Media feeding device, image reading device

Abstract

To solve a problem in which, when a manuscript has a small thickness and a low rigidity, there is a risk that an entire manuscript sinks diagonally downward due to buckling starting from a fold, leading to feeding failure.SOLUTION: A medium feeding apparatus includes: a medium mounting portion that mounts a medium before feeding; feeding means that feeds the medium mounted on the medium mounting portion; and a support member that is a member supporting an end portion of the medium mounted on the medium mounting portion in a width direction which is a direction crossing a feeding direction, and supports the medium at a higher position than the medium mounting portion in a mounting direction of the medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium feeding device that feeds a medium, and an image reading device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] One example of an image reading device is a sheet-feed type scanner that reads a document while transporting it, and some such scanners support the document in an inclined position before feeding. When a document with a crease along the width direction is set in such a scanner, the document may fall over starting from the crease, resulting in poor feeding. In view of this problem, the image reading device described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a holding member facing the document supported in an inclined position, and this holding member prevents the document from falling over. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 056053 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the image reading device described in Patent Document 1, although the holding member can prevent the document from falling over, the following problem still remains. That is, if the document is thin and has low rigidity, it may buckle at the fold, causing the entire document to sink diagonally downward, which may lead to feeding failure. The holding member described in Patent Document 1 cannot prevent such problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the medium feeding device of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a medium loading section for loading the medium before feeding, a feeding means for feeding the medium loaded on the medium loading section, and a support member for supporting the widthwise end of the medium loaded on the medium loading section, which is a direction intersecting the feeding direction, and supports the medium at a position higher in the loading direction of the medium than the medium loading section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the scanner as viewed from the front. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the scanner viewed from the front with the front cover and top cover open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the document transport path of the scanner as viewed from the width direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the feeding and unfolding section is unfolded from the document support tray. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the document support tray with the first and second feeding attachments attached. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a view of the document support tray when the first feeding attachment and the second feeding attachment are attached, viewed from downstream in the document feeding direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the first feeding attachment and the second feeding attachment are attached. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first feeding attachment is attached to a first edge guide. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion where the first feeding attachment engages with the document support tray. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14]11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the pressing portions are attached to the first feeding attachment and the second feeding attachment. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the discharge tray is opened and closed. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the discharge tray with a first discharge attachment and a second discharge attachment attached thereto. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge tray with the first discharge attachment and the second discharge attachment attached. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge tray, the discharge development portion, and the second discharge attachment. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a discharge tray with a first discharge attachment and a second discharge attachment attached according to another embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a discharge tray, a discharge development portion, and a second discharge attachment according to another embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a discharge tray with a first discharge attachment and a second discharge attachment attached according to another embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a view showing a first discharge attachment according to another embodiment, as viewed from the document width direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] The present invention will now be briefly described. The medium feeding device of the first aspect is characterized in that it comprises a medium loading section for loading the medium before feeding, a feeding means for feeding the medium loaded on the medium loading section, and a support member for supporting the end of the medium loaded on the medium loading section in the width direction, which is a direction intersecting the feeding direction, and supports the medium at a position higher in the loading direction of the medium than the medium loading section.

[0008] According to this aspect, the medium feeding device includes a support member that supports the edge of the medium placed on the medium placement section in the width direction, which is a direction intersecting the feeding direction, and supports the medium at a position higher in the medium loading direction than the medium placement section, so that the medium forms a curl shape that is convex toward the medium placement section along the width direction. This increases the rigidity of the medium along the feeding direction, and effectively suppresses buckling of the medium along the feeding direction.

[0009] A second aspect is the first aspect, characterized in that the support members are provided on both sides in the width direction. According to this aspect, since the support members are provided on both sides in the width direction, an equal curl shape is formed on the medium on both sides along the width direction, and skew when the medium is fed can be suppressed. In the following description, the term "curl shape" refers to a curl shape formed along the width direction of the medium.

