Sheet feeding device

Abstract

To provide a sheet feeding device that can suppress double feeding sheet bundle even when deformed sheets are supported in a stacked state on a sheet support surface, and can achieve miniaturization in the height direction.SOLUTION: In a sheet feeding device 1, a friction member 70 has: a first surface 71 that is provided at a position facing a feed roller 41 on a first support surface 101 and can come into contact with a back surface SH2 of a lowermost sheet SH; and a second surface 72 that is provided on the first support surface 101 upstream of the first surface 71 in a feeding direction DF1 and contacts the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH. When viewed in the width direction, with a first direction D1 defined that is parallel to a perpendicular line PL1 that is drawn from a rotation axis X41 (X41D) to the first surface 71 when the feed roller 41 contacts the first surface 71, the first surface 71 is located farther from a rotation axis X41 than a second support surface 201 and the second surface 72 in the first direction D1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device. [Background technology]

[0002] An original transport device, which is an example of a conventional sheet feeding device, is disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in Fig. 6, this original transport device includes an original placement section, a pickup roller, and a friction member.

[0003] The document placement section supports the sheets in a stacked state. The pickup roller is rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the document placement section. The pickup roller contacts the surface of the top sheet supported on the document placement section and feeds the top sheet in a feeding direction perpendicular to the width direction.

[0004] The friction member is a cork sheet or the like, and is provided in a position facing the pickup roller on the document loading section. The friction member comes into contact with the back surface of the bottom sheet supported on the document loading section and applies a frictional force to the bottom sheet, thereby preventing the bottom sheet from being double-fed when the top sheets are fed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-111460 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the conventional document transport device described above, sheets that have been warped or warped due to moisture may be stacked and supported on the document loading section. In this case, the pressure applied by the pickup roller when feeding the top sheet makes it difficult to straighten the deformed sheet, and the friction member is less likely to contact the backside of the bottom sheet. As a result, this document transport device may be prone to a bundle of double-feeding, in which sheets are fed in a stack, due to the frictional force being less likely to act on the stack of sheets. When a bundle of double-feeding occurs, the sheets may jam downstream of the pickup roller in the feeding direction, causing empty feeding.

[0007] To prevent such problems, it is conceivable to make the friction member protrude further than the document loading section and move it closer to the rotation axis of the pickup roller so that it can more easily come into contact with the backside of the lowest sheet. However, in order to maintain the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded, it is necessary to raise the upper limit position of the pickup roller by the amount of the protrusion, which makes it difficult to achieve a compact design in the vertical direction.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and aims to provide a sheet feeding device that can suppress double feeding of sheet bundles even when deformed sheets are supported on a sheet support surface in a stacked state, and can achieve miniaturization in the vertical direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The sheet feeding device of the present invention comprises: a supply tray having a sheet support surface that supports sheets in a stacked state; a feed roller that is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the sheet support surface and that contacts a surface of the uppermost sheet supported on the sheet support surface to feed the uppermost sheet in a feed direction perpendicular to the width direction; a friction member provided at a position facing the feed roller on the sheet support surface, the friction member contacting a rear surface of a lowermost sheet supported on the sheet support surface to apply a friction force to the lowermost sheet; A sheet feeding device comprising: the supply tray is a first tray that is a part of the sheet support surface and that constitutes a first support surface that includes a downstream end of the sheet support surface in the feeding direction; a second tray that constitutes a second support surface that is at least a part of the remaining portion of the sheet support surface and is adjacent to the first support surface from upstream in the sheet feeding direction; the friction member has a first surface that is provided at a position facing the feed roller on the first support surface and is capable of contacting the back surface of the lowermost sheet, the first surface being capable of contacting the feed roller when no sheet is supported on the sheet support surface; a second surface provided on the first support surface upstream of the first surface in the feeding direction and in contact with the back surface of the lowermost sheet, When viewed along the width direction, a first direction is defined that is parallel to a perpendicular line extending from the rotation axis of the feeding roller to the first surface when the feeding roller contacts the first surface, The first surface is located farther from the rotation axis than the second support surface and the second surface in the first direction.

[0010] In the sheet feeding device of the present invention, the second support surface of the second tray and the second surface of the friction member are located upstream of the first surface of the friction member in the feeding direction, and the first surface is located farther from the rotation axis in the first direction than the second support surface and the second surface.

[0011] That is, the portion of the sheet supported on the sheet support surface that contacts the second support surface and the second surface is higher upstream in the feeding direction than the portion of the sheet that contacts the first surface.

[0012] As a result, when sheets that have been given a warp tendency or warped due to moisture are supported in a stacked state on the sheet support surface, when the feed roller presses the top sheet downward, the sheet deforms to fit the step between the first surface and the second surface, and the second surface comes into contact with the back surface of the bottom sheet with high reliability.

[0013] As a result, this sheet feeding device can reliably apply frictional force to the bottom sheet using the friction member, thereby preventing double-feeding of sheets in a bundle, and ultimately preventing empty feeding caused by sheets getting stuck in a bundle downstream of the feed roller in the feeding direction due to double-feeding of sheets in a bundle.

[0014] In addition, this sheet feeding device is less bulky in the height direction compared to a configuration in which there is no second surface and the first surface is located closer to the rotation axis in the first direction than the second support surface to suppress double stack feeding.

[0015] Therefore, the sheet feeding device of the present invention can suppress double feeding of a stack of sheets even when deformed sheets are supported on the sheet support surface in a stacked state, and can achieve a reduction in size in the height direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the image reading device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the left-end upper cover, the holder arm, the feeding roller, the separation roller, etc. have been removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the main part of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial top view showing the first tray, the friction member, the feed roller, and the like. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged essential part of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the cross section AA of FIG. 7, illustrating a state in which deformed sheets are supported in a stacked state on the sheet support surface and the feed roller is at the upper limit position. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 8, illustrating a state in which the feeding roller descends to press the deformed sheet downward. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7, showing an image reading device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (Example) As shown in Fig. 1, an image reading device 1 of the embodiment is one example of a specific aspect of a sheet feeding device of the present invention. In Fig. 1, the operation panel 8P side of the image reading device 1 is the front. The side that is to the left when facing the operation panel 8P is the left side. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction shown in Fig. 2 and subsequent figures are all shown corresponding to the directions shown in Fig. 1.

