Medium discharge device and electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide a medium discharge device and an electronic apparatus which can suppress the disorder of each medium on a paper discharge part.SOLUTION: A medium discharge part 30 comprises: a pair of discharge rollers 31 which nip each medium M by a first roller 31a and a second roller 31b and discharge the medium M to a paper discharge part 14; a first pressing member 33 which has a medium pressing part 33a movable to the lower side than a nip position Pn where the pair of discharge rollers 31 nip the medium M and presses the medium M by the medium pressing part 33a; and a lifting member 34 which lifts the medium pressing part 33a from a first position lower than the nip position Pn to a second position upper than the first position. The medium pressing part 33a moves from the first position to the second position by being lifted by the lifting member 34 when a tip part on the downstream side in the discharge direction of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn, and moves from the second position to the first position when a rear end part on the upstream side in the discharge direction of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium ejection device and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a paper discharge device that discharges paper from a pair of paper discharge rollers to a paper stack. This paper discharge device includes first and second paper pressure members that can swing in conjunction with each other and are located downstream of the pair of paper discharge rollers in the discharge direction. The first paper pressure member presses the paper with its swing end to prevent the trailing edge of the discharged paper from remaining on the pair of paper discharge rollers. The second paper pressure member has a shorter swing radius than the first paper pressure member, and its swing end is located upstream of the swing end of the first paper pressure member. Paper discharged from the pair of paper discharge rollers comes into contact with the swing end of the second paper pressure member and is guided to the paper stack below. Then, when the trailing edge of the paper passes the pair of paper discharge rollers, the trailing edge of the paper is pressed down toward the paper stack by the first paper pressure member. With this configuration, the leading edge of the paper does not come into contact with the first paper pressure member, preventing the leading edge of the paper from being excessively pressed against the paper stack by the first paper pressure member. As a result, the movement of the paper is prevented from being impeded by frictional resistance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-60241 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a configuration in which the leading edge of the paper is pressed down by the second paper pressing member, there is a risk that the second paper pressing member may significantly press down the edge of the paper width direction, which intersects with the ejection direction, if the paper has low rigidity, etc. In this case, the edge of the leading edge of the ejected paper width direction may collide with the rear edge of the paper on the paper stack, causing the paper on the paper stack to become disorganized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The medium ejection device is a medium ejection device that ejects a medium toward a loading section on which the medium is placed, and includes a first roller and a second roller located above the first roller, a roller pair that nips the medium with the first roller and the second roller to eject the medium to the loading section, a first pressing member that has a first member that can move below the nip position where the roller pair nips the medium and presses the medium with the first member, and a lifting member that lifts the first member from a first position below the nip position to a second position above the first position, and when the downstream leading end of the medium in the ejection direction passes the nip position, the first member is lifted by the lifting member to move from the first position to the second position, and when the upstream trailing end of the medium in the ejection direction passes the nip position, the first member moves from the first position to the second position.

[0006] The medium ejection device is a medium ejection device that ejects a medium toward a loading section on which the medium is placed, and includes a roller pair that includes a first roller and a second roller located above the first roller, and that nips the medium with the first roller and the second roller to eject the medium to the loading section, a first pressing member that has a first member that can move below the nip position where the roller pair nips the medium and presses the medium with the first member, and a second pressing member that presses the medium ejected from the roller pair toward the loading section on the loading section that is located on the side of the first member of the first pressing member in the medium ejection direction, and the first member extends along the ejection direction when the medium is nipped by the roller pair.

[0007] The electronic device includes the medium ejection device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an image reading device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the image reading device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a medium ejection section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of a medium ejection section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the first embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the first embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the first embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a medium ejection section of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a medium ejection section of a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the second embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the second embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the second embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a medium ejection section according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the third embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the third embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the third embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the third embodiment ejects a medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 1. First embodiment The configuration of the image reading device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The image reading device 1 is an electronic device that reads an image formed on a medium M such as a sheet of paper being conveyed and generates image data.

[0010] Each figure shows an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that intersect with each other. In this embodiment, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis is parallel to the installation surface of the image reading device 1 and corresponds to the width direction of the image reading device 1. The Y-axis is parallel to the installation surface of the image reading device 1 and corresponds to the depth direction of the image reading device 1. The Z-axis is perpendicular to the installation surface of the image reading device 1 and corresponds to the height direction of the image reading device 1.

