Patent Publication Number: US-10315441-B2

Title: Recording apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to a recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a plate-shaped recording medium held on a medium tray. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     There are inkjet recording apparatuses capable of performing recording not only on sheet-shaped recording media but also on plate-shaped recording media such as printable disks. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-044278 discusses a recording apparatus which includes a mechanism for separating a spur from a sheet discharge roller interlocking with an operation of setting a tray guide for guiding a medium tray which is attached when the recording apparatus performs recording on a plate-shaped recording medium. At this time, if the spur comes into contact with the plate-shaped recording medium, a printing surface of the plate-shaped recording medium can be damaged. In order to prevent the damage, such a recording apparatus includes the mechanism to separate the spur from the sheet discharge roller at the time of performing recording on a plate-shaped recording medium. 
     Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-044278 discusses an apparatus including an interlocking mechanism for separating a spur from a sheet discharge roller between a spur stay supporting the spur and a platen. The interlocking mechanism is provided outside the width of a region through which a sheet-shaped recording medium is conveyed. For this reason, a space dedicated for separating the spur from the sheet discharge roller, such as a space where the interlocking mechanism is installed and a space where the interlocking mechanism is operated, is needed, and as a result thereof, an apparatus size and costs may be increased. Further, because the spur stay is pushed upward with reference to the position of the platen, the platen needs to have great part accuracy, rigidity, and great attachment accuracy in order to improve the positional accuracy of the sheet discharge roller with respect to the spur stay and a tray guide. As a result thereof, an apparatus size and costs may be increased. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to a recording apparatus capable of recording images on a surface of a plate-shaped recording medium using a medium tray while realizing both reduction in apparatus size and high-quality image recording. 
     According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a sheet-shaped first recording medium and a disk-shaped second recording medium held on a medium tray includes a sheet discharge roller including a rotary shaft and a roller portion larger in diameter than the rotary shaft, a spur stay configured to rotatably support a plurality of spurs configured to hold, together with the roller portion, the first recording medium discharged from a recording portion therebetween, and a movable tray guide configured to guide the medium tray being inserted, wherein the tray guide includes an arm portion, and wherein as the tray guide is moved toward the recording portion, the arm portion enters between the rotary shaft and the spur stay, and the spur stay is pushed upward by the arm portion with respect to the rotary shaft. 
     Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a recording apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the recording apparatus at the time of performing recording on a plate-shaped recording medium. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating the recording apparatus into which a medium tray can be inserted. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the recording apparatus in which the medium tray is inserted. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the recording apparatus with a medium tray stored therein. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating the recording apparatus with the medium tray stored therein. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the recording apparatus with a sheet discharge tray extended therefrom. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view illustrating the recording apparatus with the sheet discharge tray extended therefrom. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a movement of the sheet discharge tray. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a movement of the sheet discharge tray. 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  are perspective views each schematically illustrating a recording apparatus according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 12A and 12B  are cross-sectional views each schematically illustrating the recording apparatus. 
         FIGS. 13A and 13B  are cross-sectional views each schematically illustrating a recording apparatus according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having a similar function are given the same reference numerals to omit redundant descriptions. 
       FIGS. 1 to 10  each illustrate recording apparatus  1  according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration of the recording apparatus  1  seen through the housing of the recording apparatus  1 . The recording apparatus  1  is an image forming apparatus configured to form images. In the present exemplary embodiment, the recording apparatus  1  is an inkjet printer. The recording apparatus  1  can record (print) an image on a flexible sheet-shaped first recording medium S such as a sheet of paper. The recording apparatus can also record an image on a surface of a second recording medium  21  in the shape of thin plate disk such as a printable disk (compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), etc.).  FIGS. 1 and 2  each illustrate a state of the recording apparatus  1  at the time of performing recording on the second recording medium  21 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view, and  FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view.  FIG. 3  illustrates a state in which a medium tray  20  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is stored near a bottom surface of the recording apparatus  1 . Hereinafter, x-, y-, and z-directions specified in  FIG. 1  will be referred to as width, depth, and height directions, respectively, of the recording apparatus  1 . 