[0019] <Overall structure> As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading device 1 includes a main body 8 and a cover 9. The main body 8 is a flat, roughly box-shaped body. An operation panel 8P, such as a touch panel, is located on the front of the main body 8. The main body 8 houses an image forming unit 5 in its lower portion. The image forming unit 5 forms an image on a sheet using an inkjet system, a laser system, or the like.

[0020] 2, the main body 8 houses in its upper portion the image reading unit 3. The image reading unit 3 has a document support surface 3A, a reading surface 3B, a reading sensor 3S, and a scanning mechanism (not shown).

[0021] The document support surface 3A is the upper surface of a large-area platen glass located on the upper surface of the main body 8. The reading surface 3B is the upper surface of a platen glass that is located to the left of the document support surface 3A on the upper surface of the main body 8 and extends in an elongated shape in the front-to-rear direction.

[0022] The document support surface 3A supports a document to be read. The document to be read may be paper, a sheet such as an OHP sheet, a book, etc. The reading surface 3B is used when the transport unit 4, which will be described later, is in operation.

[0023] The reading sensor 3S is a well-known image reading sensor that uses a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and is elongated in the front-to-rear direction. The reading sensor 3S is located below the document support surface 3A and the reading surface 3B.

[0024] When the image reading unit 3 reads an image of a document supported on the document support surface 3A, the reading sensor 3S moves from below the left edge of the document support surface 3A to the right, i.e., in the sub-scanning direction, by operation of a scanning mechanism (not shown), and reads the image of the document in a line in the front-to-back direction, i.e., in the main scanning direction. When the reading sensor 3S moves to below the right edge of the document support surface 3A, it finishes reading the image and returns to its standby position by operation of a scanning mechanism (not shown).

[0025] When the transport unit 4, which will be described later, is operated, the reading sensor 3S moves to a stationary reading position below the reading surface 3B and remains stationary by the operation of a scanning mechanism (not shown).

[0026] 1, the cover 9 is located above the main body 8. The rear end of the cover 9 is connected to the rear end of the main body 8 via a hinge (not shown). The cover 9 is swingable around a swing axis X9 extending in the left-right direction.

[0027] 2, the cover 9 has a base member 39. The lower surface of the base member 39 forms the bottom surface of the cover 9. The bottom surface of the cover 9 has a size that allows it to cover the document support surface 3A and the reading surface 3B, and is capable of covering the document placed on the document support surface 3A.

[0028] The base member 39 is an integrally molded product made of a resin material. In this embodiment, the base member 39 is manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin.

[0029] Although not shown in the drawings, when the user swings the cover 9 upward and backward around the swing axis X9, the cover 9 opens the document support surface 3A. In this state, the user can place a document on the document support surface 3A and remove the document.

[0030] 1 and 2, the cover 9 has a supply tray 90 and a discharge tray 96. The supply tray 90 and the discharge tray 96 are located on the right side of the cover 9.

[0031] 2, the upper surface of the right portion of the base member 39 forms a discharge tray 96. The discharge tray 96 supports sheets SH that are conveyed and discharged by the conveying section 4, which will be described later.

[0032] The supply tray 90 is located above the discharge tray 96. The supply tray 90 has a sheet support surface 91. The sheet support surface 91 supports the sheets SH, the images of which are to be read, in a stacked state.

[0033] In this embodiment, an object whose image is read using the document support surface 3A is referred to as a document, and an object whose image is read while being supported on the sheet support surface 91 and transported by the transport unit 4 is referred to as a sheet SH. The document and the sheet SH may be substantially the same thing.

[0034] The seat support surface 91 extends so as to slope gently downward to the left and also extends in the front-to-rear direction. The width direction of the seat support surface 91 is the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, one side of the width direction is the front, and the other side of the width direction is the rear.

[0035] The sheet SH supported on the sheet supporting surface 91 is fed in a feeding direction DF1 in which the sheet advances along the sheet supporting surface 91 at a gentle downward incline to the left, and is perpendicular to the width direction.

[0036] A downstream end 91D of the sheet supporting surface 91 in the feeding direction DF1 is located between the left side surface of the cover 9 and the center in the left-right direction.

[0037] 2 and 3, the cover 9 has an upper chute 34. The upper chute 34 is located above the left portion of the base member 39 and below the left-end top cover 98, and extends in the left-right and width directions. Although not shown, the front and rear ends of the upper chute 34 are attached to the front and rear ends of the left portion of the base member 39.

[0038] The upper chute 34 integrally includes a first tray 100, which is the right portion of the upper chute 34, and a guide portion 34A, which is the left portion of the upper chute 34. The first tray 100 extends gently downward to the left. The guide portion 34A extends gently upward to the left, and then curves downward. The upper surface of the guide portion 34A forms a conveying guide surface 34G.

[0039] The upper chute 34 is an integrally molded product made of a resin material. In this embodiment, the upper chute 34 is manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin.

[0040] <Specific configuration of supply tray> The supply tray 90 includes the first tray 100 described above, and the second tray 200 and sub-tray 300 shown in FIGS.

[0041] The first tray 100 has an upper surface that forms a first support surface 101. The first support surface 101 is a part of the sheet support surface 91, and includes the downstream end 91D of the sheet support surface 91.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the first support surface 101 has a central portion 101C in the width direction, and portions 101A and 101B located on the outer sides of the central portion 101C in the width direction.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a central portion 101C of the first support surface 101 is one step higher than portions 101A and 101B located on the outer side of the central portion 101C in the width direction.

[0044] 7, the angle at which central portion 101C slopes downward to the left varies in multiple steps. The angles at which portions 101A and 101B located on the outer sides of central portion 101C in the width direction slope downward to the left also vary in multiple steps along central portion 101C.

[0045] As will be described in detail later, a friction member 70 is attached to the central portion 101C.

[0046] 2 and 3, the second tray 200 is located to the right of the first tray 100, and extends to the left at a gentle downward slope, and also extends in the width direction. Although not shown, the front and rear ends of the second tray 200 are attached to the front and rear ends of the left part of the base member 39, to the right of the first tray 100.