[0011] Hereinafter, the +X direction parallel to the X axis is the left direction when facing the front of the image reading device 1. The -X direction parallel to the X axis is the opposite direction of the +X direction. The +Y direction parallel to the Y axis is the direction from the back to the front of the image reading device 1. The -Y direction parallel to the Y axis is the opposite direction of the +Y direction. The +Z direction parallel to the Z axis is the direction facing upward from the installation surface of the image reading device 1. The -Z direction parallel to the Z axis is the opposite direction of the +Z direction. In this embodiment, the ±Z directions are parallel to the vertical direction.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an image reading device 1, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the image reading device 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading device 1 includes a lower unit 11 and an upper unit 12. The upper unit 12 is disposed above the lower unit 11. The upper unit 12 includes a paper feed section 13 on which a medium M is placed before being read, and a paper discharge section 14 on which a medium M is placed after being read. Multiple media M (see FIG. 2) can be placed in a stack in the paper feed section 13 and the paper discharge section 14. The upper unit 12 can be opened and closed relative to the lower unit 11. The paper discharge section 14 is an example of a placement section.

[0013] 2, a transport path 15 for the medium M, shown by a dashed line, is formed in the upper unit 12 of the image reading device 1. The transport path 15 is a path that runs from the paper feed unit 13 through the interior of the upper unit 12, between the lower unit 11 and the upper unit 12, and to the paper discharge unit 14. The transport path 15 is bent within the upper unit 12.

[0014] The image reading device 1 includes a medium transport section 21 inside the upper unit 12. The medium transport section 21 includes a feeding unit 22 and multiple transport roller pairs 23. The feeding unit 22 separates the topmost medium M from multiple media M stacked in the paper feed section 13 and takes each medium M into the transport path 15. The transport roller pair 23 includes a drive roller 23a that rotates when driven by a drive device (not shown), and a driven roller 23b that rotates following the rotation of the drive roller 23a. The transport roller pair 23 nip the medium M between the drive roller 23a and the driven roller 23b to transport the medium M. The medium transport section 21 transports the medium M along the transport path 15 toward a discharge roller pair 31 (described later). The medium transport section 21 is an example of a transport section.

[0015] The image reading device 1 includes a first sensor unit 24 and a second sensor unit 25 at positions adjacent to the transport path 15. The first sensor unit 24 and the second sensor unit 25 include, for example, CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type sensors extending along the Y axis. However, the sensors included in the first sensor unit 24 and the second sensor unit 25 may be other types of sensors, such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type sensors.

[0016] The first sensor unit 24 is housed in the lower unit 11. A light-transmittable platen 26 is disposed on the upper surface of the lower unit 11, and the first sensor unit 24 faces the first surface of the medium M being transported via the platen 26. The first sensor unit 24 reads an image formed on the first surface of the medium M being transported. The first sensor unit 24 is movable in the ±X directions, and can read images on a medium M placed on the platen 26 by opening the upper unit 12, in addition to images on a medium M being transported along the transport path 15.

[0017] The second sensor unit 25 is housed inside the upper unit 12 and is disposed downstream of the first sensor unit 24 on the transport path 15. The second sensor unit 25 faces a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium M being transported, and reads an image formed on the second surface.

[0018] The image reading device 1 includes a medium discharge unit 30 downstream of the medium transport unit 21, the first sensor unit 24, and the second sensor unit 25 in the transport path 15. The medium discharge unit 30 discharges the medium M after the image has been read by the first sensor unit 24 and the second sensor unit 25 toward the paper discharge unit 14. The medium discharge unit 30 is an example of a medium discharge device.

[0019] The medium discharge section 30 has a discharge roller pair 31 composed of a first roller 31a and a second roller 31b. The first roller 31a is rotated by driving a drive device (not shown). The second roller 31b is located above the first roller 31a, i.e., on the +Z side, and rotates following the rotation of the first roller 31a. The discharge roller pair 31 nips the medium M with the first roller 31a and the second roller 31b, and discharges the medium M to the paper discharge section 14. The discharge roller pair 31 is an example of a roller pair.

[0020] The image reading device 1 includes a control unit 50 inside the lower unit 11. The control unit 50 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the operation of the image reading device 1. In other words, the control unit 50 controls the operation of the medium transport unit 21, the first sensor unit 24, the second sensor unit 25, and the medium discharge unit 30.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the medium ejection unit 30, and Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the medium ejection unit 30. Hereinafter, the direction in which the medium ejection unit 30 ejects the medium M will also be referred to as the ejection direction. In this embodiment, the ejection direction is approximately the -X direction. In addition, the ±Y directions that intersect with the ejection direction will also be referred to as the width direction of the medium M. As shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the discharge roller pair 31 described above, the medium discharge unit 30 also includes a scraping member 32, a first pressing member 33, and a lifting member 34. The scraping member 32 scrapes the medium M from the discharge roller pair 31. The first pressing member 33 presses the discharged medium M against the first roller 31a. The lifting member 34 changes the position of the first pressing member 33 as the medium M moves. These components will be described in detail later.