[0010] A third aspect is the first or second aspect, characterized in that a support surface of the support member that supports the medium becomes higher in the stacking direction of the medium toward the outside in the width direction. According to the present aspect, the support surface of the support member that supports the medium becomes higher in the stacking direction of the medium toward the outside in the width direction, so that a natural curl shape is formed in the medium and the adverse effect that the curl shape has on the feeding of the medium can be suppressed.

[0011] A fourth aspect is the third aspect, characterized in that a height of the support surface from the medium mounting portion in the stacking direction is higher on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the feeding direction. According to this aspect, the height of the support surface from the medium loading section in the loading direction is higher on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the feeding direction, so that a curled shape can be appropriately formed on the medium while suppressing misalignment of the medium in the loading direction relative to the feeding means, thereby realizing proper feeding.

[0012] The fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the feeding means includes a feeding roller constituting the feeding means, a separation roller that nips the medium between the feeding roller and the separation roller to separate it, and a loading surface on which the medium is loaded in the media loading section, and when viewed from the width direction, a straight line that is parallel to the loading surface and passes through the nip position between the feeding roller and the separation roller intersects with a portion of the support surface downstream in the feeding direction, and a portion of the support surface upstream in the feeding direction is positioned higher in the loading direction than the straight line. According to this aspect, it is possible to appropriately form a curl in the medium while suppressing misalignment of the medium in the stacking direction with respect to the nip position between the feed roller and the separation roller.

[0013] The sixth aspect is characterized in that, in the fourth or fifth aspect, the support member has an edge regulating surface that regulates the edge position of the medium in the width direction, and the edge regulating surface has a shape that extends toward the center of the width direction toward the upstream of the feed direction.

[0014] When the height of the support surface in the stacking direction is higher on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the feeding direction, the curl shape becomes stronger on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the feeding direction. This causes the edge position in the width direction of the medium to move toward the center in the width direction toward the upstream side in the feeding direction. According to this aspect, the edge regulation surface has a shape that follows the edge in the width direction of the medium as described above, so that the edge in the width direction of the medium can be appropriately regulated.

[0015] The seventh aspect is characterized in that, in any of the first to sixth aspects, an edge guide that regulates the edge position of the medium in the width direction is arranged to be movable in the width direction, and the support member is arranged to be detachable from the edge guide.

[0016] According to the present aspect, an edge guide that regulates the widthwise edge position of the medium is arranged to be movable in the width direction, and the support member is arranged to be detachable from the edge guide, so that the support member can support the widthwise end of the medium at an appropriate position according to the widthwise size of the medium.

[0017] The eighth aspect is characterized in that, in any of the first to seventh aspects, it is provided with a pressing portion that presses the medium toward the medium loading portion at a position closer to the center position of the medium in the width direction than the support member.

[0018] According to this aspect, a pressing portion is provided that presses the medium toward the medium loading portion at a position closer to the center position of the medium in the width direction than the support member, so that a curled shape can be more reliably formed on the medium.

[0019] The image reading device of the 9th aspect is characterized in that it comprises a reading means for reading a surface of a medium, and the medium feeding device of any of the 1st to 8th aspects for feeding the medium toward the reading means. According to this aspect, in the image reading device, the operational effects of any one of the first to eighth aspects described above can be obtained.

[0020] The tenth aspect is characterized in that the ninth aspect is provided with a medium receiving section that receives the medium that has been read by the reading means and discharged, and a receiving member that receives the widthwise end of the medium discharged to the medium receiving section, the receiving member receiving the medium at a higher position in the stacking direction of the medium in the medium receiving section than the medium receiving section.

[0021] According to this aspect, the receiving member causes the medium placed in the medium receiving section to have a curl that is convex toward the medium receiving section along the width direction, thereby increasing the rigidity of the medium along the ejection direction and improving the alignment of the medium in the medium receiving section.

[0022] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the tenth aspect, characterized in that the receiving members are provided on both sides in the width direction. According to this aspect, since the receiving members are provided on both sides in the width direction, an equal curl shape is formed on the medium on both sides along the width direction, and skewing of the medium when it is discharged can be suppressed.

