JP6137022B2 - Sheet tray and sheet conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet tray that can support sheets of different sizes and a sheet conveying apparatus including the sheet tray.

  An image recording apparatus such as a printer includes a sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet on which an image is recorded. The sheet conveying apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a sheet and a discharge tray that supports the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit. A sheet conveying device mounted on an image recording apparatus is desired to be able to convey a large size sheet and to be small in size.

  Thus, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a discharge tray that includes a plurality of trays. The discharge tray described in Patent Document 1 is used in a state where a plurality of trays are overlapped when supporting a small size sheet, and is extended by sequentially pulling out the plurality of trays when supporting a large size sheet. It is used in the state that was done. There is also a discharge tray that can support a medium-sized sheet by pulling out only a part of the plurality of trays.

JP 2011-235986 A

  For example, in a sheet tray arranged so that two trays are relatively movable, when the support surface of the two trays is maximized, the overlapping area of the two trays must be secured to some extent, The rigidity of the connecting portion of the tray is lowered. However, when the overlapping area of the trays is widened, the maximum support surface with respect to the size of each tray is not so wide, and there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the weight and the cost. On the other hand, the present applicant has proposed a configuration in which two trays are connected by a connecting member such as an angle, and the rigidity of the connecting portion is increased by the angle.

  However, a gap is generated between the two trays as much as the connection member is interposed, and the gap is likely to be caught by a member on the periphery of the opening when the sheet tray is inserted into the apparatus main body.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to easily extend and contract to a length suitable for supporting a sheet of a desired size, and to be inserted into the apparatus main body. The object is to provide an easy sheet tray.

(1) A sheet tray according to the present invention has a first bottom wall having a first support surface for supporting sheets, and stands up with respect to the first bottom wall on both sides in a first direction along the first support surface. A first tray having a first side wall and a second side wall, a second bottom wall having a second support surface that is connected to the first support surface and supports a sheet, and the second tray on both sides in the first direction. A third side wall and a fourth side wall that are erected with respect to the bottom wall, respectively, and the second support surface is positioned below the first support surface, and the first support surface and the second support surface A second tray that is movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with respect to the first tray so that a degree of overlapping of the surfaces changes; and provided on both sides of the first direction. A bottom wall portion interposed between the bottom wall and the second bottom wall, and the first wall A side wall portion interposed between the side wall and the third side wall, or the second side wall and the fourth side wall, wherein the side wall portion is the first side wall and the third side wall or the second side wall; And a pair of connecting members respectively engaged with the fourth side wall so as to be movable in the second direction. The relative positions of the first tray and the second tray are a first position where the first support surface and the second support surface are adapted to a sheet having a first length along the second direction, A second position where the first support surface and the second support surface are adapted to a sheet having a second length along the second direction longer than the first length, and between the first position and the second position. The first support surface and the second support surface can be held at a third position that matches a sheet having a third length along the second direction that is longer than the first length and shorter than the second length. is there. The relative position of the first tray and the second tray is the third position, and the pair of connecting members are movable on the second tray side in the second direction in the range in which the pair of connection members can move in the second direction . A rearward third end opposite to the forward direction of the bottom wall portion, when located at a forward moving end that is oriented, protrudes rearwardly from the rearward second end of the second bottom wall. Yes.

  By setting the relative position of the first tray and the second tray to the first position, the second position, or the third position, the size of the sheet tray is adapted to sheets having different lengths along the second direction. Can do. When the relative position of the first tray and the second tray is the third position, and the pair of connecting members are located at the forward moving end in the range movable in the second direction, the third end of the bottom wall portion Protrudes backward from the second end of the second bottom wall, so that a gap corresponding to the thickness of the connecting member does not occur between the first end of the first bottom wall and the second end of the second bottom wall.

  (2) Preferably, when the relative position of the first tray and the second tray is the first position, the second end of the second bottom wall is the rearward-facing second portion of the first bottom wall. It protrudes to the same position as one end or to the rearward direction.

  Thereby, when the relative position of the first tray and the second tray is the first position, the second end of the second bottom wall on the bottom side protrudes most backward, so the first end of the first bottom wall And a member such as a housing hardly enter between the second end of the second bottom wall.

(3) Preferably, the side wall portion, the third side wall, and the fourth side wall are formed in one of a long hole along the second direction, an engagement claw inserted into the long hole, Is engaged by.

  As a result, the second tray and the connection member are firmly coupled, and the positional relationship between the second tray and the connection member is less likely to be twisted. As a result, a gap is hardly generated between the second tray and the connection member.

  (4) Preferably, at the third end of the bottom wall portion, the end on the first bottom wall side is located rearward from the end on the second bottom wall side and is inclined toward the second bottom wall. An inclined surface is formed.

  The member in contact with the third end of the bottom wall portion is guided to the second bottom wall side by the inclined surface.

  (5) The present invention includes the sheet tray, and a main body through which the sheet tray can be inserted and removed along the second direction. The main body includes a sheet supported by the sheet tray. It can also be grasped as a sheet conveying apparatus having a feeding unit for feeding.

