RECORDING APPARATUS AND MEDIUM PROCESSING APPARATUS
20230271428 · 2023-08-31
Inventors
Cpc classification
B41J3/46
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B41J3/46
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B41J29/42
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
In a printer, a display unit includes, in a housing, a light source, and a first light emitting portion having a first light emitting surface which emits light toward the outside of the housing with light emitted from the light source and a first light guiding portion which guides the light emitted from the light source to the first light emitting surface. Further, the display unit includes, in an opening/closing cover, a second light emitting portion having a second light emitting surface which emits light toward the outside of the housing with the light emitted from the first light emitting surface and a second light guiding portion which guides the light emitted from the first light emitting surface to the second light emitting surface.
Claims
1. A recording apparatus comprising: a housing; a recording unit arranged inside the housing and performing recording on a medium; an opening/closing cover configured to open and close an opening in a front of the housing; and a display unit displaying a state of the apparatus using light, wherein the opening/closing cover is switchable between a first open state, a second open state and a closed state, the first open state is a state in which the opening is opened, the second open state is a state in which a part of the opening is opened while a part of the opening is closed, the closed state is a state in which the opening is closed, the display unit includes a light source in the housing, a first light emitting portion in the housing, and a second light emitting portion in a displacement member, the first light emitting portion is arranged to be visible when the opening/closing is in the first open state, and the second light emitting portion is arranged to be visible when the opening/closing is in the second open state or the closed state.
2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a medium transportation path in which the medium is transported, wherein the medium transportation path includes a curved path on which the medium is inverted, and the curved path is exposed when the opening/closing cover is in the first open state.
3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a medium storage portion configured to store therein a plurality of media, wherein the medium is exposed when the opening/closing cover is the first second state.
4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the medium on which the recording is performed is configured to be discharged from the front of the housing when the opening/closing cover is in the second open state.
5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the medium transportation path includes a swinging member, the swinging member is configured to switch between a first swing state and a second swing state, the first swing state is a state in which the swinging member guides the medium on which the recording is performed to the curved path, and the second swing state is a state in which the swinging member guides the medium on which the recording is the performed to be discharged from the front of the housing.
6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening/closing cover includes a first cover and a second cover, the first cover and the second cover are configured to integrally open, the opening/closing cover is in the first open state by integrally opening the first cover and the second cover and is in the second open state by opening only the first cover.
7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first cover is below the second cover.
8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first cover includes the second light emitting portion, and the second cover includes a pivot axis.
9. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first light emitting portion is arranged at the front of the housing, the second light emitting portion is arranged from the front of the recording apparatus to a top side of the recording apparatus and at a corner edge of the recording apparatus, and the first light emitting portion overlaps a part of the second light emitting portion when viewed from the front of the housing.
10. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first light emitting portion has: a first light receiving surface that receives light, a first light emitting surface that emits light, a first light guiding portion that guides the light and that is arranged between the first light receiving surface and the first light emitting surface, the second light emitting portion has: a second light receiving surface that receives light, a second light emitting surface that emits light, and a second light guiding portion that guides the light and that is arranged between the second light receiving surface and the second light emitting surface, the first light receiving surface receives light emitted from the light source, the second light receiving surface receives light emitted from the first light emitting surface, and the second light receiving surface is arranged to be inclined with respect to the first light emitting surface.
11. The recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first light emitting surface and the second light receiving surface make contact with each other.
12. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first light emitting portion having a first light diffusion performance, and the second light emitting portion having a second light diffusion performance that is greater than the first light diffusion performance.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
[0039] First, outline of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. As the recording apparatus, an ink jet printer 1 (hereinafter, referred to as a printer 1 simply in some cases) that discharges ink as liquid onto a medium for recording is used as an example. The printer 1 is also an example of a medium processing apparatus performing predetermined processing on the medium.
[0040] In an X-Y-Z coordinate system illustrated in each drawing, an X-axis direction is a width direction of the medium and is an apparatus width direction. A Y-axis direction is a medium transportation direction on a medium transportation path in the recording apparatus and is an apparatus depth direction. A Z-axis direction is an apparatus height direction. The direction to which the medium is transported is referred to as downstream and an opposite direction thereto is referred to as upstream.
