Feeding device

Abstract

To suppress falling off of separation pieces.SOLUTION: An ADF unit 9 of a feeding device of a sheet includes a separation roller 54 for feeding the sheet SH in a feeding direction, a separation pad 56A for forming a nip portion NP with the separation roller 54 to separate the sheet SH one by one, a pad holder 110 for supporting the separation pad 56A, and a pad fixing member 120 for fixing the separation pad 56A to the pad holder 110, in which the separation pad 56A has a through hole 56Aa at a position different from the nip portion NP in the feeding direction, and the pad fixing member 120 has protrusions 120a, 120b that can be engaged with the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a feeding device having a separation piece that forms a nip portion between itself and a feeding roller. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional technique is known for separating sheets when feeding them, in which a separation pad having a higher friction coefficient than the friction coefficient between the sheets is brought into contact with the sheets to separate the sheets one by one and feed them downstream, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. The separation pad is held by a rotatably supported holder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-78983 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when a sheet is fed in the feeding direction as described above, some kind of transport abnormality may occur, and the sheet may have to be pulled out by hand. In this case, if a strong force is applied to the separation piece by, for example, pulling out the sheet while it is still in a nipped state, the separation piece may fall off the fixed member. In the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, no particular consideration was given to the above-mentioned falling off of the separation piece.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a feeding device that can prevent separation pieces from falling off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises a feed roller that feeds a sheet in a feed direction, a separation piece that forms a nip portion between the feed roller and the separation piece to separate the sheets one by one, a support member that supports the separation piece, and a fixing member that fixes the separation piece to the support member, wherein the separation piece has a recess at a position different from the nip portion in the feed direction, and the fixing member has a first convex portion that can engage with the recess of the separation piece.

[0007] In the present invention, the sheets are nipped between the feed roller and the separation piece, and at that time, the separation piece separates the sheets one by one. The separation piece is fixed to the support member by a fixing member. A recess is provided in the separation piece, and a first protrusion is provided on the fixing member. The recess and the first protrusion engage with each other. As a result, even when the sheet is pulled out, the engagement structure resists the action of a force in the pulling direction, thereby preventing the separation piece from falling off. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the separation piece from falling off. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conceptual overall configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an external configuration of the multifunction peripheral. [Diagram 3] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the reading unit as viewed from the rear. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure shown in FIG. 3 with the opening / closing cover open. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a perspective view illustrating the structure shown in FIG. 3 with the opening / closing cover open. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view in a cross section substantially parallel to the separation pad, respectively, which show a separation pad and its surrounding structure from the structure shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7]3A is a side view of the separation pad and its surrounding structure as seen from the front, and a side cross-sectional view thereof. FIG. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are perspective views of the separation pad and its surrounding structure as viewed from slightly above and slightly below the left front side, respectively. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a separation pad and its surrounding structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are used to explain technical features that may be adopted in the present disclosure, and the configurations of the devices described are not intended to be limiting, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0011] <Overall configuration of the multifunction device> Fig. 1 conceptually shows the overall schematic configuration of a multifunction machine 1 of this embodiment. In the multifunction machine 1 shown in Fig. 1, the side facing you as you look at the page is defined as the front of the device, and the side to the left of the page is defined as the left, and the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are displayed. The directions shown in the subsequent figures are all displayed in accordance with the directions shown in Fig. 1.

[0012] 1, the multifunction device 1 includes a main unit 2 and a reading unit 3. The reading unit 3 includes an ADF section 9 and an FB section 5. An operation panel (not shown) such as a touch panel is provided on the front side of the FB section 5 of the ADF section 9. The ADF section 9 is an example of a feeding device.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the main body unit 2 is a flat substantially box-shaped body and includes an image forming unit 4 therein. The image forming unit 4 forms an image on a recording sheet based on, for example, image data received from a personal computer connected to the multifunction machine 1 by an inkjet method or a laser method, image data generated by reading an image of a document by the reading unit 3, and the like. The reading unit 3 is disposed above the main body unit 2. The FB unit 5 is used when reading an image of a document placed on a document support surface 101A described later. The ADF unit 9 includes a supply tray 12, a discharge tray 14, and a conveyance unit 6. The conveyance unit 6 conveys the sheet SH placed on the supply tray 12 along a conveyance path P1 and discharges it to the discharge tray 14. The ADF unit 9 is used when causing the image of the sheet SH placed on the supply tray 12 to be read while sequentially conveying it along the conveyance path P1. Note that the sheets to be read include not only sheets such as paper and OHP sheets but also documents and the like.

