Medium discharge device and image reading device

Abstract

To eliminate the need for a user to operate an auxiliary tray by himself / herself.SOLUTION: A medium discharge device 30 has: a discharge part 31 that discharges a medium 2; a placing part 19 that has a placing face 32 on which the medium 2 discharged from the discharge part 31 is placed and can expand and contract in a direction 46 along the placing face 32; and an expansion / contraction changing part 33 that expands and contracts the placing part 19. The placing part 19 includes: a base tray 38; and an auxiliary tray 39 that is movable relative to the base tray 38 in an extension / contraction direction. The expansion / contraction changing part 33 is configured to expand or contract the placing part 19 according to a size of the medium 2 .SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] An example of this type of device is the device described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet discharge device in which a sheet from which an image has been read by a reading unit is loaded onto a sheet discharge stacking section via a pair of discharge rollers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-210077 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the size of the sheets discharged to the sheet discharge stacker changes, for example, when the sheets change from A4 size to A3 size, the leading edge of the sheet may protrude from the sheet discharge stacker, droop, and fall under its own weight. Therefore, some printers have an auxiliary tray so that the length of the sheet discharge stacker can be adjusted to match the sheet size. In other words, some printers have a structure in which the user can extend the auxiliary tray to increase the size of the sheet loading surface of the sheet discharge stacker. However, in this case, the user must operate the auxiliary tray themselves, which poses the problem that the user may forget to extend the auxiliary tray, causing the sheets to fall from the sheet discharge stacking section. Also, the extent to which the auxiliary tray is extended tends to vary from user to user, which is a problem that the user himself / herself may not notice this. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the media ejection device of the present invention comprises an ejection section that ejects media, a loading section that has a loading surface on which the media ejected from the ejection section is placed and that is expandable and contractible in a direction along the loading surface, and an expansion / contraction change section that expands and contracts the loading section, wherein the expansion / contraction change section expands and contracts the loading section according to the size of the media.

[0006] In addition, the image reading device of the present invention is characterized by comprising a medium ejection device of any one of the first to ninth aspects described below, and a reading unit that reads an image of the medium transported toward the medium ejection device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an image reading device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an image reading device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an image reading device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an image reading device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an image reading device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an image reading device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the placement unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the placement unit according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention will now be briefly described. A first aspect of the present invention provides a media ejection device comprising: an ejection section for ejecting media; a loading section having a loading surface on which the media ejected from the ejection section is placed, the loading section being extendable and contractible in a direction along the loading surface; and an expansion / contraction change section for expanding and contracting the loading section, wherein the expansion / contraction change section expands and contracts the loading section according to the size of the media.

[0009] According to this aspect, the device includes an expansion / contraction change unit that expands or contracts the placement unit, and the expansion / contraction change unit expands or contracts the placement unit according to the size of the media. That is, the expansion / contraction change unit is configured to expand or contract the placement unit. This reduces the risk of the user forgetting to extend the placement unit, as in conventional structures where the user manually expands or contracts the placement unit. It also reduces variation in the degree of expansion of the placement unit.

[0010] A medium ejection device according to a second aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the storage section is rotatable in the vertical direction with the base end section as a pivot point, and the extension / contraction change section extends the storage section in conjunction with the rotation of the storage section.

[0011] According to this aspect, the extension / contraction changing unit is configured to extend the placement unit in conjunction with the rotation of the placement unit, thereby enabling the placement unit to be reliably extended or contracted by rotating the placement unit vertically, which is convenient for the user.

[0012] A medium ejection device according to a third aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the second aspect, and is characterized in that the extension / contraction change section extends the placement section in conjunction with the upward rotation of the placement section and subsequent downward rotation.

[0013] According to this aspect, the extension / contraction changing unit is configured to extend the placement unit in conjunction with the upward rotation and subsequent downward rotation of the placement unit, thereby making it possible to easily achieve an extended state of the placement unit in the same posture as the posture of the placement unit before extension.

[0014] A medium ejection device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the third aspect, and is characterized in that the placement section comprises a base tray, an auxiliary tray that can move in an extension / contraction direction relative to the base tray, and an elastic member that applies an elastic force to the auxiliary tray in a contraction direction, and the extension / contraction change section has an interlocking lever that interlocks with the rotation of the placement section, and the interlocking lever moves the auxiliary tray in an extension direction against the elastic force in conjunction with the rotation of the placement section.