  According to the present invention, the sheet tray can be easily expanded and contracted to a length suitable for supporting a sheet of a desired size. Further, a sheet tray that can be easily inserted into the apparatus main body is realized.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multifunction machine 10. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the feeding tray 20. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the feeding tray 20 and the discharge tray 21 in which the relative positions of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 are the first position. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the feeding tray 20 and the discharge tray 21 in which the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the first position and the rotation tray 160 is the protruding position. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the feeding tray 20 and the discharge tray 21 in which the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the third position and the rotating tray 160 is the protruding position. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the feeding tray 20 and the discharge tray 21 in which the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the second position and the rotation tray 160 is the protruding position. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the feeding tray 20 when the second tray 72 is located at the second position. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining a lock mechanism 90 that restricts the movement of the second tray 72 relative to the first tray 71. FIG. 9A is a rear view of the first tray 71, and FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a lock mechanism 90 that allows the movement of the second tray 72 relative to the first tray 71. FIG. 10A is a rear view of the first tray 71, and FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the connection member 73. (A) is a perspective view of the upper surface side of the connection member 73, and (B) is a perspective view of the lower surface side of the connection member 73.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state in FIG. 1), and the side where the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front side). A direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front side (front). The front-rear direction 8 is an example of the first direction, and the left-right direction 9 is an example of the second direction.

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a printer unit 11 that records an image on a sheet such as a recording sheet by an inkjet recording method. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The printer unit 11 corresponds to an image recording apparatus.

  The printer unit 11 includes a housing 14 having an opening 13 formed on the front surface. In addition, a feeding tray 20 and a discharge tray 21 that can accommodate recording sheets of various sizes can be inserted and removed from the opening 13 in the front-rear direction 8. The bottom surface of the housing 14 abuts on the placement surface on which the multifunction machine 10 is installed. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15 that feeds recording paper from the feeding tray 20, a recording unit 24 that records an image on the recording paper, a first transport roller pair 54, and a second transport. A roller pair 55 and a bypass tray 50 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a scanner unit 12 is provided above the printer unit 11. The dimensions of the casing 16 of the scanner unit 12 in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are the same as those of the casing 14 of the printer unit 11. Accordingly, the casing 14 of the printer unit 11 and the casing 16 of the scanner unit 12 are integrated to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape of the multifunction machine 10. The scanner unit 12 is a flat bed scanner. In addition, since the structure of a flat bed scanner is well-known, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here. The scanner unit 12 may be provided with an automatic document feeder (ADF) that separates and conveys a plurality of documents one by one.

[Printer 11]
Hereinafter, the detailed structure of the printer unit 11 will be described. A mechanism for conveying a sheet such as recording paper in the printer unit 11 corresponds to a sheet conveying apparatus.

[Feeding tray 20]
The feeding tray 20 has an outer shape in which the lengths in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are longer than the length in the up-down direction 7, and has a box shape with an open upper surface. A discharge tray 21 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the feeding tray 20. The feeding tray 20 can accommodate a recording sheet by supporting recording sheets of various sizes such as an A4 size according to Japanese Industrial Standards and an L plate used for photographic recording on a supporting surface. The feeding tray 20 is detachably mounted in an internal space that communicates with the opening 13 of the housing 14. The feeding tray 20 can advance and retreat along the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the housing 14 through the opening 13. The bypass tray 50 is provided on the rear side of the multifunction machine 10 and stores recording paper independently of the feeding tray 20. Details of the bypass tray 50 are omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the feeding tray 20 is configured to be able to extend and contract in the front-rear direction 8. The feeding tray 20 in the most contracted state is accommodated in the housing 14 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, a part of the feeding tray 20 in an extended state (more specifically, a part of the second tray 72 described later) is exposed from the housing 14. The direction in which the recording paper supported by the feeding tray 20 is fed by the feeding unit 15 is defined as a feeding direction 17 in particular. The feeding direction 17 in FIG. 2 is a direction from front to back along the front-rear direction 8. The detailed configuration of the feeding tray 20 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge tray 21 is provided on the upper side of the feeding tray 20. The discharge tray 21 is integrated with the feeding tray 20 and can advance and retreat with respect to the housing 14. The discharge tray 21 can support the recording paper discharged by the second transport roller pair 55. The discharge tray 21 is supported by the feeding tray 20 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction 9. More specifically, the discharge tray 21 rotates between a lying position (see FIG. 4) that covers a part above the feeding tray 20 and a standing position that stands up from the lying position. Moreover, the discharge tray 21 is configured to be able to extend and contract in the front-rear direction 8 as shown in FIGS. The direction in which the recording paper is discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the second conveyance roller pair 55 is defined as a discharge direction 18 in particular. That is, the discharge direction 18 in FIG. 2 is a direction from the rear to the front along the front-rear direction 8. The detailed configuration of the discharge tray 21 will be described later.

[Feeding unit 15]
As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, a drive transmission mechanism 27, and a separation pad 23. The feeding unit 15 is provided above the feeding tray 20 and below the recording unit 24. The feed roller 25 is pivotally supported at the rotation tip of the feed arm 26 (the end on the downstream side of the feed direction 17) so as to be rotatable. The feeding arm 26 contacts and separates the feeding roller 25 from the recording paper supported by the feeding tray 20 around a shaft 28 provided at the rotation base end (upstream end of the feeding direction 17). Rotate in the direction of movement (direction of arrow 29). Thereby, the feed roller 25 can be brought into contact with and separated from the support surface of the feed tray 20.