[0023] A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the tenth or eleventh aspect, characterized in that a receiving surface of the receiving member that receives the media becomes higher in the stacking direction toward the outside in the width direction. According to the present aspect, the receiving surface of the receiving member that receives the medium becomes higher in the stacking direction toward the outside in the width direction, so that a natural curl shape is formed in the medium, thereby enabling even better alignment of the medium in the media receiving section.

[0024] A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the twelfth aspect, a height of the receiving surface in the stacking direction is higher on the downstream side in a direction in which the media are discharged than on the upstream side. According to the present aspect, the height of the receiving surface in the stacking direction is higher downstream than upstream in the direction in which the medium is discharged, so that the curled shape near the discharge outlet through which the medium is discharged can be suppressed, thereby ensuring the loading capacity of the medium and appropriately forming a curled shape on the medium.

[0025] The 14th aspect is characterized in that, in any of the 10th to 13th aspects, it is provided with a pressing portion that presses the medium toward the medium receiving portion at a position closer to the center position of the medium in the width direction than the receiving member.

[0026] According to this aspect, a pressing portion is provided that presses the medium toward the medium receiving portion at a position closer to the center position of the medium in the width direction than the receiving member, thereby making it possible to more reliably form a curled shape on the medium.

[0027] The present invention will be specifically described below. In the following, as an example of an image reading device, a scanner 1 capable of reading at least one of the front and back sides of a document, which is an example of a medium, is taken as an example. The scanner 1 is a so-called document scanner that reads the document while moving it relative to a reading means.

[0028] In the XYZ coordinate system shown in each figure, the X-axis direction is the device width direction and also the document width direction. In the following, the X-axis direction may be referred to as the document width direction or simply the width direction. The Y-axis direction is the device depth direction and is along the horizontal direction. The Z-axis direction is along the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the +Y direction is the direction from the back side of the device to the front side, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front side of the device to the back side.

[0029] The V-axis direction is the document feed direction or document transport direction, and is a direction parallel to a document transport path T described later, with the +V direction being the direction toward the downstream of the document feed direction or document transport direction, and the -V direction being the direction toward the upstream of the document feed direction or document transport direction. In the following, feeding the document means feeding the document to the transport roller pair 16 by the feed roller 14, transporting the document means feeding the document downstream by the transport roller pair 16, and discharging the document means discharging the document from the discharge port 18 by the discharge roller pair 17. The W-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to a placement surface 11a on which documents are placed in a document support tray 11 (described later), and the +W direction is the direction in which documents are placed on the placement surface 11a. For convenience, some of the drawings show a VWX coordinate system with V-axis direction, W-axis direction, and X-axis direction.

[0030] 1 to 3, a scanner 1 includes a device main body 2 and a support base 5 that supports the device main body 2 rotatably. The device main body 2 is configured to include a lower unit 3 and an upper unit 4. The upper unit 4 is configured to be openable and closable by rotating around a rotation axis (not shown) relative to the lower unit 3, and the upper unit 4 can be opened toward the front of the device to expose the document transport path T, which will be described later.

[0031] The lower unit 3 constituting the device main body 2 is rotatably mounted on an arm portion 5a constituting a support base 5 via a rotation shaft 5b, and the device main body 2 is configured so that its posture can be changed by rotation.

[0032] The upper unit 4 is provided with a front cover 27, and the lower unit 3 is provided with a top cover 10. The front cover 27 is provided rotatably about a rotation axis 27a (see FIG. 3) relative to the lower unit 3 and upper unit 4, and can be in a closed state as shown in FIG. 1 or an open state as shown in FIG. 2 by rotating. A discharge tray 28 is provided on the rear side of the front cover 27, and is exposed as shown in FIG. 2 by opening the front cover 27. The discharge tray 28 is an example of a medium receiving section that receives the original document that has been read and discharged.

