Loading apparatus and printer

A loading apparatus including a support surface facing forward and inclined vertically downward from a paper exit of a printer body and configured to come into contact with a first surface of a printed material, the first surface forming a vertically downward surface in the paper exit, a braking member provided near the paper exit and configured to come into contact with the first surface and to hold a part, whixh contacts therewith, of the printed material, and a stopper configured to come into contact with a downstream leading end of the printed material at a paper ejection direction in which the printed material is ejected. The stopper is configured to be located at a first position and a second position on the support surface, in which a distance between the second position and the paper exit is greater than a distance between the first position and the paper exit.

The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2019-110901, filed Jun. 14, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a loading apparatus and a printer.

2. Related Art

In the related art, a printing apparatus is known, as described in JP 2005-15189 A, which includes a printing means for performing printing on a paper, and a stacker unit configured to eject the printed paper through an opening portion and to place the ejected paper on a placement surface.

However, when the printed paper curls convexly with respect to the placement surface in the stacker unit of the apparatus, the leading end portion in the transport direction of the paper that is subsequently ejected may not override the upstream end of the paper placed in a curled manner. Thus, the paper that is subsequently ejected may be inserted between the paper placed in a curled manner and the placement surface. As a result, an issue arises in that the printing order of the printing means does not coincides with the loading order by which loading is performed on the stacker unit.

SUMMARY

A loading apparatus supporting a printed material ejected through a paper exit of a printer body, the loading apparatus including a support surface facing forward and inclined vertically downward from the paper exit and moreover configured to come into contact with a first surface of the printed material, the first surface being a vertically downward surface at the paper exit, a braking member provided near the paper exit and configured into come in contact with the first surface and to hold a part, which contacts therewith, of the printed material, and a stopper configured to come into contact with a downstream leading end of the printed material in a paper ejection direction in which the printed material is ejected, wherein the stopper is located at a first position and a second position on the support surface, and a distance between the second position and the paper exit is greater than a distance between the first position and the paper exit.

A printer includes a paper exit through which a printed material is ejected, a support surface facing forward and inclined vertically downward from the paper exit and moreover configured to come into contact with a first surface of the printed material, the first surface forming a vertically downward surface at the paper exit, a braking member provided near the paper exit and configured to come into contact with the first surface and to hold a part, which contacts therewith, of the printed material, and a stopper configured to come into contact with a downstream leading end of the printed material in a paper ejection direction in which the printed material is ejected, in which the stopper is configured to be located at a first position and a second position on the support surface, and a distance between the second position and the paper exit is greater than a distance between the first position and the paper exit.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

First, a configuration of a printer11will be described.

FIG. 1is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the printer11, andFIG. 2is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the configuration of the printer11. The printer11is, for example, an ink jet type printer configured to perform recording by injecting ink to a medium such as paper.

As illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, the printer11includes a housing unit12as a printer body forming an exterior portion of the printer11, and a loading apparatus50configured to support a cut paper CP (not illustrated) as a printed material on which recording has been performed. A paper exit13having a slit-shape configured to eject a sheet S on which recording has been performed is provided, at a position above the loading apparatus50, on the front face of the housing unit12. An operation unit14for operating the printer11is provided on the front face of the housing unit12.

The housing unit12is provided with, inside the housing unit12, a roll body R around which the sheet S is wound, and a medium holding unit15configured to rotatably hold the roll body R around a rotation axis coincident with the width direction of the housing unit12. The housing unit12is also provided with, inside the housing unit12, transport rollers16,17,18,19,20, and21configured to provide a transport force to the sheet S when transporting the sheet S that is unwound from the roll body R toward downstream in a transport direction in which the paper exit13is located.

There is also provided, above the space that houses the medium holding unit15, a recording unit30configured to perform recording on the sheet S that is unwound from the roll body R, and a cutting unit40configured to cut the sheet S on which recording has been performed by the recording unit30to generate the cut paper CP. The recording unit30includes a liquid injection head31configured to inject ink to the sheet S. Further, the cutting unit40includes a cutter41configured to cut the sheet S and a clamping roller pair42configured to clamp the sheet S when the cutter41cuts the sheet S. In addition, the clamping roller pair42clamps the sheet S from the upper and lower directions upstream of the cutter41in the transport direction. This allows the cutting to be performed in a state where the sheet S is being restricted from moving, that is, in a state where the sheet S is being fixed.

The cut paper CP having been cut by the cutter41is ejected through the paper exit13toward the loading apparatus50. The cut paper CP having been ejected is supported by the loading apparatus50.