     The recording apparatus  1  includes in its housing a recording portion including a recording head  2 , a carriage  3 , a driving belt  4 , and a driving motor  5 . The inkjet recording head  2  includes a liquid tank for storing liquid such as ink and a discharge opening for discharging liquid. The recording head  2  is placed on the carriage  3 . The carriage  3  is supported by a rail (not illustrated) in such a manner that the carriage  3  can reciprocate in a horizontal direction. The carriage is driven and controlled by the driving belt  4  and the driving motor  5  to reciprocate. 
     Below a region where the recording head  2  reciprocates is provided a conveyance portion including a conveyance roller  6 , pinch rollers  7 , a platen  8 , a sheet discharge roller  9 , and spurs  10 . A conveyance roller two-step pulley  11  is integrated with one end portion of the conveyance roller  6 . A conveyance motor belt  13  for transmitting the driving of a conveyance motor  12  is stretched around the conveyance roller two-step pulley  11  so that the conveyance roller two-step pulley is freely driven to rotate forward and backward. A sheet discharge roller pulley  14  is integrated with one end portion of the sheet discharge roller  9  on the side on which the conveyance roller two-step pulley  11  of the conveyance roller  6  is provided. A sheet discharge roller belt  15  is stretched between the conveyance roller two-step pulley  11  and the sheet discharge roller pulley  14 , and the conveyance roller  6  and the sheet discharge roller  9  are driven in synchronization with each other according to the driving force of a driving motor  12 . During execution of recording on the first recording medium S, the conveyance roller  6  and the pinch rollers  7  hold the first recording medium S therebetween and convey the first recording medium S to a recording position on the platen  8  where the recording head  2  can perform recording. Then, an image is formed by serial printing in which band recording and step feeding are repeated. Driving in a direction in which the first recording medium S is conveyed from the conveyance roller c toward the sheet discharge roller  9  is referred to as “forward rotation driving”. 
     The sheet discharge roller  9  includes a metal shaft  9   a , which is a rotary roller shaft portion, and a plurality of roller portions, which are concentric with the metal shaft  9   a  and have a larger diameter than the diameter of the metal shaft  9   a . The plurality of roller portions  9   b  is wound around the metal shaft  9   a  with predetermined spaces and integrated with the metal shaft  9   a . The plurality of roller portions  9   b  is made of a material having a higher friction coefficient than that of a surface of the metal shaft  9   a , such as ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM rubber). Outer surfaces of the roller portions  9   b  are brought into contact with the sheet-shaped first recording medium S to convey the first recording medium S. The metal shaft  9   a  is not limited to a metallic shaft and may be a shaft made of a high-rigid material other than metals, such as a ceramic material or resin. The friction coefficient of the roller portions  9   b  is a value at which the first recording medium S is conveyed due to friction generated between the roller portions  9   b  and the first recording medium S as the sheet discharge roller  9  is rotated. Above the sheet discharge roller  9  are provided the plurality of spurs  10 , a spur stay  23 , and a spur stay spring. The spur stay  23  supports the plurality of spurs  10  in such a manner that each of the plurality of spurs  10  can be separately rotated. The spur stay spring biases the spur stay  23  toward the sheet discharge roller  9 . When the recording apparatus  1  performs recording on the sheet-shaped first recording medium S, the spurs  10  and the roller portions  9   b  of the sheet discharge roller  9  hold the first recording medium S therebetween and discharge the recorded first recording medium S. When the recording apparatus  1  performs recording on the plate-shaped second recording medium  21 , the spurs  10  are retracted so as not to come into contact with the second recording medium  21 . 