[0033] The upper unit 4 is provided with an operation panel 7 on the top surface thereof, which provides a user interface for performing various read settings and read execution operations and displaying the read setting contents, as shown in Fig. 2. In this embodiment, the operation panel 7 is a so-called touch panel capable of both display and input, and serves both as an operation section for performing various operations and a display section for displaying various information. The operation panel 7 is exposed as shown in Fig. 1 by opening the front cover 27.

[0034] A top cover 10 provided on the lower unit 3 is rotatably provided with respect to the lower unit 3, and can be rotated to assume a closed state as shown in Fig. 1 or an open state as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. An original support tray 11, which is an example of a medium placement section, is provided on the rear side of the top cover 10, and is exposed when the top cover 10 is opened. The original support tray 11 supports the originals in an inclined position before feeding. Reference numeral 11a denotes a placement surface on which the originals are placed.

[0035] A feeding and unfolding section 12 is provided between the top cover 10 and the document support tray 11. As shown in Fig. 4, the feeding and unfolding section 12 includes a first support 12a, a second support 12b, and a third support 12c, which are positioned in this order in the -V direction in the unfolded state. In the stored state, the feeding and unfolding section 12 is stored between the top cover 10 and the document support tray 11 as shown in Fig. 2, and does not protrude from between the top cover 10 and the document support tray 11. When unfolded, the feeding and unfolding section 12 supports documents in an inclined position together with the document support tray 11 before feeding. 2 and 3, reference numeral 6 denotes a feed opening 6 leading to the inside of the device body 2. Original documents placed on the document support tray 11 and the feed / unfold section 12 are fed from the feed opening 6 toward the inside of the device body 2.

[0036] A first edge guide 31 and a second edge guide 32 are provided on the document support tray 11 so as to be displaceable along the X-axis direction. The first edge guide 31 regulates the edge position in the +X direction of the document placed on the document support tray 11 and the feeding and unfolding section 12, and the second edge guide 32 regulates the edge position in the -X direction of the document placed on the document support tray 11 and the feeding and unfolding section 12.

[0037] The first edge guide 31 and the second edge guide 32 are provided so as to be displaced in conjunction with each other by a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown). As a result, for example, when the first edge guide 31 is displaced in the -X direction, the second edge guide 32 is displaced in the +X direction, and when the first edge guide 31 is displaced in the +X direction, the second edge guide 32 is displaced in the -X direction. That is, the first edge guide 31 and the second edge guide 32 are displaced in a direction narrowing the gap between them, or in a direction widening the gap between them. The first edge guide 31 and the second edge guide 32 are displaced so as to maintain positions symmetrical with respect to the center position CL in the X-axis direction of the document support tray 11. That is, in the scanner 1, the reference position for feeding, transporting, and discharging the document in the document width direction is the center position CL.

[0038] In this specification, the direction from the center position CL toward the +X or -X direction in the document width direction is defined as the outward direction, and the direction from a position away from the center position CL toward the center position CL is defined as the inward direction.

[0039] Driven rollers 13b and 13c are provided at a distance in the document feed direction at a center position CL in the width direction of document support tray 11. Driven rollers 13a and 13a are provided at first support 12a at positions symmetrical with respect to center position CL at a distance in the axial direction. The two driven rollers 13a and the driven rollers 13v and 13c reduce friction between the placed document and document support tray 11 and first support 12a.

[0040] Next, the document transport path in the scanner 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The document transport path T is formed between the lower unit 3 and the upper unit 4 and is a substantially linear document transport path. The above-mentioned document support tray 11 is provided at the most upstream of the document transport path T, and downstream of the document support tray 11 are provided a feed roller 14, which is an example of a feeding means for feeding a placed document downstream, and a separation roller 15 for nipping and separating the document between the feed roller 14. Although not shown, two pairs of feed rollers 14 and separation rollers 15 are provided along the width direction, and these two pairs of rollers are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the center position CL.