[0014] <Appearance of ADF unit> The external configuration of the ADF unit 9 is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the ADF unit 9 is swingably supported around an opening / closing axis X9 extending in the left-right direction by a hinge (not shown) disposed at the rear. In the closed state shown in FIG. 2, the ADF unit 9 covers the document support surface 101A described later from above. Although not shown, the ADF unit 9 swings around the opening / closing axis X9 so that its front end portion is displaced upward and rearward, thereby exposing the document support surface 101A. As a result, the user can support the document to be read on the document support surface 101A.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the supply tray 12 is formed on the right side of the ADF unit 9. The upper surface of the supply tray 12 is a sheet feed surface 12A that supports the sheets SH from below. A plurality of sheets SH to be read that are transported by the transport unit 6 are stacked on the sheet feed surface 12A. The sheet feed surface 12A is a flat surface that slopes downward to the left. The supply tray 12 is provided with side guides 17F and 17R that are slidable in the front-rear direction. The side guides 17F and 17R approach or move away from each other to sandwich a plurality of types of sheets SH of different sizes supported by the supply tray 12 from the front and rear. Hereinafter, these side guides 17F and 17R are collectively referred to simply as "side guides 17" as appropriate. The same applies to the illustration. As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge tray 14 is located below the supply tray 12. The upper surface of the discharge tray 14 is a sheet discharge surface 14A that supports the sheets SH from below. The sheet SH, whose image has been read by the image sensor 3S and which has been discharged by the conveying section 6, is stacked on the sheet discharge surface 14A. The sheet discharge surface 14A is a flat surface that slopes upward from left to right.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, an opening / closing cover 32 is provided on the upper portion of the ADF unit 9. The opening / closing cover 32 is a generally flat plate member extending in the front-rear and left-right directions from generally the center of the ADF unit 9 to the left end. The left end of the opening / closing cover 32 is bent downward. The left end and lower end of the opening / closing cover 32 are supported so as to be swingable about an opening / closing axis X32 extending in the front-rear direction. This allows the opening / closing cover 32 to be displaced between a closed position shown by a solid line in FIG. 2 and an open position shown in FIG. 4 and the like described later. In the closed position, the opening / closing cover 32 functions to cover the transport path P1.

[0017] <Cross-sectional structure of the reading unit> Fig. 3 is a rear view of the cross-sectional structure of the main parts of the reading unit 3, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the opening / closing cover 32 is open. In Figs. 3 and 4, a platen glass 101 is disposed on the upper surface of the FB section 5. An original support surface 101A is formed by the upper surface of the platen glass 101. The image sensor 3S is provided below the platen glass 101 within the FB section 5 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The original support surface 101A supports the original from below when the image of the original in a stationary state is read by the image sensor 3S.

[0018] A reading surface 101B is formed by the upper surface of the platen glass 101. The reading surface 101B guides the conveyed sheet SH from below when the image of the sheet SH conveyed one by one by the conveying unit 6 is read by the image sensor 3S in the FB unit 5. In this embodiment, the object whose image is read using the document support surface 101A is referred to as a document, and the object whose image is read while being conveyed by the conveying unit 6 is referred to as a sheet SH. The document and the sheet SH may be substantially the same thing.

[0019] The FB unit 5 has the image sensor 3S, a scanning mechanism (not shown), and the platen glass 101. The scanning mechanism reciprocates the image sensor 3S in the left-right direction below the document support surface 101A and the reading surface 101B. When reading an image of a document supported on the document support surface 101A, the image sensor 3S reads the image while moving below the document support surface 101A. When reading an image while the sheet SH is being conveyed by the conveying unit 6, the image sensor 3S is stopped at a predetermined stationary reading position. Here, the stationary reading position where the image sensor 3S stops is a position facing the reading surface 101B from below. As the image sensor 3S, a well-known image reading sensor such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is used.