     A user places and fixes the second recording medium  21  shaped like a thin disk on a predetermined position on the medium tray  20  made of hard resin, and inserts the medium tray  20  toward the recording portion in the recording apparatus  1 . The medium tray  20  is inserted into a path formed in a tray guide  19  in the recording apparatus  1  and moved in the depth direction of the recording apparatus  1 . As the medium tray  20  is moved, the position of the second recording medium  21  relative to the recording head  2  of the recording portion is changed. The tray guide  19  includes two arm portions  19   a  provided on each side of the tray guide  19  in the width direction. A path is formed between the two arm portions  19   a , and the medium tray  20  on which the second recording medium  21  is placed is moved forward and backward in the depth direction in the path formed between the two arm portions  19   a . A bottom surface of the tray guide  19  regulates the position of a bottom surface of the medium tray  20  in the height direction, and the two arm portions  19   a  regulate the position of the medium tray  20  in the width direction (x-direction) of the recording apparatus  1 . The width of the tray guide  19  and the distance between the two arm portions  19   a  are smaller than the sheet width of the first recording medium S, which has a size largest among the sizes of various sheets that are expected to be used in the recording apparatus  1 . 
     A state of the recording apparatus  1  can be switched between the state in which the first recording medium S is discharged using the spurs  10  and the state in which the spurs  10  are retracted so as not to come into contact with the second recording medium  21 , by changing the positions of the arm portions  19   a  to change the positions of the spurs  10 .  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the state in which the spurs  10  are pushed upward and retracted. The arm portions  19   a  are each connected to one end of a sheet discharge tray  16 , and the positions of the arm portions  19   a  are changed as the sheet discharge tray  16  is moved forward and backward in the depth direction of the recording apparatus  1 . When the sheet discharge tray  16  is inserted in the depth direction of the recording apparatus  1  by the user, the arm portions  19   a  enter a space between the metal shaft  9   a  of the sheet discharge roller  9  and the spur stay  23  while coming into contact with the metal shaft  9   a  and the spur stay  23 , and the spur stay  23  is pushed upward with respect to an outer peripheral surface (vertex) of the metal shaft  9   a . In this state, the sheet discharge roller  9  and the spurs  10  are separated to form a space between the sheet discharge roller  9  and the spurs  10 , and the medium tray  20  can pass through the space. In order to realize the formation of the space, each portion of the arm portions  19   a  that comes into contact with the metal shaft  9   a  when the spur stay  23  is pushed upward has a thickness (dimension) greater than the thickness of the medium tray  20  in the height direction. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the state of the recording apparatus  1  at the time of performing recording on the second recording medium  21 . After the path through which the medium tray  20  with the second recording medium  21  placed thereon is to be inserted is formed, the medium tray  20  can be inserted into the recording apparatus  1  along the path as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In this state, the spur stay  23  is pushed upward by the arm portions  19   a  at respective end portions in the width direction (x-direction) so that the spurs  10  do not come into contact with the second recording medium  21 . The second recording medium  21  is placed on the medium tray  20  and moved forward and backward in the depth direction of the recording apparatus  1  to change the position of the second recording medium  21  relative to the recording head  2 . The forward/backward movement and the recording by the recording head  2  are repeated to record an image on the second recording medium  21 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the recording apparatus  1  with the medium tray  20  stored therein.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating the recording apparatus  1  with the medium tray  20  stored therein. The medium tray  20  can be stored in the recording apparatus  1  when recording is not performed on the second recording medium  21 . The medium tray  20  can be stored near the bottom surface of a main body. The sheet discharge tray  16  is pulled frontward (in a positive direction of y-axis) in the depth direction of the recording apparatus  1  while the medium tray  20  is stored, compared to the state in which the medium tray  20  is inserted, and the arm portions  19   a  are located apart from the spur stay  23 . In this state, a lock lever  22  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is in contact with a cam portion of a bottom frame (not illustrated) so that the lock lever  22  is not moved backward any further unless the lock biased by a biasing spring (not illustrated) is cleared. When a force greater than the force biased by the lock lever  22  is applied, the sheet discharge tray  16  is inserted in the depth direction to reach the state illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The recording apparatus  1  includes a medium tray stopper  25  to prevent the medium tray  20  from being inserted into the recording apparatus  1  when the arm portions  19   a  are not present between the spur stay  23  and the metal shaft  9   a . The medium tray stopper  25  is a member for preventing entry of the medium tray  20 . The medium tray stopper  25  is positioned and held in such a manner that a space between the medium tray stopper  25  and a front stay  26  into which the medium tray  20  is inserted becomes small when the arm portions  19   a  are located apart from the spur stay  23 . The size of the space is desirably small enough not to allow the medium tray  20  to be inserted into the space. 