[0041] The separation roller 15 is pressed toward the feed roller 14 by a spring (not shown). The feed roller 14 comes into contact with the lowermost document among the documents placed on the document support tray 11. Therefore, when a plurality of documents are placed on the document support tray 11, the documents are fed downstream in order starting from the lowermost document.

[0042] The member indicated by the reference symbol 24 is a flap, which prevents the document set on the document support tray 11 from contacting the separation roller 15 in the feeding standby state. The flap 24 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 24a, and before feeding starts, the lower end portion is engaged with the set guide 23, so that rotation in the clockwise direction in Fig. 3 is stopped. Before feeding starts, the set guide 23 supports the document to prevent the document from contacting the feed roller 14. 3 around the rotary shaft 23a by the power of a transport motor (not shown), and the document is brought into contact with the feed roller 14. This enables the flap 24 to rotate, and the leading edge of the document stack placed on the document support tray 11 comes into contact with the separation roller 15.

[0043] A torque in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3, that is, the rotation direction for feeding the document downstream in the feeding direction, is transmitted to the feed roller 14 from a feed motor (not shown) via a one-way clutch 25 . A torque in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3, that is, the rotation direction returning the document upstream in the feeding direction, is transmitted to the separation roller 15 from a separation motor (not shown) via a torque limiter 26 .

[0044] When no document is interposed between the feed roller 14 and the separation roller 15, or when only one document is interposed, the rotational torque with which the feed roller 14 attempts to rotate the separation roller 15 in the forward direction exceeds the upper torque limit value of the torque limiter 26, causing slippage in the torque limiter 26, and the separation roller 15 is driven to rotate in the forward direction. When the second or subsequent document sheets, in addition to the document sheets to be fed, get between the feed roller 14 and the separation roller 15, slippage occurs between the documents, causing the separation roller 15 to rotate in the reverse direction due to the torque it receives from a separation motor (not shown). This causes the second or subsequent document sheets that would otherwise be fed in multiple passes to be returned upstream, thus preventing multiple passes.

[0045] The above-described document support tray 11, first edge guide 31, second edge guide 32, feed roller 14, separation roller 15, and first feed attachment 35 and second feed attachment 36 described below constitute document feeder 9 that feeds documents, which are an example of a medium. From another perspective, document feeder 9 can be considered as a device in which a function related to document reading (reader 20 described below) has been removed from scanner 1. Alternatively, even if the scanner 1 has a function related to document reading (reader 20 described below), from the perspective of document feeding, the scanner 1 itself can be considered as a document feeder.

[0046] Next, a pair of transport rollers 16 is provided downstream of the feed roller 14. The pair of transport rollers 16 includes a transport drive roller 16a that is driven to rotate by a transport motor (not shown), and a transport driven roller 16b that is driven to rotate. A reading unit 20 serving as a reading means for reading an image of a document is provided downstream of the transport roller pair 16. The document is nipped by the transport roller pair 16 and transported toward the reading unit 20.

[0047] The reading unit 20 is provided with an upper sensor unit 20A located above the document transport path T and provided in the upper unit 4, and a lower sensor unit 20B located below the document transport path T and provided in the lower unit 3. The upper sensor unit 20A has a sensor module 21A, and the lower sensor unit 20B has a sensor module 21B. In this embodiment, the sensor modules 21A and 21B are contact image sensor modules (CISM). The upper surface of the document is read by sensor module 21A positioned above document transport path T, and the lower surface of the document is read by sensor module 21B positioned below document transport path T.

[0048] A pair of discharge rollers 17 is provided downstream of the reading unit 20. After an image on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the document is read by the reading unit 20, the document is nipped by the pair of discharge rollers 17 and discharged from the discharge port 18 toward the discharge tray 28. The discharge roller pair 17 includes a discharge drive roller 17a that is driven to rotate by a transport motor (not shown), and a discharge driven roller 17b that is driven to rotate by the drive roller 17a.