Outline of Printer
[0041] The overall configuration of the printer 1 will be described with reference to
[0042] An operation portion 3 for operating the printer 1 is provided on an upper portion of the housing 2. The operation portion 3 includes a plurality of operation buttons.
[0043] A first paper discharge tray 7 is provided on an upper portion of the housing 2. In the embodiment, the first paper discharge tray 7 is configured to receive a medium after recording, which has been discharged from the housing 2, in an inclined posture.
[0044] A reference numeral 22 is a feeding portion cover 22 that opens and closes a rear-side feeding portion 21 illustrated in
[0045] An opening/closing cover 4 is provided on the side surface of the housing 2 at the +Y direction side, that is, the front surface of the housing 2. The opening/closing cover 4 can switch between, by pivoting, a closed state (
[0046] In the embodiment, when the closed state of the opening/closing cover 4 is a first state and the open state thereof is a second state, the opening/closing cover 4 is an example of a displacement member that is displaceable relative to the housing 2 and can switch between the first state (
[0047] “Displacement” in the present specification is used to indicate the case in which the overall displacement member is moved and a position thereof is changed, like a cover (displacement member) detachable from the housing 2, and the case in which a part of the displacement member is not moved relative to the housing 2 but an orientation and a posture thereof relative to the housing 2 are changed, like the opening/closing cover 4 mounted so as to pivot relative to the housing 2 as in the embodiment.
[0048] A display unit 30 that displays a state of the printer 1 by light is provided on an upper portion of the opening/closing cover 4 in the closed state illustrated in
[0049] Hereinafter, the configurations of the opening/closing cover 4 and the display unit 30 will be described. The medium transportation path in the printer 1 will be described after description of the opening/closing cover 4 and the display unit 30.
Opening/Closing Cover
[0050] The opening/closing cover 4 is a cover which has a pivot axis 4a in a lower portion of the housing 2 and opens and closes the side surface of the housing 2 at the front side (+Y side).
[0051] The opening/closing cover 4 includes a first cover 5 and a second cover 6 and is configured that the first cover 5 and the second cover 6 can integrally open as illustrated in
[0052] The first cover 5 can be opened alone as illustrated in
[0053] When the opening/closing cover 4 is opened as illustrated in
Display Unit
[0054] The display unit 30 illustrated in
[0055] Examples of the state of the printer 1 that is displayed on the display units 30 include a standby state, a sleep state, a connected state with another apparatus, various error states, and the like. One display unit 30 can express a plurality of states by lighting the display unit 30 all the time, flashing it, or changing the color of the light thereof.
[0056] As illustrated in
[0057] To be more specific, each display unit 30 includes, in the housing 2, the light source 31, a first light emitting surface 35 which emits light toward the outside of the housing 2 with light emitted from the light source 31, and a first light guiding portion 34 which guides the light emitted from the light source 31 to the first light emitting surface 35. Further, the display unit 30 includes, in the opening/closing cover 4 (displacement member), a second light emitting surface 39 which emits light toward the outside of the housing 2 with the light emitted from the first light emitting surface 35 and a second light guiding portion 38 which guides the light emitted from the first light emitting surface 35 to the second light emitting surface 39 when the opening/closing cover 4 (displacement member) is in the closed state (first state). The second light emitting portion 36 includes the second light guiding portion 38 having a second light receiving surface 37 as a light receiving surface which receives the light from the first light emitting surface 35.
[0058] With this configuration of the display units 30, when the opening/closing cover 4 is in the closed state (first state), light emitted from the light sources 31 enters the first light guiding portions 34 from first light receiving surfaces 33 and is guided by the first light guiding portions 34 to cause the first light emitting surface 35 (first light emitting portions 32) to emit light, and the light emitted from the first light emitting surfaces 35 enters the second light guiding portions 38 from the second light receiving surfaces 37 and is guided by the second light guiding portions 38 to cause the second light emitting surfaces 39 (second light emitting portions 36) to emit light. Accordingly, in the closed state of the opening/closing cover 4, the display units 30 display the state of the printer 1 by the light emission of the second light emitting surfaces 39 of the second light emitting portions 36.