[0022] 4, the medium discharge unit 30 has multiple discharge roller pairs 31 arranged along the ±Y direction. In this embodiment, the medium discharge unit 30 has four discharge roller pairs 31 arranged along the ±Y direction. In other words, the medium discharge unit 30 has four first rollers 31a and four second rollers 31b arranged along the ±Y direction.

[0023] The four first rollers 31a are fixed to a rotation shaft 35 extending along the ±Y directions. The four first rollers 31a rotate about the rotation shaft 35 by driving a drive device (not shown). The four second rollers 31b are fixed to a rotation shaft 36 extending along the ±Y directions. The four second rollers 31b rotate about the rotation shaft 36 in response to the rotation of the first rollers 31a. The rotation shafts 35, 36 are rotatably supported by, for example, the housing of the upper unit 12.

[0024] The medium discharge unit 30 is equipped with multiple scraping members 32. In this embodiment, the medium discharge unit 30 is equipped with two scraping members 32. Each of the two scraping members 32 is arranged adjacent to the inner surface of the two innermost first rollers 31a out of the four first rollers 31a. Specifically, one scraping member 32 is arranged adjacent to the -Y side of the second first roller 31a from the +Y side. The other scraping member 32 is arranged adjacent to the +Y side of the third first roller 31a from the +Y side.

[0025] The scraping member 32 is a disk-shaped member made of, for example, a sponge. That is, the scraping member 32 has fine irregularities formed on its surface and is capable of elastic deformation. The scraping member 32 rotates around a rotation axis 35 together with the first roller 31a by being driven by a drive device (not shown). That is, the scraping member 32 rotates coaxially with the first roller 31a and nips the medium M between itself and the second roller 31b. The scraping member 32 uses the irregularities on its surface to scrape the medium M in the discharge direction.

[0026] The diameter of scraping member 32 is larger than the diameter of first roller 31a. However, because scraping member 32 is made of a sponge or the like, it is crushed and deformed when it comes into contact with second roller 31b or medium M. Note that scraping member 32 is not limited to a sponge, and may be made of any elastic material with fine irregularities formed on its surface. Furthermore, medium discharge unit 30 may not be provided with scraping member 32.

[0027] The medium discharge unit 30 includes multiple first presser members 33 arranged along the ±Y direction, which is the axial direction of the first roller 31a. In this embodiment, the medium discharge unit 30 includes three first presser members 33 arranged along the ±Y direction. One first presser member 33 is disposed between each of the four discharge roller pairs 31. Each first presser member 33 includes a rotation shaft 37 located on a common imaginary line and is rotatable about the rotation shaft 37. The rotation shaft 37 of the first presser member 33 is disposed on the +X side, i.e., upstream in the discharge direction, of the rotation shaft 35 of the first roller 31a and the rotation shaft 36 of the second roller 31b. The rotation shaft 37 is rotatably supported, for example, by the housing of the upper unit 12 or another structure. The rotation shaft 37 is an example of a first rotation shaft.

[0028] The first presser member 33 has a medium pressing portion 33a extending from the rotation shaft 37 on the -X side, and a lever portion 33b extending from the rotation shaft 37 on the +X side. As the first presser member 33 rotates, the medium pressing portion 33a can move downward below the nip position Pn where the discharge roller pair 31 nip the medium M. The first presser member 33 presses the medium M downward as it is being discharged by the medium pressing portion 33a moving downward. As the first presser member 33 rotates, the lever portion 33b comes into contact with the lifting member 34. The medium pressing portion 33a is an example of a first member, and the lever portion 33b is an example of a second member.

[0029] The weight of the medium pressing portion 33a is greater than the weight of the lever portion 33b. Therefore, when the discharge roller pair 31 is not nipping the medium M, the medium pressing portion 33a is displaced downward due to its own weight. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the medium pressing portion 33a is located below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. The position of the medium pressing portion 33a when the discharge roller pair 31 is not nipping the medium M corresponds to the first position. Note that in this specification, the position of the medium pressing portion 33a refers to the position of the portion of the medium pressing portion 33a that actually comes into contact with the medium M.

[0030] The lifting member 34 changes the posture of the first pressing member 33 by pressing downward on the lever portion 33b of the first pressing member 33. The lifting member 34 has a rotation shaft 38 extending along the ±Y directions and is rotatable about the rotation shaft 38. The rotation shaft 38 is disposed on the +X side of the rotation shaft 37 of the first pressing member 33, i.e., upstream in the discharge direction. The rotation shaft 38 is rotatably supported by, for example, the housing of the upper unit 12 or another structure. The rotation shaft 38 is an example of a second rotation shaft.