[0020] A base member 9A is provided at the lower portion of the ADF unit 9. The base member 9A forms the bottom portion of the ADF unit 9. The right portion of the base member 9A forms the discharge tray 14 described above. The transport unit 6 is provided between the opening / closing cover 32 of the ADF unit 9 and the left portion of the base member 9A. The transport unit 6 has an upper chute member 130 and a lower chute member 140 attached to the base member 9A. The lower chute member 140 is located below the upper chute member 130. The base member 9A is located below the lower chute member 140.

[0021] 3, 4, and 5, a plurality of guide ribs 32R extending in the left-right direction are formed side by side in the front-rear direction on the inner surface of the opening-closing cover 32. The upper guide surface 32A is formed by the lower end edges of the guide ribs 32R. The upper guide surface 32A defines, from above, an upper path P1A (described later) of the conveying path P1.

[0022] A first upper transport surface 130A and a second upper transport surface 130B are formed on the upper surface of the upper chute member 130. The first upper transport surface 130A is adjacent to the left end of the supply tray 12 and is a flat surface that slopes downward to the left. The first upper transport surface 130A of the upper chute member 130 and the paper feed surface 12A of the supply tray 12 form a stacking surface 150A that supports the sheets SH. A plurality of sheets SH to be read and transported by the transport unit 6 are stacked on the stacking surface 150A. The second upper transport surface 130B is a substantially flat surface that slopes upward to the left following the first upper transport surface 130A.

[0023] Lower guide surfaces 140A1 and 140A2 are formed on the lower surface of the lower chute member 140. The lower guide surface 140A1 is a substantially flat surface that slopes down to the right from the vicinity of the left end portion of the ADF unit 9 toward the reading surface 101B. The lower guide surface 140A2 is a substantially flat surface that slopes up to the right following the lower guide surface 140A1. The upper surface of the base member 9A is formed with a lower conveying surface 140B1 that faces the lower guide surface 140A1 from below, and a lower conveying surface 140B2 that faces the lower guide surface 140A2 from below.

[0024] The conveying path P1 in the conveying section 6 is defined as a space surrounded by the first upper conveying surface 130A and the second upper conveying surface 130B of the upper chute member 130, the lower guide surfaces 140A1 and 140A2 of the lower chute member 140, the upper guide surface 32A of the opening / closing cover 32, the lower conveying surfaces 140B1 and 140B2 of the base member 9A, various conveying rollers, etc. More specifically, the conveying path P1 includes an upper path P1A that is a portion extending leftward from the paper feed surface 12A of the supply tray 12 along the first upper conveying surface 130A and the second upper conveying surface 130B of the upper chute member 130. Next, the conveying path P1 includes a curved path P1B that is a portion connected to the upper path P1A and curved downward. Next, the conveying path P1 includes a lower path P1C that is connected to the curved path P1B, and includes a portion that slopes downward from the lower end of the curved portion toward the reading surface 101B, then extends short to the right along the reading surface 101B, and a portion that slopes upward from the right end of the reading surface 101B to the right and reaches the discharge tray 14. The upper path P1A and the lower path P1C overlap in the vertical direction. The conveying direction of the sheet SH conveyed by the conveying unit 6 is leftward in the upper path P1A of the conveying path P1. This conveying direction is an example of the feeding direction. Correspondingly, the front-rear direction is an example of a first direction that intersects with the feeding direction. In addition, in the curved path P1B of the conveying path P1, the conveying direction of the sheet SH changes from leftward to rightward, and in the lower path P1C of the conveying path P1, the conveying direction of the sheet SH is rightward. The extending direction and shape of the conveying path P1 are only examples.

[0025] <Separation rollers, separation pads, feed rollers, etc.> 3, 4, and 5, the conveying section 6 includes a separation unit 50 and a separation pad 56A. The separation unit 50 includes a separation roller 54, a holder 51, and a paper feed roller 92, which will be described in detail later.

[0026] The separation roller 54 is located to the left of the feed roller 92, that is, downstream in the conveying direction of the conveying path P1. The separation roller 54 is provided at a position facing the second upper conveying surface 130B of the upper chute member 130 from above.

