JP2008105846A - Recording medium protective sheet, transport tray, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to improve the handleability and transportability of a recording medium with a simple configuration, and at the same time, to prevent multiple feeding of a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are laminated.
A recording medium protective sheet 40 includes a sheet main body 41 that covers the surface of a film 30 exposed in the lowermost layer, a pair of side flanges that are erected from the sheet main body 41 and respectively cover the left and right side surfaces of the film 30; The rear flange 43 is provided upright from the sheet main body 41 and covers the rear surface of the film 30, and the rear flange 43 can be inclined to at least one of the front side and the rear side in the transport direction of the film 30.
[Selection] Figure 9

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium protective sheet that is disposed below a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are stacked, and is accommodated in a conveyance tray of an image forming apparatus together with the recording medium, and such a recording medium protective sheet together with the recording medium. The present invention relates to a transportable tray of an image forming apparatus that can be accommodated, and an image forming apparatus that can be equipped with a transport tray that accommodates such a recording medium protection sheet together with a recording medium. The present invention relates to a recording medium protective sheet, a transport tray, and an image forming apparatus that can improve handling and transportability and prevent multiple feeding of a plurality of stacked recording media.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, many image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, and facsimile machines generally have a stack of recording media such as photographic paper and film, and a transport tray that can be mounted on the image forming apparatus. I have. Then, the recording medium is conveyed one by one from the accommodation space of the conveying tray mounted on the image forming apparatus, and sent to the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus to form an image on the recording medium.

  Here, a recording medium protective sheet is accommodated in the transport tray together with the recording medium. This recording medium protection sheet is disposed on the lower side of a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are laminated, and protects the surface of the recording medium exposed at the lowermost layer. In other words, by covering the image forming surface of the recording medium with the recording medium protection sheet, fingerprints attached when the recording medium is directly touched with bare hands, or the image forming surface may be deteriorated by light or moisture. To prevent the print quality from being adversely affected.

A transport tray having a recording medium separating unit is known so that the recording medium is transported one by one from the uppermost layer of the recording media stacked in the transport tray. That is, a separation unit including a conveyance roller and an urging plate is provided on the conveyance tray, and the urging plate located below the recording medium protection sheet is moved up and down to move the recording medium between the urging position and the retraction position with respect to the conveyance roller. This is a technique that prevents multiple feeding of the recording medium by displacing them (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-327336 A

In addition, since a plurality of recording media are stored in the transport tray in a stacked state, if only the recording media are stored in the transport tray, the bundle of recording media is separated into pieces, which hinders storage. May come. Therefore, a recording medium protective sheet is known in which not only the image forming surface of the recording medium but also the side surface of the recording medium is covered to improve the handling of the recording medium (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-10320

  However, in the technique of the above-mentioned patent document 1, since it is necessary to provide a separation unit including a conveyance roller and an urging plate in order to prevent multiple feeding of the recording medium, the mechanism is complicated. In addition, the recording medium protective sheet disclosed in Patent Document 1 is completely independent of the separating portion, and only protects the surface of the recording medium exposed in the lowermost layer. For this reason, no consideration is given to handleability when the recording medium and the recording medium protection sheet are accommodated in the transport tray.

  On the other hand, although the technique of Patent Document 2 described above can prevent a situation in which a bundle of recording media separates separately, the recording medium protection sheet disclosed in Patent Document 2 is housed in a transport tray together with the recording medium. is not. For this reason, no consideration is given to improving the transportability of the recording medium and preventing the multiple feeding of the recording medium, and the recording medium protection sheet simply makes it easy to insert into a packaging bag or the like.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the handling and transportability of the recording medium with a simple configuration, and at the same time, to prevent multiple feeding of the recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are laminated. It is to provide a recording medium protection sheet, a transport tray, and an image forming apparatus.