[0031] The lifting member 34 has one medium contact portion 34a extending from the rotation shaft 38 toward the -X side, and three lever depression portions 34b extending from the rotation shaft 38 toward the +X side. Specifically, the medium contact portion 34a extends in a direction having a -X component and a -Z component so as to intersect with the transport path 15, and comes into contact with the transported medium M. Furthermore, each of the three lever depression portions 34b faces the lever portion 33b of the first presser member 33. Therefore, when the lifting member 34 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3, the lever depression portion 34b comes into contact with the lever portion 33b and presses the lever portion 33b downward. The medium contact portion 34a is an example of a third member, and the lever depression portion 34b is an example of a fourth member.

[0032] When the lever portion 33b of the first presser member 33 is pressed downward, the medium pressing portion 33a rises. The position of the medium pressing portion 33a after rising corresponds to the second position. The second position is a position higher than the first position. In this manner, the lifting member 34 lifts the medium pressing portion 33a of the first presser member 33 from the first position, which is lower than the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31, to the second position, which is higher than the first position. In this embodiment, the second position is a position at approximately the same height as the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31.

[0033] Next, the operation of the medium ejection unit 30 will be described. When reading an image formed on the medium M, the medium transport unit 21 takes one sheet of medium M from the paper feed unit 13 into the transport path 15 under the control of the control unit 50. The medium transport unit 21 transports the taken-in medium M along the transport path 15 toward the medium discharge unit 30. The first sensor unit 24 and the second sensor unit 25 also read the image formed on the transported medium M under the control of the control unit 50. The medium discharge unit 30 also rotates the first roller 31a under the control of the control unit 50, thereby discharging the medium M after the image has been read to the paper discharge unit 14.

[0034] 5 to 7 are side views showing the state in which the medium discharge unit 30 of this embodiment discharges the medium M. FIG. 5, the medium M being conveyed by the medium conveying unit 21 comes into contact with the medium contact portion 34a of the lifting member 34 upstream in the conveying direction of the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31, causing the medium contact portion 34a to move downstream. This causes the lifting member 34 to rotate in the first direction R1, which is counterclockwise in FIG. 5, around the rotation shaft 38. As a result, the lever depression portion 34b of the lifting member 34 comes into contact with the lever portion 33b of the first presser member 33.

[0035] Furthermore, as the medium M moves downstream, the lifting member 34 further rotates in the first direction R1, causing the lever depressing portion 34b to press the lever portion 33b downward. This causes the first presser member 33 to also rotate in the first direction R1 around the rotation shaft 37. As the first presser member 33 rotates in the first direction R1, the medium pressing portion 33a is lifted upward.

[0036] The lifting of the medium pressing portion 33a in association with the rotation of the first presser member 33 continues until the leading edge of the medium contact portion 34a abuts against the top surface of the medium M. Then, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the leading edge of the medium M, i.e., the downstream end in the discharge direction, passes through the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31, the leading edge of the medium contact portion 34a abuts against the top surface of the medium M. After this, the postures of the lifting member 34 and the first presser member 33 remain substantially constant. At this time, the medium pressing portion 33a extends along the discharge direction and contacts the top surface of the medium M with the abutment surface 33c facing the medium M. As described above, the position of the medium pressing portion 33a after being lifted by the lifting member 34 corresponds to the second position. In other words, when the downstream end in the discharge direction of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn, the rotation of the first presser member 33 in the first direction R1 causes the medium pressing portion 33a to move from the first position to the second position. In other words, the medium pressing portion 33a is lifted by the lifting member 34, and thereby moves from the first position to the second position.

[0037] Here, assuming that the medium pressing unit 33a does not rise, if the widthwise end of the medium M, i.e., the ±Y direction end of the medium M, is near the position of the medium pressing unit 33a, there is a risk that the medium pressing unit 33a will significantly press down the widthwise end of the medium M. In particular, if the rigidity of the medium M is low, the medium M is likely to sag downward. In this case, the widthwise end of the leading edge of the medium M being discharged may collide with the rear edge of the medium M on the paper discharge unit 14, which may cause the medium M on the paper discharge unit 14 to become distorted. In contrast, in this embodiment, the medium pressing unit 33a rises when the leading edge of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn, thereby preventing the widthwise end of the medium M from being pressed down.

