using the recording head 230, the paper P is caused to enter the feed path from the bottom side of the intermediate roller 216, and thus, it is possible to subject the reverse surface of the paper P to recording. The reference symbol 218 is a follower roller 218 which is capable of being rotationally driven by the rotation of the intermediate roller 216.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments and examples which are described above, may be modified in various ways within the aspects described in claims, and the modifications should be construed as being included in the invention.
The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-125682, filed Jun. 24, 2016, 2016-121854, filed June 20 and 2016-125658, filed June 24 are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-121854 | Jun 2016 | JP | national |
| 2016-125658 | Jun 2016 | JP | national |
| 2016-125682 | Jun 2016 | JP | national |
