Image recording apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a recording apparatus including a recording portion which records an image on a recording medium, a feeding mechanism which feeds the medium along a feed path extending from a recording-medium supply position to a recording-medium ejection position via a recording point where the recording portion performs the recording of the image, a reading portion which reads the image recorded on the medium fed along the feed path, and a position controller which controls a position of at least one of the medium and the reading portion such that the medium as located at a reading point for the reading portion in the feed path is selectively placed in one of a first position allowing the reading portion to read the image recorded on the recording medium and a second position at which the recording medium is away from the reading portion farther than when at the first position.

1 . An image recording apparatus comprising:
 a recording portion which records an image on a recording medium;   a feeding mechanism which feeds the recording medium along a feed path extending from a recording-medium supply position to a recording-medium ejection position via a recording point where the recording portion performs the recording of the image;   a reading portion which reads the image recorded on the recording medium fed along the feed path by the feeding mechanism; and   a position controller which controls a position of at least one of the recording medium and the reading portion such that the recording medium as located at a reading point for the reading portion in the feed path is selectively placed in one of a first position allowing the reading portion to read the image recorded on the recording medium and a second position at which the recording medium is away from the reading portion farther than when at the first position.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the position controller controls the recording medium at the reading point to be bent toward the reading portion such that the recording medium is placed in the first position. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the feeding mechanism includes a plurality of feeding members that operate to feed the recording medium and are disposed along the feed path with a spacing therebetween and on an upstream side and a downstream side of the reading point with respect to a direction of the feed path,   and wherein the position controller bends the recording medium toward the reading portion between the feeding members, by adjusting operations of the feeding members.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the position controller adjusts amounts of feeding of the recording medium by the respective feeding members by adjusting the operations of the feeding members. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the position controller adjusts the amounts of feeding of the recording medium by the feeding members such that the amount of feeding by at least one of the plurality of feeding members that is located on the downstream side of the reading point with respect to the direction of the feed path is made lower than that by the rest of the plurality of feeding members that is located on the upstream side of the reading point. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a guide which limits a displacement of the recording medium away from the reading portion at the portion of the feed path between the feeding members. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the feeding members include a first feeding member and a second feeding member disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the reading point, respectively, with respect to the direction of the feed path, the second feeding member being disposed above the first feeding member and horizontally closer to the reading portion than the first feeding member. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the reading portion is disposed on the downstream side of the recording portion with respect to the direction of the feed path. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a test-recording control portion which controls the recording portion to implement a test recording operation on the recording medium based on test recording data;   a test-image reading control portion which controls the reading portion to read the image which is formed on the recording medium under the control by the test-recording control portion; and   a recording-portion adjusting portion which adjusts the recording portion based on the image read by the reading portion under the control by the test-image reading control portion.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first position is where the recording medium contacts the reading portion. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a first medium accommodating portion disposed at the recording-medium supply position and a second medium accommodating portion disposed at the recording-medium ejection position that are used in the recording by the recording portion are also used in the reading by the reading portion. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the reading of the image from the recording medium by the reading portion is implemented, the position controller places the recording medium as located at the reading point in the first position. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the recording of the image on the recording medium by the recording portion is implemented and the reading by the image from the recording medium by the reading portion is not implemented, the position controller places the recording medium as located at the reading point in the second position. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the position controller displaces the position of the reading portion toward and away from the recording medium to place the recording medium at the reading point in the first position and the second position, respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the position controller displaces the position of the recording medium toward and away from the reading portion to place the recording medium at the reading point in the first position and the second position, respectively.