[0038] Subsequently, as the medium M is further discharged and the rear end of the medium M, i.e., the upstream end in the discharge direction, separates from the medium contact portion 34a, the medium contact portion 34a descends due to its own weight, as shown in FIG. 7. That is, the lifting member 34 rotates around the rotation shaft 38 in a second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1. As a result, the lever depressing portion 34b of the lifting member 34 separates from the lever portion 33b of the first presser member 33. Then, when the lever depressing portion 34b separates from the lever portion 33b, the medium pressing portion 33a descends due to its own weight, and the first presser member 33 rotates in the second direction R2 around the rotation shaft 37. As a result, the first presser member 33 presses the medium M downward due to the weight of the medium pressing portion 33a, pressing the medium M against the first roller 31a. At this time, the medium M bends downward between the first rollers 31a, so the position of the medium pressing unit 33a becomes lower than the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. The medium pressing unit 33a continues to press the medium M until the medium M is released. Note that in FIG. 7, the nipped portion of the medium M and the portion in contact with the circumferential surface of the first roller 31a are not shown. After that, when the medium M is released from the medium pressing unit 33a, the position of the medium pressing unit 33a returns to the first position it was in before the medium M was discharged. In this way, when the trailing end of the medium M on the upstream side in the discharge direction passes the nip position Pn, the first pressing member 33 rotates in the second direction R2 about the rotation shaft 37, and the medium pressing unit 33a moves from the second position to the first position.

[0039] 3 and 6, when the medium pressing portion 33a is located at the first position (see FIG. 3), the overlapping area between the medium pressing portion 33a and the first roller 31a is larger when viewed from the ±Y direction, which is the axial direction of the first roller 31a, compared to when the medium pressing portion 33a is located at the second position (see FIG. 6). Furthermore, when the medium pressing portion 33a is located at the first position (see FIG. 3), the angle θ of the medium pressing portion 33a with respect to the horizontal plane is larger than when the medium pressing portion 33a is located at the second position (see FIG. 6). Here, the angle θ of the medium pressing portion 33a with respect to the horizontal plane refers to the angle between the contact surface 33c of the medium pressing portion 33a that comes into contact with the medium M and the horizontal plane.

[0040] As described above, the medium discharge unit 30 and image reading device 1 of this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0041] According to this embodiment, when the leading edge of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn, the medium pressing portion 33a of the first presser member 33 is lifted upward by the lifting member 34, thereby preventing the widthwise edge of the medium M from being pressed down. In other words, the angle of approach of the edge of the medium M toward the downstream side, i.e., the angle of the medium M with respect to the horizontal plane, is reduced. As a result, collision between the leading edge of the discharged medium M and the trailing edge of the medium M on the paper discharge unit 14 is avoided, preventing the medium M on the paper discharge unit 14 from becoming disarrayed. Meanwhile, when the trailing edge of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn, the medium pressing portion 33a moves downward, causing the first presser member 33 to press the medium M against the first roller 31a. This increases the force of conveying the medium M downstream. As a result, the medium M moves in accordance with the rotation of the first roller 31a, preventing the trailing edge of the medium M from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31.

[0042] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the medium M transported by the medium transport unit 21 comes into contact with the medium contact portion 34a, and the lifting member 34 is rotated in the first direction R1, causing the medium pressing portion 33a to rise from the first position to the second position. In other words, the lifting of the medium pressing portion 33a can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the medium pressing portion 33a descends from the second position to the first position as a result of the ejected medium M moving away from the lifting member 34. In other words, the descent of the medium pressing portion 33a can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0044] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the first position, the overlapping area between the medium pressing unit 33a and the first roller 31a is larger than when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the second position. In other words, when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the first position, the medium M is pressed against the first roller 31a, which prevents the trailing end of the medium M from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31. On the other hand, when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the second position, the overlapping area between the medium pressing unit 33a and the first roller 31a is smaller than when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the first position, which prevents the leading end of the medium M from being pressed down in the width direction.

[0045] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the first position, the angle of the medium pressing unit 33a with respect to the horizontal plane is larger than when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the second position. In other words, when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the first position, the medium M is pressed against the first roller 31a, which prevents the trailing end of the medium M from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31. On the other hand, when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the second position, the angle of the medium pressing unit 33a with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than when the medium pressing unit 33a is located at the first position, which prevents the leading end of the medium M from being pressed down in the width direction.

[0046] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, multiple first pressing members 33 are arranged along the axial direction of first roller 31a, so that media M of various sizes can be pressed by first pressing members 33 effectively.

[0047] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the medium M is scraped out by the scraping member 32 at the discharge roller pair 31, so the trailing end of the medium M is further prevented from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31.