[0059] On the other hand, when the opening/closing cover 4 is opened to be made into the open state (second state), the second light receiving surfaces 37 of the second light emitting portions 36 are separated from the first light emitting surface 35 of the first light emitting portions 32 rather than the closed state. When the second light receiving surfaces 37 are separated from the first light emitting surface 35, the light emitted from the first light receiving surfaces 33 is diffused to the outside and the light emitted from the first light receiving surfaces 33 hardly enters the second light guiding portions 38. When the second light receiving surfaces 37 are separated from the first light emitting surface 35 by equal to or more than a predetermined distance, the light having intensity with which the second light emitting surfaces 39 can emit light does not enter the second light guiding portions 38. Accordingly, when the opening/closing cover 4 is opened, light emission of the second light emitting surfaces 39 is suppressed. When the opening/closing cover 4 is opened by equal to or more than a predetermined distance, the second light emitting surfaces 39 emit no light.
[0060] However, even when the second light emitting surfaces 39 of the second light emitting portions 36 emit no light, the first light emitting surfaces 35 of the first light emitting portions 32 provided in the housing 2 emit light. Therefore, the display units 30 can display the state of the printer 1 by the light emission of the first light emitting surfaces 35 of the first light emitting portions 32.
[0061] In the embodiment, in both of the case in which the second light emitting portions 36 are visually recognized while the opening/closing cover 4 is made into the closed state as illustrated in
[0062] That is to say, the light of the display units 30 can be visually recognized at a predetermined position in both of the closed state and the open state of the opening/closing cover 4.
[0063] Further, one light sources 31 enable both of the first light emitting portions 32 and the second light emitting portions 36 to emit light. Therefore, the display units 30 can be arranged in a reduced space and the degree of freedom of the layout of the display units 30 can be enhanced.
[0064] The first light emitting surfaces 35 are arranged so as not to be visually recognized when the opening/closing cover 4 (displacement member) is made into the closed state (first state).
[0065] In the embodiment, the first light emitting surfaces 35 of the first light emitting portions 32 are exposed to the side surface of the housing 2 at the front side (+Y side) in the open state of the opening/closing cover 4 as illustrated in
[0066] With the above-described arrangement of the first light emitting surfaces 35, the light can be preferably guided to the second light emitting surfaces 39 while suppressing leakage, to the outside, of the light emitted from the first light emitting surfaces 35 and attenuation of the light when the opening/closing cover 4 is made into the closed state.
[0067] When a maintenance operation such as removal of a paper jam in the medium transportation path is performed by opening the opening/closing cover 4, the printer 1 is viewed such that the side surface at the apparatus front side on which the medium transportation path is exposed is viewed from the front side. Accordingly, exposure of the first light emitting surfaces 35 to the side surface of the housing 2 at the front side (+Y side) in the open state of the opening/closing cover 4 makes the first light emitting portions 32 be visually recognized easily from the apparatus front side during the operation which is performed in the open state of the opening/closing cover 4.
[0068] As illustrated in
[0069] With this arrangement, when the opening/closing cover 4 is closed, the light emitted from the second light emitting surfaces 39 can be visually recognized easily from both of the upper surface side and the apparatus front side of the housing 2.
[0070] In the embodiment, spaces 40 are provided between the first light emitting surfaces 35 and the second light receiving surfaces 37, as illustrated in
[0071] The second light receiving surfaces 37 are arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the first light emitting surfaces 35. The second light receiving surfaces 37 are arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the first light emitting surfaces 35, thereby increasing the areas of the second light receiving surfaces 37.
[0072] The second light receiving surfaces 37 in the embodiment are inclined in the direction of being farther from the first light emitting surfaces 35 from the upper portions to the lower portions of the second light receiving surfaces 37, as illustrated in
[0073] A light emitting diode (LED) light as an example can be used for the light sources 31 of the display units 30. The first light emitting portions 32 and the second light emitting portions 36 are formed with a light-transmitting material which transmits light. As an example, a resin material having a light-transmitting property can be used.
[0074] As the light-transmitting resin material, as an example, an acrylic, a styrene, a polyethylene, a polycarbonate, or the like of a resin material can be used. Alternatively, glass can also be used.
[0075] In the embodiment, the first light emitting portions 32 are formed with a light-transmitting material containing no light diffusing material and the second light emitting portions 36 are formed with a light-transmitting material containing the light diffusing material.