     The recording apparatus  1  can perform recording on the sheet-shaped first recording medium S even when the medium tray  20  is stored in the recording apparatus  1 , and the recorded first recording medium S is conveyed above the tray guide  19  and the medium tray stopper  25  and then discharged out of the recording apparatus  1 . 
     Besides the state illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 4  in which the recording apparatus  1  performs recording on the second recording medium  21  and the state illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6  in which the medium tray  20  is stored, the recording apparatus  1  can be in a state in which the sheet discharge tray  16  configured to receive the recorded first recording medium S is pulled out and extended.  FIGS. 7 and 8  each illustrate the recording apparatus  1  with the sheet discharge tray  17  extended therefrom. When the sheet discharge tray  17  is extended, the recorded first recording medium S held between and discharged by the sheet discharge roller  9  and the spurs  10  is placed on the sheet discharge tray  16 . A leading edge of the sheet discharge tray  16  includes a raised portion that is raised so as to slope toward the inside of the sheet discharge tray  16 . The sheet discharge tray  16  is provided with the tray guide  19 , and when the sheet discharge tray  17  is extended, the tray guide  19  lying down due to the weight of the tray guide  19  forms the raised portion together with the sheet discharge tray  16 . The raised portion is included so that the discharged first recording medium S is more reliably placed on the sheet discharge tray  16  and the raised portion supports the discharged first recording medium S in an inclined state. 
     The tray guide  19  is supported swingably around the edge portion of the sheet discharge tray  16 . When the sheet discharge tray  16  in the extended state is pushed to a position illustrated in  FIG. 9  so as to be inserted into the main body of the recording apparatus  1  in the depth direction of the recording apparatus  1 , a bottom frame  28  comes into contact with a protruded portion of a link lever  24  provided on the raised portion to elevate the link lever  24 . When the link lever  24  is elevated to the state illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the tray guide  19  and the medium tray stopper  25  are pushed by the link lever  24  and swung and elevated so that the medium tray  20  is stored and the arm portions  19   a  are in contact with the metal shaft  9   a  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ). 
     If the sheet discharge tray  16  is further pushed against the locking force biased by the lock lever  22  while the medium tray  20  is stored, the arm portions  19   a  are further pushed upward while being in contact with the metal shaft  9   a . The arm portions  19   a  come into contact with the spur stay  23  and enter a space between the spur stay  23  and the metal shaft  9   a . At this time, the arm portions  19   a  push the spur stay  23  upward, enter the space between the spur stay  23  and the metal shaft  9   a , and are held while being in contact with the spur stay  23  and the metal shaft  9   a , and all the spurs  10  are separated from the roller portions  9   b  of the sheet discharge roller  9 . In this state, the medium tray  20  can be inserted into the recording apparatus  1 , and printing can be performed on the second recording medium  21  placed on the medium tray  20 . 