[0048] 2. Second embodiment Next, an image reading device 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. The image reading device 1 of this embodiment includes a medium ejection unit 30A that is different from the medium ejection unit 30 of the first embodiment. The configuration other than the medium ejection unit 30A is the same as that of the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0049] FIG. 8 is a side view showing the medium ejection section 30A of this embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the medium ejection section 30A. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the medium discharge unit 30A of this embodiment includes two second presser members 40 in addition to the configuration of the medium discharge unit 30 of the first embodiment. The second presser members 40 are plate-shaped members that are approximately rectangular in plan view and are formed to have a corrugated shape in side view. The +X side end of the second presser member 40 is rotatably attached to the rotation shaft 36 of the second roller 31b. The pressing end 40a, which is the -X side end of the second presser member 40, is a free end and is located on the paper discharge unit 14. When a medium M is placed on the paper discharge unit 14, the second presser member 40 presses the medium M toward the paper discharge unit 14 by its own weight. In this way, the second presser member 40 presses the medium M discharged from the discharge roller pair 31 toward the paper discharge unit 14 on the paper discharge unit 14, which is located closer to the discharge direction than the medium pressing portion 33a of the first presser member 33.

[0050] 10 to 12 are side views showing the state in which the medium discharge unit 30A of this embodiment discharges the medium M. FIG. 10, when the medium M transported by the medium transport unit 21 reaches the medium discharge unit 30A, the medium pressing portion 33a of the first presser member 33 is lifted upward by the lifting member 34, as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the leading edge of the medium M that has passed the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31 comes into contact with the second presser member 40, causing the second presser member 40 to rotate so that the pressing end 40a rises. Meanwhile, the medium M heads toward the paper discharge unit 14 while being pressed downward by the weight of the second presser member 40.

[0051] 11, as the discharge of the medium M progresses, the medium M that has passed the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31 bends downward, causing the pressing end 40a of the second pressing member 40 to descend. Then, the medium M that has passed the pressing end 40a of the second pressing member 40 moves along the upper surface of the paper discharge unit 14 or the upper surface of the medium M placed on the paper discharge unit 14.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 12, as the discharge of the medium M progresses further and the trailing end of the medium M separates from the medium contact portion 34a, the medium contact portion 34a descends due to its own weight, as in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the medium pressing portion 33a also moves downward. As a result, the first pressing member 33 presses the medium M downward due to the own weight of the medium pressing portion 33a, pressing the medium M against the first roller 31a. The trailing end of the medium M then reaches the paper discharge portion 14 while being pressed by the second pressing member 40. Note that, again in FIG. 12, the nipped portion of the medium M and the portion in contact with the circumferential surface of the first roller 31a are not shown.

[0053] As described above, the medium discharge unit 30A and image reading device 1 of this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0054] According to this embodiment, the medium M discharged from the discharge roller pair 31 is pressed toward the paper discharge section 14 by the second pressing member 40. This prevents the medium M from going too far downstream in the paper discharge section 14, thereby improving the alignment of the medium M.

[0055] 3. Third embodiment Next, an image reading device 1 according to a third embodiment will be described. The image reading device 1 of this embodiment has a medium discharge unit 30B that is different from the medium discharge units 30 and 30A of the first and second embodiments. The configuration other than the medium discharge unit 30B is the same as in the first and second embodiments, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the medium discharge section 30B of this embodiment. 13, the medium ejection unit 30B of this embodiment differs from the medium ejection units 30 and 30A of the first and second embodiments in that it does not have a lifting member 34. In addition, the medium ejection unit 30B is provided with a first pressing member 41 that has a different shape from the first pressing member 33 of the first and second embodiments.

[0057] Specifically, like the first presser member 33, the first presser member 41 has a medium pressing portion 41a extending from the rotation shaft 42 toward the -X side. However, unlike the first presser member 33, the first presser member 41 does not have a lever portion 33b extending toward the +X side. As the first presser member 41 rotates, the medium pressing portion 41a can move downward below the nip position Pn where the discharge roller pair 31 nip the medium M. The first presser member 41 can press the medium M downward during discharge by the medium pressing portion 41a moving downward. The medium pressing portion 41a is an example of a first member.

[0058] When the discharge roller pair 31 is not nipping the medium M, the medium pressing portion 41a of the first presser member 41 is displaced downward by its own weight. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13 , the medium pressing portion 41a is positioned below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. In this state, the medium pressing portion 41a extends in a direction having a -X component and a -Z component and intersects with the conveyance path 15.

[0059] Similarly to the second embodiment, the medium discharge unit 30B also includes a second pressing member 40. The second pressing member 40 presses the medium M discharged from the discharge roller pair 31 toward the paper discharge unit 14 on a portion of the paper discharge unit 14 that is closer to the discharge direction than the medium pressing portion 41a of the first pressing member 41.

