Medium discharge device and electronic device

Abstract

To provide a medium discharge device and an electronic device which can prevent a medium on a paper discharge part from becoming disordered.SOLUTION: A medium discharge part 60 is equipped with a discharge assist member 61 that assists a discharge operation of a medium M discharged from a discharge roller pair 31. The discharge assist member 61 is movable between a first position below a nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31 and a second position above the first position, and has a medium pressing part 61a that presses the medium M downward as it moves from the second position to the first position, and a medium abutting part 61b on which the medium M abuts on an upstream side of the medium pressing part 61a in a discharge direction of the medium M. The medium pressing part 61a moves from the first position to the second position as the medium M abuts on the medium abutting part 61b when a leading end of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn, and moves from the second position to the first position as the medium M separates from the medium abutting part 61b when a trailing end 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 swinging end, preventing 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 swinging end is located upstream of the swinging end of the first paper pressure member. Paper discharged from the pair of paper discharge rollers comes into contact with the swinging 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 placement 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 placement section, and an ejection assist member that assists the ejection operation of the medium ejected from the roller pair, the ejection assist member being movable between a first position below a nip position where the roller pair nips the medium and a second position above the first position, and being movable forward from the second position The medium pressing section has a media pressing section that presses the medium downward as it moves to the first position, and a media abutment section that the medium abuts against, upstream of the media pressing section in the discharge direction of the medium, and when the downstream leading end of the medium in the discharge direction passes the nip position, the media pressing section moves from the first position to the second position as the medium abuts against the media abutment section, and when the upstream trailing end of the medium in the discharge direction passes the nip position, the medium moves away from the media abutment section, and moves from the second position to the first position.

[0006] The media discharge device is a media discharge device that discharges media toward a loading section on which the media is placed, and includes a plurality of roller pairs, each of which has a first roller and a second roller located above the first roller, and which nip the media with the first roller and the second roller to discharge the media to the loading section, and a plurality of pressure members that are rotatable around a second rotation axis and press downward the media discharged from the roller pairs, the plurality of roller pairs and the plurality of pressure members being arranged along the axial direction of the first roller, and the plurality of pressure members including an inner pressure member located between two adjacent roller pairs and two outer pressure members located outside the two roller pairs, and the inner pressure member and the two outer pressure members rotate in conjunction with each other.

[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 schematically showing the configuration of the medium ejection section of 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 schematically showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the first embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the first embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the first embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a medium ejection section according to a 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 schematically showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the second embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the second embodiment ejects a medium. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing the state in which the medium ejection unit of the second 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 uppermost medium M from multiple media M stacked in the paper feed section 13 and takes the medium M one by one into the transport path 15. The transport roller pair 23 includes a drive roller 23a that rotates by being driven by a drive device (e.g., a motor) 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 with 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 is provided with a medium discharge unit 60 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 60 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 60 is an example of a medium discharge device.

[0019] The medium discharge section 60 has a discharge roller pair 31 composed of a first roller 31a and a second roller 31b. The first roller 31a is rotated by a drive device (e.g., a motor) 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 60.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a side view that schematically shows the configuration of the medium ejection unit 60, and Fig. 4 is a plan view that shows the configuration of the medium ejection unit 60. Hereinafter, the direction in which the medium ejection unit 60 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, the medium discharge unit 60 nips the medium M, which is transported along the transport path 15 in a diagonal direction having a −X component and a +Z component, with a pair of discharge rollers 31 and discharges the medium M to the paper discharge unit 14.

[0022] In addition to the discharge roller pair 31, the medium discharge unit 60 also includes a scraping member 32 and a discharge assist member 61. The scraping member 32 scrapes the medium M from the discharge roller pair 31. The discharge assist member 61 assists the discharge operation of the medium M being discharged from the discharge roller pair 31. Specifically, the discharge assist member 61 presses the discharged medium M against the first roller 31a. The configurations of the scraping member 32 and the discharge assist member 61 will be described in detail later.

[0023] 4, the medium discharge unit 60 has multiple discharge roller pairs 31, each of which includes a first roller 31a and a second roller 31b. The multiple discharge roller pairs 31 are arranged along the ±Y direction, which is the axial direction of the first roller 31a. In this embodiment, the medium discharge unit 60 has four discharge roller pairs 31. In other words, the medium discharge unit 60 has four first rollers 31a and four second rollers 31b along the ±Y direction.