[0047] The second tray 200 is an integrally molded product made of a resin material. In this embodiment, the second tray 200 is manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0048] 3, the central portion in the width direction of the upper surface of second tray 200 constitutes second support surface 201. Second support surface 201 is a flat surface that is one step higher than portions 201A and 201B located on the outer sides of second support surface 201 in the width direction.

[0049] The second support surface 201 is a remaining part of the sheet support surface 91, and is adjacent to the first support surface 101 from the upstream side in the feeding direction DF1. As shown in Fig. 2, the upstream and downstream ends of the second support surface 201 in the feeding direction DF1 are gently curved to prevent the sheet SH from hitting the corners.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, the second tray 200 supports a pair of side guides 92A and 92B at portions 201A and 201B located on the outer sides of the second support surface 201 in the width direction.

[0051] The side guides 92A, 92B have substantially the same configuration but on opposite sides, and each include a guide wall 92W and a sheet edge support portion 92C.

[0052] The sheet edge support portion 92C of the front side guide 92A is slidable in the width direction on a portion 201A located on one side of the second support surface 201 in the width direction. The sheet edge support portion 92C of the rear side guide 92B is slidable in the width direction on a portion 201B located on the other side of the second support surface 201 in the width direction.

[0053] The upper surface of the sheet edge support portion 92C of each side guide 92A is designed to be a flat surface that is flush with the second support surface 201. However, due to manufacturing errors, looseness during assembly, etc., the upper surface of the sheet edge support portion 92C may be slightly deviated from being flush with the second support surface 201.

[0054] The guide wall 92W of the side guide 92A is connected to the front edge of the sheet edge support portion 92C of the side guide 92A, protrudes upward, and extends in the left-right direction. The guide wall 92W of the side guide 92B is connected to the rear edge of the sheet edge support portion 92C of the side guide 92B, protrudes upward, and extends in the left-right direction.

[0055] The side guides 92A, 92B are connected to each other by a linkage mechanism 93 shown in Fig. 2. The linkage mechanism 93 is a well-known rack and pinion mechanism, which moves the side guides 92A, 92B closer to and farther apart in the width direction.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, each of the side guides 92A and 92B sandwiches and positions sheets SH of various sizes supported on the sheet support surface 91 in the width direction by means of its respective guide wall 92W.

[0057] At this time, the sheet edge support portion 92C of the side guide 92A supports one widthwise edge of the sheet SH from below, and the sheet edge support portion 92C of the side guide 92B supports the other widthwise edge of the sheet SH from below.

[0058] In this embodiment, the sheets SH from which images are to be read include postcards and A5 to A4 sized papers.

[0059] 2 and 3, the sub-tray 300 is located to the right of the second tray 200, and is connected to the front and rear ends (not shown) of the second tray 200. The upper surface of the sub-tray 300 forms a third support surface 301.

[0060] The third support surface 301 is adjacent to the second support surface 201 from the upstream side in the feeding direction DF1. The third support surface 301 is the remaining part of the sheet support surface 91 excluding the first support surface 101 and the second support surface 201.

[0061] <Conveying section and first to third conveying guides> 2, the cover 9 has a conveying section 4, a first conveying guide 31, a second conveying guide 32, and a third conveying guide 33. The conveying section 4, the first conveying guide 31, the second conveying guide 32, and the third conveying guide 33 are located inside the left portion of the cover 9.

[0062] The conveying section 4 includes a feeding roller 41, a separation roller , a separation pad A, a holder arm 50, a first conveying roller pair 43, a pressing member , a second conveying roller pair 45, a discharge roller 47, and an elastic piece .

[0063] The feeding roller 41 is located upstream of the downstream end 91D of the sheet supporting surface 91 in the feeding direction DF1, and faces the central portion 101C of the first supporting surface 101 from above.

[0064] The separation roller 42 is located downstream of the downstream end 91D of the sheet support surface 91 in the feeding direction DF1, and faces the conveying guide surface 34G from above. The separation roller 42 is assembled to a drive shaft 42S whose center is a drive axis X42 extending in the width direction.

[0065] The separation pad 42A is exposed on the conveying guide surface 34G and is supported by the guide portion 34A so as to be able to swing, facing the separation roller 42 from below. The separation pad 42A is pressed toward the separation pad 42A by a biasing spring.

[0066] Although the illustration is simplified, the drive shaft 42S is inserted through the holder arm 50. The holder arm 50 extends rightward from the drive axis X42, and supports the feed roller 41 at its right end so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis X41 extending in the width direction.

[0067] A torque limiter (not shown) is interposed between the holder arm 50 and the drive shaft 42S. The holder arm 50 supports a gear train (not shown) that transmits driving force from the drive shaft 42S to the feed roller 41.

[0068] The drive shaft 42S rotates around a drive axis X42 by transmitting a driving force from a drive source (not shown).

[0069] When the drive source (not shown) rotates forward, the torque limiter (not shown) rotates the holder arm 50 in conjunction with the rotation of the drive shaft 42S. This causes the holder arm 50 to swing so as to lower the feed roller 41. When the feed roller 41 comes into contact with the surface SH1 of the uppermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91, slippage occurs internally in the torque limiter (not shown), and the holder arm 50 is held in that position. As a result, the feed roller 41 presses the sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91 downward.

[0070] In this case, the drive shaft 42S transmits a driving force to the separation roller 42 to rotate the separation roller 42 about the drive axis X42, and also transmits a driving force to the feed roller 41 via a gear train (not shown) to rotate the feed roller 41. The feed roller 41 feeds the uppermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91 in the feed direction DF1. If there are multiple sheets SH fed by the feed roller 41, the separation roller 42 and the separation pad 42A separate the sheets SH one by one and transport the sheets SH.

[0071] When the drive source (not shown) rotates in the reverse direction, the torque limiter (not shown) rotates the holder arm 50 in conjunction with the reverse rotation of the drive shaft 42S, causing the holder arm 50 to swing so as to lift the feed roller 41.

[0072] 2 and 6 to 8 is the upper limit position. The rotation axis X41 of the feed roller 41 (41U) at the upper limit position is defined as the rotation axis X41U. When the feed roller 41 reaches the upper limit position, a torque limiter (not shown) slips internally, and the holder arm 50 is held at that position.