[0015] According to this aspect, the extension / retraction changing unit has an interlocking lever that is interlocked with the rotation of the placement unit, and the interlocking lever moves the auxiliary tray in the extension direction against the elastic force of the elastic member in conjunction with the rotation of the placement unit. In other words, the placement unit is configured to be extended by the interlocking lever that is interlocked with the rotation of the placement unit. This simplifies the structure and allows the placement unit to be extended.

[0016] A medium ejection device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that it includes a control unit that controls the expansion / contraction change unit, and the control unit expands and contracts the placement unit based on size information of the medium.

[0017] According to this aspect, the control unit that controls the expansion / contraction changing unit is configured to expand or contract the placement unit based on size information of the media, thereby allowing the placement unit to be expanded or contracted automatically by the control unit, which is convenient for the user.

[0018] A media ejection device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the fifth aspect, characterized in that the placement section comprises a base tray and an auxiliary tray that can move in an extension / retraction direction relative to the base tray, the extension / retraction change section comprises a drive pinion and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational power of the drive pinion to the auxiliary tray to move the auxiliary tray, and the control section controls the rotation of the drive pinion based on size information of the media to extend or retract the placement section.

[0019] According to this aspect, the extension / retraction changing unit includes a drive pinion and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational power of the drive pinion to the auxiliary tray to move the auxiliary tray, and the control unit controls the rotation of the drive pinion based on the size information of the media to extend or retract the placement unit. This makes it possible to automatically extend the placement unit with a simple structure that uses the drive pinion and the power transmission mechanism.

[0020] A medium ejection device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the fifth aspect, and is characterized in that it includes a sensor capable of acquiring information regarding the size of the medium, and the control unit extends and contracts the placement section based on the information acquired by the sensor. This aspect can also be subordinate to the sixth aspect.

[0021] According to this aspect, the control unit extends or retracts the placement unit based on the information acquired by the sensor, thereby enabling the placement unit to be automatically extended or retracted without the user having to input size information of the media via an operation panel or the like.

[0022] A medium ejection device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the seventh aspect, and is characterized in that the sensor is disposed at a downstream end of the placement section in the extension / contraction direction.

[0023] According to this aspect, when the sensor detects the medium when the storage section is not extended, it can determine that the medium is of a size that requires the storage section to be extended. This allows the storage section to be extended or retracted appropriately depending on the size of the medium. It also prevents the medium from falling off the storage section.

[0024] A ninth aspect of the medium ejection device of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the fifth aspect, characterized in that the placement section is rotatable in the vertical direction around the base end as a pivot point, and is equipped with a placement angle change section that rotates the placement section to change the placement angle relative to the horizontal plane of the placement surface, and the control section drives the placement angle change section to change the placement angle based on information regarding the ejection state of the medium placed on the placement surface. Here, "information related to the ejection state of the media" refers to information related to the alignment of the multiple media ejected onto the loading section. Specific examples include information related to the alignment of the media obtained by sensing with a sensor such as a camera, such as information on the quality of the alignment of the media, the size and type of the media, the ejection speed from the ejection section, the tilt angle of the loading surface relative to the horizontal, etc. This aspect can also be subordinate to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects.

[0025] For example, if a medium that has been previously ejected from the ejection section and placed on the stacking section comes into contact with a medium that is being ejected later, the medium may be pushed out of the stacking section, resulting in poor alignment. Also, if the ejection speed of the medium from the ejection section increases, the medium is more likely to move forward relative to the stacking section, resulting in poor alignment. According to this aspect, the control unit drives the placement angle change unit to change the placement angle based on information about the ejection state of the media placed on the placement surface, thereby appropriately suppressing forward movement of the media on the placement unit and improving alignment.

[0026] An image reading device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising a medium ejection device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and a reading unit that reads an image on the medium being transported toward the medium ejection device.

[0027] According to this aspect, in the image reading device, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that obtained by any one of the first to ninth aspects.