[0024] 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 shaft 36 of the second rollers 31b is disposed on the +X side of the rotation shaft 35 of the first roller 31a, i.e., upstream in the discharge direction. The rotation shafts 35, 36 are rotatably supported by, for example, the housing of the upper unit 12.

[0025] The medium discharge unit 60 includes a plurality of scraping members 32. The plurality of scraping members 32 are arranged along the ±Y direction. In this embodiment, the medium discharge unit 60 includes four scraping members 32 corresponding to the discharge roller pairs 31. The scraping members 32 are arranged adjacent to the first rollers 31a of the corresponding discharge roller pairs 31. Specifically, of the four scraping members 32, two scraping members 32 located on the -Y side from the center are arranged adjacent to the -Y side of the first rollers 31a. Furthermore, of the four scraping members 32, two scraping members 32 located on the +Y side from the center are arranged adjacent to the +Y side of the first rollers 31a.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 60 may not be provided with scraping member 32.

[0028] The medium discharge unit 60 includes a plurality of discharge assist members 61. The plurality of discharge assist members 61 are arranged along the ±Y direction, which is the axial direction of the first roller 31a. In this embodiment, the medium discharge unit 60 includes three discharge assist members 61. The discharge assist members 61 are arranged one-by-one between each of the four discharge roller pairs 31. Each of the discharge assist members 61 includes a rotation shaft 62 located on a common imaginary line and is rotatable about the rotation shaft 62. The rotation shaft 62 of the discharge assist member 61 is located 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 62 is rotatably supported, for example, by the housing of the upper unit 12 or another structure. The rotation shaft 62 is an example of a first rotation shaft.

[0029] 3, the discharge assist member 61 has a medium pressing portion 61a extending from the rotation shaft 62 to the -X side. The medium pressing portion 61a can move downward below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31 as the discharge assist member 61 rotates. The nip position Pn is the position where the discharge roller pair 31 nip the medium M. The discharge assist member 61 presses the medium M downward during discharge with the medium pressing portion 61a moving downward.

[0030] When the discharge roller pair 31 is not nipping the medium M, the medium pressing portion 61a is displaced downward due to its own weight. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the medium pressing portion 61a is located below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. The position of the medium pressing portion 61a when the discharge roller pair 31 is not nipping the medium M corresponds to the first position. In other words, the first position is a position below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. Note that in this specification, the position of the medium pressing portion 61a refers to the position of the portion of the medium pressing portion 61a that actually comes into contact with the medium M.

[0031] The discharge assist member 61 has a medium contact portion 61b on the base end side of the medium pressing portion 61a, i.e., on the rotation shaft 62 side. In other words, the medium contact portion 61b is located upstream of the medium pressing portion 61a in the transport direction. The medium contact portion 61b protrudes further than the medium pressing portion 61a in a direction having a +X component and a -Z component. In other words, the medium contact portion 61b protrudes further upstream in the transport direction than the medium pressing portion 61a. In this embodiment, the medium pressing portion 61a and the medium contact portion 61b are integrally configured.

[0032] The downstream leading edge of the medium M being transported by the medium transport unit 21 abuts against the medium contact portion 61b in the medium discharge unit 60 (see FIG. 5). That is, the medium M abuts against the medium contact portion 61b upstream of the medium pressing portion 61a in the transport direction. When the medium M is subsequently transported further, the discharge assist member 61 is pushed by the medium M and rotates, causing the medium pressing portion 61a to rise (see FIG. 6). The position of the medium pressing portion 61a after rising corresponds to the second position. The second position is a position higher than the first position. That is, the rotation of the discharge assist member 61 allows the medium pressing portion 61a to move to a second position higher than the first position. In this embodiment, the second position is a position higher than the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31.