The present invention solves the above-described problems by the following means.
The invention according to claim 1, which is one of the present invention, is a recording medium protective sheet that is disposed below a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are stacked and is housed in a transport tray of an image forming apparatus together with the recording medium. A sheet main body that covers at least a part of the surface of the recording medium exposed in the lowermost layer, and both left and right side surfaces of the recording medium that are erected from the sheet main body and parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording medium A pair of side flanges that respectively cover at least a part of the recording medium, and a rear flange that stands up from the sheet main body and covers at least a part of the back surface of the recording medium that is on the rear side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The back flange can be inclined to at least one of the front side and the rear side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, which is another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport tray of an image forming apparatus capable of accommodating the recording medium protection sheet as described above together with the recording medium. Inclining means for inclining the rear flange of the protective sheet toward at least one of the front side and the rear side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium is provided.
Furthermore, the invention according to claim 4, which is another one of the present invention, is an image forming apparatus to which a transport tray containing the above-mentioned recording medium protection sheet together with a recording medium can be mounted. Inclination means for inclining the rear flange of the recording medium protection sheet accommodated in the tray toward the front side or the rear side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium is provided.

(Function)
In the first, third, and fourth aspects of the present invention, the recording medium protective sheet is erected from a sheet main body that covers at least a part of the surface of the recording medium exposed in the lowermost layer, and the sheet main body. And a pair of side flanges that respectively cover at least a part of the left and right side surfaces of the recording medium, and a rear flange that is erected from the sheet body and covers at least a part of the back surface of the recording medium. Therefore, not only the surface of the recording medium but also the left and right side surfaces and the back surface are covered with the recording medium protection sheet.

  Further, the rear flange of the recording medium protection sheet can be inclined to at least one of the front side and the rear side in the recording medium conveyance direction, and the conveyance tray or the image forming apparatus includes an inclination means for the rear flange. Therefore, if the back flange is tilted by pushing by hand or using the tilting means, the stacks of the recording media are deviated according to the tilt, and the stacks of the recording media are individually unwound. It is.

  According to the above invention, not only the surface of the recording medium, but also the left and right side surfaces and the back surface are covered with the recording medium protection sheet, so that it is possible to avoid touching the recording medium directly with bare hands and prevent the attachment of fingerprints, etc. it can. In addition, the image forming surface of the recording medium can be prevented from being deteriorated by light, moisture, or the like, and the print quality is not adversely affected. Furthermore, when the recording medium is accommodated in the transport tray, the bundle of recording media is not separated separately, and the handling of the recording medium is improved.

  When the back flange is inclined, the recording medium stacks are deviated according to the inclination, and the stacked recording media are unwound one by one. The transportability can be improved, and multiple feeding of a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are stacked can be prevented.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the following embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention corresponds to a thermal printer 10 that is used in a hospital and prints image data obtained by computed tomography (CT) by thermal transfer using a thermal head. In the following embodiment, the transport tray in the present invention corresponds to the transport tray 20 of the film 30 (which corresponds to the recording medium in the present invention) for printing this image data.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a thermal printer 10 according to the present embodiment, and shows a state in which the thermal printer 10 is installed horizontally.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the thermal printer 10 of the present embodiment, and shows a state in which the thermal printer 10 is installed vertically.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thermal printer 10 of this embodiment is of a horizontal and vertical type. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, it is normally used in a horizontal position, but in a vertical setting as shown in FIG. 2 in consideration of the installation environment such as a medical site or an office. . Therefore, it can be installed according to the space of the installation location, and there is an advantage that the degree of freedom of the installation location is increased and the usability is improved.

  In particular, the installation area can be reduced by installing the apparatus vertically, for example, when performing computed tomography (CT) in a hospital, a large installation area is not required. In addition, it can be installed along with the computer in the examination room, so that medical work can be speeded up and simplified. As shown in FIG. 2, if the caster 11a is attached to the lower part of the vertically placed thermal printer 10, the thermal printer 10 can be moved as necessary.

