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US-12617222-B2 - Medium transport device and recording apparatus

US12617222B2US 12617222 B2US12617222 B2US 12617222B2US-12617222-B2

Abstract

In a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed, an end portion of a first path forming member in a second direction and an end portion of a second path forming member in a first direction overlap each other when viewed from a medium width direction, the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction is positioned in the second direction with respect to an end portion of the second cover in the first direction and the end portion of the second path forming member in the first direction is positioned in the second direction with respect to an end portion of the first cover in the second direction. When the closed first cover is opened, the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction moves toward the inside of a medium transport device.

Inventors

  • Atsushi MUKAIDA
  • Akinobu Nakahata

Assignees

  • SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240723
Priority Date
20230724

Claims (9)

  1. 1 . A medium transport device comprising: a housing; a transport path that is provided inside the housing and transports a medium in a transport direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; a first cover that is configured to rotate between an open state in which a part of the transport path is exposed and a closed state in which the transport path is not exposed; a second cover that is configured to rotate between an open state in which a part of the transport path is exposed and a closed state in which the transport path is not exposed, the second cover being disposed in the second direction with respect to the first cover in such a way as to be aligned with the first cover; a first path forming member that is provided on an inner side of the first cover and forms a part of the transport path; and a second path forming member that is provided on an inner side of the second cover, is positioned in the second direction with respect to the first path forming member, and forms a part of the transport path, wherein an end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction and an end portion of the second path forming member in the first direction overlap each other in a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed when viewed from a medium width direction intersecting the transport direction, the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction is positioned in the second direction with respect to an end portion of the second cover in the first direction in a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed, the end portion of the second path forming member in the first direction is positioned in the second direction with respect to an end portion of the first cover in the second direction in a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed, and when the closed first cover is opened, the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction moves toward an inside of the medium transport device.
  2. 2 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein a protruding portion that protrudes in the second direction is provided at the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction, a recessed portion that receives the protruding portion and has a bottom surface along the transport path is formed at the end portion of the second path forming member in the first direction, and when the protruding portion is fitted into the recessed portion in a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed, a part of the first path forming member and a part of the second path forming member overlap each other when viewed from the medium width direction.
  3. 3 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a vertically upward direction and the second direction is a vertically downward direction, a vertical dimension of the second cover is larger than a vertical dimension of the first cover, an axis of rotation of the first cover is along the medium width direction, the first cover is opened and closed by rotating with an end portion of the first cover in the first direction as a free end, and an axis of rotation of the second cover is along a vertical direction.
  4. 4 . The medium transport device according to claim 3 , wherein the first cover and the second cover are provided on a right side surface or left side surface of the housing, and the second cover is opened and closed by rotating with a front end portion of the second cover in a device depth direction as a free end.
  5. 5 . The medium transport device according to claim 3 , wherein a portion of the transport path is curved, the portion being formed by an end portion of the first path forming member in the first direction.
  6. 6 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third path forming member that is disposed to face the first path forming member and forms a part of the transport path, wherein the third path forming member has a receiving portion that receives the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction when the first cover is opened.
  7. 7 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second transport path that is positioned further inside of the medium transport device than the transport path as a first transport path; and an inner door that faces the second path forming member and forms a part of the first transport path and a part of the second transport path, wherein the inner door is configured to rotate between an open state in which a part of the second transport path is exposed and a closed state in which the second transport path is not exposed.
  8. 8 . The medium transport device according to claim 7 , wherein the inner door is disposed at a position where the inner door does not interfere with the first cover and the first path forming member when opened and closed.
  9. 9 . A recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit that performs recording on a medium; and the medium transport device according to claim 1 .

Description

The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2023-119827, filed Jul. 24, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a medium transport device that transports a medium, and a recording apparatus including the same. 2. Related Art JP-A-2021-070556 discloses an image forming device in which a rotatable cover is provided on a back surface of the image forming device, and when the cover is opened, a sheet transport path is exposed and jam processing can be performed. Further, JP-A-2011-032040 discloses an image forming device in which a fixed transport guide and a movable transport guide are provided, and a sheet transport path can be opened by opening the movable transport guide. Further, in the image forming device, a coupling portion between the fixed transport guide and the movable transport guide has a comb-toothed structure. When the cover becomes larger in order to open a wider range of a sheet transport path, operability deteriorates and a large space is required to open the cover. Therefore, the cover may be divided in order to open a wider range of sheet transport path. Hereinafter, one of the adjacent covers will be referred to as a first cover, and the other cover will be referred to as a second cover. Further, it is necessary to provide path members such as the fixed transport guide and the movable transport guide described in JP-A-2011-032040 on an inner side of the cover. Hereinafter, the path member provided on the first cover will be referred to as a first path forming member, and the path member provided on the second cover will be referred to as a second path forming member. In order for a sheet to advance from one of the first path forming member and the second path forming member to the other without being caught, it is necessary to employ a comb-toothed structure as described in JP-A-2011-032040. The comb-toothed structure is formed by the first path forming member protruding toward the second cover, and the second path forming member protruding toward the first cover. Therefore, a distal end of the first path forming member gets caught on the second cover when trying to open the first cover, and a distal end of the second path forming member gets caught on the first cover when trying to open the second cover. It is necessary to widen a gap between the first cover and the second cover in order to avoid such problems. However, with this configuration, dust and the like may easily enter the inside of the device through the gap between the first cover and the second cover. SUMMARY According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a medium transport device according to a first aspect includes: a housing; a transport path that is provided inside the housing and transports a medium in a transport direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; a first cover that is configured to rotate between an open state in which a part of the transport path is exposed and a closed state in which the transport path is not exposed; a second cover that is configured to rotate between an open state in which a part of the transport path is exposed and a closed state in which the transport path is not exposed, the second cover being disposed in the second direction with respect to the first cover in such a way as to be aligned with the first cover; a first path forming member that is provided on an inner side of the first cover and forms a part of the transport path; and a second path forming member that is provided on an inner side of the second cover, is positioned in the second direction with respect to the first path forming member, and forms a part of the transport path, in which an end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction and an end portion of the second path forming member in the first direction overlap each other in a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed when viewed from a medium width direction intersecting the transport direction, the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction is positioned in the second direction with respect to an end portion of the second cover in the first direction in a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed, the end portion of the second path forming member in the first direction is positioned in the second direction with respect to an end portion of the first cover in the second direction in a state in which the first cover and the second cover are closed, and when the closed first cover is opened, the end portion of the first path forming member in the second direction moves toward an inside of the medium transport device. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a recording apparatus includes: a recording unit that performs recording on a medium; and the medium transpor