[0033] Next, the operation of the medium ejection unit 60 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 60. 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 60 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 that schematically show the medium discharge unit 60 of this embodiment discharging the medium M. FIG. 5, the medium M being transported by the medium transport unit 21 comes into contact with the medium contact portion 61b of the discharge assistance member 61 upstream in the transport direction of the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31, causing the medium contact portion 61b to move downstream. This causes the discharge assistance member 61 to rotate around the rotation shaft 62 in a first direction R1, which is counterclockwise in FIG.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6, as the discharge assist member 61 rotates in the first direction R1, the medium pressing portion 61a moves upward. The medium contact portion 61b contacts the top surface of the medium M upstream of the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31 in the discharge direction. While the medium M is being transported, the discharge assist member 61 remains substantially constant in the position in which the medium pressing portion 61a has moved upward. As described above, the position of the medium pressing portion 61a after being raised by the transported medium M corresponds to the second position. In other words, when the downstream leading end of the medium M in the discharge direction passes through the nip position Pn, the medium M contacts the medium contact portion 61b, causing the medium pressing portion 61a to move from the first position to the second position. In this way, when the medium M transported by the medium transport unit 21 contacts the medium contact portion 61b, the discharge assist member 61 rotates in the first direction R1 around the rotation shaft 62. The medium pressing portion 61a moves from the first position to the second position as the discharge assistance member 61 rotates in the first direction R1. In this embodiment, the medium pressing portion 61a does not contact the medium M at the second position.

[0036] Here, assuming that the medium pressing portion 61a 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 portion 61a, there is a risk that the medium pressing portion 61a 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 portion 14, which may cause the medium M on the paper discharge portion 14 to become distorted. In contrast, in this embodiment, the medium pressing portion 61a 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.

[0037] After that, when the medium M passes through the nip position Pn and the rear end of the medium M, i.e., the upstream end in the discharge direction, separates from the medium contact portion 61b, as shown in FIG. 7, the medium pressing portion 61a descends due to its own weight, causing the discharge assistance member 61 to rotate around the rotation axis 62 in a second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1. As a result, the medium pressing portion 61a presses the medium M downstream in the discharge direction from the nip position Pn. Specifically, the medium pressing portion 61a presses the medium M downward due to its own weight, pressing the medium M against the first rollers 31a. At this time, the medium M bends downward between the two first rollers 31a, so the position of the medium pressing portion 61a becomes lower than the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. The medium pressing portion 61a continues to press the medium M until the medium M separates. 7, the portion of the medium M that is in contact with the circumferential surface of the first roller 31a and the like are omitted from the illustration.

[0038] Thereafter, when the medium M separates from the medium pressing portion 61a, the position of the medium pressing portion 61a returns to the first position it was in before the medium M was discharged. In this way, when the trailing end portion of the medium M on the upstream side in the discharge direction passes through the nip position Pn, the medium M separates from the medium contact portion 61b, causing the medium pressing portion 61a to move from the second position to the first position. In other words, when the trailing end portion of the medium M separates from the medium contact portion 61b, the discharge assistance member 61 rotates in the second direction R2 around the rotation shaft 62. Furthermore, the medium pressing portion 61a moves from the second position to the first position as the discharge assistance member 61 rotates in the second direction R2. Then, the medium pressing portion 61a presses the medium M downward in the process of moving from the second position to the first position.

[0039] 3 and 6, when the medium pressing portion 61a is located at the first position (see FIG. 3), the overlapping area between the medium pressing portion 61a 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 61a is located at the second position (see FIG. 6). Furthermore, when the medium pressing portion 61a is located at the first position (see FIG. 3), the angle φ of the medium pressing portion 61a relative to the vertical direction is smaller than when the medium pressing portion 61a is located at the second position (see FIG. 6). Here, the angle φ of the medium pressing portion 61a relative to the vertical direction refers to the angle between the contact surface 61c of the medium pressing portion 61a, which contacts the medium M, and the vertical direction, and refers to the angle between a straight line extending vertically downward from the rotation shaft 62 and the contact surface 61c.

[0040] As described above, the medium discharge unit 60 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 M abuts against the medium abutting portion 61b, causing the medium pressing portion 61a to move upward, thereby suppressing downward pressing of the widthwise edge of the medium M. 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, thereby suppressing disturbance of the medium M on the paper discharge unit 14. Meanwhile, when the trailing edge of the medium M passes through the nip position Pn, the medium pressing portion 61a moves downward, causing the medium M to be pressed against the first roller 31a by the medium pressing portion 61a. This increases the conveying force of the medium M toward the downstream side. As a result, the medium M moves in accordance with the rotation of the first roller 31a, suppressing the trailing edge of the medium M from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31.