Next, a configuration of the loading apparatus50will be described.FIGS. 3 and 4are perspective views illustrating a configuration of the loading apparatus50. The loading apparatus50includes a support surface52configured to come in contact with a first surface P1of the cut paper CP, a braking member54provided near the paper exit13, and configured to come in contact with the first surface P1and to hold the contacting part of the cut paper CP, and a stopper56configured to come in contact with the downstream leading end of the cut paper CP in a paper ejection direction PD in which the cut paper CP is ejected. The support surface52is inclined vertically downward toward the front, which is a direction in which the support surface52is separated from the paper exit13. Further, the first surface P1with which the support surface52can come in contact is a vertically downward surface at a timing when the cut paper CP is ejected through the paper exit13. In other words, the first surface P1with which the support surface52can come in contact is a vertically lower surface in the paper exit13.

The loading apparatus50of the embodiment is configured to be attachable to/detachable from the housing unit12. The loading apparatus50includes a hook portion80having a thin plate-shape for allowing the user to attach the loading apparatus50to the housing unit12. The housing unit12is provided with an insertion portion into which the hook portion80can be inserted. The insertion portion is provided with a receiving portion that engages with the hook portion80. The user can insert the hook portion80into the insertion portion to cause the hook portion80to engage with the receiving portion, to thus integrate the loading apparatus50with the housing unit12.

The support surface52is provided on a support plate51having a rectangular shape. The support surface52has a width direction dimension equivalent to the width dimension of the paper exit13. The upper end portion of the support surface52is located below the paper exit13, and the lower end portion of the support surface52is located at approximately the same position as the lower end portion of the housing unit12. The support plate51is supported by a base body53. The support plate51is formed of a plastic material. Examples of the plastic material that forms the support plate51include an olefin resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like, or a polyester resin represented by polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Note that the support surface52comes in contact with the first surface P1of the cut paper CP, however, in a strict sense, the support surface52is considered to be in a state of being in contact with the first surface P1even in a state where the end of the cut paper CP is being in contact with the support surface52when the first surface P1of the cut paper CP is in a state of facing the side of the support surface52.

The support surface52is formed with a rib65along the paper ejection direction PD. The rib65is a thin-line shaped convex portion extending from the upper end portion to the lower end portion of the support surface52. A plurality of the ribs65are provided on the support surface52. This makes it possible to reduce the contact area between the cut paper CP and the support surface52, allowing the cut paper CP to be transported smoothly.

The braking member54, which is the upper end portion of the support surface52, is disposed below the paper exit13. As described later, the braking member54of the embodiment comes in contact with the cut paper CP to minimize the curl of the cut paper CP. Accordingly, in the embodiment, the braking member54is provided on the upper end portion of the support surface52, however, the braking member54may be provided, without being limited to this, at a position at which the curl of the cut paper CP can be minimized, that is, near the paper exit13.

The braking member54forms a band shape along the width direction of the support surface52. The braking member54forms an upwardly convex shape with respect to the support surface52. The braking member54is formed of a member having a higher friction coefficient relative to the first surface P1of the cut paper CP than the support surface52. The braking member54is formed of, for example, polyurethane or a rubber material.

Note that the braking member54comes in contact with the first surface P1of the cut paper CP, however, in a strict sense, the support surface52is considered to be in a state of being in contact with the first surface P1even in a state where the end of the cut paper CP is being in contact with the support surface52when the first surface P1of the cut paper CP is in a state of facing the side of the support surface52.

The stopper56is a plate member disposed approximately perpendicular to the support surface52. The stopper56is provided with a restricting surface56aconfigured to come in contact with the downstream leading end of the cut paper CP to restrict the cut paper CP from moving downstream. The restricting surface56aof the stopper56of the embodiment has the width dimension approximately equal to the width dimension of the support surface52. The stopper56prevents the cut paper CP ejected through the paper exit13from moving downward and falling, which allows the loading apparatus50to hold the plurality of the cut papers CP on which recording has been performed.

The stopper56can be located at different positions on the support surface52. In the embodiment, as illustrated inFIG. 4, the stopper56can be located at the first position PT1on the support surface52, and can be located at a second position PT2, which is larger in distance from the paper exit13than the first position PT1, as illustrated inFIG. 3. That is, the position of the stopper56can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the cut paper CP on which recording is to be performed. For example, when the user causes a cutting paper CP1having a business card size (91 mm×55 mm) to be ejected, the user causes the stopper56to be located at the first position PT1, while when the user causes the cut paper CP2having an L-size (127 mm×89 mm) that is larger in size than the cut paper CP1to be ejected, the user causes the stopper56to be located at the second position PT2.

The stopper56of the embodiment is configured to be slidable on the support surface52. Specifically, there are provided guide grooves57at both end parts in the width direction of the support surface52in the support plate51. The stopper56is provided with a convex portion that is movably fitted into the guide groove57. This allows the stopper56to easily move along the guide grooves57to the first position PT1and the second position PT2.

Further, the support surface52is provided with a plurality of concave portions58along the paper ejection direction PD. The stopper56has a protrusion61that is engageable with the concave portion58. The protrusion61is coupled to a slide switch62via a spring. Causing the slide switch62to move in a direction away from the support surface52causes the spring to contract, allowing the protrusion61to be detached from the concave portion58. Then, in this state, the stopper56can be moved along the guide grooves57. On the other hand, releasing the slide switch62causes the spring to extend, allowing the protrusion61to be engaged in a state of being biased toward the concave portion58. The protrusion61is biased in an engagement state with the concave portion58, to thus restrict the movement of the stopper56.

Further, the loading apparatus50is switched between the first state ST1where the braking member54comes in contact with the cut paper CP, and the second state ST2where the braking member54does not come into contact with the cut paper CP. The first state ST1and the second state ST2correspond toFIG. 3andFIG. 4, respectively. Further, in the embodiment, as illustrated inFIG. 4, the loading apparatus50is in the second state ST2when the stopper56is located at the first position PT1, and the loading apparatus50is in the first state ST1when the stopper56is located at the second position PT2, as illustrated inFIG. 3.

In the embodiment, there is provided a cover member70that is movable to different positions between the first state ST1and the second state ST2. In the first state ST1, the cover member70is located at an open position at which the cut paper CP can come in contact with the braking member54, while in the second state ST2, the cover member70is located at a cover position at which the cover member70covers the vertically above the braking member54. That is, the first state ST1is a state where the cover member70is located at the open position, while the second state ST2is a state where the cover member70is located at the cover position.

In other words, for example, when ejecting the cut paper CP1having a relatively small, business card size, and when ejecting the cut paper CP2having an L-size that is larger in size than the cut paper CP1, it is switchable between when the cut paper CP comes in contact with the braking member54and when the cut paper CP does not come in contact with the braking member54.

Specifically, when ejecting the cut paper CP1having a business card size, the loading apparatus50is switched to the second state ST2where the cut paper CP1does not come in contact with the braking member54, while when ejecting the cut paper CP2having an L-size, the loading apparatus50is switched to the first state ST1where the cut paper CP2comes in contact with the braking member54.

The cover member70is formed of a thin plate-shaped plastic material that can cover the entirety of the braking member54. Examples of the plastic material include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and the like. The cover member70moves to the cover position and the open position as the stopper56moves to the first position PT1and the second position PT2. That is, the loading apparatus50is switched between the first state ST1where the stopper56is located at the second position PT2and the second state ST2where the stopper56is located at the first position PT1.

There are provided protrusions66protruding toward the braking member54at both end portions, in the width direction, on the side of the restricting surface56aof the stopper56. The leading end portion of the protrusion66is coupled to the lower end portion of the cover member70. Then, when the stopper56is caused to move from the second position PT2to the first position PT1, the cover member70is pushed upward toward the braking member54along the support surface52to cover a region encompassing the vertically above the braking member54. That is, the cover position is at the first position PT1of the stopper56. On the other hand, when the stopper56is caused to move from the first position PT1to the second position PT2, the cover member70is pushed downward along the support surface52to release the braking member54from the covered state of the cover member70. The open position is at the second position PT2of the stopper56. The user can easily switch the loading apparatus50to the first state ST1and the second state ST2by causing the cover member70to move.

Next, an operation of the loading apparatus50included in the printer11will be described.

FIGS. 5 to 9are views schematically illustrating the operation of the loading apparatus50.

Here, in the embodiment, the operation when ejecting each of the cut paper CP1having a business card size and the cut paper CP2having an L-size that is larger in size than the cut paper CP1is described.

Here, depending on the difference in size of the cut papers CP, the tendency of the occurrence of curl differs. Specifically, the cut paper CP2having the larger size have a tendency to curl larger than the cut paper CP1. For example, the curl is considered to occur when the winding habit of the roll body R is strong. Because the printer11of the embodiment performs recording on the sheet S that is wound around the roll body R, the winding habit that occurs when the second surface P2is at the outer side and the first surface P1is at the inner side becomes strong depending on the material of the sheet S, which causes the sheet S on which recording has been performed to be ejected through the paper exit13and to then be curved (curled) immediately. In this case, the sheet S curls convexly with respect to the support surface52. The cut paper CP2having a larger size, due to its greater susceptibility to the winding habit, curls more than the cut paper CP1. On the other hand, the cut paper CP1hardly curls. Note that the degree of the curl in the embodiment is the difference between the length of the cut paper CP and the distance between the both ends in the length direction of the cut paper CP.

When the curl of the cut paper CP2is large in the support surface52, the downstream end portion in the paper ejection direction PD of the cut paper CP2that is subsequently ejected cannot override the second surface P2that is the upper surface of the cut paper CP2previously supported, and moves into a position under the cut paper CP2previously supported to enter between the cut paper CP2that is previously placed and the support surface52. As a result, an issue arises that the recording order by which recording has been performed at the recording unit30does not coincide with the loading order by which loading is performed in the loading apparatus50.

Thus, in the embodiment, the above-described issue is resolved by the braking member54and the like.

First, a case when ejecting the cut paper CP2is described.

FIGS. 5 to 7are views schematically illustrating the operation of the loading apparatus50when ejecting the cut paper CP2.

When ejecting the cut paper CP2, the stopper56is caused to be located at the second position PT2. At this time, the loading apparatus50is in the first state ST1, and the braking member54is at the open position at which the cover member70is uncovered by the braking member54.

As illustrated inFIG. 2described above, when performing recording on the sheet S, the transport rollers16to21are driven to cause the sheet S in a state of being wound around the roll body R to be unwound, as well as to cause the sheet S to be transported toward the paper exit13. When the sheet S has been transported to the recording unit30, an ink is injected from the liquid injection head31onto the sheet S to perform recording on the sheet S. That is, in a state where recording is being performed on the sheet S, the recording surface of the sheet S faces vertically upward, and the non-recording surface of the sheet S faces vertically downward. In the embodiment, the recording surface corresponds to the second surface P2of the cut paper CP, and the non-recording surface corresponds to the first surface P1of the cut paper CP. Note that, depending on the configuration of the recording unit30, the first surface P1may be the recording surface and the second surface P2may be the non-recording surface, and both of the first surface P1and the second surface P2may be the recording surfaces.

As illustrated inFIG. 5, when recording is performed on the sheet S, in order to generate the cut paper CP2by cutting the sheet S on which recording has been performed, the sheet S on which recording has been performed is transported further downstream of the recording unit30in the paper ejection direction PD. When the sheet S is ejected through the paper exit13to the outside of the printer11, the sheet S moves downward under its own weight while curling in a state where the downstream end portion of the sheet S is being in contact with the support surface52.

Next, as illustrated inFIG. 6, the sheet S, which is fixed with the clamping roller pair42, is cut to generate the cut paper CP2on which recording has been performed.

The first surface P1of the upstream end portion in the paper ejection direction PD of the cut paper CP2that has been cut comes in contact with the braking member54. The contacting part of the cut paper CP2that is in contact with the braking member54is held by friction with the braking member54. This allows, in a state where the contacting part of the cut paper CP2that is in contact with the braking member54is being held, the downstream end portion of the cut paper CP2moves downward of the support surface52to come in contact with the restricting surface56aof the stopper56, and then the cut paper CP2of the first sheet is supported on the support surface52. The cut paper CP2of the first sheet, in a state where the contacting part with the braking member54is being held, is stretched by moving under its own weight following the support surface52. This allows the support surface52to support the cut paper CP2in a state where the curled state is being corrected to be substantially flat.

Next, as illustrated inFIG. 7, the cut paper CP2of the second sheet on which recording has been performed, when ejected through the paper exit13, is loaded in a substantially flat state following the second surface P2of the cut paper CP2of the first sheet. After that, the cut paper CP2subsequently processed is loaded in the same manner.

Next, a case when ejecting the cut paper CP1is described.

FIGS. 8 and 9are views schematically illustrating the operation of the loading apparatus50when ejecting the cut paper CP1.

When ejecting the cut paper CP1, the stopper56is caused to be located at the first position PT1. At this time, the loading apparatus50is in the second state ST2, and the braking member54is at the cover position at which the braking member54is covered by the cover member70.

As illustrated inFIG. 8, similar to those described above, the transport rollers16to21are driven to cause the sheet S in a state of being wound around the roll body R to be unwound, as well as to cause the sheet S to be transported toward the paper exit13. When the sheet S has been transported to the recording unit30, an ink is injected from the liquid injection head31onto the sheet S to perform recording on the sheet S.

When recording is performed on the sheet S, in order to generate the cut paper CP1by cutting the sheet S on which recording has been performed, the sheet S on which recording has been performed is transported further downstream of the recording unit30in the paper ejection direction PD. When the sheet S is ejected through the paper exit13to the outside of the printer11, the sheet S moves downward under its own weight in a state where the downstream end portion of the sheet S is being in contact with the support surface52.

As illustrated inFIG. 9, the sheet S, which is fixed with the clamping roller pair42, is cut to generate the cut paper CP1on which recording has been performed. The first surface P1of the upstream end portion in the paper ejection direction PD of the cut paper CP1that has been cut is transported downward along the support surface52under its own weight without coming in contact with the braking member54, to come in contact with the restricting surface56aof the stopper56a, and then the cut paper CP1of the first sheet is supported on the support surface52. The cut paper CP1, in which a curl occurs hardly at all due to its relatively small size, is supported by the support surface52in a substantially flat state.

Next, the cut paper CP1of the second sheet on which recording has been performed, when ejected through the paper exit13, is loaded in a substantially flat state following the second surface P2of the cut paper CP1of the first sheet. After that, the cut paper CP1subsequently processed is loaded in the same manner.

According to the embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be achieved.

When causing the cut paper CP2to be ejected, the first state ST1is established where the braking member54comes into contact with the cut paper CP2. The cut paper CP2that is firstly ejected through the paper exit13is supported on the support surface52in a state where the upstream end portion of the cut paper CP2is being held by the braking member54. That is, the cut paper CP2, which is supported in a state of suppressing the occurrence of curl in the cut paper CP2, is supported by the support surface52in a substantially flat state. This allows the cut paper CP2that is subsequently ejected to be loaded in a substantially flat state following on the cut paper CP2that is firstly supported. Accordingly, the printing order by which the recording unit30of the printer11performs printing and the printed sheet is ejected through the paper exit13can coincide with the loading order by which loading is performed in the loading apparatus50.

When causing the cut paper CP1to be ejected, the second state ST2is established where the braking member54does not come into contact with the cut paper CP1. The cut paper CP1that is firstly ejected through the paper exit13is supported on the support surface52without coming in contact with the braking member54. That is, substantially no curl occurs in the cut paper CP1. It is configured such that the cut paper CP1in which no curl occurs does not intentionally come in contact with the braking member54. That is, when the cut paper CP1is brought into contact with the braking member54, the cut paper CP1is held by the braking member54and may not be transported to the stopper56. In order to avoid such a failure, the cut paper CP1is caused to avoid coming in contact with the braking member54to suppress variation in the paper ejection orientation of the cut paper CP1, making it possible to perform a stable loading process of the cut paper CP1.

Further, interlocking the first position PT1and the second position PT2of the stopper56and the first state ST1and the second state ST2of the loading apparatus50enables to perform appropriate loading process in accordance with the sizes of the cut papers CP1and CP2.

Although in the above-described embodiment, the printer11having the configuration is described to which the roll body R around which the sheet S is wound is applied, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the printer may be a printer configured to perform recording on a single sheet of paper. That is, the occurrence factor of the curl in the printed material is not limited to due to the winding habit. This is also applicable to the curl of the printed material due to an application of ink to a single sheet of paper or the like. Specifically, the paper may shrink to cause a curl to occur in the course in which an ink is applied to the paper and then the ink is dried. A configuration that is the same as that described above can be applied to such a printed material.

Although the stopper56of the above-described embodiment is configured to be movable to a plurality of positions, such as the first position PT1and the second position PT2, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be employed in which the stopper56is detachable from the support surface52, and the user attaches the stopper56to any position.

A plurality of the stoppers56may also be provided. For example, a stopper561for the first position PT1and a stopper562for the second position PT2are provided. In this case, the stopper561for the first position PT1may be attached to the support surface52in a state where the stopper562for the second position PT2is attached to the support surface52. Further in this case, a configuration may be employed in which the cover member70is provided on the stopper561for the first position PT1, and the cover member70covers the braking member54in a state where the stopper561for the first position PT1is attached to the support surface52.

Moreover, a configuration may be employed in which the stopper56of which the installation position is changed depending on the power source. In this case, a configuration may be employed in which the position of the stopper56is controlled based on the setting information related to the length in the paper ejection direction of the cut paper CP to be ejected.

Although the first state ST1and the second state ST2of the loading apparatus50are switched by the cover member70, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration may be employed in which the braking member54, by retracting from the support surface52, causes the first state ST1and the second state ST2of the loading apparatus50to be switched.

Contents derived from the embodiment will be described below.

A loading apparatus supporting a printed material ejected through a paper exit of a printer body, the loading apparatus including a support surface facing forward and inclined vertically downward from the paper exit and moreover configured to come into contact with a first surface of the printed material, the first surface being a vertically downward surface at the paper exit, a braking member provided near the paper exit and configured to come into contact with the first surface and to hold a part, which contact therewith, of the printed material, and a stopper configured to come into contact with a downstream leading end of the printed material in a paper ejection direction in which the printed material is ejected, wherein the stopper is configured to be located at a first position and a second position on the support surface, and a distance between the second position and the paper exit is greater than a distance between the first position and the paper exit.

According to the above configuration, a part near the paper exit of the printed material, that is, an upstream part in the paper ejection direction of the first surface of the printed material comes in contact with the braking member in the paper ejection direction in which the printed material is ejected through the paper exit. Then, the printed material follows along the support surface under its own weight in a state where the upstream part is being held by the braking member. This reduces the displacement force for causing the printed material to curl convexly with respect to the support surface, suppressing the occurrence of curl in the printed material. Accordingly, the printed material is supported on the support surface in a substantially flat state. This allows the printed material that is subsequently ejected to be loaded in a substantially flat state following on the printed material that is previously placed. Accordingly, the printing order by which the printer performs printing and the printed sheet is ejected through the paper exit can coincide with the loading order by which loading is performed in the loading apparatus.

The loading apparatus may be configured to switch between a first state where the braking member comes into contact with the printed material and a second state where the braking member does not come into contact with the printed material.

According to the above configuration, for example, the printed material having a relatively large size, which easily curls, is caused to come in contact with the braking member to suppress the occurrence of curl and to enhance the loadability. On the other hand, for a printed material in which a curl occurs hardly at all, for example, a printed material having a relatively small size, the printed material may be held by the braking member and may not be transported. Thus, for the printed material having a relatively small size, a stable loading process of the printed material can be performed by causing the printed material to avoid coming in contact with the braking member.

The loading apparatus may be in the second state when the stopper is located at the first position, and may be in the first state when the stopper is located at the second position.

According to the above configuration, interlocking the position of the stopper and the state of the loading apparatus enables to perform appropriate loading process in accordance with the size of the printed material.

The loading apparatus may include a cover member movable between an open position at which the printed material is able to come in contact with the braking member and a cover position at which a vertically upper side of the braking member is covered, in which the first state is a state where the cover member is located at the open position, and the second state is a state where the cover member is located at the cover position.

According to the above configuration, the first state and the second state can be easily established by causing the cover member to move.

The support surface may have a rib formed thereon along the paper ejection direction.

According to the above configuration, the contact area between the printed material and the support surface is reduced, making it possible to transport the printed material smoothly.

In the loading apparatus, the stopper may be slidable on the support surface.

According to the above configuration, the stopper can be easily moved between the first position and the second position.

A printer including a paper exit through which a printed material is ejected, a support surface facing forward and inclined vertically downward from the paper exit and moreover configured to come into contact with a first surface of the printed material, the first surface forming a vertically downward surface at the paper exit, a braking member provided near the paper exit and configured to come into contact with the first surface and to hold a part, which contacts therewith, of the printed material, and a stopper configured to come into contact with a downstream leading end of the printed material in a paper ejection direction in which the printed material is ejected, and the stopper is configured to be located at a first position and a second position, which is larger in distance from the paper exit than the first position, on the support surface.

According to the above configuration, a part near the paper exit of the printed material, that is, an upstream part in the paper ejection direction of the first surface of the printed material comes in contact with the braking member in the paper ejection direction in which the printed material is ejected through the paper exit. Then, the printed material follows along the support surface under its own weight in a state where the upstream part is being held by the braking member. This reduces the displacement force for causing the printed material to curl convexly with respect to the support surface, suppressing the occurrence of curl in the printed material. Accordingly, the printed material is supported on the support surface in a substantially flat state. This allows the printed material that is subsequently ejected to be loaded in a substantially flat state following on the printed material that is previously placed. Accordingly, the printing order by which the printer performs printing and the printed sheet is ejected through the paper exit can coincide with the loading order by which loading is performed in the loading apparatus.