  When the feeding tray 20 containing the recording paper is mounted in the housing 14, the feeding roller 25 can contact the recording paper contained in the feeding tray 20. A separation pad 23 is provided at a position where the feed roller 25 contacts the support surface of the feed tray 20 when the feed tray 20 that does not contain recording paper is mounted in the housing 14. The separation pad 23 is formed of a material having a friction coefficient larger than that of the support surface of the feeding tray 20 with respect to the recording paper.

  A driving force of a motor (not shown) is transmitted to the feeding roller 25 through a drive transmission mechanism 27. The drive transmission mechanism 27 transmits the rotation transmitted to the shaft 28 to the shaft of the feeding roller 25 by an endless belt. When the feeding roller 25 rotates while being in contact with the uppermost recording sheet among the recording sheets supported on the support surface of the feeding tray 20, the recording sheet is fed to the conveyance path 65. Is done. When the recording sheet is fed to the conveyance path 65, the leading end of the recording sheet comes into contact with a rear plate 76 provided on the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 of the feeding tray 20. As a result, only the uppermost recording paper is separated from the lower recording paper and conveyed. Then, the lower recording paper than the uppermost recording paper is held while being accommodated in the feeding tray 20 without being dragged by the uppermost recording paper.

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 65 provided in the internal space of the housing 14 extends in a curved manner so as to make a U-turn upward from the rear side of the feed tray 20, and further on the rear side of the printer unit 11. After being bent from the front side to the front side, it extends almost straight toward the front side and reaches the discharge tray 21. The conveyance path 65 is roughly divided into a curved path 65A that makes a U-turn and a straight path 65B that is straight. The curved path 65A is defined by the outer guide member 30 and the inner guide member 31 that face each other with a space through which the recording paper can pass. The straight path 65B is defined by the recording unit 24, the platen 40, and the like that face each other with a space through which the recording sheet can pass.

  The recording paper fed along the conveyance path 65 by the feeding roller 25 of the feeding tray 20 is reversed in the conveyance direction from below to above along the curved path 65A, and is conveyed along the straight path 65B. Is conveyed from the rear to the front without being inverted. The outer guide member 30 is a member that constitutes an outer guide surface when the recording paper is conveyed along the curved path 65A. The inner guide member 31 is a member that forms an inner guide surface when the recording sheet is conveyed along the curved path 65A. In addition, each guide surface may be comprised by one surface, and may be comprised as a group of the front end surface of a some rib.

[First Conveying Roller Pair 54 and Second Conveying Roller Pair 55]
As shown in FIG. 2, a first transport roller pair 54 is provided on the upstream side of the transport path 65 upstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction (frontward in the front-rear direction 8). The first transport roller pair 54 includes a first transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61. In the conveyance path 65, a second conveyance roller pair 55 is provided on the downstream side of the recording unit 24 in the conveyance direction. The second transport roller pair 55 includes a second transport roller 62 and a spur roller 63. The first transport roller 60 and the second transport roller 62 are rotated by the rotation of a motor (not shown). The first conveyance roller pair 54 and the second conveyance roller pair 55 perform recording by rotating the first conveyance roller 60 and the second conveyance roller 62 in a state where the recording paper is sandwiched between the respective rollers constituting the first conveyance roller pair 54 and the second conveyance roller pair 55. Transport the paper.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is provided between the first conveyance roller pair 54 and the second conveyance roller pair 55. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 38 and a recording head 39. The carriage 38 is supported by guide rails 33 and 34 provided on the rear side and the front side of the platen 40 so as to reciprocate in the left-right direction 9. The guide rail 34 is provided with a known belt mechanism. The carriage 38 is connected to an endless belt of a belt mechanism, and reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 along the guide rails 33 and 34 by the rotation of the endless belt. When the carriage 38 and the recording head 39 are opposed to the platen 40 across a space, the carriage 38, the recording head 39, and the platen 40 define a part of the straight path 65B.

  The recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 38. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. Ink is supplied to the recording head 39 from an ink cartridge (not shown). The recording head 39 selectively ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles as fine ink droplets. When the carriage 38 moves in the left-right direction 9, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles onto the recording paper supported on the platen 40. As the ejected ink droplets adhere to the recording paper on the platen 40, an image is recorded on the recording paper. Note that the method by which the recording unit 24 records an image on a recording sheet is not limited to the ink jet recording method, and may be, for example, an electrophotographic method.

[Feeding tray 20]
As shown in FIG. 3, the feeding tray 20 includes a first tray 71, a second tray 72, a pair of connecting members 73, and a reinforcing member 80. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the feeding tray 20 can support recording sheets of various sizes by moving the second tray 72 in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the first tray 71. It is configured as follows. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the feeding tray 20 is provided with a lock mechanism 90 that restricts the movement of the second tray 72 relative to the first tray 71.