[0028] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of a medium ejection device and an image reading device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the following explanation, the three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, as shown in each figure. The directions indicated by the arrows on the three axes (X, Y, Z) are the + directions of each axis, and the opposite directions are the - directions. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction, i.e., the direction in which gravity acts, the +Z direction indicates a vertically upward direction, and the -Z direction indicates a vertically downward direction. The X-axis and Y-axis directions correspond to horizontal directions. The +Y direction indicates the front direction of the image reading device, and the -Y direction indicates the rear direction of the device. The +X direction indicates the right direction of the device, and the -X direction indicates the left direction of the device.

[0029] <Overall configuration of image reading device> First, the overall configuration of an image reading device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The image reading device 1 of this embodiment is a document scanner capable of reading an image on a medium 2. Here, the image refers to something visually recorded on the medium 2, such as characters, figures, tables, pictures, photographs, etc. The medium is not limited to sheets, but also includes cards, booklets, etc. The image reading device 1 is not limited to a scanner, but may also be a copy machine, a facsimile machine, etc.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the image reading device 1 includes a medium conveying device 4 that conveys a medium 2 in a conveying direction F along a conveying path 3, and a reading unit 5 that reads an image on the medium 2 conveyed by the medium conveying device 4. In this embodiment, two reading units 5 are provided as the reading unit 5 for reading an image on the medium 2: a first reading unit 51 and a second reading unit 52. The first reading unit 51 is located above the transport path 3 and reads an image on a first side of the medium 2. The second reading unit 52 is located below the transport path 3 and reads an image on a second side opposite the first side. The reading unit 5 is configured with, for example, a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type sensor.

[0031] Furthermore, the medium 2 is provided with a transport unit 6 that transports the medium 2 along the transport path 3 in a transport direction F. The transport unit 6 includes a first transport roller pair 7 provided upstream of the first reading unit 51, a second transport roller pair 8 provided upstream of the second reading unit 52 located downstream of the first reading unit 51, and a third transport roller pair 9 provided downstream of the second reading unit 52. The first conveying roller pair 7, the second conveying roller pair 8, and the third conveying roller pair 9 are each composed of a driving roller and a driven roller pair that rotates by the power of a driving source such as a motor (not shown).

[0032] A pair of rollers, a feed roller 10 and a separation roller 11, are arranged upstream of the first transport roller pair 7 in the transport direction F. The feed roller 10 is a drive roller that rotates using the power of a drive source such as a motor (not shown), and transports the medium 2 in the transport direction F. Separation roller 11 is a drive roller that rotates using the power of a drive source (not shown), and is a roller that separates multiple sheets of media 2 into a single sheet. Here, separation roller 11 rotates using the power of the drive source in a direction that sends media 2 upstream (+Y direction) in the transport direction F. Separation roller 11 is equipped with a torque limiter (not shown), and when torque exceeding a set value is applied to this torque limiter, it is driven to rotate in a direction that sends media 2 downstream (-Y direction) in the transport direction F. A pick roller 12 is disposed upstream of the separation roller 11. The pick roller 12 is a drive roller that rotates by the power of a drive source (not shown), and picks up the medium 2 and sends it out in the transport direction F.

[0033] In this embodiment, a U-turn path 14 is provided downstream of the straight path 13 from the feed roller 10 to the third conveying roller pair 9, i.e., downstream of the third conveying roller pair 9. On the U-turn path 14, a fourth conveying roller pair 15, a fifth conveying roller pair 16, and a discharge roller pair 17, which constitute the conveying section 6, are arranged in this order along the conveying direction F. The fourth conveying roller pair 15, the fifth conveying roller pair 16, and the discharge roller pair 17 are also configured as pairs of a drive roller and a driven roller that rotate by the power of a drive source (not shown). A loading section 19 that receives the medium 2 discharged in a discharge direction 18 from the discharge roller pair 17 is disposed above the straight path 13, thereby achieving a compact design.

[0034] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a medium setting unit where a medium 2 to be read is set. The medium 2 on the medium setting unit 21 is picked up by the pick roller 12 and sent in the transport direction F. The medium setting unit 21 is configured to move up and down by the power of a drive source (not shown). When sending the medium 2 set in the medium setting unit 21 in the transport direction F, first, the medium setting unit 21 receives power from a drive source (not shown) and moves upward (in the +Z direction), and the topmost medium 2 stops in contact with the pick roller 12. In this state, the pick roller 12 rotates to send the medium 2 in the transport direction F, and the leading edge of the medium 2 reaches the nip position of the roller pair consisting of the feed roller 10 and the separation roller 11.