[0042] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the medium pressing unit 61a rises from the first position to the second position by utilizing the contact of the medium M transported by the medium transport unit 21 with the medium contact unit 61b. In other words, according to this embodiment, the rise of the medium pressing unit 61a can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the medium pressing portion 61a descends from the second position to the first position by utilizing the fact that the ejected medium M moves away from the medium abutting portion 61b. In other words, according to this embodiment, the descent of the medium pressing portion 61a can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0044] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the medium pressing unit 61a is located at the first position, the area where the medium pressing unit 61a and the first roller 31a overlap is larger than when the medium pressing unit 61a is located at the second position. In other words, when the medium pressing unit 61a 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 61a is located at the second position, the area where the medium pressing unit 61a and the first roller 31a overlap is smaller than when the medium pressing unit 61a 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 portion 61a is located at the first position, the angle of the medium pressing portion 61a with respect to the vertical direction is smaller than when the medium pressing portion 61a is located at the second position. In other words, when the medium pressing portion 61a 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 portion 61a is located at the second position, the angle of the medium pressing portion 61a with respect to the vertical direction is larger than when the medium pressing portion 61a 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, the medium pressing portion 61a presses the medium M downstream of the nip position Pn in the discharge direction, thereby effectively preventing the trailing end of the medium M from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31.

[0047] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the medium pressing portion 61a does not come into contact with the medium M at the second position, so that the medium M can be further prevented from being pressed down.

[0048] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the multiple discharge assist members 61 are arranged along the axial direction of the first roller 31a, the discharge assist members 61 can effectively press media M of various sizes.

[0049] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the medium M is scraped out from the discharge roller pair 31 by the scraping member 32, which further reduces the possibility that the trailing end of the medium M will remain on the discharge roller pair 31.

[0050] 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 discharge unit 60A that is different from the medium discharge unit 60 of the first embodiment. The configuration other than the medium discharge unit 60A is the same as that of the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] FIG. 8 is a side view that schematically shows the medium ejection section 60A of this embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a plan view that shows the medium ejection section 60A. As shown in FIG. 8, a medium ejection section 60A of this embodiment has a pressing member 71 instead of the ejection assist member 61 of the first embodiment.

[0052] The presser member 71 has a medium pressing portion 71a that extends from the rotation shaft 72 to the -X side. The medium pressing portion 71a can move downward below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31 as the presser member 71 rotates. The presser member 71 presses the medium M discharged from the discharge roller pair 31 downward with the medium pressing portion 71a that moves downward.

[0053] When the discharge roller pair 31 is not nipping the medium M, the medium pressing portion 71a is displaced downward due to its own weight. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the medium pressing portion 71a is located below the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. In this state, the medium pressing portion 71a extends in a direction having a -X component and a -Z component and intersects with the transport path 15. The position of the medium pressing portion 71a 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 71a refers to the position of the portion of the medium pressing portion 71a that actually comes into contact with the medium M.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 9 , the medium discharge unit 60A has multiple presser members 71. The multiple presser members 71 are arranged along the ±Y direction, which is the axial direction of the first roller 31a. In this embodiment, the medium discharge unit 60A has three presser members 71. Each presser member 71 is arranged between each of the four discharge roller pairs 31. Each presser member 71 is rotatable around a rotation axis 72 located on a common imaginary line. The rotation axis 72 of each presser member 71 is located on the +X side, i.e., upstream in the discharge direction, of the rotation axis 35 of the first roller 31a and the rotation axis 36 of the second roller 31b. The rotation axis 72 is rotatably supported, for example, by the housing of the upper unit 12 or another structure. The rotation axis 72 is an example of a second rotation axis. In this embodiment, the three presser members 71 are connected to each other by two connecting members 73 extending in the ±Y direction. Specifically, the three presser members 71 are integrally formed with the two connecting members 73. Therefore, the three pressing members 71 rotate in conjunction with one another.

[0055] In this embodiment, the four discharge roller pairs 31 are discharge roller pairs 311, 312, 313, and 314, in order from the -Y side, and the three presser members 71 are presser members 711, 712, and 713, in order from the -Y side. In this case, the central presser member 712 is disposed between the two discharge roller pairs 312 and 313 that are adjacent in the center. Furthermore, the -Y side presser member 711 and the +Y side presser member 713 are disposed outside the two discharge roller pairs 312 and 313 that are adjacent in the center. The central presser member 712 corresponds to the inner presser member, and the -Y side presser member 711 and the +Y side presser member 713 correspond to the outer presser members.

[0056] 10 to 12 are side views that schematically show the state in which the medium discharge unit 60A of this embodiment discharges the medium M. FIG. 10, the medium M being transported by the medium transport unit 21 comes into contact with the medium pressing portion 71a of the presser member 71 near the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31, causing the medium pressing portion 71a to move downstream. This causes the presser member 71 to rotate around the rotation shaft 72 in a first direction R1, which is counterclockwise in FIG.