[First tray 71]
The first tray 71 includes a substantially rectangular bottom plate 74 (an example of a first bottom wall) and a pair of side plates 75 (an example of a first side wall and a second side wall) erected upward from both ends in the left-right direction 9 of the bottom plate 74. And a rear plate 76 erected upward from the rear end of the bottom plate 74. The bottom plate 74, the pair of side plates 75, and the rear plate 76 constituting the first tray 71 are, for example, integrally molded from a resin material. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate 74 has a guide member 45 for positioning the recording paper in the left-right direction 9 by contacting the end of the recording paper in one side and the other side in the left-right direction 9. Is provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the bottom plate 74 abuts against the front end of the recording sheet (the upstream end of the feeding direction 17) and positions the recording sheet in the front-rear direction 8. Are provided side by side along the front-rear direction 8. In FIG. 3, the guide member 45 is omitted.

[Second tray 72]
The second tray 72 includes a substantially rectangular bottom plate 77 (an example of a second bottom wall) and a pair of side plates 78 (an example of a third side wall and a fourth side wall) erected upward from both ends of the bottom plate 77 in the left-right direction 9. And a front plate 79 erected upward from the front end of the bottom plate 77. The pair of side plates 78 is connected to the front plate 79 at the front end thereof. The pair of side plates 78 and the front plate 79 supports the discharge tray 21 at the fall position at the upper ends thereof. The bottom plate 77, the pair of side plates 78, and the front plate 79 constituting the second tray 72 are, for example, integrally molded from a resin material.

  In the side plate 78, a long hole 78 </ b> A extending in the front-rear direction 8 is formed below the vertical direction 7, that is, on the bottom plate 77 side. The engaging claw 87 of the connecting member 73 is inserted into the elongated hole 78A. The second tray 72 and the connecting member 73 are connected to each other along the front-rear direction 8 using the engagement between the elongated hole 78A and the engaging claw 87 as a guide. Further, the movement of the engaging claw 87 is restricted at both ends of the elongated hole 78 </ b> A in the front-rear direction 8, thereby defining a range in which the connection member 73 can move in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the second tray 72.

  The outer surface of the front plate 79 (the surface on the front side in the front-rear direction 8) is exposed to the outside of the multifunction machine 10 as shown in FIG. Further, the outer surface of the front plate 79 is substantially flush with the front surface of the housing 14 in a state where the feeding tray 20 is most contracted. Further, on the outer surface of the front plate 79, a gripping portion 79 </ b> A that is gripped by the user when the feed tray 20 is pulled out from the multi-function device 10 is provided in the lower portion in the vertical direction 7 and the central portion in the left-right direction 9. .

  The upper surface of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71 (an example of a first support surface) and the upper surface of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 (an example of a second support surface) are connected to each other as a support surface that supports a recording sheet. Configure. That is, the feeding tray 20 supports the recording paper in a stacked state on the upper surfaces of the bottom plates 74 and 77.

[Connection member 73]
The connecting member 73 is a so-called angle that includes a vertical plate 73A (an example of a side wall portion) and a horizontal plate 73B (an example of a bottom wall portion) that extend in the front-rear direction 8 and are orthogonal to each other. The vertical plate 73A and the horizontal plate 73B are arranged so as to satisfy the following conditions, respectively. That is, the inner surface of the vertical plate 73A faces the outer surface of the side plate 75 of the first tray 71, and the outer surface of the vertical plate 73A faces the inner surface of the side plate 78 of the second tray 72. Further, the upper surface of the horizontal plate 73B faces the lower surface of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71, and the lower surface of the horizontal plate 73B faces the upper surface of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. Therefore, in the feed tray 20, the vertical plate 73 </ b> A is interposed between the side plate 75 and the side plate 78, and the horizontal plate 73 </ b> B is interposed between the bottom plate 74 and the bottom plate 77.

  A long hole 86 is formed along the front-rear direction 8 on the upper end side of the vertical plate 73A. An engaging claw 88 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) is inserted into the elongated hole 86. The engaging claw 88 is fixed to the side plate 75 by being engaged with an engaged portion 75 </ b> A formed on the side plate 75 of the first tray 71. The first tray 71 and the connecting member 73 are connected to each other along the front-rear direction 8 with the engagement between the elongated hole 86 and the engaging claw 88 fixed to the side plate 75 as a guide. In addition, the movement of the engaging claws 88 is restricted at both ends of the long hole 86 in the front-rear direction 8, thereby defining a range in which the connection member 73 can move in the front-rear direction 8 relative to the first tray 71.

  As shown in FIG. 11, an inclined surface 69 is formed at the rear end (an example of the third end) in the front-rear direction 8 of the horizontal plate 73 </ b> B of the connection member 73. The inclined surface 69 is not a single flat surface, but is configured with tip surfaces of a plurality of ribs protruding downward from the lower surface (bottom surface) side of the horizontal plate 73B. As described above, the lower surface of the horizontal plate 73B is a surface facing the upper surface of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. The inclined surface 69 has a rear end 67 and a front end 68. The rear end 67 is located behind the front end 68 in the front-rear direction 8 and is located above the vertical direction 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the feeding tray 20 has an A4 size recording on the upper surface of the bottom plate 74 in a state where the overlapping area between the upper surface of the first tray 71 and the upper surface of the second tray 72 is the largest. The paper can be supported. The feed tray 20 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 can support A4 size recording paper whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction 9. The position of the second tray 71 with respect to the first tray 71 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is an example of the first position. The length in the short direction of A4 size is an example of the first length. In the present embodiment, the recording sheet is supported only by the upper surface of the bottom plate 74 in a state where the second tray 72 is positioned at the first position. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the upper surface of the bottom plate 74 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 77 The recording paper may be supported by.

