1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium supply device including a cassette attachable to and detachable from a main body of a recording apparatus and capable of stacking a recording medium thereon, and a recording apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, among recording apparatuses represented by a printer or the like, there are recording apparatuses in which recording media (for example, recording papers) are stacked on a cassette which is attachable to and detachable from the main body of the apparatus, and a recording medium on the uppermost layer is conveyed to the main body of the apparatus by a conveying roller arranged above the cassette.
In the recording apparatuses in which recording media are stacked on the cassette which is attachable to and detachable from the main body of the apparatus as described above, if a recording medium during conveyance is left in the conveying roller when the cassette is removed (pulled out) from the main body of the apparatus, the recording medium may be jammed when the cassette is attached again. Thus, apparatuses which perform the operation of returning the recording medium into the cassette from the conveying roller when removal of the cassette has been detected are suggested (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-321133 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H07-69464). According to these apparatuses, when the cassette is removed, the recording medium during conveyance is prevented from being left in the conveying roller.
Among the recording apparatuses in which recording media are stacked on the cassette which is attachable to and detachable from the main body of the apparatus as described above, there are recording apparatuses including a thick plate or a regulating member in order to make a recording medium reliably abut on the conveying roller. A pressure plate is attached to the bottom face of the cassette thereby pushing up the leading end of the recording medium to a position higher than the tip portion of the cassette. Meanwhile, the regulating member is arranged forward in the direction in which the cassette is removed from the main body of the apparatus as seen from the conveying roller, and depresses a portion of the leading end of the recording medium to a position lower than the lower end of the conveying roller. In such recording apparatuses, there is a case where a recording medium is left in the main body of the apparatus when the cassette is attached and detached (moved) in addition to the cases described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-321133 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H07-69464. For example, a case is assumed where a portion of a recording medium projects out of the tip portion of the cassette due to the frictional force produced by the contact between the leading end of the recording medium on the uppermost layer and the lower end of the regulating member when the cassette is attached and detached. In this case, since the recording medium which has projected out drops, this recording medium is left in the main body of the apparatus.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds