Patent Publication Number: US-8985720-B2

Title: Recording apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a recording apparatus including a recording unit and an upper structure provided on top of the recording unit so as to open and close the top portion of the recording unit. 
     2. Related Art 
     Recording apparatuses integrally constituted of a recording unit and an upper structure such as a scanner unit, so called multifunction printer, have come to be widely employed, among which ink jet multifunction printers are most popular (see, for example, JP-A-2012-107393). Many of the ink jet multifunction printers are serial ink jet printers including a head unit (also called a carriage) with a recording head that ejects ink, the head unit being set to move in a predetermined direction. 
     Some of the head units include an ink chamber (hereinafter also referred to as “ink cartridge”) in which the ink is stored, while others do not include the ink cartridge. 
     The head unit including the ink cartridge is set to reciprocate in a predetermined direction with the ink cartridge mounted thereon, and the ink is supplied inside the head unit, from the ink cartridge to the recording head. In the printers in which the head unit is without the ink cartridge, the ink cartridge is provided independent from the head unit, and the ink cartridge and the head unit (recording head) are connected via an ink tube for supplying the ink therethrough (see, for example, JP-A-2010-131893). 
     Recently there has been an increasing demand for reduction in size of the ink jet multifunction printer, especially in height, i.e., reduction in size of the apparatus in the height direction. With the ink jet printer in which the ink cartridge is not mounted on the head unit, however, the ink tube has to be arranged between the inside and outside of the apparatus, which leads to an increase in size of the apparatus in the height direction. In addition, the ink tube has to be arranged between the inside and outside of the apparatus so as not to compromise the recording performance of the apparatus. 
     SUMMARY 
     An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that a recording apparatus integrally constituted of a recording unit and an upper structure is provided, in which an ink tube is provided so as to suppress an increase in height of the apparatus without compromising the recording performance. 
     In an aspect, the invention provides a recording apparatus including a recording unit including a head unit having a recording head that ejects ink onto a medium, the head unit being mounted inside the apparatus main body so as to move in a scanning direction of the recording head, and an upper structure provided on top of the recording unit so as to open and close the top portion of the recording unit. The recording unit includes a flexible ink tube through which the ink from an ink chamber is supplied to the head unit, a control unit that controls the head unit, according to a state of a press-down switch provided on the top portion of the recording unit, so as to perform recording on the medium when a pressed state of the switch is detected and not to perform the recording when an unpressed state of the switch is detected, a feed unit that delivers the medium from a medium storage unit in which the medium is stored, and a medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged and that can be displaced between a projecting position in which the medium receiving tray sticks out from the recording unit and a retracted position in which the medium receiving tray is accommodated inside the recording unit. The medium storage unit includes a medium storage tray located under the medium receiving tray and configured to be removably mounted in the recording unit independent from the medium receiving tray. The medium receiving tray includes a cutout formed on an upstream side in a discharge direction of the medium so as to avoid interference with the feed unit so that the feed unit is located inside the cutout when the medium receiving tray is at the retracted position, and the switch enters the pressed state when a gap that allows the ink tube to pass therethrough is formed between the recording unit and the upper structure, the gap having a size that at least prevents an ink flow path in the ink tube from being blocked. 
     With the foregoing recording apparatus, including the recording unit and the upper structure configured so as to open and close the top portion of the recording unit, the recording operation can be performed with a gap formed between the recording unit and the upper structure, the gap having a size that at least prevents the ink flow path in the ink tube from being blocked, in other words with a gap of a minimum necessary size. Such a configuration suppresses an increase in height of the apparatus despite the ink tube being passed through between the recording unit and the upper structure, without compromising the recording performance. 
     In addition, the medium receiving tray that receives the discharged medium includes the cutout for avoiding interference with the feed unit. Such a configuration eliminates the need to superpose the feed unit on the medium receiving tray in the height direction of the apparatus, and allows the feed unit and the medium receiving tray to overlap in the height direction, thereby further contributing to reducing the size of the apparatus in the height direction. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the feed unit and the cutout may overlap in a height direction when the medium receiving tray is at the retracted position. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, a reference feed position of the feed unit may be located at a position corresponding to the center of the medium in a width direction, and the cutout may be formed at a central position of the medium receiving tray in the width direction of the medium. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the cutout portion may be formed so as to become narrower toward a downstream side in a direction in which the medium is discharged. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the medium receiving tray may include a guide member that supports a disk tray. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the medium storage unit includes a plurality of the medium storage trays including a lower tray and an upper tray located above the lower tray independent therefrom, and one of the upper tray and the lower tray may be accessible by the feed unit when the other is removed from the recording unit. 
     In this case, since the feed unit can make access to one of the lower tray and the upper tray when the other is removed from the recording unit, the feed unit can deliver the medium irrespective of the mounting status of the medium storage trays. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the feed unit may include a single feed roller, and both the upper tray and the lower tray may be accessible by the single feed roller. 
     The mentioned configuration allows a single feed roller to make access to both the upper tray and the lower tray, and thus allows the feed unit to be simplified and contributes to reducing the cost. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the upper structure may be a scanner unit. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the scanner unit may include a protruding portion bulging from a bottom face of the scanner unit and including a guide member configured to guide in the scanning direction a reading unit that makes a scanning motion in the stroke direction of the head unit, and the ink tube may be connected to both the head unit and the ink chamber without intersecting the protruding portion in a depth direction of the recording unit. 
     In this case, the scanner unit includes, because of a design requirement, the protruding portion bulging from the bottom face, and the ink tube is connected to the head unit and the ink chamber without intersecting the protruding portion. Such a configuration suppresses an increase in size of the apparatus in the height direction. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the gap may be defined by a gap forming member provided on an upper face of the recording unit. 
     In this case, the gap forming member is provided on the upper face of the recording unit to form the gap. Such a configuration assures that the gap is securely formed. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the recording unit may include a housing having an opening in which an upper portion of at least a part of a stroke region of the head unit is exposed, and the ink tube may be fixed to an upper face of the housing at a position close to the opening. 
     With the mentioned configuration, since the ink tube is fixed to the upper face of the housing at a position close to the opening, the housing can be utilized as a fastener of the ink tube, and therefore the space and the cost for fixing the ink tube can be saved. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the switch may be located in a bore formed in the upper face of the recording unit, and the upper structure may include a projection formed on a lower face so as to press down the switch upon intruding in the bore and form the gap while keeping the switch pressed. 
     In this case, when the upper structure is open the projection is disengaged from the switch and the switch is released from the pressed state. The mentioned configuration allows, therefore, the control unit of the recording apparatus to inhibit the recording operation while the upper structure is open. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, at least one of a plurality of the ink chambers may be provided outside of the apparatus main body. 
     In the foregoing recording apparatus, the ink chamber provided outside of the apparatus main body may be located on a side face of the recording unit. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a recording apparatus including a recording unit including a head unit having a recording head that ejects ink onto a medium, the head unit being configured to move in a scanning direction of the recording head, and a scanner unit provided on top of the recording unit so as to open and close the top portion of the recording unit. The recording unit includes a flexible ink tube through which the ink from an ink chamber is supplied to the head unit, and a control unit that controls the head unit, according to a state of a press-down switch provided on the top portion of the recording unit, so as to perform recording on the medium when a pressed state of the switch is detected and not to perform the recording when an unpressed state of the switch is detected, and the switch enters the pressed state when a gap that allows the ink tube to pass therethrough is formed between the recording unit and the scanner unit, the gap having a size that at least prevents an ink flow path in the ink tube from being blocked. 
     With the foregoing recording apparatus, including the recording unit and the scanner unit configured so as to open and close the top portion of the recording unit, the recording operation can be performed with a gap formed between the recording unit and the scanner unit, the gap having a size that at least prevents the ink flow path in the ink tube from being blocked, in other words with a gap of a minimum necessary size. Such a configuration suppresses an increase in height of the apparatus despite the ink tube being passed through between the recording unit and the scanner unit, without compromising the recording performance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the invention, with a scanner unit set to a closed position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing an appearance of the printer according to the embodiment, with the scanner unit set to the open position. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view showing the scanner unit (source document table). 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view showing a sheet transport route in the printer according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the bottom face of the scanner unit. 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are front views of a switch provided on a top portion of a recording unit. 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are front views of a different switch provided on the top portion of the recording unit. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing an appearance of a printer according to a variation of the embodiment, with the scanner unit set to the open position. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing a positional relationship between a feed unit and a discharged sheet tray. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing the discharged sheet tray. 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  are schematic plan views showing shapes of a cutout formed in the discharged sheet tray. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that the invention may be modified from the following embodiment in various manners within the scope of the appended claims, and that such modifications are duly included in the invention. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views showing appearances of an ink jet printer (hereinafter, simply “printer”)  1  according to the embodiment, exemplifying the recording apparatus according to the invention.  FIG. 1  illustrates a state in which a scanner unit  3  is closed and  FIG. 2  illustrates a state in which the scanner unit  3  is open.  FIG. 3  is a plan view of the scanner unit  3  (source document table  39 ), and  FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view showing a sheet transport route in the printer  1 . 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the bottom face of the scanner unit  3 .  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  7 A, and  7 B are front views of a switch  60  provided on a top portion of a recording unit.  FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing an appearance of a printer  1 ′ according to a variation of the embodiment.  FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing a positional relationship between a feed unit  9  and a discharged sheet tray  8 .  FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the discharged sheet tray  8 . Further,  FIGS. 11A and 11B  are schematic plan views showing shapes of a cutout portion (an escape portion) formed in the discharged sheet tray  8 . 
     First, a general configuration of the printer  1  will be described. The printer  1  includes a recording unit  2  that performs ink jet printing on a recording sheet, an example of the medium in the invention, and the scanner unit  3 , an example of the upper structure in the invention, pivotably attached to the top portion of the recording unit  2 . Thus, the printer  1  is constituted as an ink jet multifunction printer having both the ink jet printing function and the scanning function. 
     The scanner unit  3  is pivotably connected to the recording unit  2  about a pivotal shaft  40  (see  FIG. 4 ), so as to assume the closed state ( FIG. 1 ) and the open state ( FIG. 2 ) upon being made to pivot. 
     The scanner unit  3  includes an openable top cover  4 , and the source document table  39  (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) of the scanner unit  3  is exposed upon opening the top cover  4 . Hereinafter, the closed state of the scanner unit  3  will refer to a state in which a gap  57  (subsequently described in details) is formed between the recording unit  2  and the scanner unit  3 , and the scanner unit  3  is unable to be brought any closer to the recording unit  2 . 
     The printer  1  includes an operation panel  5  located on the front face and including operating buttons such as a power button, a setting button, and an instruction button, and a display unit that displays conditions set for printing, a preview of the image to be printed, and so forth. The operation panel  5  is tiltable to an angle that facilitates the user to manipulate the operation panel  5 . Here, the tilting angle of the operation panel  5  is maintained by an angle retention mechanism (not shown), so as to withstand an external force exerted thereon for manipulating the buttons. 
     A reference numeral  36  on the front face of the printer  1  indicates an openable lid  36  provided on a lower tray  35 .  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a state in which the lid  36  is closed, and  FIG. 4  illustrates a state in which the lid  36  is open. When the lid  36  is open the lower tray  35 , an upper tray  37 , and a discharged sheet tray  8  are exposed, so that the lower tray  35  or the upper tray  37  can be removed or mounted in the printer  1 . 
     The discharged sheet tray  8  is configured to slide, driven by a non-illustrated motor, between a retracted position of being accommodated inside the recording unit  2  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and a projecting position of sticking forward from the recording unit  2  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The discharged sheet tray  8  becomes capable of receiving the recording sheet that has undergone the recording operation and been discharged, when assuming the projecting position. Here, although the discharged sheet tray  8  according to this embodiment is configured to be displaced by a motor (automatic opening type), the discharged sheet tray may be of a manual opening type to be displaced by the user. 
     The lower tray  35  and the upper tray  37  superposed thereon are configured to accommodate a plurality of recording sheets, and removably mounted in the recording unit  2 . The lower tray  35  includes the lid  36  pivotably attached thereto. Here, the lower tray  35  and the upper tray  37  are removably mounted in the recording unit  2  independent from each other, as well as from the discharged sheet tray  8 . 
     Hereunder, a transport route of the recording sheet in the printer  1  will be described, focusing on  FIG. 4 . The printer  1  according to this embodiment includes the lower tray  35  and the upper tray  37 , located in the bottom portion of the apparatus and constituting the medium storage unit in the invention. The recording sheets are delivered one by one from the lower tray  35  or the upper tray  37 . 
     The upper tray  37  is configured to slide between a feed position ( FIG. 4 ) and a stand-by position (not shown), driven by a non-illustrated motor. 
     In  FIG. 4 , the recording sheet placed in the lower tray  35  is denoted by a code P 1  and the recording sheet placed in the upper tray  37  is denoted by a code P 2 . However, hereinafter the recording sheet may be simply denoted by P, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the recording sheets P 1  and P 2 . 
     A feed roller (also called a pickup roller)  10  driven by a non-illustrated motor is attached to a swinging member  11  configured to swing about a pivotal shaft  12 . When the upper tray  37  is at the stand-by position (not shown), i.e., the forwardmost position in the apparatus (on the right in  FIG. 4  which is the removal direction of the upper tray  37 , the feed roller  10  contacts, while rotating, the uppermost one of the recording sheets P 1  placed in the lower tray  35 , to thereby deliver the uppermost recording sheet P 1  from the lower tray  35 . 
     In contrast, when the upper tray  37  is at the feed position, i.e., at the rearmost position in the apparatus (on the left in  FIG. 4 , which is the insertion direction of the upper tray  37  and also the feeding direction of the recording sheet), the feed roller  10  contacts, while rotating, the uppermost one of the recording sheets P 2  placed in the upper tray  37 , to thereby deliver the uppermost recording sheet P 2  from the upper tray  37 . Broken lines in  FIG. 4  indicate the locus of the recording sheet P 2  delivered from the upper tray  37 . 
     In this embodiment, both the lower tray  35  and the upper tray  37  can be accessed by a single feed roller  10 . In addition, when one of the lower tray  35  and the upper tray  37  is removed from the recording unit  2 , the feed roller  10  can make access to the other to deliver the recording sheet from the other tray. 
     A splitting slope  13  is provided at a position opposing the end portion of the lower tray  35  and the upper tray  37 . The recording sheets P delivered from the lower tray  35  or the upper tray  37  proceed to the downstream side with the leading edge disposed in contact with the splitting slope  13 , so that the uppermost one of the recording sheets P is split from the second and the subsequent recording sheets P. 
     A reverse roller  17  driven by a non-illustrated motor is provided ahead of the splitting slope  13 , and the recording sheet P is curved and reversed by the reverse roller  17  to proceed toward the frontal region of the apparatus. Here, numerals  18 ,  19 ,  20 , and  21  each indicate a free-rotating slave roller, and the recording sheet P delivered from either tray is nipped between the slave roller  19  and the reverse roller  17 , or between the slave roller  20  and the reverse roller  17 , thus to be transported to the downstream side. 
     A transport drive roller  24  driven by a non-illustrated motor and a transport slave roller  25  that follows the rotation of the transport drive roller  24  in contact therewith are provided ahead of the reverse roller  17 , so that the recording sheet P is transported by these rollers to the position under a recording head  30 . 
     The recording head  30  that ejects the ink is located on the bottom portion of a head unit  29 . The head unit  29  is driven by a non-illustrated motor so as to reciprocate in the scanning direction of the recording head (depth direction in  FIG. 4 ). 
     A platen  28  is disposed so as to oppose the recording head  30 , and to define the clearance between the recording sheet P and the recording head  30 . A discharge mechanism, including a discharge drive roller  31  driven by a non-illustrated motor and a discharge slave roller  32  that follows the rotation of the transport drive roller  31  in contact therewith, is provided downstream of the platen  28 . The recording sheet P that has undergone the recording operation by the recording head  30  is discharged by these rollers to the discharged sheet tray  8 . 
     A configuration of the scanner unit  3  will now be described hereunder. The scanner unit  3  is pivotably connected to the recording unit  2  via a pivotal shaft  40  ( FIG. 4 ), to open and close the top face of the recording unit  2  by being made to pivot. When the scanner unit  3  is open the internal region of the recording unit  2  can be accessed, for example to remove a jammed recording sheet. 
     The scanner unit  3  includes a reading unit  43  configured to move in a direction parallel to the scanning direction of the recording head  30  (left-right direction in  FIG. 3  and depth direction in  FIG. 4 ). The reading unit  43  includes an image sensor such as a contact image sensor (CIS) or a charge coupled device (CCD). 
     The reading unit  43  has a slender shape extending in the depth direction of the apparatus (up-down direction in  FIG. 3  and left-right direction in  FIG. 4 ), and is configured to move in the scanning direction driven by a force from a non-illustrated source, and guided by a guide rail  42  extending in the scanning direction, which is an example of the guide member in the invention. A numeral  44  of the reading unit  43  indicates an engaging portion disposed in sliding contact with the guide rail  42 . A numeral  46  indicates a slave roller that freely rotates in contact with an inner bottom portion of the scanner unit  3 . The parallel orientation (posture) of the reading unit  43  with respect to the source document table  39  is maintained by the engaging portion  44  and the slave roller  46 . 
     A protruding portion  41  is formed on a bottom face  45  of the scanner unit  3 , so as to protrude toward the recording unit  2  from the bottom face  45  and to extend in the scanning direction of the reading unit  43 . The protruding portion  41  is provided because of the need to form the guide rail  42 . 
     In the printer  1  according to this embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the head unit  29 , the protruding portion  41 , and the pivotal shaft  40  of the scanner unit  3  are located in this order in the depth direction of the printer  1 , from the front side (on the right in  FIG. 4 ) toward the rear side (on the left in  FIG. 4 ). The protruding portion  41  is on the side of the pivotal shaft  40  in the depth direction of the printer  1 , with respect to the center of the scanner unit  3 . 
     Thus, since the protruding portion  41  of the scanner unit  3  and the head unit  29  are deviated from each other in the depth direction of the printer  1 , there is no need to superpose the protruding portion  41  on the head unit  29 . Accordingly, the head unit  29  and the protruding portion  41  can be disposed to overlap in the height direction. Such a configuration contributes to reducing the height of the apparatus, compared with the case where the protruding portion  41  is superposed on the head unit  29 . 
     Hereunder, the ink supply system for supplying the ink to the recording head  30  will be described in details. A numeral  54  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  indicates a housing constituting the appearance of the recording unit  2 , and the housing  54  includes an opening  54   b  formed in the upper face thereof. A part of the stroke region of the head unit  29  is exposed through the opening  54   b , which allows, for example, a jammed sheet to be removed through the opening  54   b  upon opening the scanner unit  3 . 
     Ink cartridges are not mounted on the head unit  29  according to this embodiment, but instead the ink is supplied to the recording head  16  from ink tanks  48  ( 48 A to  48 F) attached to the side face of the housing  54  through a plurality of ink tubes  52  constituting the ink flow path. 
     More specifically, the ink tanks  48 A to  48 F are ink chambers respectively containing different color inks. For instance, the ink tanks  48 A to  48 F contain black ink, yellow ink, magenta ink, cyan ink, light cyan ink, and light magenta ink, respectively. 
     The plurality of ink tubes  52  are flexible tubes constituting the ink flow paths of the respective color inks between the ink tanks  48  and the recording head  16 . The head unit  29  includes intermediate units  50 A to  50 F respectively corresponding to the color inks. 
     The intermediate units  50 A to  50 F each serve to intermediate between the recording head  16  and the ink tank  48 , and the plurality of ink tube  52  are respectively connected to the intermediate units  50 A to  50 F. In other words, the ink tubes  52  extend from the intermediate units  50 A to  50 F to outside of the head unit  29 . 
     Hereinafter, the ink tanks will be simply referred to as “ink tank  48 ” in the case where the ink tanks  48 A to  48 F do not have to be specifically distinguished, and likewise the intermediate units will be simply referred to as “intermediate unit  50 ” in the case where the intermediate units  50 A to  50 F do not have to be specifically distinguished. 
     The ink tubes  52  extending outward from inside of the opening  54   b  are fixed to a region along the opening  54   b  in the upper face  54   a  of the housing  54 . A numeral  58  in  FIG. 4  indicates a tube fastener, by which the plurality of ink tubes  52  are fixed to the upper face  54   a , in horizontal alignment. The tube fastener  58  may be formed of any material such as a tape, a wire, or a plate-shaped material, provided that the ink tube  52  can be effectively fixed to the upper face  54   a  of the housing  54 . 
     As described above, the ink tubes  52  are fixed to the region along the opening  54   b  in the upper face  54   a  of the housing  54  in this embodiment. Utilizing thus the region along the opening  54   b  in the upper face  54   a  of the housing  54  to fix the ink tubes  52  allows the space and the cost for arranging the ink tubes  52  to be saved. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the head unit  29  illustrated with solid lines is located at the right end of the stroke range viewed from the front side of the apparatus, and the head unit  29 ′ illustrated with broken lines is located at the left end of the stroke range. The ink tubes  52  are deformed in the section between the tube fastener  58  and the head unit  29 , following the movement of the head unit  29 . 
     The ink tubes  52  extending from the tube fastener  58  toward the ink tank  48  come out to the left side of the housing  54  through the gap  57  (see  FIG. 1 ) between the scanner unit  3  and the recording unit  2  (housing  54 ), and are connected to the ink tanks  48  of the respective colors. 
     In this embodiment, the gap  57  is defined by a pair of bosses  56  exemplifying the gap forming member in the invention. The bosses  56  are located at the respective end portions on the upper face  54   a  of the housing  54  in the left-right direction, to be made to abut the bottom face  45  of the scanner unit  3  when the scanner unit  3  is closed thus to define the gap  57  shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, although a pair of bosses  56  are provided in this embodiment, just one boss or three or more bosses may be provided, as long as the gap  57  can be effectively formed. 
     The gap  57  serves for the ink tubes  52  to pass therethrough, and has a size that prevents the ink flow path inside the ink tubes  52  from being blocked. If the ink tubes  52  collapse between the scanner unit  3  and the recording unit  2 , the ink flow path is blocked and the ink is disabled from flowing further toward the recording head  30 . For such a reason the gap  57  is defined in a size that prevents the ink flow path inside the ink tubes  52  from being blocked. 
     It is not mandatory that the size of the gap  57  is larger than the outer diameter of the ink tube  52 . The ink tube  52  may be partially flattened by the gap  57  between the scanner unit  3  and the recording unit  2 , provided that the ink flow path inside the ink tubes  52  is exempted from being blocked. Alternatively, the scanner unit  3  may be supported by the rigidity of the ink tubes  52  themselves, instead of forming the gap  57  with the boss  56 . In this case, the ink tube  52  may be partially flattened between the scanner unit  3  and the recording unit  2 , as long as the ink flow path inside the ink tubes  52  is exempted from being blocked. 
     Further, on the upper portion of the recording unit  2  a bore  54   c  is provided in the upper face  54   a  of the housing  54 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , and a switch  60  is provided inside the bore  54   c . In this embodiment, the switch  60  serves as a detector for detecting whether the scanner unit  3  is closed. 
     To be more detailed, the scanner unit  3  includes a projection  47  (see  FIG. 5 ) formed on the bottom face  45 . When the scanner unit  3  is closed, the projection  47  intrudes in the bore  54   c  as the transition illustrated in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , and presses down a lever  61  of the switch (hereinafter, this action will simply be referred to as “press down the switch  60 ”). At this moment, a control unit  63  (see  FIGS. 6A and 6B ) to which the switch  60  is connected detects that the scanner unit  3  has been closed. The control unit  63  serves to control the functions of the printer  1  as a whole, including the head unit  29 , the recording head  30 , the rollers shown in  FIG. 2 , and so forth. 
     In this embodiment, the control unit  63  inhibits the recording operation when the switch  60  is detected to be unpressed, i.e., when the scanner unit  3  is open. In contrast, the control unit  63  permits the recording operation when the switch  60  is detected to be held down, i.e., when the scanner unit  3  is closed. 
       FIG. 6B  illustrates the state where the gap  57  is defined by the boss  56  formed on the upper face  54   a  of the housing  54 . In this state, as shown in  FIG. 6B , the projection  47  formed on the bottom face  45  of the scanner unit  3  intrudes in the bore  54   c  and presses down the switch  60 . Thus, the printer  1  is configured such that the switch  60  is pressed down with the gap  57  defined between the recording unit  2  and the scanner unit  3  for the ink tubes  52  to pass therethrough, the gap  57  having a size that exempts the ink flow path inside the ink tubes  52  from being blocked. Accordingly, the projection  47  has a length that reaches the switch  60  when the scanner unit  3  is closed with the gap  57 . 
     Therefore, the recording operation can be performed with the gap  57  defined between the recording unit  2  and the scanner unit  3  for the ink tubes  52  to pass therethrough, in other words with the gap of a minimum necessary size. Such a configuration suppresses an increase in height of the printer  1  despite the ink tubes  52  being passed through between the recording unit  2  and the scanner unit  3 , without compromising the recording performance. 
     Here, instead of forming the projection  47  in a length that reaches the switch  60  (despite the gap  57  being formed) when the scanner unit  3  is closed, an extension piece  49  may be attached to the tip portion of the projection  47 ′ as shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , so as to press down the switch  60  when the scanner unit  3  is closed. 
     Irrespective of which configuration is adopted between  FIG. 6B  and  FIG. 7B , the gap  57  may be defined by bringing the projection formed on the scanner unit  3  into contact with the witch  60 . In other words, the projection may be made to serve as the gap forming member that defines the gap  57 . 
     Further, instead of adopting the projection for pressing down the switch  60  when the scanner unit  3  is closed with the gap  57 , for example a pressing piece may be inserted in the bore  54   c  so as to press down the switch  60 , and then the bore  54   c  may be covered with a tape or the like. 
     As described above, in this embodiment the head unit  29 , the protruding portion  41  of the scanner unit  3 , and the pivotal shaft  40  of the scanner unit  3  are located in this order in the depth direction of the printer  1 , from the front side (on the right in  FIG. 4 ) toward the rear side (on the left in  FIG. 4 ). With such a configuration, the ink tubes  52  are connected to both of the head unit  29  and the ink tank  48 , without intersecting the protruding portion  41 . Therefore, there is no need to secure a space under the protruding portion  41  for the ink tubes  52  to pass therethrough, which contributes to suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus in the height direction. 
     In this embodiment, further, the discharged sheet tray  8  is also configured so as to suppress an increase in size of the apparatus in the height direction. The discharged sheet tray  8  will now be described in details hereunder. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the discharged sheet tray  8  includes a sheet receiving surface  8   a  for receiving the recording sheet P, and the entire region of the sheet receiving surface  8   a  is formed of a single member in this embodiment. Accordingly, the discharged sheet tray  8  is not a multi-level tray (drawer type), but a single-level tray. To be more detailed, the entirety of the discharged sheet tray  8  is integrally formed of a resin material. Therefore, a sufficient rigidity is given to the discharged sheet tray  8 , and the simplified structure contributes to reducing the cost. 
     The respective side edges  8   e  of the discharged sheet tray  8  in the direction intersecting the sheet discharge direction, i.e., in the width direction of the sheet, is supported by a frame (not shown) constituting the case structure of the apparatus main body  2 , so as to slide along the frame. The discharged sheet tray  8  includes a pair of rack gears  8   f  formed along the respective end portions in the direction intersecting the sheet discharge direction, so as to extend in the sheet discharge direction. Accordingly, when a pair of pinion gears (not shown), driven by a non-illustrated motor, are engaged with the respective rack gears  8   f , the discharged sheet tray  8  is displaced (made to slide). 
     The discharged sheet tray  8  includes a pair of elevated portions  8   d  formed on the downstream side of the respective end portions of the sheet receiving surface  8   a  in the sheet width direction, so that the respective end portions of the recording sheet P in the width direction climb on the elevated portions  8   d . The recording sheet P of such a size that the end portions in the width direction climb on the elevated portions  8   d  can be prevented from falling from the discharged sheet tray  8 , because the leading edge of the sheet is oriented upward. In addition, when the end portions of the sheet in the width direction climb on the elevated portions  8   d , the sheet is curled. Therefore, the leading edge of the sheet is prevented from hanging downward from the downstream end of the discharged sheet tray  8  although the leading edge of the sheet protrudes from the discharged sheet tray  8 , and thus prevented from falling. Here, a guide slope  8   b  is provided upstream of the elevated portion  8   d , so that the leading edge of the sheet can smoothly climb on the elevated portions  8   d , without being caught by the elevated portions  8   d.    
     On the other hand, in the case of a sheet that is not so wide that the side edges in the width direction climb on the elevated portion  8   d , the leading edge of the sheet rarely protrudes from the downstream end of the discharged sheet tray  8 , and hence the sheet is scarcely likely to fall from the discharged sheet tray  8 . In addition, the guide slope  8   b  is provided on the downstream end portion of the central region of the sheet receiving surface  8   a  (between the pair of elevated portions  8   d ), and is connected to an upper surface  8   j  elevated from the sheet receiving surface  8   a . Therefore, the sheet not so wide that the side edges climb on the elevated portion  8   d  can be further prevented from falling from the discharged sheet tray  8 , by the guide slope  8   b  and the upper surface  8   j.    
     The elevated portion  8   d  includes a tray guide surface  8   h  that supports and guides a disk tray (not shown). The disk tray is utilized for setting an optical disk (not shown) thereon. This is because the printer  1  according to this embodiment is capable of performing the recording operation on the label surface of an optical disk. The tray guide surface  8   h  is located slightly higher than the upper surface  8   j , and at a level that allows the disk tray to be horizontally inserted toward the transport route in the apparatus main body  2 . 
     An eaves portion  8   k  is provided above the tray guide surface  8   h . The eaves portion  8   k  serves to regulate the posture of the disk tray so as to prevent the side edges of the disk tray from being largely lifted from the tray guide surface  8   h . Further, a tray support projection  8   g  is provided at a slightly inner position from the tray guide surface  8   h . After the disk tray is introduced in the transport route, the disk tray is supported by the discharge drive roller  31  and the tray support projection  8   g  so as to maintain the horizontal orientation. 
     The discharged sheet tray  8  includes a cutout  8   r  formed in the upstream portion in the sheet discharge direction (left upper portion in  FIGS. 9 and 10 ), to avoid interference with the feed unit  9 . The feed unit  9  includes the feed roller  10 , the swinging member  11 , and a series of gears  14  for transmitting the driving force from the pivotal shaft  12  to the feed roller  10 . 
     The cutout  8   r  formed in the discharged sheet tray  8  is a cutout having a width h (in the width direction of the sheet) that is slightly wider than the width of the swinging member  11 . Accordingly, the cutout  8   r  is disposed to surround the feed unit  9  when the discharged sheet tray  8  is at the retracted position ( FIG. 9 ), so as to allow the swinging member  11  to swing inside the cutout  8   r . In addition, the reference feed position is set at the center of the sheet in the width direction in this embodiment, and hence the cutout portion  8   r  is formed at a substantially central portion of the discharged sheet tray  8  in the sheet width direction. 
     The cutout  8   r  provides the following advantageous effects. Since the discharged sheet tray  8  is accommodated inside the apparatus main body  2 , locating the feed unit  9  so as to be superposed on the discharged sheet tray  8  when the discharged sheet tray  8  is retracted into the apparatus main body  2  leads to an increase in size of the apparatus, especially the size in the height direction. 