[0027] 3, the separation pad 56A, together with the second upper conveying surface 130B, forms a conveying surface for the sheet SH. The separation pad 56A is provided at a position facing the separation roller 54 from below. The separation pad 56A is a plate-like body made of a soft material such as rubber or elastomer. The separation pad 56A is pressed toward the separation roller 54 by, for example, a biasing spring (not shown), and forms a nip portion NP between the separation roller 54.

[0028] 3, 4, and 5, the holder 51 holds the separation roller 54 in a sandwiched state from the front and rear while covering the separation roller 54 from above. The holder 51 is supported by the rotation shaft of the separation roller 54 so as to be able to swing.

[0029] 3, 4, and 5, the sheet feed roller 92 is provided at a position facing the first upper conveying surface 130A of the upper chute member 130 from above. The sheet feed roller 92 is provided so as to be able to come into contact with the sheets SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A from above. The sheet feed roller 92 is located to the right of the separation roller 54 and is housed in the holder 51. The sheet feed roller 92 is rotatably supported by the holder 51. Thus, the holder 51 is configured to be able to swing upward or downward about the axis of the rotation shaft of the separation roller 54, so that the sheet feed roller 92 can be displaced between a position approaching the stacking surface 150A and a position away from the stacking surface 150A.

[0030] When a motor (not shown) is driven, the separation roller 54 and the feed roller 92 rotate in synchronization. The outer peripheral surface 92A of the feed roller 92 applies a conveying force to the uppermost sheet SH among the sheets SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A, and sends the sheet SH toward the separation roller 54 downstream in the conveying direction. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the separation pad 56A cooperates with the separation roller 54 to separate the sheets SH conveyed by the feed roller 92 one by one. The separated sheets DH are conveyed by the separation roller 54 to the downstream side in the conveying direction on the conveying path P1. The separation roller 54 is an example of a feed roller, and the separation pad 56A is an example of a separation piece.

[0031] <Conveyor roller> The conveying section 6 has a first conveying roller 44 and a pinch roller 44P on the upper path P1A of the conveying path P1, to the left of the separation roller 54, i.e., at a position downstream in the conveying direction from the separation roller 54. The first conveying roller 44 and the pinch roller 44P nip the sheets SH separated one by one by the separation roller 54 and the separation pad 56A, and convey them downstream in the conveying direction.

[0032] The conveying section 6 also has a curved guide surface 45G, a curved guide surface 45H, a second conveying roller 45, and a pinch roller 45P in the curved path P1B of the conveying path P1. The curved guide surface 45G and the curved guide surface 45H face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. The curved guide surface 45G defines the portion of the curved path P1B that curves downward from the outside. The curved guide surface 45H defines the portion of the curved path P1B that curves downward from the inside. The second conveying roller 45 and the pinch roller 45P are disposed at the lower end of the curved path P1B. The second conveying roller 45 and the pinch roller 45P nip the sheet SH conveyed by the first conveying roller 44 and the pinch roller 44P, and further convey the sheet SH toward the reading surface 101B. Between the first conveying roller 44 and the pinch roller 44P and the reading surface 101B, a lower guide surface 140A1 and a lower conveying surface 140B1 face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween, thereby defining the left portion of the lower path P1C.

[0033] The conveying section 6 further includes a discharge roller 48 and a pinch roller (not shown). A lower guide surface 140A2 and a lower conveying surface 140B2 face each other at a predetermined interval between the reading surface 101B and the discharge roller 48 and pinch roller, thereby defining a right portion of the lower path P1C.

[0034] The path formed by the lower guide surface 140A2 and the lower conveying surface 140B2 is inclined upward toward the discharge roller 48 and the pinch roller, to the right of the pressing member 49. The discharge roller 48 is equipped with a drive shaft 48a, and is located at the right end of the lower guide surface 140A2 of the lower chute member 140. The pinch roller is located at the right end of the lower conveying surface 140B2. The discharge roller 48 and the pinch roller nip the sheet SH that has passed over the reading surface 101B, and discharge it onto the discharge surface 14A of the discharge tray 14.

[0035] <Stopper> 4 and 5, the ADF unit 9 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of front and rear stoppers 80F, 80R that are located between the separation roller 54 and the paper feed roller 92 and come into contact with the leading edge of the sheet SH in the conveying direction to restrict the movement of the sheet SH. Hereinafter, the front stopper 80F and the rear stopper 80R will be collectively referred to simply as "stopper 80" as appropriate. This is the same in the drawings.