[0076] The first light emitting portions 32 are formed with the light-transmitting material containing no light diffusing material. Therefore, when the light emitted from the light sources 31 passes through the first light guiding portions 34 of the first light emitting portions 32, diffusion and attenuation of the light can be suppressed, so that the light from the light sources 31 can be preferably guided to the second light emitting portions 36.
[0077] Further, the second light emitting portions 36 are formed with the light-transmitting material containing the light diffusing material. Therefore, the light passing through the second light guiding portions 38 is diffused to enable the second light emitting surfaces 39 to emit light preferably.
[0078] The first light emitting portions 32 can also be formed with the light-transmitting material containing the light diffusing material. In this case, the content of the light diffusing material contained in the light-transmitting material forming the first light emitting portions 32 is desired to be relatively lower than the content of the light diffusing material contained in the light-transmitting material forming the second light emitting portions 36.
[0079] It is sufficient that the light diffusing material is a material having a light diffusing function when added to the light-transmitting material, and for example, inorganic particles of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, calcium carbonate, or the like can be used. Further, organic particles of silicone resin, acrylic resin, or the like can be used. The light diffusing material may be glass powder. A single type of the light diffusing material may be used alone or equal to or more than two types thereof may be used in combination.
[0080] In the embodiment, the printer 1 (recording apparatus) as an example of the medium processing apparatus has been described. However, the display unit in the present disclosure can also be applied to, for example, a scanner (image reading apparatus) as the medium processing apparatus that performs reading processing of reading an image on a medium by a reading unit as a processor performing predetermined processing on the medium.
Mounting of Second Light Emitting Portion on Opening/Closing Cover
[0081] Next, a mounting configuration of the second light emitting portions 36 on the opening/closing cover 4 will be described.
[0082] As illustrated in
[0083] Although in the embodiment, the two adjacent second light emitting portions 36 are integrally molded on one mounting plate 41, all of the second light emitting portions 36 may be integrally molded on one mounting plate 41. Alternatively, each second light emitting portion 36 can be mounted on the individual mounting plate 41.
Variations of Display Unit
First Variation
[0084] A display unit 30A illustrated in
[0085] In a second light emitting portion 36A of the display unit 30A illustrated in
[0086] The first light emitting portion 32 of the display unit 30A is configured in the same manner as the display unit 30 illustrated in
[0087] In
[0088] With this configuration, the light can be effectively guided to the second light guiding portion 38A from the first light emitting surface 35 emitting light, so that a second light emitting surface 39A can be made to preferably emit light. Further, the space 40 as illustrated in
[0089] It should be noted that in the display unit 30A, the light source 31 and the first light emitting portion 32 are configured in the same manner as the display unit 30.
Second Variation
[0090] Further, the display unit can be replaced by a display unit 30B as illustrated in
[0091] Also in the display unit 30B illustrated in
[0092] The second light receiving surface 37B is inclined in such a direction that a lower portion thereof is located at the +Y side relative to an upper portion thereof. The first light emitting surface 35B is inclined in such direction that a lower portion of the first light emitting surface 35B is located at the +Y side relative to an upper portion thereof, similarly to the second light receiving surface 37B.
[0093] Contact between the first light emitting surface 35B and the second light receiving surface 37B enables light to be effectively guided to a second light guiding portion 38B from the first light emitting surface 35B which emits light, so that a second light emitting surface 39B can be made to preferably emit light.
[0094] Also in
[0095] In the first light emitting portion 32B, a reflection surface R is provided on a first light guiding portion 34B. The reflection surface R is configured so as to reflect light L1 from the light source 31, which has been incident thereon from a first light receiving surface 33B, and guide reflected light L2 to the first light emitting surface 35B.
[0096] The light emitted from the light source 31 can be preferably guided to the first light emitting surface 35B by providing the reflection surface R on the first light guiding portion 34B.