[0057] 11, as the presser member 71 rotates in the first direction R1, the medium pressing portion 71a moves upward. At this time, the medium pressing portion 71a extends along the discharge direction and contacts the upper surface of the medium M with a contact surface 71c that faces the medium M. Then, while the medium M is being transported, the presser member 71 remains substantially constant in the position in which the medium pressing portion 71a has moved upward. The position of the medium pressing portion 71a after it has been raised by the transported medium M corresponds to the second position.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 12 , as the discharge of the medium M progresses further and the rear end of the medium M passes the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31, the medium pressing portion 71a descends due to its own weight, causing the presser member 71 to rotate around the rotation shaft 72 in a second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1. As a result, the medium pressing portion 71a presses the medium M downstream of the nip position Pn in the discharge direction. Specifically, the medium pressing portion 71a presses the medium M downward due to its own weight, pressing the medium M against the first roller 31a. At this time, the medium M bends downward between the two first rollers 31a, so the position of the medium pressing portion 71a becomes lower than the nip position Pn of the discharge roller pair 31. The medium pressing portion 71a continues to press the medium M until the medium M separates. Note that FIG. 12 also omits the portion of the medium M that is in contact with the circumferential surface of the first roller 31a.

[0059] Thereafter, when the medium M separates from the medium pressing portion 71a, the position of the medium pressing portion 71a returns to the first position it was in before the medium M was discharged. In this way, when the trailing end portion of the medium M on the upstream side in the discharge direction passes through the nip position Pn, the medium pressing portion 71a moves from the second position to the first position. In other words, when the trailing end portion of the medium M separates from the nip position Pn, the presser member 71 rotates in the second direction R2 around the rotation shaft 72. Furthermore, the medium pressing portion 71a moves from the second position to the first position as the presser member 71 rotates in the second direction R2. Then, the medium pressing portion 71a presses the medium M downward in the process of moving from the second position to the first position.

[0060] 9, assume that one end of the medium M in the width direction, i.e., in the ±Y direction, is located between the discharge roller pair 311 and the discharge roller pair 312, and the other end of the medium M in the width direction is located between the discharge roller pair 313 and the discharge roller pair 314. In this case, when the medium M is nipped by the discharge roller pair 31, the center portion of the medium M in the width direction is supported on both sides by the two adjacent discharge roller pairs 312, 313, and therefore does not bend significantly even when pressed by the central pressing member 712. In other words, the central pressing member 712 is in a state in which its rotation is restricted. On the other hand, the end portion of the medium M in the width direction can bend significantly downward by the pressing member 71 because one side is not supported by the discharge roller pair 31.

[0061] However, in this embodiment, the three presser members 71 are connected to each other and rotate in conjunction with one another. In other words, the rotation angles of the three presser members 71 are always approximately equal. Therefore, by suppressing the rotation of the central presser member 712, the rotation of the two outer presser members 711, 713 is also suppressed. In other words, the ends of the medium M in the width direction are not pressed down excessively by the two outer presser members 711, 713. In this way, in this embodiment, because the multiple presser members 71 rotate in conjunction with one another, it is possible to suppress the ends of the medium M in the width direction from being pressed down.

[0062] As described above, the medium discharge section 60A and image reading device 1 of this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the medium M being discharged is pressed against the first roller 31a by the pressure member 71, increasing 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 end of the medium M from remaining on the discharge roller pair 31. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the pressure member 712 disposed between two adjacent discharge roller pairs 312, 313 and the two pressure members 711, 713 disposed on the outer sides of these two discharge roller pairs 312, 313 rotate in conjunction with each other. Therefore, even when the outer pressure members 711, 713 face the widthwise end of the medium M, the end of the medium M is prevented from being pressed down for the reasons described above. In other words, the angle at which the end of the medium M approaches 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 end of the discharged medium M and the trailing end 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.

[0064] 3. 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.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the discharge assist member 61 and the pressing member 71 are configured to press the medium M by their own weight, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, the discharge assist member 61 and the pressing member 71 may be configured to press the medium M by being biased by a biasing means such as a spring. Furthermore, the discharge assist member 61 and the pressing member 71 may be configured to be made of an elastic member such as a leaf spring and to press the medium M by their own elastic force.