[0073] At this time, since the rotation of the separation roller 42 and the feed roller 41 is meaningless, a control unit (not shown) stops the drive source (not shown) immediately when the feed roller 41 reaches the upper limit position. A torque limiter (not shown) holds the holder arm 50 in that position even after the drive source (not shown) has stopped.

[0074] The feed roller 41 can come into contact with a first surface 71 of the friction member 70 (described later) when there is no sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. The position of the feed roller 41 (41D) shown in Figures 2, 6, and 7 is the lowest position where the feed roller 41 comes into contact with the first surface 71 of the friction member 70 (described later). The rotation axis X41 of the feed roller 41 (41D) in the lowest position is defined as the rotation axis X41D.

[0075] 2, the first conveying roller pair 43 is located on the left side wall side of the cover 9, close to the top surface of the main body 8. The pressing member 44 is located directly above the reading surface 3B.

[0076] The first conveying guide 31 is made up of a conveying guide surface 34G and a rib protruding downward from the rear surface of the left-end upper cover 98. The first conveying guide 31 guides the sheet SH supported on the sheet supporting surface 91 to the first conveying roller pair 43.

[0077] The second conveying guide 32 is made up of a part of a chute member located below the guide portion 34A of the upper chute 34 inside the cover 9, a guide surface formed inside the left side surface of the cover 9, and the like.

[0078] The second conveying guide 32 guides the sheet SH from the first conveying roller pair 43 to the reading surface 3B at a downward incline, and then guides the sheet SH to pass between the pressing member 44 and the reading surface 3B, i.e., above the reading sensor 3S in the stationary reading position.

[0079] The second conveying roller pair 45 is located above and to the left of the left edge of the discharge tray 96. The discharge roller 47 is located above and to the left of the left edge of the discharge tray 96 and is slightly shifted to the left from the left edge of the discharge tray 96. The upper end of the discharge roller 47 is located above the nip position of the second conveying roller pair 45.

[0080] The elastic piece 48 is made of a highly rigid film. The elastic piece 48 is cantilevered between the second conveying roller pair 45 and the discharge roller 47, protrudes to the right, and is bent at a position to the right of the discharge roller 47 and inclined downward to the right.

[0081] Although not shown, the conveying section 4 has a plurality of discharge rollers 47 and a plurality of elastic pieces 48, and the discharge rollers 47 and the elastic pieces 48 are arranged alternately in the width direction.

[0082] The third conveying guide 33 consists of the lower surface of a chute member located below the first tray 100 and the second tray 200 inside the cover 9, and an upward conveying guide surface formed between the reading surface 3B of the base member 39 and the discharge tray 96.

[0083] The third conveying guide 33 guides the sheet SH to the right of the reading surface 3B so as to be inclined upward to the right, and causes the sheet SH to pass through the second conveying roller pair 45, and further guides the sheet SH to the discharge roller 47 and the elastic piece .

[0084] <Friction materials> 2, the image reading device 1 includes a friction member 70. The friction member 70 is provided at a position on the sheet support surface 91 facing the feed roller 41, more specifically, on the first support surface 101.

[0085] The friction member 70 is intended to apply a frictional force to the lowermost sheet SH by contacting the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. For this reason, the friction member 70 is made of a material that can apply a higher frictional force to the sheet SH than the resin material that makes up the first tray 100, such as cork, rubber, or elastomer.

[0086] 4 to 7, in this embodiment, the friction member 70 is a cork sheet having a width of approximately 61 mm, a length of approximately 20 mm in the feeding direction DF1, and a thickness of approximately 1 mm. The friction member 70 is attached to the central portion 101C of the first support surface 101 with double-sided tape or the like.

[0087] 5, in this embodiment, the width W41 of the feed roller 41 is approximately 27 mm. The width W41 of the friction member 70 (approximately 61 mm) is between two and three times the width W41 of the feed roller 41.

[0088] 7, the friction member 70 has a first surface 71, a second surface 72, a third surface 73, and a fourth surface 74. The third surface 73, the second surface 72, the fourth surface 74, and the first surface 71 are arranged in this order along the feeding direction DF1, thereby forming the surface of the friction member 70.

[0089] In other words, the first tray 100 is provided with one friction member 70 having a third surface 73, a second surface 72, a fourth surface 74 and a first surface 71 that are continuous along the feeding direction DF1.

[0090] 5, the widthwise length W71 of the first surface 71 and the widthwise length W72 of the second surface 72 are equal to the widthwise length (approximately 61 mm) of the friction member 70. The same is true for the widthwise length of the third surface 73 and the widthwise length of the fourth surface 74.

[0091] 7, the first surface 71 is provided at a position facing the feed roller 41 in the center portion 101C of the first support surface 101. The first surface 71 can come into contact with the feed roller 41 when there is no sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. More specifically, the first surface 71 comes into contact with the feed roller 41 (41D) that has descended to the lowest position when there is no sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91.

[0092] When viewed along the width direction, the perpendicular line drawn from the rotation axis X41 (X41D) to the first surface 71 when the feed roller 41 (41D) lowered to the lowest position comes into contact with the first surface 71 is defined as perpendicular line PL1. As the perpendicular line PL1 extends downward, it inclines away from the vertical direction toward the upstream side of the feed direction DF1. A first direction D1 is defined as being parallel to the perpendicular line PL1. When viewed along the width direction, the extension line of the second support surface 201 is defined as extension line EL1.

[0093] The first surface 71 is located farther from the rotation axis X41 in the first direction D1 than the second support surface 201 and the second surface 72. The first surface 71 is located closer to the rotation axis X41 in the first direction D1 than the first support surfaces 101 (101A, 101B, 101C). The first surface 71 is located downstream in the feeding direction DF1 of the upstream end 41V in the feeding direction DF1 of the feeding roller 41 (41D) that descends to the lowest position and comes into contact with the first surface 71.

[0094] The first surface 71 has a first plane 71F. The first plane 71F is a flat surface parallel to the second support surface 201.

[0095] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, portions 101A and 101B of the first support surface 101 located outside the central portion 101C in the width direction have portions 101A1 and 101B1 located outside the first surface 71 in the width direction.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 7, the first plane 71F is parallel to portions 101A1 and 101B1 of the first support surface 101 located outside the first surface 71 in the width direction.

