IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,187,052
Granted Patent B2
US 12,187,052 · App. 18/494,571 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

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 12,187,052
App. No.
18/494,571
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
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 (71)

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,

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,

the apparatus main body is configured such that the medium is fed from a feeding device which is arranged in an X-axis direction with respect to the apparatus main body, accommodates the medium, and feeds the medium that is accommodated to the transport path, and

a lower end of the first cover on the −Z side is closer to the +Z side than an upper end of the feeding device on the +Z side.

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

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

6. 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.

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

the first cover is heavier than the second cover.

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

the transport path has a switchback path, and

the first cover forms the switchback path.

9. 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.

10. 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.

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

12. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 11 , 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.

13. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 11 , 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.

14. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

the first cover is heavier than the second cover.

15. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

the transport path has a switchback path, and

the first cover forms the switchback path.

16. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 11 , 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.

17. The medium-transport apparatus according to claim 11 , 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.

18. A medium-transport system comprising:

a medium-transport apparatus; and

a feeding device that feeds a medium to the medium-transport apparatus, wherein

the 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, includes

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,

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,

the feeding device is arranged in an X-axis direction with respect to the apparatus main body of the medium-transport apparatus, accommodates the medium, and is configured to feed the medium that is accommodated to the transport path,

the medium-transport apparatus is configured such that the medium is fed from the feeding device, and

a lower end of the first cover on the −Z side is closer to the +Z side than an upper end of the feeding device on the +Z side.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2023
From: WANIBE, AKIHISA; MATSUOKA, HIRONORI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065347/0467 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-035083 · Mar 5, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17653403 · Mar 3, 2022
Related Publication 20240051318A1 · Feb 15, 2024
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