     However, as described above, the discharged sheet tray  8  includes the cutout  8   r  for avoiding interference with the feed unit  9 . Such a configuration eliminates the need to superpose the feed unit  9  on the discharged sheet tray  8  in the height direction and allows the feed unit  9  and the discharged sheet tray  8  to overlap in the height direction, thereby contributing to reducing the size of the apparatus in the height direction. 
     Further, as stated earlier, the discharged sheet tray  8  includes the pair of elevated portions  8   d  formed on the downstream side of the sheet receiving surface  8   a , so that the respective end portions of the sheet (in the width direction) climb on the elevated portion  8   d . When the end portions of the sheet climb on the elevated portion  8   d , the sheet becomes curled. In  FIG. 10 , the curled sheet is denoted as P′ and illustrated with imaginary lines. The sheet becomes thus curled when the end portions of the sheet in the width direction on the downstream side climb on the elevated portion  8   d , and in addition the central portion of the sheet on the upstream side slightly sinks into the cutout  8   r.    
     Therefore, the leading edge of the sheet is prevented from hanging downward from the downstream end of the discharged sheet tray  8  although the leading edge of the sheet protrudes from the discharged sheet tray  8 , and thus prevented from falling. Although it is preferable that the escape portion  8   r  is formed in the central portion of the discharged sheet tray  8  in the sheet width direction in order to curl the sheet as shown in  FIG. 10 , the sheet can be urged to be curled provided that the elevated portions  8   d  are formed on the respective end portions of the discharged sheet tray  8  in the width direction on the downstream side, despite the cutout  8   r  being shifted from the central portion of the discharged sheet tray  8  in the sheet width direction. 
     In this embodiment, the bottom portion  8   s  of the escape portion  8   r  is generally flat in a plan view as shown in  FIG. 11A . Alternatively, the bottom portion may be formed in a V-shape or U-shape such that the escape portion becomes narrower toward the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction, as a bottom portion  8   s ′ of an escape portion  8   r ′ shown in  FIG. 11B . 
     Variations 
     It is a matter of course that the foregoing embodiment is merely exemplary and that the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment. For example, the following variations should be construed to be within the scope of the invention. 
     The plurality of ink tubes  52  may be bundled at desired positions with a strap or the like. 
     Although the tube fastener  58  is provided on the front side of the apparatus with respect to the opening  54   b  in the embodiment, the tube fastener may be located on the rear side or lateral side of the apparatus with respect to the opening  54   b.    
     In the foregoing embodiment, all the ink tanks  48  are located on the left side of the apparatus and the ink tubes  52  are arranged from the left side. Instead, the ink tanks  48  may be located on the right side of the apparatus and the ink tubes  52  may be arranged from the right side. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 8 , some of the ink tanks  48  may be located on the right side of the apparatus and the others on the left side, and the ink tubes  52  may be dividedly arranged from the respective sides. 
     The ink tank  48  may be provided as a device independent from the housing  54 , and located away from the housing  54 . 
     The plurality of ink tanks  48  may be located inside the apparatus main body  2 . Alternatively, one or more ink tanks of (a) specific color(s) may be located inside the apparatus main body  2 . 
     The ink tank  48  may be of a refillable type that can be refilled with the ink, or may be provided with a replaceable pack containing the ink. 
     The upper structure that opens and closes the top portion of the recording unit  2 , which is exemplified by the scanner unit  3  in the foregoing embodiment, may simply be a cover, or may be another functional unit than the scanner. 
     Although six pieces of ink tanks  48  are provided in the embodiment, just a single piece of ink tank, for example containing black ink, may be provided and accordingly a single piece of ink tube  52  may be provided for the black ink. 
     Although the invention is applied to the ink jet printer in the embodiment, the invention is broadly applicable to different types of liquid ejecting apparatuses. 
     Here, the liquid ejecting apparatuses include, in addition to printers having an ink jet recording head and configured to eject ink from the recording head onto a recording medium, and recording apparatuses such as copiers and facsimile machines, all such apparatuses that eject a predetermined liquid instead of ink from a liquid ejecting head corresponding to the ink jet recording head, onto a target medium corresponding to the recording medium thereby depositing the liquid onto the target medium. 
     Further, examples of the liquid ejecting head include, other than the foregoing recording head, those that eject a color material for manufacturing color filters for LCDs, an electrode material (conductive paste) for forming electrodes of organic EL displays and field emission displays (FED), a bioorganic substance for manufacturing biochips, and those employed as a precision pipette that ejects a specimen. 
     The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-178505, filed Aug. 10, 2012 is expressly incorporated by reference herein.