[0097] The second surface 72 is provided upstream in the feeding direction DF1 of the first surface 71 at the center 101C of the first support surface 101. The second surface 72 is located upstream in the feeding direction DF1 of the upstream end 41V in the feeding direction DF1 of the feeding roller 41 (41D) that descends to the lowest position and comes into contact with the first surface 71.

[0098] The second surface 72 has a second plane 72F. The second plane 72F is a flat surface parallel to the second support surface 201. The second plane 72F is designed to be flush with the second support surface 201. In other words, the second surface 72 is at the same position as the second support surface 201 in the first direction D1. Note that the second plane 72F may deviate slightly from being flush with the second support surface 201 due to manufacturing errors, play during assembly, and the like.

[0099] The third surface 73 is provided upstream in the feeding direction DF1 of the second surface 72 in the central portion 101C of the first support surface 101. The third surface 73 is connected to an upstream end 72U of the second surface 72 in the feeding direction DF1.

[0100] The third surface 73 is inclined in the first direction D1 so as to move away from the second support surface 201 toward the opposite side of the rotation axis X41 as it moves upstream in the feeding direction DF1. In this embodiment, the angle α at which the third surface 73 intersects with the extension line EL1 when viewed along the width direction is equal to or greater than 10° and equal to or less than 12°.

[0101] The fourth surface 74 is connected to an upstream end 71U of the first surface 71 in the feeding direction DF1 and a downstream end 72D of the second surface 72 in the feeding direction DF1. The fourth surface 74 is inclined in the first direction D1 so as to move away from the second support surface 201 to the side opposite to the rotation axis X41 as it moves downstream in the feeding direction DF1.

[0102] <Protrusions and positioning ribs> 4 and 5, the first tray 100 has a protrusion 130. The protrusion 130 is formed in a portion of the first tray 100 that is located upstream of the center portion 101C of the first support surface 101 in the feeding direction DF1.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 5, the protrusion 130 extends in the width direction along the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 in the feeding direction DF1.

[0104] 7, the protrusion 130 protrudes in the first direction D1 so as to approach the second support surface 201. The apex 131 of the protrusion 130 is located between the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 and the second support surface 201 in the first direction D1.

[0105] The protruding portion 130 has an inclined surface 132. The inclined surface 132 is a curved surface that inclines so as to move away from the second support surface 201 in the first direction D1 toward the opposite side of the rotation axis X41 as it moves upstream in the feeding direction DF1 from the apex 131 of the protruding portion 130.

[0106] 5 and 7, the central portion 101C of the first support surface 101 has an attachment surface 113. To the attachment surface 113, a portion of the friction member 70 having the third surface 73 is attached.

[0107] The protruding portion 130 has an abutment surface 133. The abutment surface 133 is a flat surface that extends in the width direction and from the apex 131 of the protruding portion 130 to the upstream end of the attachment surface 113 in the feeding direction DF1. The abutment surface 133 abuts against the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 from upstream in the feeding direction DF1.

[0108] 4 and 5, the first tray 100 has positioning ribs 139A and 139B. The front positioning rib 139A is connected to the front end of the protrusion 130 and extends in the feeding direction DF1. The rear positioning rib 139B is connected to the rear end of the protrusion 130 and extends in the feeding direction DF1. The positioning ribs 139A and 139B sandwich the attachment surface 113 in the width direction. The length by which the positioning ribs 139A and 139B protrude upward is smaller than the thickness of the friction member 70.

[0109] An operator attaching the friction member 70 to the central portion 101C of the first support surface 101 positions the portion of the friction member 70 having the third surface 73 between the positioning rib 139A and the positioning rib 139B, and abuts the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 against the abutment surface 133. This allows the operator to accurately position and attach the portion of the friction member 70 having the third surface 73 with respect to the attachment surface 113 in the width direction and the feeding direction DF1.

[0110] <Actions of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th planes> 6, the first surface 71 can come into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowest sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. Whether the first surface 71 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowest sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91 depends on the degree of deformation of the sheet SH caused by the sheet SH being given a curl or by the sheet SH being curled due to moisture.

[0111] For example, when sheets SH, such as thin, low-rigidity paper, are stacked and supported on the sheet support surface 91, the sheets SH bend under their own weight so as to conform to the sheet support surface 91. As a result, the first surface 71 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowest sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91.

[0112] 8, when sheets SH that have been deformed due to being given a curling tendency or warping due to moisture are supported in a stacked state on the sheet support surface 91, there is a risk that the central portions of the sheets SH in the width direction will become curved and float above the sheet support surface 91. As a result, the first surface 71 will be less likely to come into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. In particular, the central portion of the first surface 71 in the width direction is less likely to come into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH than the outer edges of the first surface 71 in the width direction.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 9 , when a stack of deformed sheets SH is supported on the sheet support surface 91, a driving force is transmitted from a forward-rotating drive source (not shown) to the drive shaft 42S, causing the feed roller 41 to descend from its uppermost position. The feed roller 41 presses downward the uppermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. This presses down the center of the width of the deformed sheet SH, correcting the deformed sheet SH into a generally "M" shape. As a result, unless the degree of deformation of the sheet SH is excessive, the first surface 71 easily contacts the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. On the other hand, if the degree of deformation of the sheet SH is excessive, the center of the width of the first surface 71 remains unlikely to contact the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH, but the outer edges of the first surface 71 easily contact the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH.

[0114] 6, the second surface 72 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowest sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. In particular, when sheets SH that have been deformed due to being curled or warped due to moisture are stacked and supported on the sheet support surface 91, when the feed roller 41, which has descended from its upper limit position, presses downward the topmost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91, the sheet SH deforms to fit the step between the first surface 71 and the second surface 72, and the second surface 72 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowest sheet SH with high reliability.

[0115] The third surface 73 can come into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH, mainly when a user supports the sheet SH on the sheet support surface 91. At this time, the third surface 73 guides the leading edge of the sheet SH inserted along the second support surface 201 toward the second surface 72. Because the third surface 73 and the second surface 72 are continuous, the sheet SH can pass over the second surface 72 without getting caught on the upstream edge 72U of the second surface 72.