[0036] The stopper 80 is configured to be switchable between a restricted state and a non-restricted state. In this example, in the restricted state, the stopper 80 protrudes toward the conveying path P1 of the sheet SH, thereby restricting the passage of the sheet SH along the first upper conveying surface 130A. In the non-restricted state, the stopper 80 is pushed by the leading edge of the sheet SH and retreats away from the first upper conveying surface 130A, allowing the sheet SH to move downstream, i.e., to pass through. The stopper 80 is supported by the openable cover 32 together with the holder 51 including the separation roller 54 and the feed roller 92.

[0037] <Features of the embodiment> In the ADF section 9 having the above configuration, the present embodiment is characterized by the separation pad 56A and the support structure around it. That is, when the sheet SH is fed in the conveying direction as described above, some conveying abnormality may occur, and the user may have to pull out the sheet SH by hand. In that case, if a strong force is applied to the separation pad 56A by pulling out the sheet SH while the sheet SH is nipped at the nip portion NP, the separation pad 56A may fall off. The main configuration of the present embodiment for preventing the above-mentioned falling off will be described below with reference to Figs. 6 to 9.

[0038] <Pad holder and pad fixing member> 6(a), 6(b), 7(a), 7(b), 8(a), 8(b), and 9, the separation pad 56A is supported by a pad holder 110 and disposed in the ADF section 9. The separation pad 56A is fixed to the pad holder 110 by a pad fixing member 120. The pad holder 110 is an example of a supporting member, and the pad fixing member 120 is an example of a fixing member.

[0039] The pad holder 110 has an upstream support portion 110A located on the right side, i.e., on the upstream side in the conveying direction, a mounting base portion 110B located further upstream in the conveying direction than the upstream support portion 110A, and a downstream support portion 110C located on the left side, i.e., on the downstream side in the conveying direction. The mounting base portion 110B has a through hole 110Ba. The through hole 110Ba is penetrated by a fixing screw 132 together with a through hole 129a of a guide plate member 129 described later. The downstream support portion 110C has a cross boss portion 110Ca having a cross-shaped cross section that protrudes upward. The lower portion of a spring member (not shown) is inserted from above into the outer periphery of the cross boss portion 110Ca. The upper end portion of the spring member abuts against a predetermined portion of the pad fixing member 120, for example, a portion below a mounting portion 120A described later, thereby applying an upward biasing force to the separation pad 56A.

[0040] The pad fixing member 120 has a mounting portion 120A located approximately in the center in the transport direction, an upstream wall portion 120B located upstream of the mounting portion 120A in the transport direction, and a downstream wall portion 120D located downstream of the mounting portion 120A in the transport direction.

[0041] The fixing screw 132 is screwed into a holder fixing portion 131 (FIG. 3) provided on the upper chute member 130 and fastened, and the pad holder 110 is fixed to the holder fixing portion 131 by the fixing screw 132. The pad fixing member 120 is fixed to the pad holder 110 by a predetermined fitting structure (not shown). A guide plate member 129 is provided on the upstream side of the pad fixing member 120 in the conveying direction. A through hole 129a provided on the upstream side of the guide plate member 129 in the conveying direction is penetrated by the fixing screw 132 together with the through hole 110Ba of the pad holder 110 described above.

[0042] <Placement section> The separation pad 56A is placed on the placement portion 120A. An upper surface 120Aa of the placement portion 120A is an adhesive area. An adhesive member (not shown) is provided in this adhesive area, so that a lower surface 56Ab of the separation pad 56A is adhered to the placement portion 120A. The adhesive member may be, for example, a double-sided tape or a suitable adhesive layer capable of exerting adhesive force.

[0043] The upstream wall 120B is configured to be able to abut against the end 56Au of the separation pad 56A on the upstream side in the transport direction from the upstream side in the transport direction. The upstream wall 120B is an example of a first abutting wall. In the pad fixing member 120, the eaves 120G extends from the upper end of the upstream wall 120B toward the downstream side in the transport direction. In this example, the upstream wall 120B and the eaves 120G are configured integrally, and as shown in FIG. 7(b), the upstream wall 120B and the eaves 120G as a whole have a cross-sectional shape that is an inverted L-shape. The eaves 120G is configured to be able to abut against the end 56Au of the separation pad 56A on the upstream side in the transport direction from the thickness direction of the separation pad 56A. The eaves 120G is an example of a second abutting wall. The downstream wall 120D is configured to be able to abut against the end 56Ad of the separation pad 56A on the downstream side in the transport direction from the downstream side in the transport direction.

