IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,827,040
Granted Patent B2
US 11,827,040 · App. 17/653,403 · Granted Nov 28, 2023

Medium-transport apparatus and medium-transport system

Inventors: Akihisa Wanibe (Matsumoto, JP); Hironori Matsuoka (Matsumoto, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
B41J29/13B41J13/009B41J13/103B41J29/02B65H1/266B65H5/066B65H5/38B65H2402/10B65H2402/45B65H2404/611B65H2404/63B65H2407/21B65H2601/11B65H2701/1131B65H2801/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,827,040
App. No.
17/653,403
Granted
Nov 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A medium-transport apparatus includes: an apparatus main body having the transport path for transporting the medium; and a cover CV provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body and configured to be switched between a first state of exposing the transport path and a second state of covering the transport path. The cover CV is divided into: a first cover that has the rotation shaft along a Z-axis and is rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body; and a second cover that is arranged on a −Z side of the first cover, has the rotation shaft along a Y-axis on the Z− side, and is rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body.

Claims (65)

1. A medium-transport apparatus in which a Z-axis orthogonal to an installation surface of the medium-transport apparatus has a +Z side set on a side of the medium-transport apparatus and a −Z side set on an opposite side with respect to the installation surface, and two axes orthogonal to each other in in-plane directions of the installation surface are an X-axis and a Y-axis, the apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body having a transport path that transports a medium; and

a cover provided on a side surface of the apparatus main body and configured to be switched between a first state for exposing the transport path and a second state for covering the transport path, wherein

the cover is divided into

a first cover that has a rotation shaft along the Z-axis and is configured to rotate with respect to the apparatus main body, and

a second cover that is arranged on the −Z side of the first cover, has a rotation shaft along the Y-axis on the −Z side, and is configured to rotate with respect to the apparatus main body, and

an area occupied by the first cover is larger than an area occupied by the second cover.

2. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a position of a feeding device in a Z-axis direction overlaps a position of the second cover in the Z-axis direction, and the feeding device is configured to move in the X-axis direction with respect to the apparatus main body, and

a dimension in a Y-axis direction of the first cover is larger than a dimension in the Z-axis direction of the second cover.

3. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the second cover includes a carry-in port through which the medium transported from a feeding device passes.

4. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a third cover that is arranged on the −Z side of the cover, has a rotation shaft along the Y-axis orthogonal to the Z-axis on the −Z side, and is configured to rotate with respect to the apparatus main body, wherein

a dimension in a Y-axis direction of the third cover is larger than a dimension in a Z-axis direction of the third cover.

5. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a dimension in a Y-axis direction of the first cover is smaller than a dimension in a Z-axis direction of the first cover.

6. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a dimension in a Y-axis direction of the second cover is larger than a dimension in a Z-axis direction of the second cover.

7. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a dimension in a Z-axis direction of the second cover is smaller than a dimension in the Z-axis direction of the first cover.

8. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first cover has a tray on which the medium is mounted.

9. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the first cover includes a feed roller that feeds the medium mounted on the tray to the transport path or a discharge roller that discharges the medium to the tray from the transport path.

10. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the tray has a rotation shaft along the Y-axis and is configured to rotate with respect to the first cover.

11. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a cassette having a plurality of media mounted therein, wherein

a position of the second cover in a Z-axis direction overlaps a position of the cassette in the Z-axis direction, and

a position of the first cover in the Z-axis direction does not overlap the position of the cassette in the Z-axis direction, and the first cover covers the transport path downstream of the transport path covered by the second cover.

12. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first cover is heavier than the second cover.

13. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the transport path has a switchback path, and

the first cover forms the switchback path.

14. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a dimension in a Y-axis direction of the first cover is equal to a dimension in the Y-axis direction of the second cover, and

a side edge extending in a Z-axis direction of the first cover and a side edge extending in the Z-axis direction of the second cover are on a straight line in the Z-axis direction.

15. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a fourth cover on a side surface facing a Y-axis direction of the apparatus main body, the fourth cover being configured to open and close with respect to the apparatus main body, wherein

a side edge of the fourth cover forms a gap with at least one of a side edge of the first cover and a side edge of the second cover.

16. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

a direction in which the side surface having the fourth cover provided thereon faces is a same as a direction in which an operation panel of the medium-transport apparatus faces, and

the gap opens in an X-axis direction.

17. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

the fourth cover is provided for a cassette configured to be pulled out in the Y-axis direction, in which the medium to be fed is mounted.

18. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid onto the medium, wherein

the liquid ejecting head is provided in the apparatus main body.

19. A medium-transport apparatus in which a Z-axis orthogonal to an installation surface of the medium-transport apparatus has a +Z side set on a side of the medium-transport apparatus and a −Z side set on an opposite side with respect to the installation surface, and two axes orthogonal to each other in in-plane directions of the installation surface are an X-axis and a Y-axis, the apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body having a transport path that transports a medium; and

a cover provided on a side surface of the apparatus main body and configured to be switched between a first state for exposing the transport path and a second state for covering the transport path, wherein

the cover is divided into

a first cover that has a rotation shaft along the Z-axis and is configured to rotate with respect to the apparatus main body, and

a second cover that is arranged on the −Z side of the first cover, has a rotation shaft along the Y-axis on the −Z side, and is configured to rotate with respect to the apparatus main body, wherein

the first cover has a tray on which the medium is mounted.

20. A medium-transport apparatus in which a Z-axis orthogonal to an installation surface of the medium-transport apparatus has a +Z side set on a side of the medium-transport apparatus and a −Z side set on an opposite side with respect to the installation surface, and two axes orthogonal to each other in in-plane directions of the installation surface are an X-axis and a Y-axis, the apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body having a transport path that transports a medium; and

a cover provided on a side surface of the apparatus main body and configured to be switched between a first state for exposing the transport path and a second state for covering the transport path, wherein

the cover is divided into

a first cover that has a rotation shaft along the Z-axis and is configured to rotate with respect to the apparatus main body,

a second cover that is arranged on the −Z side of the first cover, has a rotation shaft along the Y-axis on the −Z side, and is configured to rotate with respect to the apparatus main body, and

a third cover on a side surface facing a Y-axis direction of the apparatus main body, the third cover being configured to open and close with respect to the apparatus main body, wherein

a side edge of the third cover forms a gap with at least one of a side edge of the first cover and a side edge of the second cover.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2022
From: WANIBE, AKIHISA; MATSUOKA, HIRONORI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059162/0864 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-035083 · Mar 5, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220281249A1 · Sep 8, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,187,052