  When the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the first position, the connection member 73 has the engagement claw 87 abutting against the front end of the elongated hole 78A of the side plate 78 of the second tray 72, It is at the position that most overlaps with the two trays 72. The rear end (an example of the second end) of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 slightly protrudes rearward from the rear end (an example of the first end) of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71. Further, the rear end (an example of the third end) of the horizontal plate 73 </ b> B of the connecting member 73 and the inclined surface 69 do not protrude rearward from the rear end of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71.

  Accordingly, when the feeding tray 20 is inserted into the opening 13 of the housing 14 with the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 being the first position, the lower side of the opening 13 of the housing 14 The bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 is slid with respect to the member defining the second tray 72 and inserted backward, so that the gap between the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71 and the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 is It is difficult for the member to enter. Thereby, it becomes easy to insert the feeding tray 20 into the opening 13 of the housing 14.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the feeding tray 20 supports B4 size recording paper on the upper surfaces of the bottom plates 74 and 77 in a state where the second tray 72 is pulled forward with respect to the first tray 71. can do. The feeding tray 20 shown in FIG. 6 can support a B4 size recording sheet whose longitudinal direction faces the front-rear direction 8. The overlapping area of the upper surface of the first tray 71 and the upper surface of the second tray 72 in FIG. 6 is smaller than the overlapping area of the upper surface of the first tray 71 and the upper surface of the second tray 72 in FIGS. The position of the second tray 72 with respect to the first tray 71 shown in FIG. 6 is an example of a third position. The length in the longitudinal direction of the B4 size is an example of the third length.

  When the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the third position shown in FIG. 6, the connection member 73 has the engaging claw 87 behind the elongated hole 78 </ b> A of the side plate 78 of the second tray 72. It is in a position that abuts against the end and protrudes most backward from the second tray 72. At this position, the rear end (third end) of the horizontal plate 73B of the connecting member 73 and the inclined surface 69 do not protrude rearward from the rear end of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71, and the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. It protrudes backward from the rear edge.

  Further, when the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the third position shown in FIG. 6, the connection member 73 has the engagement claw 87 of the elongated hole 78 </ b> A of the side plate 78 of the second tray 72. It is possible to move away from the rear end until the engaging claw 88 contacts the rear end of the long hole 86 (see FIG. 7). At this position, the connecting member 73 is much more than the second tray 72 next to the state shown in FIGS. Superimpose. Even at this position, the rear end (third end) and the inclined surface 69 of the horizontal plate 73B of the connection member 73 do not protrude backward from the rear end of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71, and the bottom plate of the second tray 72. It protrudes backward from the rear end of 77.

  As a result, when the feeding tray 20 is inserted into the opening 13 of the housing 14 with the relative positions of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 being in the third position shown in FIG. The bottom surface of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71, the inclined surface 69 of the connection member 73, and the bottom surface of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 are sequentially slid relative to the member defining the lower side of the opening 13. Thus, the member does not enter between the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71 and the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. Thereby, it becomes easy to insert the feeding tray 20 into the opening 13 of the housing 14.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the feeding tray 20 allows A3 size recording paper to be placed on the upper surfaces of the bottom plates 74 and 77 in a state where the second tray 72 is further pulled forward with respect to the first tray 71. Can be supported. The feeding tray 20 shown in FIG. 7 can support A3 size recording paper whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction 8. The overlapping area of the upper surface of the first tray 71 and the upper surface of the second tray 72 in FIG. 7 is smaller than the overlapping area of the upper surface of the first tray 71 and the upper surface of the second tray 72 in FIG. The position of the second tray 72 with respect to the first tray 71 shown in FIG. 7 is an example of the second position. The length in the longitudinal direction of A3 size is an example of the second length.

  When the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the second position, the connection member 73 has the engagement claw 87 abutting against the rear end of the elongated hole 78A of the side plate 78 of the second tray 72, It is in a position that protrudes most backward from the second tray 72. In addition, the connection member 73 is in a position where the engagement claw 88 of the first tray 71 contacts the rear end of the elongated hole 86 and protrudes most forward from the first tray 71. At this position, the rear end (third end) of the horizontal plate 73B of the connecting member 73 and the inclined surface 69 do not protrude rearward from the rear end of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71, and the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. It protrudes backward from the rear edge.

  Further, when the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the second position, the connection member 73 has the engaging claw 87 abutting against the rear end of the elongated hole 78A of the side plate 78 of the second tray 72. Therefore, it does not move backward with respect to the second tray 72.

  Thus, when the feeding tray 20 is inserted into the opening 13 of the housing 14 with the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 being the second position, the lower side of the opening 13 of the housing 14 The bottom surface of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71, the inclined surface 69 of the connection member 73, and the bottom surface of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 are sequentially slid and inserted backward. The member does not enter between the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71 and the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. Thereby, it becomes easy to insert the feeding tray 20 into the opening 13 of the housing 14.