[0044] <Protrusions of separation pad> As shown in Fig. 6(b), Fig. 7(b), and Fig. 8(b), the separation pad 56A has a through hole 56Aa at a position different from the nip portion NP with the separation roller 54 described above with reference to Fig. 3, for example, at a portion upstream of the nip portion NP in the conveying direction. Correspondingly, the eaves portion 120G of the pad fixing member 120 is provided with protrusions 120a and 120b protruding downward. The protrusions 120a and 120b penetrate the through hole 56Aa from above and are engageable with the through hole 56Aa. The protrusions 120a and 120b are examples of first protrusions, and the through hole 56Aa is an example of a recess that can engage with the first protrusion. The protrusions 120a and 120b are not limited to being provided at two locations on the pad fixing member 120, and may be provided at three or more locations. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the dimension x in the protruding direction of the protrusions 120a and 120b and the dimension y in the depth direction of the through hole 56Aa are almost equal. Instead of a hole penetrating the separation pad 56A like the through hole 56Aa, a bottomed hole that does not penetrate the separation pad 56A and opens upward may be provided in the separation pad 56A. It is sufficient that the bottomed hole is configured to be engageable with the protrusions 120a and 120b. This hole is another example of a recess that can be engaged with the first convex portion.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 6(b), Fig. 7(b), and Fig. 8(b), the upstream support portion 110A of the pad holder 110 is provided with a protrusion 110a. The protrusion 110a penetrates the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A from below and engages with the through hole 56Aa. The protrusion 110a is an example of a second protrusion, and the through hole 56Aa is also an example of a recess that can engage with the second protrusion. As shown in Fig. 7(b) and Fig. 8(b), the protrusion 110a has a substantially triangular shape in a side view from the front side in the front-rear direction intersecting with the conveying direction.

[0046] 6(b) and 8(b), the front-rear position of the protrusion 110a is between the front-rear positions of the two adjacent protrusions 120a, 120b on the pad fixing member 120 as described above. In other words, of the protrusions 120a, 120b of the pad fixing member 120, the protrusion 120a is inserted into the front side of the through hole 56Aa, and the protrusion 120b is inserted into the rear side of the through hole 56Aa. The protrusion 110a of the pad holder 110 is inserted into the approximate center of the through hole 56Aa in the front-rear direction, which is located between them. When viewed from the positional relationship in the transport direction, as shown in Figures 6(b) and 7(b), the protrusions 120a, 120b of the pad fixing member 120 penetrate into the portion of the through hole 56Aa that is upstream in the transport direction, and the protrusion 110a of the pad holder 110 penetrates into the portion of the through hole 56Aa that is downstream in the transport direction from the penetration portions of the protrusions 120a, 120b.

[0047] The protrusion 110a of the pad holder 110 may penetrate and engage with a through hole provided in the separation pad 56A separately from the through hole 56Aa. Alternatively, the protrusion 110a may be engageable with a bottomed hole that does not penetrate the separation pad 56A and opens downward, instead of a hole that penetrates the separation pad 56A. In this case, the hole is another example of a recess that can engage with the second protrusion.

[0048] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the sheets SH are nipped at the nip portion NP between the separation roller 54 and the separation pad 56A, and at that time, the sheets SH are separated one by one by the separation pad 56A. The separation pad 56A is fixed to the pad holder 110 by the pad fixing member 120. A through hole 56Aa is provided in the separation pad 56A, and protrusions 120a and 120b are provided in the pad fixing member 120. The through hole 56Aa and the protrusions 120a and 120b engage with each other. As a result, even when the sheet SH is pulled out, the above-mentioned engagement structure resists the action of a force in the pulling direction, thereby preventing the separation pad 56A from falling off.