  The thermal printer 10 has an image forming unit (not shown) installed inside the housing 11, and a single film 30 (not shown) in the transport tray 20 mounted on the mounting unit 12 on the front surface. Each image is transported and image data obtained by computed tomography (CT) is printed. Here, the transport tray 20 can be removed from and attached to the mounting portion 12 by sliding back and forth.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the transport tray 20 is being removed or mounted in the horizontal thermal printer 10 shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the transport tray 20 is being removed or mounted in the vertical thermal printer 10 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport tray 20 according to the present embodiment has a rectangular accommodation space in which a plurality of films 30 can be stacked and accommodated. Further, the transport tray 20 includes a lid body 21 that can open and close the opening of the accommodation space. When the film 30 is replenished, the transport tray 20 is removed from the mounting unit 12, and after the film 30 is replenished, the transport tray 20 is mounted on the mounting unit 12.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the transport tray 20 of the present embodiment.
The transport tray 20 shown in FIG. 5 is removed from the thermal printer 10 as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, and a plurality of films 30 are laminated on the transport tray 20 as shown in FIG. An accommodation space 22 is provided. Further, the opening of the accommodation space 22 is covered with a lid 21. The lid 21 exhibits a dustproof function for the film 30, but at the same time also serves as a paper discharge tray. That is, the film 30 that has been printed is discharged onto the upper surface of the lid 21.

Here, the replenishment of the film 30 is performed by completely removing the transport tray 20 from the mounting portion 12 (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 4). That is, in particular, in the state of being placed vertically as shown in FIG. 4, the film 30 that is heavier than photographic paper or the like may collapse and be expensive if the transport tray 20 remains in the portrait orientation. It becomes difficult to replenish the film 30 safely. Therefore, it is common to completely remove the transport tray 20 from the mounting portion 12 and to replenish the film 30 with the transport tray 20 horizontal. .
Further, even in the horizontal state as shown in FIG. 3, the transport tray 20 is often removed and the film 30 is replenished.

  As described above, the replenishing operation of the film 30 is generally performed by completely removing the transport tray 20 from the mounting portion 12. However, the image forming surface is protected under the film 30 on which a plurality of sheets are laminated. A recording medium protection sheet 40 (not shown) is provided. That is, the recording medium protection sheet 40 includes a sheet main body 41 having the same or substantially the same shape as the image forming surface of the film 30, and the recording medium protection sheet 40 is formed below the film 30 in which a plurality of sheets are laminated. After the sheet body 41 is disposed, the recording medium protection sheet 40 is accommodated in the transport tray 20 together with the film 30.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view and a side view showing the recording medium protection sheet 40 of the present embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view and a side view showing a state where the recording medium protection sheet 40 is disposed below the film 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the recording medium protection sheet 40 includes a sheet body 41 having a shape substantially the same as the surface of the film 30. A plurality of films 30 are laminated with the image forming surface facing down, a recording medium protection sheet 40 is disposed on the lower side of the film 30, and the sheet body 41 is the surface of the film 30 exposed at the lowermost layer. It covers the entire (image forming surface). That is, the bundle of films 30 is stacked on the sheet main body 41 of the recording medium protection sheet 40 with the image forming surface facing down. A non-contact type IC tag 45 is attached to the lower surface of the sheet main body 41 so that the number of used films 30 can be managed.

  Further, the recording medium protection sheet 40 is erected from the sheet main body 41, and is part of the left and right sides of the film 30 parallel to the transport direction (upper left or left direction in FIGS. 6 and 7) (behind the transport direction). A pair of side flanges 42a and side flanges 42b that respectively cover approximately half), and a rear flange 43 that stands up from the sheet body 41 and covers most of the back side of the film 30 that is the rear side in the conveying direction. Yes.

  Here, the side flange 42a, the side flange 42b, and the back flange 43 are integrated with the same material (for example, soft resin) as the sheet body 41, and the left and right sides and the back of the film 30 in which a plurality of sheets are laminated. Hold the bundle of films 30 to the same or higher position. Further, the side flange 42a, the side flange 42b, or the back flange 43 has appropriate convex portions, cutouts, or irregularities, and has a shape that fits in a specific position of the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the direction in which the film 30 and the recording medium protection sheet 40 are accommodated in the transport tray 20 is clear, and a storage error can be prevented.