[0035] In the case of a double feed state in which multiple sheets of medium 2 are sent, the sheets are separated into one sheet by a separation roller 11, and that sheet is transported in the transport direction F by a first transport roller pair 7, and the image on the first side of medium 2 is read by a first reading unit 51. Furthermore, the medium 2 that has been read by the first reading unit 51 is transported by the second transport roller pair 8, and the image on the second side of the medium 2, which is opposite to the first side, is read by the second reading unit 52.

[0036] 3, reference numeral 22 denotes a control unit. The control unit 22 controls the driving of each of the drive sources and the reading operation of the reading unit 5 in accordance with the conveyance of the medium 2. The control unit 22 includes a CPU, a flash ROM, and a RAM. The CPU performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with programs stored in the flash ROM and controls the overall operation of the image reading device 1. The flash ROM, which is an example of a storage means, is a non-volatile memory that can be read and written. The RAM, which is also an example of a storage means, temporarily stores various pieces of information.

[0037] [Embodiment 1] <Media discharge location> The image reading device 1 includes a medium ejection device 30. The medium ejection device 30 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The medium discharge device 30 of this embodiment includes a discharge roller pair 17 as a discharge section 31 that discharges the medium 2, and a placement section 19 having a placement surface 32 on which the medium 2 discharged from the discharge section 31 in a discharge direction 18 is placed. The placement section 19 is configured to be extendable in a direction 46 ( FIG. 3 ) along the placement surface 32. In other words, the placement section 19 is configured to be able to extend the length of the placement surface 32. The medium discharge device 30 also includes an expansion / contraction change section 33 that expands or contracts the placement section 19. The expansion / contraction change section 33 is configured to expand or contract the placement section 19 according to the size of the medium 2.

[0038] In this embodiment, the mounting portion 19 is configured to be rotatable in a vertical direction 36 (FIG. 2) around a base end portion 34 as a rotation fulcrum 35. That is, the mounting portion 19 is configured to be rotatable when the user lifts a tip end portion 37 upward. In this embodiment, the placement section 19 includes a base tray 38 and an auxiliary tray 39 that is movable in a contracting direction (direction 46 along the placement surface 32) relative to the base tray 38. A protrusion 45 is provided at the base end of the auxiliary tray 39. The protrusion 45 is a plate-like member that protrudes downward from the auxiliary tray 39. An elastic member 40 (FIG. 2) applies an elastic force to the auxiliary tray 39 in a contracting direction, which is a direction toward the base end 34. The elastic member 40 is, for example, a coil spring.

[0039] The extension / contraction changing unit 33 is configured to extend the placing unit 19 in conjunction with the rotation of the placing unit 19. Specifically, the extension / contraction changing unit 33 has an interlocking lever 41 that is interlocked with the rotation of the placing unit 19. The interlocking lever 41 has one end 42 that serves as a rotation fulcrum 43, and the other end 44 that is slidably connected to the base tray 38. 2, when the distal end 37 of the mounting portion 19 rotates up and down around the base end 34 as the rotation fulcrum 35, the interlocking lever 41 slides in the extension / contraction direction, which is the direction along the mounting surface 32, with the other end 44 connected to the base tray 38. That is, the interlocking lever 41 rotates around the one end 42 as the rotation fulcrum 43, with the other end 44 sliding in the direction along the mounting surface 32. When the mounting portion 19 rotates further upward, the interlocking lever 41 is configured to be released from the connection with the base tray 38 after the other end 44 reaches a vertical position directly above.

[0040] 3 shows a state in which the other end 44 of the interlocking lever 41 is no longer connected to the base tray 38 and is rotating under its own weight to press the protrusion 45. To assist the rotation of the interlocking lever 41 under its own weight, a torsion coil spring (not shown) may be provided at the base end 34. 3, the other end 44 of the interlocking lever 41 further rotates due to its own weight, thereby pushing the protrusion 45 of the auxiliary tray 39. As a result, the auxiliary tray 39 moves in the extending direction, and the placing section 19 changes to the extended state. That is, the interlocking lever 41 moves the auxiliary tray 39 in the direction of extension against the elastic force of the elastic member 40 in conjunction with the rotation of the placing portion 19 .