     To print on the second recording medium  21 , the user inserts the medium tray  20  with the second recording medium  21  placed thereon onto the tray guide  19  and then pushes the medium tray  20  to a predetermined position. At this time, a leading edge of the medium tray  20  is located just before the conveyance roller  6 . Then, when the user gives an instruction to start printing using an operation unit, the medium tray  20  is biased by a medium tray pressing roller  27  and pulled by backward rotation of the sheet discharge roller  9  and the conveyance roller  6 , and a front edge of the second recording medium  21  is consequently located immediately below the recording head  2 . Thereafter, band printing by the recording head  2  and conveying of the medium tray  20  are repeated to record an image on the second recording medium  21 . A back edge of the medium tray  20  includes a depressed portion, and when the medium tray pressing roller  27  is engaged with the depressed portion, the medium tray  20  is stopped away from the sheet discharge roller  9  with the back edge of the medium tray  20  slightly elevated and bent. The user can remove the stopped medium tray  20  to remove from the medium tray  20  the second recording medium  21  on which the image is recorded. During the recording on the second recording medium  21 , all the spurs  10  are separated from the sheet discharge roller  9  to prevent damage to the surface of the second recording medium  21 . Thereafter, when the sheet discharge tray  16  is pulled frontward, the spur stay  23  is lowered, and the recording apparatus  1  can be changed again to the stored state in which the medium tray  20  is stored or the extended state in which the sheet discharge tray  16  is extended. 
     Back to  FIG. 10 , a driving rack portion  16   a  is provided on one end portion of the sheet discharge tray  16 . The driving rack portion  16   a  is constantly connected to a tray driving gear train  17 . The tray driving gear train  17  is rotated, interlocking with forward/backward movement of the sheet discharge tray  16 . To one end portion of the sheet discharge roller  9  is provided a driving connection trigger portion  18  capable of connecting and disconnecting the driving of the sheet discharge roller  9  to and from the tray driving gear train  17 . The sheet discharge roller performs predetermined or more backward rotations and the carriage  3  is moved to an endmost portion, whereby the driving connection trigger portion  18  connects the driving. When the sheet discharge roller  9  is rotated forward, the sheet discharge tray  16  is extended and moved forward. When the sheet discharge roller  9  is rotated backward, the sheet discharge tray  16  is retracted and moved backward. A detection unit (not illustrated) can be used to detect the position of the sheet discharge tray  16  so that the sheet discharge tray  16  can be moved to a predetermined position. When the carriage  3  is retracted from the endmost portion, the connection is cancelled. While the driving is not connected, the sheet discharge tray  16  can be moved by a user operation, and the position of the sheet discharge tray  16  can be detected by the detection unit (not illustrated). 
     As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, the spur stay  23  is pushed upward using not the platen  8  as in conventional techniques but the metal shaft  9   a , which is a shaft portion of the sheet discharge roller  9 , as a direct positional reference. This enables more accurate dimension management of the space between the spur stay  23  and the medium tray  20  to prevent the medium tray  20  and the second recording medium  21  held and fixed onto the medium tray  20  from coming into contact with a portion of the plurality of spurs  10 . Further, the positional relationship between the tray guide  19  and the medium tray  20  is also managed with great accuracy. This enables high-quality image recording on the second recording medium  21 . In other words, the platen  8  does not need great part accuracy, rigidity, and great attachment accuracy, so reduction in apparatus size and cost and high-quality image recording are both realized. 
     Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the tray guide  19  includes the two arm portions  19   a  provided on each side in the width direction, and the path through which the medium tray  20  is to be moved is formed between the two arm portions  19   a . The distance between the two arm portions  19   a  is smaller than the sheet width of the first recording medium S, which has the size largest among the sizes that are expected to be used. Specifically, the two arm portions  19   a  are located inside the width of a sheet passing region. This arrangement is realized by the configuration in which the two arm portions  19   a  are in contact with not the roller portion  9   b  of the sheet discharge roller  9  but the metal shaft  9   a . This realizes both the reduction in apparatus size and cost and the high-quality image recording. 
       FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B  each illustrate the configuration of a recording apparatus  2  according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The recording apparatus  2  includes a tray guide  219  in place of the tray guide  19  of the recording apparatus  1 , and a sheet discharge tray front portion  216   a  and a sheet discharge tray back portion  216   b  in place of the sheet discharge tray  16 . Differences from the recording apparatus  1  will be mainly described below. 