  And the recording medium protection sheet 40 is accommodated in the conveyance tray 20 (refer FIG. 5) with the film 30 in the state which orient | assigned the conveyance direction of the film 30 to the front. Therefore, not only the image forming surface of the film 30 is protected by the sheet main body 41 but also the film 30 can be stably held by the side flange 42a, the side flange 42b, and the back flange 43 without breaking the shape of the film 30.

  Therefore, the recording medium protection sheet 40 can avoid a situation in which the image forming surface of the film 30 is in direct contact with bare hands, and can prevent adverse effects on the print quality due to adhesion of fingerprints. Further, even if the film 30 is large, or the film 30 is placed vertically and accommodated in the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 4), the bundle of the film 30 is broken by its own weight, or the film 30 and the recording medium protective sheet 40 is not separated, and the handleability of the film 30 is improved.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view and a side view showing a recording medium protection sheet 40 ′ according to a modification.
The recording medium protective sheet 40 ′ shown in FIG. 8 is obtained by adding a holding body 44 to the recording medium protective sheet 40 shown in FIG. The holding body 44 is erected from the side flange 42a and the side flange 42b and covers a part of the surface of the film 30 (not shown) exposed at the uppermost layer (about half in the back in the transport direction). The holding body 44 is integrated with the same material (for example, soft resin) as the sheet main body 41 and the like, and has flexibility, so that the film 30 can be easily inserted and removed.

  Thus, if the surface of the film 30 (not shown) exposed at the uppermost layer is covered by the holding body 44, the area capable of protecting the film 30 increases. More parts of the medium protection sheet 40 'can be grasped. In particular, when the film 30 is stored vertically in the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 4), the sheet body 41, the side flange 42a, the side flange 42b, and the back flange 43 hold the film 30, and the holding body 44. Holds the film 30 on the surface opposite to the sheet main body 41. Therefore, the film 30 is reliably held without sliding down, and the handleability of the film 30 is further improved.

  Incidentally, in the recording medium protective sheet 40 shown in FIG. 6 and the recording medium protective sheet 40 ′ shown in FIG. 8, the back flange 43 can be inclined to at least one of the front side and the rear side in the transport direction. That is, the back flange 43 is integrated with the same material (for example, soft resin) as the sheet main body 41, and is pressed by hand, or the thermal printer 10 (see FIG. 1 or 2) or the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 5). It is possible to incline using an inclination means 50 (not shown) provided in ().

FIGS. 9 and 10 are side views showing the conveyance state of the film 30 when the recording medium protection sheet 40 shown in FIG. 6 is used.
Moreover, FIG.11 and FIG.12 is a side view which shows the conveyance condition of the film 30 in the case of a comparative example.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a pickup roller 13 and a pair of transport rollers 14 are installed in the thermal printer 10 (see FIG. 1 or 2) of the present embodiment. Moreover, the conveyance lever 23 is attached inside the conveyance tray 20 (refer FIG. 5) of this embodiment. The pickup roller 13, the pair of transport rollers 14, and the transport lever 23 constitute a transport mechanism for the film 30 in the thermal printer 10.

  The film 30 transported by such a transport mechanism is formed by laminating a plurality of sheets with the image forming surface facing down, and the sheet main body 41 of the recording medium protection sheet 40 is disposed below the film 30. Yes. Therefore, the image forming surface of the film 30 is protected by the sheet main body 41.

  Further, the recording medium protection sheet 40 includes a rear flange 43 (see FIGS. 9 and 10) that can be inclined to the rear side in the transport direction (left direction in FIGS. 9 and 10), and is rearward with respect to the transport direction. The back surface of the film 30 serving as the side is covered with a back flange 43. In the comparative example shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the rear flange 43 'is not inclined.