[0116] The fourth surface 74 can come into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowest sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. Whether the fourth surface 74 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowest sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91 depends on the degree of deformation of the sheet SH caused by the sheet SH being curled or by moisture. Because the fourth surface 74 and the first surface 71 are continuous, even if the leading edge of the sheet SH is curled downward, it can pass through the first surface 71 without getting caught on the upstream edge 71U of the first surface 71.

[0117] <Image reading operation of a document supported on a sheet support surface> In the image reading device 1, when the image reading unit 3 reads an image of the sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91, the control unit (not shown) rotates the drive source (not shown) in the forward direction to operate the conveying unit 4.

[0118] The conveying unit 4 rotates the feed roller 41 and the separation roller 42 in the clockwise direction in Figure 2, rotates the drive roller 43A of the first conveying roller pair 43 and the drive roller 45A of the second conveying roller pair 45 in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 2, and rotates the discharge roller 47 in the clockwise direction in Figure 2.

[0119] As a result, the holder arm 50 swings to lower the feed roller 41 (41U) at the uppermost position, and the feed roller 41 comes into contact with the surface SH1 of the uppermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91. At this time, the feed roller 41 presses the uppermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91 downward.

[0120] Then, the feed roller 41 feeds the uppermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91 in the feed direction DF1. At this time, at least the second surface 72 of the first to fourth surfaces 71 to 74 of the friction member 70 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91, and applies a frictional force to the lowermost sheet SH. As a result, the image reading device 1 can suppress bundle double feeding in which multiple sheets SH are fed in a bundle, and ultimately suppress empty feeding caused by the bundle of sheets SH getting stuck in the conveyance space that narrows downstream of the feed roller 41 in the feed direction DF1 and upstream of the separation roller 42 in the feed direction DF1 due to the bundle double feeding.

[0121] When there are a plurality of sheets SH fed by the feeding roller 41, the separation roller 42 and the separation pad 42A separate the sheets SH one by one and convey the sheets SH toward the first conveying roller pair 43.

[0122] Next, the first conveying roller pair 43 conveys the sheet SH guided by the first conveying guide 31 and the second conveying guide 32, and passes it over the reading sensor 3S located at the stationary reading position. As a result, the reading sensor 3S reads the image on the sheet SH.

[0123] Thereafter, the second conveying roller pair 45 conveys the sheet SH guided by the third conveying guide 33 toward the discharge roller 47 and the elastic piece 48. The discharge roller 47 and the elastic piece 48 discharge the sheet SH onto the discharge tray 96 while deforming the sheet SH into a corrugated shape.

[0124] At this time, the discharge roller 47 and the elastic piece 48 discharge the sheet SH onto the discharge tray 96 from a position higher than the nip position of the second conveying roller pair 45.

[0125] When the image reading operation of the sheet SH is completed, the control unit (not shown) reversely rotates the drive source (not shown) for a short time. This causes the holder arm 50 to swing so as to raise the feed roller 41 to the uppermost position. As a result, the feed roller 41 (41U) that has moved to the uppermost position returns to a state where it is separated upward from the uppermost sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 91.

[0126] <Action and effect> 7, in the image reading device 1 of the embodiment, the second support surface 201 of the second tray 200 and the second surface 72 of the friction member 70 are located upstream in the feeding direction DF1 from the first surface 71 of the friction member 70. The first surface 71 is located farther from the rotation axis X41 in the first direction D1 than the second support surface 201 and the second surface 72.

[0127] That is, the portion of the sheet SH supported by the sheet supporting surface 91 that contacts the second supporting surface 201 and the second surface 72 is one step higher upstream in the feeding direction DF1 than the portion of the sheet SH that contacts the first surface 71.

[0128] As a result, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, when sheets SH that have been deformed due to being given a curling tendency or warping due to moisture are supported in a stacked state on the sheet support surface 91, when the feed roller 41 presses the top sheet SH downward, the sheet SH deforms to follow the step between the first surface 71 and the second surface 72, as shown in Figure 6, and the second surface 72 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the bottom sheet SH with high reliability.

[0129] As a result, this image reading device 1 can reliably apply frictional force to the bottom sheet SH using the friction member 70, thereby preventing double-feeding of sheets SH in a bundle, and ultimately preventing empty feeding caused by sheets SH getting stuck in a bundle in the conveying space that narrows downstream of the feed roller 41 in the feed direction DF1 and upstream of the separation roller 42 in the feed direction DF1 due to double-feeding of sheets SH.

[0130] Furthermore, this image reading device 1 is less bulky in the height direction than a configuration in which the second surface 72 is not present and the first surface 71 is positioned closer to the rotation axis X41 in the first direction D1 than the second support surface 201, thereby suppressing double bundle feeding.

[0131] Furthermore, this image reading device 1 is less likely to be bulky in the vertical direction compared to a configuration in which the ability to correct deformed sheets SH is improved by adding a pressing mechanism between the right end side of the holder arm 50 and the back surface of the left end side top cover 98.

[0132] Therefore, the image reading device 1 of the embodiment can prevent double feeding of a bundle of sheets SH even when deformed sheets SH are supported on the sheet support surface 91 in a stacked state, and can achieve a reduction in size in the height direction.

[0133] Furthermore, this image reading device 1 is configured such that the first surface 71 is one step lower than the second support surface 201 and the second surface 72, thereby reducing the frictional force that the leading edge of the sheet SH inserted along the second support surface 201 receives when it comes into contact with the first surface 71. As a result, this image reading device 1 can smoothly insert the leading edge of the sheet SH up to the downstream end 91D of the sheet support surface 91.

[0134] 7, in this image reading device 1, the second surface 72 is located upstream in the feeding direction DF1 of the upstream end 41V in the feeding direction DF1 of the feed roller 41 (41D), which descends to its lowest position and contacts the first surface 71. With this configuration, when deformed sheets SH are supported in a stacked state on the sheet support surface 91, the sheets SH are reliably deformed to conform to the step between the first surface 71 and the second surface 72, so that the second surface 72 can more reliably contact the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH. As a result, this image reading device 1 can more reliably apply frictional force to the lowermost sheet SH by the friction member 70, thereby more reliably suppressing double-bundle feeding and, ultimately, more reliably suppressing empty feeding caused by double-bundle feeding.