[0066] In the above first embodiment, a configuration was shown in which the medium pressing portion 61a does not contact the medium M at the second position, but the medium pressing portion 61a may contact the medium M at the second position as long as the medium M is not pressed excessively.

[0067] In each of the above embodiments, the numbers of discharge roller pairs 31, scraping members 32, discharge assist members 61, and pressing members 71 are not limited to the above numbers and may be less than or greater than the above numbers.

[0068] In the first embodiment described above, all of the discharge assist members 61 are configured to include the medium contact portions 61b, but this is not limiting. For example, of the three discharge assist members 61, only the two outermost discharge assist members 61 that are more likely to come into contact with the widthwise edges of the medium M may be provided with the medium contact portions 61b, and the central discharge assist member 61 may not be provided with the medium contact portion 61b. In this case, the central discharge assist member 61 may have the same configuration as the pressing member 71 in the second embodiment.

[0069] In the first embodiment described above, a configuration has been shown in which a plurality of mutually separated discharge assist members 61 are arranged between the pair of discharge rollers 31, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, similar to the second embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of discharge assist members 61 are linked together and rotate in conjunction with each other.

[0070] 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.

[0071] The medium ejection units 60, 60A in the above 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 60, 60A may be provided in an image recording device that records an image on the medium M being transported. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1...image reading device, 11...lower unit, 12...upper unit, 13...paper feeding section, 14...paper ejection section, 15...transport path, 21...medium 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, 31, 311, 312, 313, 314...ejection roller pair, 31a...first roller, 31 b...second roller, 32...scraping member, 35, 36...rotating shaft, 50...control unit, 60, 60A...medium discharge unit, 61...discharge assist member, 61a...medium pressing unit, 61b...medium contact unit, 61c...contact surface, 62...rotating shaft, 71, 711, 712, 713...pressing member, 71a...medium pressing unit, 71c...contact surface, 72...rotating shaft, 73...connecting member, 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 discharge assist member that assists the discharge operation of the medium discharged from the roller pair, The discharge assist member is a medium pressing unit that is movable between a first position below a nip position where the roller pair nips the medium and a second position above the first position, and that presses the medium downward during movement from the second position to the first position; a medium contact portion that contacts the medium, the medium contact portion being located upstream of the medium pressing portion in the direction of discharging the medium; The medium pressing unit When a downstream leading end of the medium in the discharge direction passes through the nip position, the medium abuts on the medium abutting portion, thereby moving the medium from the first position to the second position, A medium ejection device characterized in that when the upstream rear end of the medium in the ejection direction passes through the nip position, the medium moves away from the medium contact portion, thereby moving from the second position to the first position.

2. The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , a conveying unit that conveys the medium toward the pair of rollers, the ejection assist member is a member that is rotatable about a first rotation axis, When the medium being transported by the transport unit contacts the medium contact portion, the discharge assistance member rotates in a first direction about the first rotation axis, The medium ejection device, wherein the medium pressing portion moves from the first position to the second position as the ejection assist member rotates in the first direction.

3. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, When the rear end of the medium separates from the medium contact portion, the discharge assistance member rotates around the first rotation axis in a second direction opposite to the first direction, The medium ejection device, wherein the medium pressing portion moves from the second position to the first position as the ejection assist member rotates in the second direction.

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

5. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, A medium ejection device characterized in that when the medium pressing portion is located at the first position, the angle of the medium pressing portion relative to the vertical direction is smaller than when the medium pressing portion is located at the second position.

6. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, The medium ejection device, wherein the medium pressing section presses the medium downstream of the nip position in the ejection direction.

7. The medium ejection device according to claim 2, The medium ejection device, wherein the medium pressing portion does not contact the medium when in the second position.

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

9. 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.

10. A medium ejection device that ejects a medium toward a placement section on which the medium is placed, a plurality of roller pairs, each of which includes a first roller and a second roller located above the first roller, nipping the medium with the first roller and the second roller to discharge the medium to the placement section; a plurality of pressing members that are rotatable about a second rotation axis and press downward the medium discharged from the pair of rollers; the plurality of roller pairs and the plurality of pressing members are arranged along the axial direction of the first roller, the plurality of pressing members include an inner pressing member disposed between two adjacent pairs of rollers, and two outer pressing members disposed outside the two pairs of rollers, The medium ejection device, wherein the inner pressing member and the two outer pressing members rotate in conjunction with each other.

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

Images