[0041] In this embodiment, the extension / contraction changing unit 33 is configured to extend the placing unit 19 in conjunction with the upward rotation (+Z direction) of the placing unit 19 and the subsequent downward rotation (-Z direction). <Step of extending the mounting section> (1) When it is necessary to extend the placement portion 19, the user rotates the placement portion 19 upward from the state shown in Fig. 1. This causes the interlocking lever 41 to rotate in conjunction with the movement, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 2. (2) When the placement portion 19 is further rotated upward, the interlocking lever 41 rotates further in conjunction with the movement, and the other end 44 of the interlocking lever 41 abuts against the protrusion 45 and begins to push against the elastic force of the elastic member 40, causing the auxiliary tray 39 to move in the extension direction and assume the state shown in Figure 3. (3) After the placement portion 19 is further rotated to the uppermost position, the rotation is changed to a downward direction. (4) This downward rotation of the placement unit 19 moves the auxiliary tray 39 to its most extended position and stops it there. The placement unit 19 returns to its original position before the rotation, returning to the state shown in FIG. By proceeding in the reverse direction from (1) to (4) above, an elastic force in the contracting direction of the elastic member 40 acts on the auxiliary tray 39, so that the auxiliary tray 39 returns from the state shown in Fig. 4 to the state shown in Fig. 1. At this time, when the state shown in Fig. 3 changes to the state shown in Fig. 2, the other end 44 of the interlocking lever 41 returns to the above-mentioned connected state with the base tray 38.

[0042] [Variations] The expansion / contraction modifying section 33 of this embodiment may be configured as follows instead of the configuration described above. The interlocking lever 41 is configured so that the other end 44 always rotates in the +Y direction due to the elastic force of an elastic member such as a torsion coil spring (not shown). Furthermore, when the mounting unit 19 is in the position shown in FIG. 1, the other end 44 of the interlocking lever 41 is pressed downward by the base tray 38 and held down. When the mounting unit 19 is rotated upward to the state shown in FIG. 2, the elastic force of the elastic member allows it to rotate in the +Y direction. This makes it possible to assume the state shown in FIG. 3 and further the state shown in FIG. 4.

[0043] <Explanation of Effects of Embodiment 1> (1) In this embodiment, an expansion / contraction changing unit 33 is provided that expands or contracts the placing unit 19, and the expansion / contraction changing unit 33 expands or contracts the placing unit 19 according to the size of the media. In other words, the expansion / contraction changing unit 33 is configured to expand or contract the placing unit 19. This reduces the risk of the user forgetting to extend the placing unit 19, as is the case with conventional structures in which the placing unit 19 is manually expanded or contracted. Furthermore, because the degree of expansion of the placing unit 19 is not manually controlled, variation can be reduced. (2) In addition, in this embodiment, the extension / contraction changing unit 33 is configured to extend the placing unit 19 in conjunction with the rotation of the placing unit 19. This allows the placing unit 19 to be reliably extended or contracted by rotating the placing unit 19 in the vertical direction, which is convenient for the user.

[0044] (3) In this embodiment, the extension / contraction changing unit 33 is configured to extend the mounting unit 19 in conjunction with the upward rotation and subsequent downward rotation of the mounting unit 19. This makes it possible to easily achieve an extended state of the mounting unit 19 in the same posture as the posture of the mounting unit 19 before it is extended. (4) In addition, in this embodiment, the extension / retraction changing unit 33 has an interlocking lever 41 that moves in conjunction with the rotation of the mounting unit 19, and the interlocking lever 41 moves the auxiliary tray 39 in the extension direction against the elastic force of the elastic member 40 in conjunction with the rotation of the mounting unit 19. In other words, the mounting unit 19 is configured to be extended by the interlocking lever 41 that moves in conjunction with the rotation of the mounting unit 19. This allows the mounting unit 19 to be extended with a simple structure.

