Image recording apparatus

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• an accommodation section on which sheet-like recording media are stacked;
• an image recording section that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, the accommodation section and the image recording section being arranged in an up and down direction;
• an outer arcuate guide member that connects in a U-shape the accommodation section with the image recording section, the outer arcuate guide member guiding the recording medium from a downstream end portion of the accommodation section in the conveyance direction to an insertion port of the image recording section;
• an inner arcuate guide member that is disposed to be separate from the outer arcuate guide member, a passage being defined between the outer arcuate guide member and the inner arcuate guide member, the passage allowing the recording medium conveyed to displace in a thickness direction of the recording medium;
• a feeding section that separates one of the stacked recording media from the remaining recording media to feed the one of the recording media to the passage;
• and
• a casing,
• wherein:
• the outer arcuate guide member is attached to the image recording apparatus so that the outer arcuate guide member is detachable from an outside of the casing,
• the outer arcuate guide member includes:
• a handle portion used to attach and detach the outer arcuate guide member;
• a locking portion that is elastically engageable with an engaged portion provided in the casing in a state where the outer arcuate guide member is attached to an attachment position;
• and
• a release operation portion;
• and
• when the handle portion and the release operation portion are grasped simultaneously, the release operation portion deforms the locking portion to release the engagement between the locking portion and the engaged portion.

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• an accommodation section on which sheet-like recording media are stacked;
• an image recording section that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, the accommodation section and the image recording section being arranged in an up and down direction;
• an outer arcuate guide member that connects in a U-shape the accommodation section with the image recording section, the outer arcuate guide member guiding the recording medium from a downstream end portion of the accommodation section in the conveyance direction to an insertion port of the image recording section;
• an inner arcuate guide member that is disposed to be separate from the outer arcuate guide member, a passage being defined between the outer arcuate guide member and the inner arcuate guide member, the passage allowing the recording medium conveyed to displace in a thickness direction of the recording medium;
• and
• a feeding section that separates one of the stacked recording media from the remaining recording media to feed the one of the recording media to the passage,
• wherein:
• the outer arcuate guide member comprises a surface that faces the inner arcuate guide member;
• the outer arcuate guide member comprises a resistance reducing portion, which is made of a synthetic resin having smaller friction resistance against the recording medium than that of a synthetic resin forming the other portion of the outer arcuate guide member;
• and
• the resistance reducing portion is disposed at a center portion of the outer arcuate guide member in a width direction.

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• an accommodation section on which sheet-like recording media are stacked;
• an image recording section that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, the accommodation section and the image recording section being arranged in an up and down direction;
• an outer arcuate guide member that connects in a U-shape the accommodation section with the image recording section, the outer arcuate guide member guiding the recording medium from a downstream end portion of the accommodation section in the conveyance direction to an insertion port of the image recording section;
• an inner arcuate guide member that is disposed to be separate from the outer arcuate guide member, a passage being defined between the outer arcuate guide member and the inner arcuate guide member, the passage allowing the recording medium conveyed to displace in a thickness direction of the recording medium;
• and
• a feeding section that separates one of the stacked recording media from the remaining recording media to feed the one of the recording media to the passage,
• wherein:
• the outer arcuate guide member comprises a plurality of rollers at a center portion thereof in a width direction,
• the outer arcuate guide member comprises a receiving portion and a cover member,
• the outer arcuate guide member comprises a surface that faces the inner arcuate guide member,
• the receiving portion receives therein the rollers and shafts of the rollers with exposing the rollers and the shafts of the rollers toward the surface of the outer arcuate guide member, and
• the cover member is detachably attached to the surface of the outer arcuate guide member to expose at least a part of the rollers and cover the shafts of the rollers.