[0049] In particular, in this embodiment, the pad fixing member 120 can abut against the end 56Au on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the separation pad 56A from the upstream side by the upstream side wall portion 120B, and can abut against the end 56Au from the thickness direction by the eaves portion 120G. This makes it possible to prevent the separation pad 56A from falling off to the upstream side in the conveying direction when the above-mentioned sheet SH is pulled out.

[0050] In particular, in this embodiment, the projection dimension x of the projections 120a, 120b of the pad fixing member 120 and the depth dimension y of the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A are approximately equal. Since the dimensions of the projections 120a, 120b and the engagement portions of the through hole 56Aa that engage with each other are approximately equal, they can be firmly engaged with each other, which further prevents the separation pad 56A from falling off.

[0051] In particular, in this embodiment, the protrusion 110a provided on the pad holder 110 can be engaged with the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A. Both the protrusions 120a, 120b of the pad fixing member 120 and the protrusion 110a of the pad holder 110 are engaged with the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A. As a result, it is possible to further prevent the separation pad 56A from falling off.

[0052] In particular, in this embodiment, the protrusion 110a of the pad holder 110 is located between two adjacent protrusions 120a, 120b of the pad fixing member 120 in the front-rear direction. This causes the positions of the protrusions 120a, 120b and the protrusion 110a to be aligned in substantially the same position in the transport direction. As a result, the size in the transport direction of the through-hole 56Aa with which the protrusions 120a, 120b and the protrusion 110a engage can be made smaller than when the transport direction positions of the protrusions 120a, 120b and the protrusion 110a are different from each other.

[0053] In particular, in this embodiment, among the protrusions 120a, 120b and the protrusion 110a that engage with the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A, the protrusion 110a penetrates to the downstream side, and the protrusions 120a, 120b penetrate to the upstream side. These protrusions 120a, 120b and the protrusion 110a can function to prevent the separation pad 56A from falling off on the upstream side and downstream side of the through hole 56Aa, respectively.

[0054] In particular, in this embodiment, the protrusion 110a that penetrates the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A has a generally triangular shape in a side view. This makes it possible to make the opening size of the through hole 56Aa of the separation pad 56A as small as possible, compared to the case where the protrusion 110a that is rectangular in a side view penetrates.

[0055] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and technical concept of the present invention. Such modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0056] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 9 ADF section (example of feeding device) 54 Separation roller (an example of a feeding roller) 56A Separation pad (an example of a separation piece) 56Aa Through hole (an example of a recess) 56Au Upstream end 110 Pad holder (an example of a support member) 110a: protrusion (an example of a second protrusion) 120 Pad fixing member (an example of a fixing member) 120a,b protrusion (first protrusion) 120B Upstream wall (first contact wall) 120G Eave part (second contact wall part) NP Nip SH Seat

Claims

1. A feed roller that feeds the sheet in a feed direction; a separation piece for forming a nip portion between the sheet feeding roller and the separation piece for separating the sheets one by one; A support member for supporting the separation piece; a fixing member that fixes the separation piece to the support member; Equipped with The separation piece is a recessed portion at a position different from the nip portion in the feeding direction; The fixing member is a first protrusion engageable with the recess of the separation piece; The support member is A second protrusion engageable with the recess of the separation piece A feeding device characterized by:

2. The fixing member is a first contact wall portion capable of contacting an upstream end portion of the separation piece in the feeding direction from the upstream side in the feeding direction; a second abutment wall portion capable of abutting against the upstream end portion of the separation piece in a thickness direction of the separation piece; have 2. The feeding device according to claim 1.

3. The dimension of the first protrusion of the fixing member in the protruding direction is approximately equal to the dimension of the recess of the separation piece in the depth direction.

3. The feeding device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The first protrusion of the fixing member is The ink cartridge is provided at a plurality of positions in a first direction intersecting with the feeding direction, The position of the second protrusion of the support member in the first direction is between the positions of two adjacent first protrusions in the first direction 2. The feeding device according to claim 1.

5. the first protrusion penetrates into and engages with an upstream portion of the recess in the feeding direction, The second protrusion penetrates and engages with a portion of the recess that is downstream in the feeding direction from a portion penetrated by the first protrusion.

5. The feeding device according to claim 1 or 4.

6. The second protrusion is The groove has a substantially triangular shape when viewed from a first direction intersecting the feeding direction.

6. The feeding device according to claim 5.

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