Medium discharge device and recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046546-B2
Application number	US-201916259825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A medium discharge device includes: a discharge unit that discharges a medium; a first medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit; and a second medium receiving tray that is provided above the first medium receiving tray in a vertical direction and receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit. The second medium receiving tray is capable of changing a position between an advance position for receiving a medium, which is discharged, by causing at least an upstream zone of the tray including an upstream side end portion in a medium discharge direction to advance to a passing route of the medium from the discharge unit toward the first medium receiving tray and a retraction position to which the upstream zone retracts from the passing route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medium discharge device comprising:
a discharge unit that discharges a medium;
a first medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit;
a second medium receiving tray that is provided above the first medium receiving tray in a vertical direction and receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit;
a geared rack mechanically connected to the second medium receiving tray; and
a drive gear configured to engage the geared rack to cause the geared rack to move substantially horizontally between an upstream side and a downstream side,
wherein:
the first medium receiving tray is fixed at a same position;
the second medium receiving tray is capable of changing a position between an advance position and a retraction position;
when the second medium receiving tray is in the advance position, an upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is advanced to a passing route of the medium being discharged from the discharge unit, such that the medium discharged from the discharge unit is to be received by the second medium receiving tray;
when the second medium receiving tray is in the retraction position, the upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is retracted away from the passing route, such that the medium discharged from the discharge unit is to be received by the first medium receiving tray; and
the second medium receiving tray moves at least partially horizontally during a position change between the advance position and the retraction position,
when the geared rack is moved to the upstream side,
the second medium receiving tray is in the advance position, and
an upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is advanced to a passing route of the medium being discharged from the discharge unit, such that the medium discharged by the discharge unit is to be received by the second medium receiving tray; and
when the geared rack is moved to the downstream side,
the second medium receiving tray is in the retraction position, and
the upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is retracted away from the passing route, such that the medium discharged by the discharge unit is to be received by the first medium receiving tray.

2. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second medium receiving tray is configured to have a downstream zone that is provided to be fixed on a downstream side of the advanceable/retractable upstream zone in the medium discharge direction.

3. The medium discharge device according to claim 2 ,
wherein, when the upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is positioned at the advance position, a medium support surface provided in the upstream zone and a medium support surface provided in the downstream zone are both inclined upward in the same degree with respect to a horizontal toward the medium discharge direction.

4. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the discharge unit is configured of a discharge roller pair that nips and discharges the medium, and
wherein, when the upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is positioned at the advance position, the upstream zone intersects a tangential line at a nip position of the discharge roller pair.

5. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the discharge unit is configured of a discharge roller pair that nips and discharges the medium, and
wherein, when the upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is positioned at the advance position, the upstream side end portion is positioned below a nip position of the discharge roller pair in the vertical direction.

6. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a position of the upstream side end portion of the upstream zone in the medium discharge direction is on a more upstream side in the medium discharge direction in a case where the upstream zone is positioned at the advance position than in a case where the upstream zone is positioned at the retraction position.

7. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a medium support surface provided in the upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is formed into an upward inclined surface toward the medium discharge direction with respect to a horizontal, and
wherein an inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to the horizontal is larger in a case where the upstream zone is positioned at the advance position than in a case where the upstream zone is positioned at the retraction position.

8. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the upstream zone of the second medium receiving tray is positioned at the advance position, a medium support surface provided in the second medium receiving tray and a medium support surface provided in the first medium receiving tray are both inclined upward in the same degree toward the medium discharge direction.

9. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the upstream side end portion of the second medium receiving tray is provided with a regulatory wall that regulates a position of an upstream side end portion of a discharged medium.

10. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of the second medium receiving trays are provided.

11. The medium discharge device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first medium receiving tray and the second medium receiving tray are disposed radially toward a downstream side in a discharge direction, in a side view of the passing route.

12. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording unit that performs recording on a medium; the medium discharge device according to claim 1 which discharges a medium on which recording has been performed by the recording unit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Imae Toshihiro
• Kii Soichiro
• Ogimura Takafumi
• Matsuo Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B65H2801/06

  Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers · CPC title

• B65H2405/32

  Supports for sheets partially insertable - extractable, e.g. upon sliding movement, drawer · CPC title

• B65H43/06

  detecting, or responding to, completion of pile (B65H43/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H31/24 Primary

  multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling · CPC title

• B65H2801/15

  Digital printing machines · CPC title