[0045] [Embodiment 2] Next, a medium ejection device 30 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. The same parts as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and a description of the configurations and corresponding effects will be omitted. As described above, the medium ejection device 30 of the first embodiment is configured such that the extension / retraction changing unit 33 extends and retracts the placement unit 19 in conjunction with rotating the placement unit 19 in the vertical direction 36, whereas the medium ejection device 30 of the second embodiment is configured such that the placement unit 19 does not need to be rotated, but instead automatically extends and retracts using the power of a drive source such as a motor. This will be explained in detail below.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 5, the medium ejection device 30 of the second embodiment includes a control unit 22 that controls the expansion / contraction changing unit 33. The control unit 22 is configured to expand or contract the placement unit 19 based on size information about the medium 2. The size information about the medium 2 is configured to be input by the user via an operation panel (not shown). Note that, as will be described later, the size information about the medium 2 may be acquired by a sensor 57 and sent to the control unit 22. The control unit 22 also controls the driving of the drive sources and the reading operation of the reading unit 5, as in the first embodiment.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the placement unit 19 includes a base tray 38 and an auxiliary tray 39 that is movable relative to the base tray 38 in the extension / contraction direction, similar to the first embodiment. The extension / contraction unit 33 is different from that in embodiment 1. That is, the extension / contraction unit 33 in embodiment 2 includes a drive pinion 50 and a power transmission mechanism 56 that transmits the rotational power of the drive pinion 50 to the auxiliary tray 39 to move the auxiliary tray 39. The drive pinion 50 is driven by a drive source such as a motor (not shown). The drive pinion 50 is attached to the base end of the base tray 38 at a position on the -X side. The control unit 22 controls the rotation of the drive pinion 50 based on size information of the medium 2, and extends and retracts the placement unit 19 via the power transmission mechanism 56.

[0048] The power transmission mechanism 56 includes a first arm 71 and a second arm 75. The first arm 71 and the second arm 75 are attached to a shaft 72 so as to be rotatable along the XZ plane while intersecting in an X-shape. The shaft 72 is fixed to a substantially central position in the X-axis direction of the base tray 38. The first arm 71 has a rack 70 at one end and a protrusion 73 fixed to the other end. The second arm 75 has a protrusion 76 fixed to one end and a protrusion 77 at the other end. The protrusion 77 is attached to a long through-hole 78 provided in the second arm 75 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction toward the shaft 72. The auxiliary tray 39 has a groove 74 that is long in the X-axis direction at its base end. A groove 79 that is long in the X-axis direction is provided at the base end of the base tray 38 on the +X side. Groove 79 is shorter than groove 74. Protrusions 73 and 76 slidably engage with groove 74. Protrusion 77 slidably engages with groove 79. The rack 70 meshes with the drive pinion 50 so as to transmit power. It should be noted that the extension / contraction changing unit 33 of this embodiment is not limited to the configuration including the drive pinion 50 and the power transmission mechanism 56. Furthermore, the above configuration of the power transmission mechanism 56 is also an example, and is not limited to the above configuration.

[0049] <Step of extending the mounting section> (1) In the state shown in Figure 7, the control unit 22 receives size information of the medium 2. If the size information of the medium 2 indicates that the placement unit 19 needs to be extended, the control unit 22 rotates the drive pinion 50, causing the first arm 71 to rotate via the rack 70. That is, the first arm 71 rotates around the shaft 72 as a fulcrum. (2) The rotation of the first arm 71 causes the protrusion 73 to move in the groove 74 in the −X direction, and the auxiliary tray 39 is pushed and begins to extend. (3) At the same time, the protrusion 76 on the second arm 75 side begins to move in the +X direction. That is, the second arm 75 rotates. As a result, the auxiliary tray 39 begins to extend as it is pressed at two points by the protrusions 73 and 76. The other protrusion 77 of the second arm 75 moves in the groove 79 in the -X direction, while also moving in the direction toward the shaft 72 within the long through-hole 78 of the rotating second arm 75. (4) The control unit 22 stops the drive pinion 50 at a position where the auxiliary tray 39 has been extended to the required length, resulting in the state shown in FIG. In the state shown in FIG. 8, by rotating the drive pinion 50 in the opposite direction to the above, the auxiliary tray 39 moves in the contracting direction and returns to the state shown in FIG.