[0135] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, the third surface 73 is connected to the upstream end 72U of the second surface 72 in the feeding direction DF1, and is inclined in the first direction D1 so as to move away from the second support surface 201 toward the opposite side of the rotation axis X41 as it moves upstream in the feeding direction DF1. With this configuration, the third surface 73 guides the leading edge of the sheet SH inserted along the second support surface 201 toward the second surface 72. Because the third surface 73 and the second surface 72 are continuous, the sheet SH can pass through the second surface 72 without getting caught on the upstream end 72U of the second surface 72. As a result, in this image reading device 1, the leading edge of the sheet SH can be inserted more smoothly up to the downstream end 91D of the sheet support surface 91.

[0136] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, the apex 131 of the protrusion 130 is located between the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 and the second support surface 201 in the first direction D1. The inclined surface 132 of the protrusion 130 is a curved surface that inclines in the first direction D1 so as to move away from the second support surface 201 toward the opposite side of the rotation axis X41 as it moves upstream in the feeding direction DF1 from the apex 131. With this configuration, the inclined surface 132 and the apex 131 guide the leading edge of the sheet SH inserted along the second support surface 201 to a position above the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73. This allows the sheet SH to pass through the third surface 73 without getting caught on the third surface 73. As a result, the image reading device 1 allows the leading edge of the sheet SH to be inserted more smoothly up to the downstream end 91D of the sheet support surface 91. Furthermore, this configuration can prevent a force that would peel the friction member 70 from the first tray 100 from acting on the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 of the friction member 70 from the inserted sheet SH.

[0137] 5 and 7, the first tray 100 in the image reading device 1 has an attachment surface 113 to which the portion of the friction member 70 having the third surface 73 is attached. The protrusion 130 has an abutment surface 133 that abuts against the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 from upstream in the feeding direction DF1. With this configuration, an operator attaching the friction member 70 to the central portion 101C of the first support surface 101 can accurately position the portion of the friction member 70 having the third surface 73 with respect to the attachment surface 113 by abutting the upstream end 73U of the third surface 73 against the abutment surface 133.

[0138] 7, the friction member 70 in the image reading device 1 has a fourth surface 74 that is connected to an upstream end 71U of the first surface 71 in the feeding direction DF1 and a downstream end 72D of the second surface 72 in the feeding direction DF1 and can contact the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH. A single friction member 70 having a third surface 73, a second surface 72, a fourth surface 74, and a first surface 71 that are continuous along the feeding direction DF1 is provided on the first tray 100. With this configuration, the leading edge of a sheet SH inserted along the second support surface 201 is less likely to get caught on the continuous third surface 73, second surface 72, fourth surface 74, and first surface 71. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet SH in the image reading device 1 can be inserted more smoothly up to the downstream end 91D of the sheet support surface 91. Furthermore, with this configuration, the friction member 70 has a larger contact area with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH, so that the friction force can be applied to the lowermost sheet SH with greater reliability. Furthermore, with this configuration, compared to when there are multiple friction members 70, it is possible to prevent the edges of the friction member 70 from being worn down by sliding contact with the sheets SH.

[0139] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, the second surface 72 is at the same position as the second support surface 201 in the first direction D1. With this configuration, when deformed sheets SH are supported in a stacked state on the sheet support surface 91, the sheets SH are reliably deformed to fit the step between the first surface 71 and the second surface 72, so that the second surface 72 can more reliably contact the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH. As a result, this image reading device 1 can more reliably apply frictional force to the lowermost sheet SH using the friction member 70, thereby more reliably suppressing double-bundle feeding and, ultimately, more reliably suppressing empty feeding caused by double-bundle feeding.

[0140] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, the first surface 71 has a first flat surface 71F that is parallel to portions 101A1 and 101B1 of the first support surface 101 that are located outward in the width direction from the first surface 71. The second surface 72 has a second flat surface 72F that is parallel to the second support surface 201. With this configuration, the first flat surface 71F of the first surface 71 and the second flat surface 72F of the second surface 72 are less likely to interfere with the leading edge of the sheet SH that is inserted along the second support surface 201. Furthermore, the friction member 70 has a larger contact area with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH, so that the frictional force can be applied to the lowermost sheet SH with greater reliability.

[0141] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in FIG. 5, the widthwise length W71 of the first surface 71 and the widthwise length W72 of the second surface 72 are equal to the widthwise length of the friction member 70 (approximately 61 mm) and are between two and three times the widthwise length W41 (approximately 27 mm) of the feed roller 41. This configuration prevents the outer widthwise edge of the first surface 71 from contacting the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH when deformed sheets SH are stacked and supported on the sheet support surface 91. This configuration also ensures that the second surface 72 can more reliably contact the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH. As a result, this image reading device 1 can more reliably apply frictional force to the lowermost sheet SH using the friction member 70, thereby further reducing double-feeding of a stack and, ultimately, preventing empty feeds due to double-feeding of a stack. This configuration also reduces the material cost of the friction member 70.

[0142] 7, in this image reading device 1, the first surface 71 is located closer to the rotation axis X41 in the first direction D1 than the first support surfaces 101 (101A, 101B, 101C). With this configuration, the first surface 71 comes into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH with priority over the first support surface 101. Therefore, when deformed sheets SH are supported on the sheet support surface 91 in a stacked state, it is possible to prevent the first surface 71 from easily coming into contact with the back surface SH2 of the lowermost sheet SH.

[0143] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the examples, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above examples and can be modified and applied as appropriate within the scope of the invention.

[0144] (Variation) In the embodiment, there is one friction member 70, but the present invention also includes a configuration in which there are multiple friction members, as in the modified example shown in FIG.

[0145] In the image reading device of the modified example, the friction member 70 according to the embodiment is divided into two friction members 70A and 70B.

[0146] The friction member 70A is a portion of the friction member 70 that has the second surface 72 and the third surface 73. The configurations of the second surface 72 and the third surface 73 are the same as those in the embodiment.

[0147] The friction member 70B is modified such that the friction member 70 has a fifth surface 75 instead of the fourth surface 74 in the portion having the first surface 71 and the fourth surface 74. The configuration of the first surface 71 is the same as that of the embodiment.