[0060] 14 to 17 are side views showing the medium discharge unit 30B of this embodiment discharging the medium M. FIG. 14, when the medium M being transported by the medium transport unit 21 reaches the medium discharge unit 30B, the leading edge of the medium M comes into contact with the medium pressing unit 41a. Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the medium M moves further downstream and is nipped by the discharge roller pair 31, which raises the medium pressing unit 41a and rotates the first pressing member 41 in the first direction R1.

[0061] When the medium M is nipped by the discharge roller pair 31, the posture of the first pressing member 41 remains substantially constant. At this time, the medium pressing portion 41a extends along the discharge direction and contacts the upper surface of the medium M with a contact surface 41c that faces the medium M. At this time, the first pressing member 41 presses the medium M downward by its own weight, thereby pressing the medium M against the first roller 31a.

[0062] 16, the leading edge of the medium M that has passed the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31 comes into contact with the second pressing member 40, causing the second pressing member 40 to rotate so that the pressing end 40a rises. Meanwhile, the medium M heads toward the paper discharge section 14 while being pressed downward by the weight of the second pressing member 40.

[0063] Then, as shown in FIG. 17, as the discharge of the medium M continues and the trailing end of the medium M reaches the vicinity of the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31, the weight of the medium pressing portion 41a causes the medium M to bend downward, and the medium pressing portion 41a moves downward. In other words, the first presser member 41 rotates in the second direction R2. As a result, the first presser member 41 presses the medium M downward due to the weight of the medium pressing portion 41a, pressing the medium M against the first roller 31a. The medium pressing portion 41a continues to press the medium M until it is released. After that, when the medium M is released from the medium pressing portion 41a, the position of the medium pressing portion 41a returns to the position it was in before the medium M was discharged. The trailing end of the medium M reaches the paper discharge section 14 while being pressed by the second presser member 40. 17, the nipped portion of the medium M and the portion in contact with the circumferential surface of the first roller 31a are also omitted from the illustration.

[0064] As described above, the medium discharge unit 30B and image reading device 1 of this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0065] According to this embodiment, when the discharge roller pair 31 nip the medium M, the medium pressing portion 41a extends along the discharge direction, and therefore the first pressing member 41 can press a wide range of the medium M. This prevents the trailing end of the medium M from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31. Furthermore, the discharged medium M is pressed toward the paper discharge section 14 by the second pressing member 40, and therefore prevents the medium M from going too far downstream in the paper discharge section 14. This improves the alignment of the medium M.

[0066] 4. Variations This embodiment is based on the above configuration, but it is possible to partially modify or omit the configuration without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, this embodiment and the modifications described below can be implemented in combination with each other within the scope of technical compatibility. The modifications are described below.

[0067] In the above embodiments, the first presser members 33, 41 and the second presser member 40 are configured to press the medium M by their own weight, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, at least one of the first presser members 33, 41 and the second presser member 40 may be configured to press the medium M by being biased by a biasing means such as a spring. Also, at least one of the first presser members 33, 41 and the second presser member 40 may be configured from an elastic member such as a leaf spring and to press the medium M by its own elastic force.

[0068] In the first and second embodiments described above, the medium pressing portion 33a is configured to contact the medium M when lifted by the lifting member 34, but the medium pressing portion 33a does not have to contact the medium M when lifted. In other words, the second position of the medium pressing portion 33a may be above the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. Also, the second position of the medium pressing portion 33a may be below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31.

[0069] In each of the above embodiments, the numbers of discharge roller pairs 31, scraping members 32, first pressing members 33, and second pressing members 40 are not limited to the above numbers. They may be less than or greater than the above numbers. Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the number of medium contact portions 34a of the lifting member 34 is not limited to one, and may be multiple.

[0070] In the first and second embodiments described above, a configuration has been shown in which the lifting member 34 lifts all three medium pressing portions 33a, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, of the three medium pressing portions 33a, only the two outer medium pressing portions 33a that are likely to come into contact with the widthwise ends of the medium M may be lifted, and the central medium pressing portion 33a may not be lifted.

[0071] In each of the above embodiments, a configuration has been shown in which multiple, mutually separated first pressing members 33, 41 are arranged between the pair of discharge rollers 31, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the first pressing members 33, 41 may be configured in such a way that three medium pressing portions 33a are connected to one rotation shaft extending in the ±Y direction. In this case, in the first and second embodiments, the number of lever portions 33b extending to the +X side may be one.