[0049] Next, a description will be given of the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36. In Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36 are members that support the widthwise ends of the documents placed on the document support tray 11 from the -W direction, and are an example of a supporting member that supports the documents at a position higher than the document support tray 11 in the +W direction. The first feeding attachment 35 is detachably provided to the first edge guide 31, and the second feeding attachment 36 is detachably provided to the second edge guide 32. That is, the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36 are provided on both sides in the document width direction.

[0050] The first feeding attachment 35 and the second edge guide 32 are formed in a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the center position CL. The first feeding attachment 35 has a first supporting surface 35c that supports an end E1 (see FIG. 6) of the document in the +X direction from the -W direction. The first supporting surface 35c is composed of a downstream supporting surface 35d, which is a portion downstream in the document feeding direction, and an upstream supporting surface 35e, which is a portion upstream in the document feeding direction. The end E1 is a portion that includes the edge of the document in the +X direction and has a predetermined width in the document width direction, and is a portion that is supported by the first supporting surface 35c. In FIG. 6, the two-dot chain line and the symbol P indicate the document to be supported.

[0051] Similarly, the second feeding attachment 36 has a second supporting surface 36c that supports end E2 (see FIG. 6) of the document in the +X direction from the -W direction. The second supporting surface 36c is composed of a downstream supporting surface 36d, which is a portion downstream in the document feeding direction, and an upstream supporting surface 36e, which is a portion upstream in the document feeding direction. End E2 is a portion that includes the edge of the document in the -X direction and has a predetermined width in the document width direction, and is a portion that is supported by the second supporting surface 36c.

[0052] The downstream support surfaces 35d, 36d are formed in the range Va in Fig. 7 in the document feed direction, and the upstream support surfaces 35e, 36e are formed in the range Vb in Fig. 7 in the document feed direction. The downstream support surface 35d and the upstream support surface 35e of the first feed attachment 35 are connected as shown in Fig. 8 to form a single first support surface 35c. The downstream support surface 36d and the upstream support surface 36e of the second feed attachment 36 are connected in the same manner as the first feed attachment 35, although not shown in detail, to form a single second support surface 36c.

[0053] The downstream support surface 35d and the upstream support surface 35e of the first feeding attachment 35 are formed as inclined surfaces that become higher in the +W direction, i.e., the document stacking direction, toward the outside in the width direction as shown in Fig. 6, and the angle indicated by the symbol α1 in Fig. 6 is the inclination angle of the downstream support surface 35d with respect to the placement surface 11a. The inclination angle α1 of the downstream support surface 35d is constant within a range Va in the document feeding direction. On the other hand, the inclination angle of the upstream support surface 35e with respect to the placement surface 11a is formed so as to change in the document feed direction, specifically, the inclination angle with respect to the placement surface 11a increases toward the upstream side in the document feed direction. That is, the height of the upstream support surface 35e from the placement surface 11a in the +W direction is higher on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the document feed direction.

[0054] Similarly, the downstream support surface 36d and the upstream support surface 36e of the second feeding attachment 36 are formed as inclined surfaces that become higher in the +W direction, i.e., the document stacking direction, toward the outside in the width direction as shown in Fig. 6, and the angle indicated by the symbol α2 in Fig. 6 is the inclination angle of the downstream support surface 36d with respect to the placement surface 11a. The inclination angle α2 of the downstream support surface 36d is constant within a range Va in the document feeding direction. The inclination angle α1 of the downstream support surface 35d of the first feeding attachment 35 and the inclination angle α2 of the downstream support surface 36d of the second feeding attachment 36 are set to be the same. On the other hand, the inclination angle of the upstream support surface 36e with respect to the placement surface 11a is formed so as to change in the document feed direction, specifically, the inclination angle with respect to the placement surface 11a increases toward the upstream in the document feed direction. That is, the height of the upstream support surface 36e in the +W direction from the placement surface 11a is higher on the upstream side in the document feed direction than on the downstream side. The inclination angle of the upstream support surface 35e of the first feed attachment 35 and the inclination angle of the upstream support surface 36e of the second feed attachment 36 are set to be the same.