  The film 30 and the recording medium protection sheet 40 are accommodated in the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 5), and when the transport tray 20 is attached to the thermal printer 10 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 2), FIG. As shown, the pickup roller 13 is positioned on the upper side of the film 30, and the conveying lever 23 is positioned on the lower surface of the sheet main body 41. And when conveying the film 30, as shown in FIG.9 (b), the conveyance lever 23 is raised. Then, the film 30 is lifted together with the sheet main body 41, and the surface (surface opposite to the image forming surface) of the film 30 exposed at the uppermost layer comes into contact with the pickup roller 13.

  Here, in the recording medium protection sheet 40 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, as described above, the rear flange 43 can be inclined rearward in the transport direction (left direction in FIGS. 9 and 10). ing. That is, the back flange 43 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 is erected integrally with the same material (for example, soft resin) as the seat body 41, and tilts freely when an external force is applied. Therefore, when the film 30 is tilted in accordance with the raising operation of the transport lever 23 and the component of gravity downward acts on the film 30, as shown in FIG. The film 30 is held while being inclined rearward in the transport direction.

  Accordingly, the bundle of films 30 moves in the lower right direction by a different distance for each sheet, and the shape of the side surface of the bundle of films 30 is deformed into a parallelogram shape. Each of the stacked films 30 is unraveled and unraveled. In addition, since each film 30 is exposed at a little end portion of each sheet, some information is written on the film 30 using this exposed portion, or information recorded at the end portion. Can also be read.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the pickup roller 13 is rotated as indicated by an arrow, only the uppermost one film 30 is conveyed in the upper left direction. That is, each of the laminated films 30 is separated by the rear flange 43 being inclined to the rear side in the transport direction (left direction in FIGS. 9 and 10). As a result, multiple feeding of the film 30 is prevented. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10B, each film 30 is surely separated, and only the uppermost film 30 is stabilized by the rotation of the pickup roller 13 and the transport roller 14 in the direction of the arrow. Can be transported.

As described above, such an operational effect is caused by the back flange 43 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 being inclined rearward in the transport direction (left direction in FIGS. 9 and 10).
Accordingly, the operation and effect of the tiltable back flange 43 will be described in detail with reference to the non-tilt back flange 43 ′ of FIGS. 11 and 12 as a comparative example.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, when the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 5) is mounted on the thermal printer 10 (see FIG. 1 or 2), the pickup roller 13 is positioned above the film 30, and the sheet body The transport lever 23 is positioned on the lower surface of 41. In this state, since no external force is applied, the rear flange 43 ′ is not inclined, and the shape of the side surface of the bundle of films 30 is rectangular as in the case shown in FIG.

  Next, in order to transport the film 30, the transport lever 23 is raised as shown in FIG. Then, the film 30 is lifted together with the sheet main body 41, and the surface (surface opposite to the image forming surface) of the film 30 exposed at the uppermost layer comes into contact with the pickup roller 13. Further, the upward movement of the transport lever 23 causes a downward right component of gravity to act on the film 30.

  However, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), when the rear flange 43 ′ is not inclined and the shape of the side surface of the bundle of the films 30 remains rectangular, the lamination of the films 30 does not shift, The film 30 is not judged. For this reason, adhesion is still occurring in each of the laminated films 30.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 12 (a), when the pickup roller 13 is rotated clockwise, not only the uppermost single film 30 but also the film 30 in close contact therewith is simultaneously displayed. It will be transported in the upper left direction. That is, the lamination of the films 30 is not separated, and as shown in FIG. 12B, the two films 30 reach the conveying roller 14 as they are, and multiple feed occurs.

In this way, if the rear flange 43 ′ is not inclined, it significantly affects the conveying operation of the film 30. That is, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 as a comparative example, in the case of the rear flange 43 ′ that is not inclined, the film 30 is not separated and multiple feeding occurs. On the other hand, as in the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, if the rear flange 43 is inclined rearward in the transport direction (left direction in FIGS. 9 and 10), the film 30 is separated and the transport operation is performed. Become stable.
Further, even when the rear flange 43 is inclined to the front side in the transport direction, the transport operation of the film 30 can be stabilized similarly.