[0072] In the above second and third embodiments, the second pressing member 40 is configured to rotate around the rotation axis 36 of the second roller 31b, but the second pressing member 40 may also be configured to rotate around a rotation axis different from the rotation axis 36.

[0073] In each of the above embodiments, the image reading device 1 is configured to have two sensor units, a first sensor unit 24 and a second sensor unit 25, but the number of sensor units is not limited to two and may be one, or three or more.

[0074] The medium ejection units 30, 30A, and 30B in the above-described embodiments are not limited to being provided in the image reading device 1, and may be provided in other electronic devices. For example, the medium ejection units 30, 30A, and 30B may be provided in an image recording device that records an image on the medium M being transported. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...image reading device, 11...lower unit, 12...upper unit, 13...paper feeding section, 14...paper discharge section, 15...transport path, 21...media transport section, 22...feed unit, 23...transport roller pair, 23a...drive roller, 23b...follower roller, 24...first sensor unit, 25...second sensor unit, 26...original table, 30, 30A, 30B...media discharge section, 31...discharge roller pair, 31a...first roller, 31b...second roller, 32...scraping member, 33, 41...first pressing member, 33a, 41a...medium pressing portion, 33b...lever portion, 33c, 41c...contact surface, 34...lifting member, 34a...medium contact portion, 34b...lever pressing portion, 35, 36, 37, 38, 42...rotating shaft, 40...second pressing member, 40a...pressing end portion, 50...control portion, M...medium, Pn...nip position, R1...first direction, R2...second direction.

Claims

1. A medium ejection device that ejects a medium toward a placement section on which the medium is placed, a roller pair including a first roller and a second roller positioned above the first roller, the roller pair nipping the medium with the first roller and the second roller to discharge the medium to the placement section; a first pressing member having a first member that is movable below a nip position where the roller pair nips the medium, and that presses the medium with the first member; a lifting member that lifts the first member from a first position that is lower than the nip position to a second position that is higher than the first position, The first member is When a downstream leading end of the medium in the discharge direction passes through the nip position, the leading end is lifted by the lifting member, thereby moving from the first position to the second position; a medium ejection device configured to move from the second position to the first position when a trailing edge of the medium on an upstream side in the ejection direction passes through the nip position;

2. The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , a conveying unit that conveys the medium toward the pair of rollers, the first pressing member is a member that is rotatable about a first rotation axis, and has the first member and a second member that contacts the lifting member; the lifting member is rotatable about a second rotation axis disposed upstream of the first rotation axis in the discharge direction, and includes a third member that contacts the medium and a fourth member that contacts the second member; When the medium being conveyed by the conveying unit comes into contact with the third member upstream of the nip position in the discharge direction, the lifting member rotates in a first direction about the second rotation axis, When the lifting member rotates in the first direction, the fourth member presses the second member, and the first pressing member rotates in the first direction around the first rotation axis, The medium ejection device, wherein the first member moves from the first position to the second position when the first pressing member rotates in the first direction.

3. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, when the trailing end of the medium is separated from the lifting member, the lifting member rotates about the second rotation axis in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby separating the fourth member from the second member; A medium ejection device characterized in that when the fourth member moves away from the second member, the first pressing member rotates in the second direction around the first rotation axis, thereby moving the first member from the second position to the first position.

4. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, A medium ejection device characterized in that when the first member is located at the first position, the area where the first member and the first roller overlap is larger when viewed in the axial direction of the first roller than when the first member is located at the second position.

5. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, A medium ejection device, characterized in that when the first member is located at the first position, the angle of the first member relative to the horizontal plane is larger than when the first member is located at the second position.

6. The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , A medium ejection device comprising a plurality of the first pressing members arranged along the axial direction of the first roller.

7. The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , A medium ejection device comprising: a scraping member that is formed of an elastic member that rotates coaxially with the first roller and that nips the medium between the first roller and the second roller.

8. The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , A media discharge device characterized by having a second pressing member on the storage section, which is located on the discharge direction side of the first member of the first pressing member, and presses the media discharged from the roller pair toward the storage section.

9. A medium ejection device that ejects a medium toward a placement section on which the medium is placed, a roller pair including a first roller and a second roller positioned above the first roller, the roller pair nipping the medium with the first roller and the second roller to discharge the medium to the placement section; a first pressing member having a first member that is movable below a nip position where the roller pair nips the medium, and that presses the medium with the first member; a second pressing member that presses the medium discharged from the roller pair toward the medium placement section on the placement section that is located on the side of the first member of the first pressing member in the medium discharge direction, The medium ejection device, wherein the first member extends along the ejection direction when the medium is nipped by the pair of rollers.

10. An electronic device comprising the medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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