[Reinforcing member 80]
As shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcing member 80 includes a first reinforcing portion 81, a second reinforcing portion 82, and a connecting portion 83. The reinforcing member 80 ensures the rigidity of the second tray 72 including the bottom plate 77, the pair of side plates 78, and the front plate 79. The reinforcing member 80 is disposed at a position facing the upper surface of the bottom plate 77 and the inner surfaces of the pair of side plates 78 and the front plate 79. That is, the reinforcing member 80 is disposed in a position overlapping with the recording paper supported on the upper surface of the bottom plate 77 in the vertical direction 7. Further, the reinforcing member 80 is provided at a position overlapping the discharge tray 21 at the lying down position in the vertical direction 7.

[Lock mechanism 90]
The lock mechanism 90 restricts the movement of the second tray 72 relative to the first tray 71 or cancels the restriction. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the lock mechanism 90 includes an engagement member 91, an operation member 92, a link member 93, and an urging member 94. In the present embodiment, the engaging member 91, the operation member 92, the link member 93, and the urging member 94 are supported by the first tray 71.

  The engaging member 91 is provided at a position where the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 overlap in a state where the second tray 72 is most pulled out with respect to the first tray 71 (that is, the state shown in FIG. 7). It has been. That is, the position where the engaging member 91 is provided is a position where the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 always overlap. Further, the engaging member 91 is disposed at a position covered by the discharge tray 21 at the lying down position. Further, the engaging member 91 is provided in the approximate center of the feeding tray 20 in the left-right direction 9.

  The engaging member 91 is movable in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the feeding tray 20. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the engaging member 91 includes a main body 95 and an engaging portion 96 protruding from the back surface of the main body 95. The main body 95 is always engaged (supported) with the first tray 71. The engaging portion 96 protrudes from the lower surface of the bottom plate 74 through an opening 74 </ b> A provided in the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71 and extends to a position where it can contact the second tray 72.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the engaging portion 96 is engaged with the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 when the main body 95 is located at the position shown in FIGS. Engaged with the joint 77A. That is, the engaging member 91 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is engaged with both the first tray 71 and the second tray 72. Thereby, the movement of the second tray 72 relative to the first tray 71 is restricted.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the engaging portion 96 is released from the engaged portion 77A when the main body 95 is located at the position shown in FIG. That is, the engaging member 91 shown in FIG. 10 is engaged with the first tray 71 and is not engaged with the second tray 72. Thereby, the movement of the second tray 72 relative to the first tray 71 is allowed (that is, the restriction is released).

  As shown by broken line frames in FIG. 8, the engaged portions 77 </ b> A are provided at two positions separated in the left-right direction 9 at a plurality of positions separated in the front-rear direction 8. Specifically, the engaged portion 77A engages with the engaging portion 96 in a state where the second tray 72 is pushed most into the first tray 71 (first position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). Engageable with the engaging portion 96 in a possible position (the position of a broken line frame on the front side) and in a state where the second tray 72 is pulled out from the first tray 71 halfway (the third position shown in FIG. 6). The position (the position of the broken line frame in the center) and the position (rearward) that can be engaged with the engaging portion 96 in the state where the second tray 72 is pulled out from the first tray 71 to the maximum (the second position shown in FIG. 7). Side broken frame position).

  Although the specific configuration of the engaged portion 77A is not particularly limited, for example, the engaged portion 77A may have a pair of wall surfaces facing each other in the front-rear direction 8. Then, when the engaging portion 96 enters between the pair of wall surfaces, the engaging portion 96 and the engaged portion 77A are engaged. On the other hand, when the engaging portion 96 is retracted from between the pair of wall surfaces, the engagement between the engaging portion 96 and the engaged portion 77A is released.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the operation member 92 is provided at a position (directly below the rotation axis of the discharge tray 21) that overlaps the rotation axis of the discharge tray 21. The operation member 92 is provided at a position shifted from the center of the feeding tray 20 in the left-right direction 9 to one side (left side in the example of FIG. 8). The operation member 92 is provided at a position adjacent to the contact member 43 in the left-right direction 9. Further, the operation member 92 is provided at a position separated from the engagement member 91 in the front-rear direction 8 (rear side in the example of FIG. 8). The operation member 92 is exposed on both the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the bottom plate 74 through an opening 74 </ b> B provided in the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71.

  The operation member 92 is movable in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the feeding tray 20. The operation member 92 is urged by the urging member 94 toward the lock position. Although the specific example of the biasing member 94 is not specifically limited, For example, it is a coil spring.

  The link member 93 is rotatably supported on the lower surface of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71 between the engagement member 91 and the operation member 92 in the front-rear direction 8. The link member 93 is a long plate-like member, and one end thereof is connected to the engagement member 91 and the other end is connected to the operation member 92. By the movement of the operation member 92 from one of the lock position and the lock release position to the other, the link member 93 rotates in a direction to move the engagement member 91 from one of the engagement position and the engagement release position to the other. The engaging member 91 is moved in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the operation member 92 by the link member 93.