[0050] This embodiment also includes a sensor 57 that can acquire information about the size of the medium 2. Here, an optical sensor is used as the sensor 57, but any sensor that can acquire information about the size of the medium 2 may be used. 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the sensor 57 is disposed at the downstream end 53 in the extension / retraction direction of the mounting unit 19. That is, the sensor 57 is attached to the downstream end 53 of the base tray 38. The control unit 22 is configured to extend or retract the mounting unit 19 based on information acquired by the sensor 57 regarding the passage of the medium 2. As a result, when the sensor 57 detects the medium 2 in the state shown in FIG. 7, the auxiliary tray 39 is moved to extend the placement section 19, thereby preventing the medium 2 from falling. It is also possible to arrange multiple sensors 57 in a direction along the placement surface 32. In this case, multiple sensors 57 are arranged corresponding to various sizes of the ejected media 2. This allows the placement section 19 to expand and contract according to the size of the media 2.

[0051] 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 19 is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction 36 around the base end portion 34 as a rotation fulcrum 35. Furthermore, a mounting angle change unit 55 is provided that rotates the mounting portion 19 to change the mounting angle θ of the mounting surface 32 with respect to a horizontal plane 54. The mounting angle change unit 55 is configured to include a drive pinion 60 that rotates when power is transmitted from a drive source such as a motor (not shown), and a rack 61 that meshes with the drive pinion 60. By rotating the drive pinion 60, the mounting portion 19 is configured to rotate in the vertical direction 36 via the rack 61. 5 and 6 show a state in which the mounting unit 19 has been rotated upward from the state shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a state in which the mounting unit 19 has simply been rotated upward. Fig. 6 shows a state in which the drive pinion 50 has been rotated in the state shown in Fig. 5 and the auxiliary tray 39 has been extended. In this embodiment, it goes without saying that in the position shown in FIG. 1 where the placement section 19 is not rotated upward, the drive pinion 50 can be rotated to move the auxiliary tray 39, thereby extending the placement section 19.

[0052] Furthermore, the control unit 22 is configured to drive the placement angle change unit 55 to change the placement angle θ based on information relating to the discharge state of the medium 2 placed on the placement surface 32. Here, "information relating to the ejection state of media 2" refers to information relating to the alignment of multiple sheets of media ejected onto the mounting unit 19. To give a specific example, this information includes information on the quality of alignment of media 2 obtained by sensing with a sensor such as a camera (not shown), as well as information relating to the alignment, such as the size and type of media 2, the ejection speed from the ejection unit 31, and the tilt angle of the mounting surface 32 relative to the horizontal. The latter information is input from an operation panel (not shown).

[0053] <Explanation of Effects of Embodiment 2> (1) In this embodiment, the control unit 22, which controls the expansion / contraction changing unit 33, is configured to expand or contract the placement unit 19 based on size information about the medium 2. This allows the placement unit 19 to be automatically expanded or contracted by the control unit 22, making it easy for the user to use. (2) In this embodiment, the extension / retraction changing unit 33 includes a drive pinion 50 and a power transmission mechanism 56 that transmits the rotational power of the drive pinion 50 to the auxiliary tray 39 to move the auxiliary tray 39. The control unit 22 controls the rotation of the drive pinion 50 based on medium size information to extend or retract the placement unit 19. This allows the placement unit 19 to be automatically extended with a simple structure that uses the drive pinion 50 and the power transmission mechanism 56.

[0054] (3) In this embodiment, the control unit 22 extends or retracts the placement unit 19 based on information about the size of the medium 2 acquired by the sensor 57. This allows the placement unit 19 to be extended or retracted automatically without the user having to input size information about the medium 2 via an operation panel or the like. (4) Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the sensor 57 detects the medium 2 in the state shown in FIG. 5 where the placement unit 19 is not extended, it is possible to determine that the size of the medium 2 requires the placement unit 19 to be extended. This allows the placement unit 19 to be extended or contracted appropriately according to the size of the medium 2. It is also possible to prevent the medium 2 from falling off the placement unit 19.

[0055] For example, if a medium 2 being discharged later comes into contact with a medium 2 that has been discharged earlier from the discharge section 31 and placed on the mounting section 19, the medium 2 that has already been discharged may be pushed out, resulting in poor alignment. Also, if the speed at which the medium 2 is discharged from the discharge section 31 increases, the medium 2 is more likely to move forward relative to the mounting section 19, resulting in poor alignment. In this embodiment, the control unit 22 drives the loading angle change unit 55 to change the loading angle θ based on information about the discharge state of the media 2 loaded on the loading surface 32. This appropriately suppresses forward movement of the media 2 on the loading unit 19, thereby improving alignment.