[0055] Next, the first feeding attachment 35 has a first edge regulating surface 35m that regulates the edge position in the +X direction of the document. The first edge regulating surface 35m is composed of a downstream edge regulating surface 35n, which is a portion downstream in the document feeding direction, and an upstream edge regulating surface 35p, which is a portion upstream in the document feeding direction. The second feeding attachment 36 also includes a second edge regulating surface 36m that regulates the edge position of the document in the -X direction. The second edge regulating surface 36m is composed of a downstream edge regulating surface 35n, which is a portion downstream in the document feeding direction, and an upstream edge regulating surface 35p, which is a portion upstream in the document feeding direction.

[0056] The downstream edge restriction surfaces 35n, 36n are formed approximately in the range Va in FIG. 7, and the upstream edge restriction surfaces 35p, 36p are formed approximately in the range Vb in FIG. The downstream edge restraint surface 35n and the upstream edge restraint surface 35p of the first feeding attachment 35 are connected to form a single first edge restraint surface 35m as shown in Fig. 7. The downstream edge restraint surface 36n and the upstream edge restraint surface 36p of the second feeding attachment 36 are similarly connected to form a single second edge restraint surface 36m as shown in Fig. 7.

[0057] The upstream edge regulating surface 35p of the first feeding attachment 35 and the upstream edge regulating surface 36p of the second feeding attachment 36 are shaped to extend upstream in the document feeding direction toward the center position CL in the width direction. As a result, the widthwise distance between the upstream edge regulating surface 35p of the first feeding attachment 35 and the upstream edge regulating surface 36p of the second feeding attachment 36 becomes narrower upstream in the document feeding direction. 7 is the distance between the downstream edge regulating surface 35n of the first feeding attachment 35 and the downstream edge regulating surface 36n of the second feeding attachment 36, and is also the distance between the downstream end of the upstream edge regulating surface 35p of the first feeding attachment 35 and the downstream end of the upstream edge regulating surface 36p of the second feeding attachment 36. And the distance Xb is the distance between the upstream end of the upstream edge regulating surface 35p of the first feeding attachment 35 and the upstream end of the upstream edge regulating surface 36p of the second feeding attachment 36. As shown in the figure, the distance Xa is narrower than the distance Xb.

[0058] The shape of the first feeding attachment 35 will be further described below with reference to Figures 8 to 10. The shape of the second feeding attachment 36 is basically the same as that of the first feeding attachment 35 except that it is symmetrical in the document width direction, so a detailed description of the shape of the second feeding attachment 36 will be omitted below. The first feeding attachment 35 has a first holding portion 35f and a second holding portion 35g on the +X direction, i.e., outer side surface. The first holding portion 35f is shaped to cover the first edge guide 31 from the +W direction when attached to the first edge guide 31 as shown in Fig. 11. The second holding portion 35g is shaped to cover the -V direction end of the first edge guide 31 from the -V direction when attached to the first edge guide 31.

[0059] The first feeding attachment 35 also has a third holding portion 35h at its end in the +V direction that protrudes outward. The third holding portion 35h is shaped to hook onto the end of the first edge guide 31 in the +V direction when attached to the first edge guide 31. The first holding portion 35f and the second holding portion 35g determine the position of the first feeding attachment 35 in the document width direction relative to the first edge guide 31. The second holding portion 35g and the third holding portion 35h also determine the position of the first feeding attachment 35 in the document feeding direction relative to the first edge guide 31.

[0060] The first feeding attachment 35 has a hook portion 35j extending in the document width direction on its bottom surface in the -W direction. Meanwhile, a groove portion 11b (see FIG. 5) is formed in the document support tray 11 along the document width direction, and when the first feeding attachment 35 is attached to the first edge guide 31, the hook portion 35j enters the groove portion 11b as shown in FIG. 12, and the hook portion 35j is caught on the surface of the document support tray 11 in the -W direction. This determines the position of the first feeding attachment 35 in the W axis direction relative to the first edge guide 31.