  More specifically, as the operation member 92 moves from the lock position to the lock release position, the link member 93 rotates in the first direction (counterclockwise in the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10), and the engagement member 91 Is moved from the engagement position to the engagement release position. As a result, when the operation member 92 is positioned at the lock release position, the engagement member 91 is positioned at the engagement release position. That is, the operation member 92 is moved to the right against the urging force of the urging member 94, thereby allowing the second tray 72 to move with respect to the first tray 71.

  By the movement of the operation member 92 from the unlocked position to the locked position, the link member 93 rotates in the second direction opposite to the first direction (clockwise in the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10), and the engaging member 91 Is moved from the disengagement position to the engagement position. As a result, when the operation member 92 is located at the lock position, the engagement member 91 is located at the engagement position. That is, when the force for moving the operation member 92 to the right is lost, the operation member 92 is moved to the left by the urging member 94, thereby restricting the movement of the second tray 72 relative to the first tray 71.

[Discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 7, the discharge tray 21 includes a main body tray 100, a first intermediate tray 110, a second intermediate tray 130, a third intermediate tray 150, and a rotating tray 160. The main body tray 100, the first intermediate tray 110, the second intermediate tray 130, the third intermediate tray 150, and the rotating tray 160 support the recording paper discharged by the discharge roller pair 66 on the respective upper surfaces.

  The main body tray 100 is rotatably supported by the feeding tray 20 (more specifically, the pair of side plates 75 of the first tray 71). The first intermediate tray 110 is supported on the lower surface side of the main body tray 100 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the main body tray 100. The second intermediate tray 130 is supported on the lower surface side of the first intermediate tray 110 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the first intermediate tray 110. The third intermediate tray 150 is supported on the lower surface side of the second intermediate tray 130 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the second intermediate tray 130. The rotating tray 160 is rotatably supported by the third intermediate tray 150.

[Rotating tray 160]
As shown in FIG. 7, the rotating tray 160 has a rectangular flat plate shape whose outer dimension in the left-right direction 9 is longer than the outer dimension in the front-rear direction 8. The outer dimension in the left-right direction 9 of the rotating tray 160 is shorter than the outer dimension in the left-right direction 9 of the third intermediate tray 150 and slightly shorter than the outer dimension in the left-right direction 9 of the recess 151 of the third intermediate tray 150. A pair of support shafts 161 projecting outward in the left-right direction 9 are provided on both sides of the rotating tray 160 in the left-right direction 9. The pair of support shafts 161 are respectively supported by a pair of bearing portions (not shown in each drawing) of the third intermediate tray 150, so that the rotation tray 160 can rotate with respect to the third intermediate tray 150. It becomes.

  The rotating tray 160 rotates between an overlapping position that overlaps the upper surface of the third intermediate tray 150 and a protruding position that protrudes from the third intermediate tray 150 in the discharge direction 18 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the rotating tray 160 at the protruding position protrudes forward and upward of the third intermediate tray 150.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, ribs 162 that stand upward in the vertical direction 7 are formed at both ends in the left-right direction 9 of the rotating tray 160. At the protruding position, the upper end of the rib 162 on the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 is a flat surface 163, and a wave-shaped uneven part 164 having concavities and convexities in the front-rear direction 8 is formed on the front upper end.

  The discharge tray 21 when the second tray 72 is located at the first position and the rotating tray 160 is located at the protruding position is in the state shown in FIG. The discharge tray 21 can support A4 size recording paper in the state shown in FIG. More specifically, the discharge tray 21 shown in FIG. 5 can be supported while holding an A4 size recording sheet whose longitudinal direction faces the left-right direction 9.

  When the second tray 72 is located at the first position and the rotating tray 160 is located at the protruding position, the leading edge (front edge in the front-rear direction 8) of the A4 size recording paper supported by the discharge tray 21 is rotated. It does not reach the uneven portion 164 of the moving tray 160. However, if the momentum (discharge speed) when discharged from the transport path 65 to the discharge tray 21 is strong, the leading edge of the recording paper may not fall on the discharge tray 21 and reach the rotating tray 160. At this time, the leading edge of the recording paper collides with the concavo-convex portion 164 of the rotating tray 160, so that the ejection force is stopped and the recording paper does not advance forward from the concavo-convex portion 164.

  The discharge tray 21 when the second tray 72 is located at the third position and the rotating tray 160 is located at the protruding position is in the state shown in FIG. The discharge tray 21 can support B4 size recording paper in the state shown in FIG. More specifically, the discharge tray 21 shown in FIG. 6 can support B4 size recording paper whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction 8.

  When the second tray 72 is positioned at the third position and the rotating tray 160 is positioned at the protruding position, the leading end (front end in the front-rear direction 8) of the B4 size recording paper supported by the discharge tray 21 is rotated. It reaches the uneven portion 164 of the tray 160. However, the leading edge of the recording paper collides with the uneven portion 164 of the rotating tray 160, so that the ejection force is stopped and the recording paper does not advance forward from the uneven portion 164.