13 and 14 are side views showing the state of conveyance of the film 30 when the recording medium protection sheet 40 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 13A, when the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 5) is attached to the thermal printer 10 (see FIG. 1 or 2), the pickup roller 13 is positioned above the film 30, and the sheet body The transport lever 23 is positioned on the lower surface of 41.

  Here, the thermal printer 10 (see FIG. 1 or 2) or the transport tray 20 (see FIG. 5) is provided with a tilting means 50. The tilting means 50 is, for example, a mechanical means that presses the rear flange 43 in the transport direction (the left direction in FIGS. 13 and 14), and as shown in FIG. 13B, the transport lever 23 bounces. In accordance with the raising operation, the rear flange 43 that freely tilts is tilted forward in the transport direction.

  Therefore, the film 30 is inclined according to the inclination of the back flange 43. As a result, the bundle of films 30 moves in the upper left direction by a different distance for each sheet, and the shape of the side surface of the bundle of films 30 is deformed into a parallelogram shape. Each of the stacked films 30 is unraveled and unraveled.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 14A, when the pickup roller 13 is rotated as shown by an arrow, only the uppermost one film 30 is conveyed in the upper left direction. That is, each of the laminated films 30 is separated by the rear flange 43 being inclined forward in the transport direction (left direction in FIGS. 13 and 14), so that the transportability of the film 30 is improved. Thus, multiple feeding of the film 30 is prevented. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14B, each film 30 is surely separated, and only the uppermost film 30 is stabilized by the rotation of the pickup roller 13 and the transport roller 14 in the direction of the arrow. Can be transported.

  As described above, according to the recording medium protection sheet 40 of the present embodiment, in addition to protecting the image forming surface of the film 30 by the sheet main body 41, the shape of the film 30 is changed by the side flange 42a, the side flange 42b, and the back flange 43. It can be held stably without breaking. Moreover, since the side flange 42a and the side flange 42b have asymmetrical front and back shapes that respectively cover parts of the left and right sides of the film 30 (about half of the back in the transport direction), the transport trays for the film 30 and the recording medium protection sheet 40 are used. The accommodation direction into 20 becomes clear, and incorrect insertion can be prevented.

  Further, the conveyance of the film 30 is stabilized by the side flange 42a, the side flange 42b, and the back flange 43. In particular, in the vertical thermal printer 10 shown in FIG. Sometimes, it has a function of reducing friction between the side surface of the film 30 and the transport tray 20.

  Furthermore, since the back flange 43 is located at the rearmost side of the film 30 and can be tilted to at least one of the front side and the rear side in the transport direction, as the transport lever 23 is flipped up, FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the film 30 is held while the rear flange 43 is inclined to the rear side in the transport direction, or the rear flange 43 is inclined to the front side in the transport direction as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. 30 is held. For this reason, the films 30 are separated one by one, the transportability of the film 30 is improved, and multiple feeding is prevented.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, For example, the following various deformation | transformation is possible.
(1) In this embodiment, the side flange 42a, the side flange 42b, and the back flange 43 of the recording medium protection sheet 40 are integrated with the same material (for example, soft resin) as the sheet main body 41. The flange 42b and the back flange 43 may be configured by bonding a material different from that of the seat body 41.

  (2) In the present embodiment, the recording medium protection sheet 40 is made of a soft resin, but the material of the recording medium protection sheet 40 is arbitrary, and the back flange 43 is on the front side or the rear side in the transport direction of the film 30. It suffices if it can be tilted to at least one side. Further, if necessary, if a cutout, a detection hole, or the like is provided at an arbitrary position of the recording medium protection sheet 40, it can be used as a means for detecting the presence or absence of the film 30.

