Medium transport device and recording apparatus

A medium feeder comprising:

• a tray configured to contain a medium stacked in an apparatus height direction;
• a feeding roller that feeds out the medium from the tray;
• a guide member that faces a leading edge of the medium loaded in the tray and guides the leading edge of the medium fed out from the tray toward downstream in a feed direction;
• a path blocking member configured to switch between a blocking state that blocks a feed path for a medium fed out from the tray at a position of the guide member, and an open state that opens the feed path;
• a switching unit that performs switching of the path blocking member;
• a reverse path that reverses a medium fed out from the tray, the reverse path being provided above the tray in the apparatus height direction;
• a path forming member that forms at least part of the reverse path;
• a reverse path that reverses a medium fed out from the tray, the reverse path being provided above the tray in the apparatus height direction;
• a path forming member that forms at least part of the reverse path;
• and
• a roller driving shaft that transmits a rotation torque to the feeding roller, the roller driving shaft being provided under the path forming member in the apparatus height direction, wherein
• the switching unit includes a rack configured to be displaced in a feeding direction in which a medium is fed from the tray, and a pinion gear that drives the rack along the feeding direction, and
• the pinion gear contacts and engages the rack during causing the rack to move from a first position to a second position to perform switching of the path blocking member to the open state and causing the rack to move from the second position to the first position to perform switching of the path blocking member to the blocking state,
• the path blocking member rotates to switch between the blocking state and the open state,
• the switching unit includes a pressing member that biases the path blocking member toward the open state,
• the rack is displaced between the first position where the path blocking member is maintained in the blocking state against a pressing force from the pressing member and the second position where the path blocking member is allowed to assume the open state,
• the rack is displaced along an underside of the path forming member, and
• at least part of the pinion gear and at least part of the roller driving shaft overlap each other in the apparatus height direction.