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• an accommodation section on which sheet-like recording media are stacked;
• an image recording section that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, the accommodation section and the image recording section being arranged in an up and down direction;
• an outer arcuate guide member that connects in a U-shape the accommodation section with the image recording section, the outer arcuate guide member guiding the recording medium from a downstream end portion of the accommodation section in the conveyance direction to an insertion port of the image recording section;
• an inner arcuate guide member that is disposed to be separate from the outer arcuate guide member, a passage being defined between the outer arcuate guide member and the inner arcuate guide member, the passage allowing the recording medium conveyed to displace in a thickness direction of the recording medium;
• a feeding section that separates one of the stacked recording media from the remaining recording media to feed the one of the recording media to the passage;
• a casing;
• and
• a cam member;
• wherein:
• the casing comprises an engaged portion;
• the accommodation section comprises an engagement claw at an end portion of a lower surface thereof an engagement;
• when the accommodation section is completely inserted into the casing, the engagement claw of the accommodation section engages with the engaged portion of the casing;
• and when the accommodation section is pulled from the casing, the cam member guides the accommodation section upward to release the engagement between the engagement claw and the engaged portion.

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• a main body;
• an image recording unit that forms an image on a recording medium;
• a conveying path through which the recording medium is fed to the image recording unit, the image recording unit and the conveying path being disposed in the main body;
• a feed cassette disposed at a lower portion of the main body and below the image recording unit so as to be movable forward and rearward, the feed cassette being capable of accommodating a stack of recording media therein;
• a feeding roller that feeds the recording medium from the stack on the feed cassette to the conveying path;
• and
• a separating unit that is disposed at an end portion of the feed cassette to separate the recording medium from the stack and cooperate with the feeding roller to convey the separated recording medium upward to the conveying path, wherein:
• the conveying path comprises a conveying-path member having a plate portion of a U-shape in a side view;
• the conveying-path member includes a plurality of rollers that are freely rotatable provided at a central portion thereof in a widthwise direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording medium;
• the plurality of rollers are arranged in the conveyance direction of the recording medium;
• the plurality of rollers are always separated from the feeding roller when the recording medium is fed to the recording unit;
• and
• a diameter of one roller located upstream in the conveyance direction is larger than that of another roller located downstream in the conveyance direction.

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• an accommodation section on which sheet-like recording media are stacked;
• an image recording section that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, the accommodation section and the image recording section being arranged in an up and down direction;
• an outer arcuate guide member that connects in a U-shape the accommodation section with the image recording section, the outer arcuate guide member guiding the recording medium from a downstream end portion of the accommodation section in the conveyance direction to an insertion port of the image recording section, the outer arcuate guide member including a surface that faces the inner arcuate guide member;
• an inner arcuate guide member that is disposed to be separate from the outer arcuate guide member, a passage being defined between the outer arcuate guide member and the inner arcuate guide member, the passage allowing the recording medium conveyed to displace in a thickness direction of the recording medium;
• a feeding section that separates one of the stacked recording media from the remaining recording media to feed the one of the recording media to the passage;
• and
• a plurality of ribs that protrude from the surface of the outer arcuate guide member, the ribs extending in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, the ribs being arranged at predetermined intervals in a width direction of the outer arcuate guide member,
• wherein a tip end of one rib is farther from a surface of the inner arcuate guide member than that of another rib, which is closer than the one rib to a center portion of the outer arcuate guide member in a width direction.

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• an accommodation section on which sheet-like recording media are stacked, the accommodation section including a guide plate that guides a leading end of the recording medium upwardly;
• an image recording section that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, the accommodation section and the image recording section being arranged in an up and down direction;
• an outer arcuate guide member that connects in a U-shape the accommodation section with the image recording section, the outer arcuate guide member guiding the recording medium from a downstream end portion of the accommodation section in the conveyance direction to an insertion port of the image recording section;
• an inner arcuate guide member that is disposed to be separate from the outer arcuate guide member, a passage being defined between the outer arcuate guide member and the inner arcuate guide member, the passage allowing the recording medium conveyed to displace in a thickness direction of the recording medium;
• and
• a feeding section that separates one of the stacked recording media from the remaining recording media to feed the one of the recording media to the passage,
• wherein the center portion of the guide plate in the width direction bulges more than the other portion of the guide plate, and
• the guide plate includes a separating member at the center portion thereof, the separating member separating recording media, which are fed while being overlapped with each other.