[0148] The fifth surface 75 is connected to the upstream end 71U of the first surface 71 in the feeding direction DF1, and is inclined in the first direction D1 away from the first surface 71 on the side opposite to the rotation axis X41 as it moves upstream in the feeding direction DF1. With this configuration, the fifth surface 75 guides the leading edge of the sheet SH inserted along the second surface 72 toward the first surface 71.

[0149] The shape of the central portion 101C of the first support surface 101 is modified so as to have a recessed portion that matches the fifth surface 75.

[0150] The image reading device of the modified example having such a configuration can suppress double feeding of a bundle of sheets SH even when deformed sheets SH are supported on the sheet support surface 91 in a stacked state, as with the image reading device 1 of the embodiment, and can also achieve miniaturization in the vertical direction.

[0151] In the embodiment, the sheet feeding device of the present invention is embodied as an image reading device 1 having an image reading function and an image forming function, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the configuration of the present invention may be applied to an image reading device having only an image reading function, or to an image forming device having only an image forming function.

[0152] In the embodiment, the second surface 72 is located at the same position as the second support surface 201 in the first direction D1, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the present invention also includes a configuration in which the second surface 72 in the embodiment is located closer to the rotation axis X41 than the second support surface 201, or a configuration in which the second surface 72 is located farther from the rotation axis X41 than the second support surface 201.

[0153] In the embodiment, the abutment surface 133 is a single flat surface, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the abutment surface may be a plurality of protrusions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0154] 1...sheet feeding device (image reading device), SH...sheet 91...sheet support surface, 90...supply tray, X41...rotation axis SH1: Surface of the top sheet supported on the sheet support surface SH2: Back surface of the lowest sheet supported on the sheet support surface DF1...feeding direction, 41...feeding roller, 70...friction member 91D...Downstream end of the sheet support surface in the feeding direction 101...first support surface, 100...first tray 201...second support surface, 200...second tray 71…1st side, 72…2nd side X41D: Rotation axis when the feed roller contacts the first surface PL1: Perpendicular line from the rotation axis of the feed roller to the first surface when it comes into contact with the first surface D1...first direction, 41V...upstream end of the feeding roller in contact with the first surface in the feeding direction 72U...Upstream end of the second surface in the feeding direction 73...Third surface, 73U...Upstream end of the third surface in the feeding direction 130...protrusion, 131...apex of protrusion, 132...inclined surface 113...Adhesive surface, 133...Abutting surface 71U...Upstream end of the first surface in the feeding direction 72D... downstream end of the second surface in the feeding direction, 74... fourth surface 101A1, 101B1...portions of the first support surface positioned outside the first surface in the width direction 71F…1st plane, 72F…2nd plane W71: Width of the first surface, W72: Width of the second surface W41: Width of the feed roller

Claims

1. a supply tray having a sheet support surface that supports sheets in a stacked state; a feed roller that is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the sheet support surface and that contacts a surface of the uppermost sheet supported on the sheet support surface to feed the uppermost sheet in a feed direction perpendicular to the width direction; a friction member provided at a position facing the feed roller on the sheet support surface, the friction member contacting a rear surface of a lowermost sheet supported on the sheet support surface to apply a friction force to the lowermost sheet; A sheet feeding device comprising: the supply tray is a first tray that is a part of the sheet support surface and that constitutes a first support surface that includes a downstream end of the sheet support surface in the feeding direction; a second tray that constitutes a second support surface that is at least a part of the remaining portion of the sheet support surface and is adjacent to the first support surface from upstream in the sheet feeding direction; the friction member has a first surface that is provided at a position facing the feed roller on the first support surface and is capable of contacting the back surface of the lowermost sheet, the first surface being capable of contacting the feed roller when no sheet is supported on the sheet support surface; a second surface provided on the first support surface upstream of the first surface in the feeding direction and in contact with the back surface of the lowermost sheet, When viewed along the width direction, a first direction is defined that is parallel to a perpendicular line extending from the rotation axis of the feeding roller to the first surface when the feeding roller contacts the first surface, and The sheet feeding device, wherein the first surface is located farther from the rotation axis in the first direction than the second support surface and the second surface.

2. 2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the second surface is located upstream in the feeding direction of an upstream end of the feeding roller that contacts the first surface in the feeding direction.

3. the friction member is provided on the first support surface upstream of the second surface in the feeding direction and is capable of contacting the back surface of the lowermost sheet, and has a third surface connected to an upstream end of the second surface in the feeding direction, 3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the third surface is inclined so as to move away from the second support surface in the first direction toward the opposite side of the rotation axis as it moves upstream in the feeding direction.

4. the first tray has a protruding portion that extends in the width direction along an upstream end of the third surface in the feeding direction and protrudes so as to approach the second support surface in the first direction, an apex of the protrusion is located between the upstream end of the third surface and the second support surface in the first direction; 4. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion has an inclined surface that inclines away from the second support surface in the first direction toward the opposite side of the rotation axis as it moves from the apex toward the upstream side in the feeding direction.

5. the first tray has an attachment surface to which the portion of the friction member having the third surface is attached, 5. The sheet feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the protruding portion has an abutting surface that abuts against the upstream end of the third surface from upstream in the feeding direction.

6. the friction member has a fourth surface connected to an upstream end of the first surface in the feeding direction and a downstream end of the second surface in the feeding direction and capable of contacting the back surface of the lowermost sheet, 6. A sheet feeding device according to claim 3, wherein a single friction member having the third surface, the second surface, the fourth surface and the first surface continuous along the feeding direction is provided on the first tray.

7. 3. A sheet feeding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the friction member has a fourth surface that is connected to the upstream end of the first surface in the feeding direction and the downstream end of the second surface in the feeding direction and that contacts the back surface of the lowermost sheet.

8. 3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the second surface is located at the same position as the second support surface in the first direction or at a position closer to the rotation axis than the second support surface.

9. the first surface has a first plane parallel to a portion of the first support surface located outward in a width direction from the first surface, 3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the second surface has a second plane parallel to the second support surface.

10. 3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the width of the first surface and the width of the second surface are between two and three times the width of the feeding roller.

11. 3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first surface is located closer to the rotation axis than the first support surface in the first direction.

Images