  The discharge tray 21 when the second tray 72 is located at the second position and the rotating tray 160 is located at the protruding position is in the state shown in FIG. The discharge tray 21 can support A3 size recording paper in the state shown in FIG. More specifically, the discharge tray 21 shown in FIG. 7 can support A3 size recording paper whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction 8.

  When the second tray 72 is located at the second position and the rotating tray 160 is located at the protruding position, the leading edge of the A3 size recording paper (forward and backward) conveyed to the discharge roller pair 66 and moving forward on the discharge tray 21 The front end in the direction 8 reaches the uneven portion 164 in the middle of being conveyed to the discharge roller pair 66. At this time, the leading edge of the recording paper is further conveyed by the discharge roller pair 66 and advances forward in the front-rear direction 8 along the rotation tray 160 to get over the uneven portion 164. Then, the conveyance by the discharge roller pair 66 is completed with the leading edge of the recording sheet protruding forward from the rotating tray 160, and the recording sheet is supported on the discharge tray 21.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, the feeding tray 20 can be easily expanded and contracted to a length suitable for supporting a recording sheet of a desired size. Further, the feeding tray 20 that can be easily inserted into the opening 13 of the housing 14 is realized. Specifically, when the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the third position, the rear end of the horizontal plate 73B of the connection member 73 protrudes backward from the rear end of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. Therefore, a gap corresponding to the thickness of the horizontal plate 73B of the connecting member 73 does not occur between the rear end of the bottom plate 74 of the first tray 71 and the rear end of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72. Further, when the relative position of the first tray 71 and the second tray 72 is the first position, the rear end of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72 on the bottom side protrudes most backward, so that the first tray 71 A member that defines the opening 13 of the housing 14 is unlikely to enter between the rear end of the bottom plate 74 and the rear end of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72.

  Further, since the engaging claw of the connecting member 73 is engaged with the elongated hole 78A formed in the side plate 78 of the second tray 72, the second tray 72 and the connecting member 73 are firmly connected, and the second Twist hardly occurs in the positional relationship between the tray 72 and the connection member 73. As a result, a gap is hardly generated between the second tray 72 and the connection member 73.

  Further, when the feeding tray 20 is inserted into the opening 13 of the housing 14 by the inclined surface 69 formed at the rear end of the horizontal plate 73B of the connection member 73, a member that defines the opening 13 is the first tray 71. Is guided from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 74 to the bottom surface side of the bottom plate 77 of the second tray 72.

12 Printer unit (sheet transport device)
14 Housing (main body)
20 Feeding tray (sheet tray)
69 Inclined surface 71 First tray 72 Second tray 73 Connecting member 73A Vertical plate (side wall)
73B Horizontal plate (bottom wall)
74 Bottom plate (first bottom wall)
75 Side plates (first and second side walls)
77 Bottom plate (second bottom wall)
78 Side plate (third and fourth side walls)
78A long hole 87 engaging claw

Claims (5)

A first bottom wall having a first support surface for supporting a sheet, and a first side wall and a second side wall that stand up with respect to the first bottom wall on both sides in a first direction along the first support surface. The first tray,
A second bottom wall having a second support surface that is connected to the first support surface and supports the sheet; a third side wall and a fourth side wall that are erected with respect to the second bottom wall on both sides in the first direction; And the second support surface is positioned below the first support surface, and the first tray and the second support surface are changed with respect to the first tray so that the degree of overlap is changed. A second tray movable in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A bottom wall provided on both sides in the first direction and interposed between the first bottom wall and the second bottom wall; and the first side wall and the third side wall; A side wall portion interposed between the side wall and the fourth side wall, wherein the side wall portion extends in the second direction on the first side wall and the third side wall, or on the second side wall and the fourth side wall; A pair of connecting members engaged with each other in a movable manner,
The relative positions of the first tray and the second tray are a first position where the first support surface and the second support surface are adapted to a sheet having a first length along the second direction, A second position where the first support surface and the second support surface are adapted to a sheet having a second length along the second direction longer than the first length, and between the first position and the second position. The first support surface and the second support surface can be held at a third position that matches a sheet having a third length along the second direction that is longer than the first length and shorter than the second length. Yes,
The relative position of the first tray and the second tray is the third position, and the pair of connecting members are movable on the second tray side in the second direction in the range in which the pair of connection members can move in the second direction . A rearward third end opposite to the forward direction of the bottom wall portion, when located at a forward moving end that is oriented, protrudes rearwardly from the rearward second end of the second bottom wall. Sheet tray.   When the relative position of the first tray and the second tray is the first position, the second end of the second bottom wall is the same position as the rearward first end of the first bottom wall or The sheet tray according to claim 1, wherein the sheet tray protrudes backward. The side wall portion, the third side wall, and the fourth side wall are engaged with each other by a long hole formed in one side along the second direction and an engaging claw inserted into the long hole. The sheet tray according to claim 1 or 2.   An inclined surface is formed at the third end of the bottom wall portion such that the end on the first bottom wall side is located rearward from the end on the second bottom wall side and is inclined toward the second bottom wall. The sheet tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A sheet tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and a main body through which the sheet tray can be inserted and removed along the second direction,
The main body is a sheet conveying apparatus having a feeding unit that feeds a sheet supported by the sheet tray.

Images