     The sheet discharge tray is a two-stage sheet discharge tray that can be moved forward and backward by sliding. The tray guide  219  includes tray guide arms  219   a , a tray guide base front portion  219   b , and a tray guide base back portion  219   c . The tray guide base front portion  219   b  and the tray guide arms  219   a  are each swingably connected to the sheet discharge tray back portion  216   b  to form two four-link mechanisms. 
       FIGS. 11A and 12A  each illustrate a state in which printing is performed on the second recording medium  21 . When the medium tray  20  is moved forward and backward, the tray guide  219  regulates the position of the bottom surface of the medium tray  20 , and the tray guide arms  219   a  regulate the positions of the both ends of the medium tray to guide the medium tray  20  to a portion below the recording head  2 . When the sheet discharge tray front portion  216   a  is pulled outward and a front edge of the tray guide base front portion  219   b  is pulled upward, the tray guide arm  219   a  enters a space between the metal shaft  9   a  and the spur stay  23 . Consequently, wedge-shaped cam surfaces of the tray guide arms  219   a  push the spur stay  23  upward to separate the spur stay  23  from the metal shaft  9   a  of the sheet discharge roller  9 . During the printing using the medium tray  20 , the tray guide  219  is in direct contact with the metal shaft  9   a  of the sheet discharge roller  9  without parts such as the platen  8  therebetween to improve accuracy in height of the tray guide  219  and the spur stay  23  with respect to the sheet discharge roller  9 . 
     When the printing on the second recording medium  21  is ended, if a leading edge of the tray guide base front portion  219   b  is pulled frontward, the tray guide arm  219   a  is moved from the space between the metal shaft  9   a  and the spur stay  23 , and the spur stay  23  is lowered, as illustrated in  FIGS. 11B and 12B . At this time, the tray guide arms  219   a , the tray guide base front portion  219   b , and the tray guide base back portion  219   c  are retracted substantially in parallel to form a surface on which the first recording medium S is to be placed. The medium tray can be stored into main body of the recording apparatus  2  by moving the sheet discharge tray front portion  216   a  backward while the tray guide  219  is retracted. 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, recording on the second recording medium  21  can be performed with the sheet discharge tray being extended so that the sheet discharge tray can form a reception surface to receive the medium tray  20  to be ejected. 
       FIGS. 13A and 13B  each illustrate the configuration of a recording apparatus  3  according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As in the recording apparatuses  1  and  2 , the recording apparatus  3  can perform recording not only on the sheet shaped first recording medium S but also on the plate-shaped second recording medium  21 . 
     The recording apparatus  3  includes a tray guide  319  in place of the tray guide  19  of the recording apparatus  1 . The tray guide  319  includes two arms  319   a  provided on each end of the tray guide  319  in the width direction. The tray guide  319  is held by a guide the rail  329  fixed to a front stay  326  and can be moved forward and backward. In the state illustrated in  FIG. 13A  in which recording is performed on the second recording medium  21 , the arms  319   a  enters a space between the metal shaft  9   a  of the sheet discharge roller  9  and the spur stay  23 , as in the first exemplary embodiment. Consequently, the spur stay  23  is separated from the sheet discharge roller  9 . 
     When the tray guide  319  in the state illustrated in  FIG. 13A  is pulled frontward, the arms  319   a  of the tray guide  319  are removed from the space between the metal shaft  9   a  and the spur stay  23  and separated from the spur stay  23 . The spur stay  23  is lowered so that recording is to be performed on the first recording medium S. The tray guide  319  can be retracted, while changing its orientation, into a space above a region where the first recording medium S is discharged. In the present exemplary embodiment, the tray guide  319  and the sheet discharge tray are separately operated, so no complicated link mechanism is needed to achieve cost reduction. Further, the operation procedure is simplified to improve operability. 
     While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions. 
     This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-150117, filed Jul. 29, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.