Medium Transportation Path of Printer
[0097] Medium Transportation Path from Medium Storage Portion to First Paper Discharge Tray
[0098] A medium transportation path S1 (indicated by a bold dashed line in
[0099] The medium storage portion 8 is provided in an end portion of the housing 2 at the −Z direction side in
[0100] A pickup roller 9 is provided at the +Z direction side of the medium storage portion 8. The pickup roller 9 can pivot about a pivot axis 9a as a fulcrum. The pickup roller 9 makes contact with the media stored in the medium storage portion 8 to transport an uppermost medium of the media stored in the medium storage portion 8 to the downstream in the medium transportation direction.
[0101] An inversion roller 10 is provided at the downstream of the pickup roller 9. A plurality of driven rollers (not illustrated) which rotates while following the inversion roller 10 is arranged around the inversion roller 10.
[0102] The medium fed by the pickup roller 9 is inverted by the inversion roller 10 and is fed to a feeding roller pair 12 provided at the downstream in the medium transportation direction. The recording unit 13 performing recording on the medium is provided at the downstream of the feeding roller pair 12 in the medium transportation direction.
[0103] In the printer 1, the recording unit 13 is a “processor” performing processing on the medium and performs recording processing by ejecting ink onto the medium. The recording unit 13 is provided on a carriage 14. The carriage 14 is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction and a recording head 15 that discharges the ink in the −Z direction is provided on a lower portion of the carriage 14.
[0104] The ink (liquid) that is supplied to the recording unit 13 is supplied from an ink tank 29 (
[0105] A medium support portion 16 is provided below the recording head 15 in a region facing the recording head 15. The medium support portion 16 supports the lower surface (surface at the opposite side to a recording surface) of the medium transported to the region facing the recording head 15 by the feeding roller pair 12.
[0106] The recording head 15 discharges the ink onto the medium supported by the medium support portion 16 to execute recording on the recording surface of the medium.
[0107] A first roller pair 17 and a second roller pair 18 as discharge roller pairs that feed the medium after recording are provided at the downstream of the recording head 15 in the medium transportation direction.
[0108] The curved path 20 inverting the medium is provided at the downstream of the second roller pair 18 in the medium transportation direction. The medium after recording is fed to the first roller pair 17 and the second roller pair 18 and is inverted on the curved path 20.
[0109] A third roller pair 19 is provided at an exit of the curved path 20, and the medium inverted on the curved path 20 is discharged from a discharging portion 28 and is placed on the first paper discharge tray 7.
[0110] Each of the feeding roller pair 12, the first roller pair 17, the second roller pair 18, and the third roller pair 19 is configured by a driving roller (with no reference numeral) that is driven by a driving source (not illustrated) and a driven roller (with no reference numeral).
[0111] The above description has been made for the medium transportation path S1 from the medium storage portion 8 to the first paper discharge tray 7. Subsequently, transportation of the medium from the rear-side feeding portion 21 will be described.
Medium Transportation Path from Rear-Side Feeding Portion to First Paper Discharge Tray
[0112] A medium transportation path S2 (indicated by a bold alternate long and short dash line in
[0113] The rear-side feeding portion 21 is provided at the rear side (−Y side) in the housing 2. The feeding portion cover 22 (see
[0114] A feeding roller 23 is provided at the downstream of the feeding portion cover 22. The medium set on the rear-side feeding portion 21 is fed by the feeding roller 23. The medium transportation path S2 joins, at the upstream of the feeding roller pair 12, to the medium transportation path S1 (dashed line) from the medium storage portion 8 described above. Thereafter, the medium is fed to the recording unit 13, is subject to recording, passes through the curved path 20, and is discharged onto the first paper discharge tray 7, in the same manner as on the medium transportation path S1.
Discharge onto Second Paper Discharge Tray
[0115] The printer 1 can discharge the medium after recording by the recording unit 13 onto the first paper discharge tray 7 and can discharge it onto, as a second paper discharge tray, a swinging member 25 provided at the upstream of the curved path 20 in
[0116] The swinging member 25 illustrated in
[0117] When the discharge destination of the medium after recording is switched from the first paper discharge tray 7 to the swinging member 25 as the second paper discharge tray, the first cover 5 is opened and the posture of the swinging member 25 is switched to the second swing state from the first swing state.
[0118]
[0119] As illustrated in
[0120] As illustrated in
[0121] The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and various variations can be made within a range of the disclosure, which is described in the scope of the disclosure. It is needless to say that the variations are also encompassed in the scope of the disclosure.