[0056] Other Embodiments The medium ejection device 30 and image reading device 1 according to the present invention are based on the configuration of the embodiment described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit partial configurations within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The medium ejection device 30 can be installed in devices other than the image reading device 1, and can also be installed and used in a recording device such as an inkjet printer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1...image reading device, 2...medium, 3...conveyance path, 4...medium conveyance device, 5...reading unit, 6...conveying section, 7...first conveying roller pair, 8...second conveying roller pair, 9...Third conveying roller pair, 10...Feed roller, 11...Separation roller, 12...Pick roller, 13...Straight path, 14...U-turn path, 15...fourth conveying roller pair, 16...fifth conveying roller pair, 17...discharge roller pair, 18...discharge direction, 19...mounting section, 21...medium setting section, 22...control section, 30...medium discharge device, 31...discharge section, 32...mounting surface, 33...expansion change section, 34...base end portion, 35...rotation fulcrum, 36...up and down direction, 37...tip portion, 38...base tray, 39...auxiliary tray, 40...elastic member, 41...interlocking lever, 42...One end, 43...Rotation fulcrum, 44...Other end, 45...Protrusion, 46...direction along the placement surface, 50...drive pinion, 51...first reading unit, 52...second reading unit, 53...downstream end, 54...horizontal surface, 55...mounting angle changing unit, 56...power transmission mechanism, 57...sensor, 60...drive pinion, 61...rack, 70... rack, 71... first arm, 72... shaft, 73... protrusion, 74... groove, 75...second arm, 76...protrusion, 77...protrusion, 78...through slot, 79...groove, F: conveying direction, θ: loading angle

Claims

1. a discharge unit that discharges the medium; a placement unit having a placement surface on which the medium discharged from the discharge unit is placed, the placement unit being extendable and contractible in a direction along the placement surface; an expansion / contraction changing unit that expands and contracts the placement unit, the expansion / contraction changing unit expands or contracts the placement unit in accordance with the size of the medium. A medium ejection device characterized by:

2. The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , the mounting portion is rotatable in the up-down direction around a base end portion as a rotation fulcrum, the extension / contraction changing unit extends the placement unit in conjunction with the rotation of the placement unit; A medium ejection device characterized by:

3. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, the extension / contraction changing unit extends the placement unit in conjunction with the upward rotation and subsequent downward rotation of the placement unit; A medium ejection device characterized by:

4. The medium ejection device according to claim 3, The placement section is A base tray and an auxiliary tray that is movable in a telescopic direction relative to the base tray; an elastic member that applies an elastic force to the auxiliary tray in a direction in which the auxiliary tray contracts; The expansion / contraction change unit is a link lever that links with the rotation of the placement part, the interlocking lever interlocks with the rotation of the placement section to move the auxiliary tray in an expanding direction against the elastic force; A medium ejection device characterized by:

5. The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , a control unit for controlling the expansion / contraction change unit, the control unit extends or contracts the placement unit based on size information of the medium. A medium ejection device characterized by:

6. The medium ejection device according to claim 5 , The placement section is A base tray and an auxiliary tray that is movable in an extension / contraction direction relative to the base tray, The expansion / contraction change unit is A drive pinion; a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational power of the drive pinion to the auxiliary tray to move the auxiliary tray, the control unit controls the rotation of the drive pinion based on the size information of the medium to extend or contract the placement unit. A medium ejection device characterized by:

7. The medium ejection device according to claim 5 , a sensor capable of obtaining information regarding the size of the medium; the control unit extends or contracts the placement unit based on the information acquired by the sensor. A medium ejection device characterized by:

8. The medium ejection device according to claim 7, The sensor is disposed at a downstream end of the placement section in the extension / contraction direction. A medium ejection device characterized by:

9. The medium ejection device according to claim 5 , the mounting portion is rotatable in the up-down direction around a base end as a rotation fulcrum, a mounting angle changing unit that rotates the mounting unit to change the mounting angle of the mounting surface relative to a horizontal plane, the control unit drives the placement angle change unit to change the placement angle based on information about an ejection state of the medium placed on the placement surface. A medium ejection device characterized by:

10. The medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a reading unit that reads an image on the medium transported toward the medium ejection device, An image reading device characterized by:

Images