  (3) In this embodiment, as the image forming apparatus, the thermal printer 10 that forms an image on the film 30 is taken as an example. However, the image forming apparatus is not limited to this, and a sublimation thermal transfer system that forms an image on a photographic paper, a film, or the like. The present invention can be widely applied to various image forming apparatuses such as a method and an ink jet method.

It is a perspective view showing the thermal printer of this embodiment, and is a figure showing the state where the thermal printer was installed horizontally. It is a perspective view showing the thermal printer of this embodiment, and is a figure showing the state where the thermal printer was installed vertically. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a transport tray is being removed or mounted in the horizontal thermal printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a transport tray is being removed or mounted in the vertical thermal printer shown in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view which shows the conveyance tray of this embodiment. It is the perspective view and side view which show the recording-medium protection sheet of this embodiment. It is the perspective view and side view which show the state which has arrange | positioned the recording-medium protection sheet to the lower side of a film. It is the perspective view and side view which show the recording-medium protection sheet of a modification. It is a side view which shows the conveyance condition of the film at the time of using the recording-medium protection sheet shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows the conveyance condition of the film at the time of using the recording-medium protection sheet shown in FIG. 6, and is a figure which shows the state following FIG. It is a side view which shows the conveyance condition of the film in the case of a comparative example. It is a side view which shows the conveyance condition of the film in the case of a comparative example, and is a figure which shows the state following FIG. It is a side view which shows the conveyance condition of the film at the time of making the recording-medium protection sheet shown in FIG. 6 incline by an inclination means. It is a side view which shows the conveyance condition of the film at the time of making the recording-medium protection sheet shown in FIG. 6 incline by an inclination means, and is a figure which shows the state following FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Thermal printer (image forming device)
20 Transport tray 30 Film (recording medium)
40 recording medium protection sheet 41 sheet main body 42a, 42b side flange 43 back flange 44 holder 50 tilting means

Claims (4)

A recording medium protective sheet that is disposed below a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are stacked and is housed in a transport tray of an image forming apparatus together with the recording medium,
A sheet main body covering at least a part of the surface of the recording medium exposed in the lowermost layer;
A pair of side flanges standing from the sheet main body and respectively covering at least a part of the left and right side surfaces of the recording medium parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording medium;
A rear flange that is erected from the sheet main body and covers at least a part of the rear surface of the recording medium that is on the rear side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium,
The recording medium protective sheet, wherein the back flange can be inclined to at least one of a front side and a rear side in a conveyance direction of the recording medium. The recording medium protective sheet according to claim 1,
A recording medium protective sheet, comprising: a holder that stands from the side flange and covers at least a part of the surface of the recording medium exposed at the uppermost layer. Arranged on the lower side of a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are laminated,
A sheet main body covering at least a part of the surface of the recording medium exposed in the lowermost layer;
A pair of side flanges standing from the sheet main body and respectively covering at least a part of the left and right side surfaces of the recording medium parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording medium;
An image that can be accommodated together with the recording medium, with a recording medium protective sheet provided with a rear flange that stands up from the sheet body and covers at least a part of the rear surface of the recording medium that is rearward with respect to the conveyance direction of the recording medium A transport tray of a forming apparatus,
A transport tray comprising tilting means for tilting the rear flange of the accommodated recording medium protection sheet toward at least one of the front side and the rear side in the transport direction of the recording medium. Arranged on the lower side of a recording medium in which a plurality of sheets are laminated,
A sheet main body covering at least a part of the surface of the recording medium exposed in the lowermost layer;
A pair of side flanges standing from the sheet main body and respectively covering at least a part of the left and right side surfaces of the recording medium parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording medium;
A transport tray that is provided with the recording medium and includes a recording medium protection sheet that is provided upright from the sheet main body and includes a rear flange that covers at least a part of the rear surface of the recording medium that is rearward with respect to the transport direction of the recording medium. An image forming apparatus capable of wearing
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an inclining unit configured to incline the back flange of the recording medium protection sheet accommodated in the conveyance tray toward at least one of a front side and a rear side in a conveyance direction of the recording medium.

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