Recording apparatus and medium feeding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254975-B2
Application number	US-201414220603-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A printer includes a lower tray and an upper tray disposed above the lower tray. An optical sensor which detects the presence or absence of a sheet is disposed above the upper tray. The optical sensor is disposed in a roller support member which supports a feeding roller and serves as a swingable swing member. A distance between the optical sensor and the sheet is adjusted by swing of the roller support member according to the number of sheets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording unit that performs recording on a medium;
a lower medium accommodation unit;
an upper medium accommodation unit positioned above the lower medium accommodation unit, the upper medium accommodation unit being slidingly operable with respect to the lower medium accommodation unit;
a feeding member that is swingable and feeds the medium from the lower and upper medium accommodation units, the feeding member including a swing pivot point disposed on a first end and a feed roller disposed on an opposite end from the swing pivot point; and
a medium detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the medium inside the upper and lower medium accommodation units,
wherein the medium detection unit is configured to have an optical sensor that includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit which oppose the medium accommodated in the upper and lower medium accommodation units, and
wherein the light receiving unit is disposed in the feeding member,
wherein a straight line is formed between the feed roller and the swing pivot point and an optical axis is formed between the light emitted by the light emitting unit and the medium in the upper and lower medium accommodation units,
wherein a constant attachment angle of the optical sensor is set in relation to the straight line and to the optical axis such that an angle α 1 formed between the optical axis of light emitted from the light emitting unit and the medium when the light emitting unit opposes the medium accommodated in the lower medium accommodation unit is closer to a right angle than an angle α 2 formed between the optical axis and the medium when the light emitting unit opposes the medium accommodated in the upper medium accommodation unit.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the medium detection unit is connected to a circuit board which is arranged at a position separated from the feeding member by a signal line, and wherein the signal line is wired to a position which is shielded from a transport route through which the medium is transported.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the signal line is arranged in a region facing the medium accommodation unit and at the position which is shielded from the transport route.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding member has a feeding roller and a gear group which transmits drive force to the feeding roller, and wherein in the feeding member, the medium detection unit is disposed closer to the circuit board than the gear group.

5. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording unit that performs recording on a medium;
a medium accommodation unit that accommodates the medium;
a feeding member that is swingable and feeds the medium from the medium accommodation unit; and
a medium detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the medium inside the medium accommodation unit,
wherein the medium detection unit is configured to have an optical sensor that includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit which oppose the medium accommodated in the medium accommodation unit, and
wherein the light receiving unit is disposed in the feeding member,
wherein the feeding member has a pendulum which maintains a predetermined posture regardless of a posture of the feeding member, and the pendulum has the optical sensor.

6. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording unit that performs recording on a medium;
a lower medium accommodation unit;
an upper medium accommodation unit positioned above the lower medium accommodation unit, the upper medium accommodation unit being slidingly operable with respect to the lower medium accommodation unit;
a feeding member that is swingable and feeds the medium from the lower and upper medium accommodation units; and
a medium detection unit that is disposed in the feeding member and detects the presence or absence of the medium inside the upper and lower medium accommodation units,
wherein the medium detection unit is configured to have an optical sensor that includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit which oppose the medium accommodated in the lower medium accommodation unit and in the upper medium accommodation unit, and
wherein the light receiving unit is disposed in the feeding member,
wherein the light emitting unit can adjust light emitting intensity, and
wherein a controller adjusts the light emitting intensity of the light emitting unit to be stronger when the feeding member opposes the medium accommodated in the lower medium accommodation unit than when the feeding member opposes the medium accommodated in the upper medium accommodation unit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tamura Tetsuya
• Oki Narihiro
• Shirane Tatsuya

Classifications

• B65H7/04 Primary

  responsive to absence of articles, e.g. exhaustion of pile (B65H7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2405/324

  between operative position and non operative position · CPC title

• B65H3/0684

  on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile · CPC title

• B65H2511/51

  Presence · CPC title

• B65H1/266

  Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence) · CPC title