Image recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776432-B2
Application number	US-201615185702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An image recording apparatus includes: a recording section which records an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction in a conveyance route; a first abutment member having a plurality of first abutment portions arranged apart from each other in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and configured to abut against the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route; a first supporting member which supports the first abutment member; and a plurality of second abutment members which are supported by the first supporting member at both sides in the width direction, respectively, of the first abutment member, at a distance from the first abutment member, and each of which has a second abutment portion capable of contacting with the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image recording apparatus comprising:
a roller pair configured to nip a sheet therebetween and convey the sheet in a conveyance route in a conveyance direction;
a recording section provided downstream of a nip point of the roller pair in the conveyance direction and configured to record an image on the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route;
a first abutment member having a plurality of first abutment portions arranged apart from each other in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and configured to abut against the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route, wherein the plurality of first abutment portions is positioned downstream of the nip point of the roller pair in the conveyance direction; and
a second abutment member arranged apart from the first abutment member in the width direction, having a plurality of second abutment portions arranged apart from each other in the width direction, and configured to abut against the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route, wherein the plurality of second abutment portions is positioned downstream of the nip point of the roller pair in the conveyance direction, and
wherein a number of the plurality of first abutment portions of the first abutment member is greater than a number of the plurality of second abutment portions of the second abutment member.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first abutment member and the second abutment member are each integrally molded of a synthetic resin.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a supporting member configured to support the first abutment member and the second abutment member.

4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the supporting member supports the recording section.

5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first abutment member has a connecting section connecting the plurality of first abutment portions with each other, and
the connecting section is supported by the supporting member.

6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a supporting member arranged to face the first abutment member and configured to support the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route,
wherein the supporting member has a plurality of ribs arranged apart from each other in the width direction, and
the plurality of ribs is configured to support the sheet at upper ends thereof and to cooperate with the plurality of first abutment portions to impart a wave-like shape to the sheet.

7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a supporting member arranged to face the first abutment member and configured to support the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route,
wherein each of the plurality of first abutment portions has an abutment area to be abutted against the sheet, and
the abutment area of a central first abutment portion in the width direction of the first abutment member is located closer to the supporting member than the abutment area of another first abutment portion of the first abutment member.

8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of first abutment portions has an abutment area to be abutted against the sheet, and
the abutment area of a central first abutment portion in the width direction of the first abutment member is extended further to a downstream side in the conveyance direction than the abutment area of another first abutment portion of the first abutment member.

9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recording section is configured to record the image on the sheet by jetting ink droplets from nozzles.

10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of first abutment portions and the plurality of second abutment portions are located upstream of the nozzles in the conveyance direction.

11. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a third abutment member arranged apart from the first abutment member and the second abutment member in the width direction, having a plurality of third abutment portions arranged apart from each other in the width direction, and configured to abut against the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route, wherein the plurality of third abutment portions is positioned downstream of the nip point of the roller pair in the conveyance direction, and
wherein the number of the plurality of first abutment portions of the first abutment member is greater than a number of the plurality of third abutment portions of the third abutment member,
wherein the second abutment member is positioned at one side in the width direction with respect to the first abutment member, and
wherein the third abutment member is positioned at the other side in the width direction with respect to the first abutment member.

12. The image recording apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the number of the plurality of second abutment portions of the second abutment member and the number of the plurality of third abutment portions of the third abutment member are the same.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Mimoto Masao
• Ito Shingo

Classifications

• B65H5/38

  immovable in operation · CPC title

• B41J11/005 Primary

  Guides in the printing zone, e.g. guides for preventing contact of conveyed sheets with printhead · CPC title

• B65H2301/5122

  Corrugating; Stiffening · CPC title

• B41J13/14

  Aprons or guides {for the printing section} · CPC title

• B41J2/04

  generating single droplets or particles on demand · CPC title