[0061] As described above, the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36 support the widthwise ends of the document placed on the document support tray 11 from the -W direction as shown in Fig. 6, so that the document forms a curled shape that is convex toward the document support tray 11 along the width direction as shown in Fig. 6. This increases the rigidity along the document feed direction, and effectively prevents buckling of the set document along the document feed direction. This therefore prevents feeding failures.

[0062] Furthermore, since the feeding attachments are provided on both sides in the document width direction, the document is curled equally on both sides in the document width direction, and skew when feeding the document can be suppressed. Even if only one of the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36 is provided, it is possible to form a curled shape in the document and increase the rigidity along the document feeding direction.

[0063] In addition, the first support surface 35c of the first feeding attachment 35 and the second support surface 36c of the second feeding attachment both become higher in the +W direction, i.e., the document stacking direction, toward the outside in the document width direction, so that a natural curl shape is formed in the document and the adverse effect of the curl shape on the feeding of the document can be suppressed.

[0064] In addition, the height of the upstream support surface 35e of the first feeding attachment 35 and the upstream support surface 36e of the second feeding attachment 36 in the +W direction, i.e., the document stacking direction, from the loading surface 11a is higher on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the document feeding direction, so that positional deviation in the +W direction relative to the feeding roller 14 can be suppressed to achieve proper feeding while properly forming a curled shape in the document.

[0065] 13, when viewed from the document width direction, a straight line L1 that is parallel to the placement surface 11a and passes through a position N1 that is the nip position between the feed roller 14 and the separation roller 15 intersects with the downstream support surface 35d. The upstream support surface 35e is located higher in the +W direction than the straight line L1. With this configuration, it is possible to appropriately form a curled shape on the document while suppressing misalignment of the document in the +W direction with respect to position N1.

[0066] Furthermore, when the height of the upstream support surface 35e of the first feeding attachment 35 and the upstream support surface 36e of the second feeding attachment 36 in the +W direction, i.e., the document stacking direction, becomes higher on the upstream side than on the downstream side in the document feeding direction, the curl shape becomes sharper on the upstream side than on the downstream side. As a result, the widthwise edge position of the document moves toward the widthwise center position CL toward the upstream side in the document feeding direction. In this embodiment, the upstream edge regulation surfaces 35p, 36p are shaped to conform to the widthwise edge of the document as described above, so that the widthwise edge of the document can be appropriately regulated.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first feeding attachment 35 is detachably attached to the first edge guide 31, and the second feeding attachment 36 is detachably attached to the second edge guide 32, so that each feeding attachment can support the widthwise end of the document at an appropriate position according to the widthwise size of the document. In addition, by removing the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36, the top cover 10 can be placed in a properly closed state as shown in FIG.

[0068] The first feeding attachment 35 is formed with a shaft support portion 35k as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, and the second feeding attachment 36 is also formed with a shaft support portion 36k as shown in Fig. 7. The shaft support portions 35k and 36k can be provided with a pressing portion 37 as shown in Fig. 14. The pressing portion 37 in Fig. 14 is formed by bending a metal wire-like member, and can rotate within the VW plane by being supported by the shaft support portions 35k and 36k. By rotating, the pressing portion 37 can be switched between a pressing state in which the pressing portion presses the set document toward the document support tray 11 by its own weight as shown in Fig. 14, and a separating state (not shown) in which the pressing portion is separated from the set document. The pressing portion 37 presses the document toward the document support tray 11 at a position closer to the center of the document in the document width direction than the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36, so that a curled shape can be more reliably formed on the document. In this embodiment, the pressing portion 37 is provided rotatably with respect to the first feeding attachment 35 and the second feeding attachment 36, but it may be provided rotatably with respect to the first edge guide 31 and the second edge guide 32, or with respect to the device main body 2. In addition, it is preferable that the pressing portion 37 has a shape that fits along the top surface of the device main body 2 so that the top cover 10 and the front cover 27 (see FIG. 1) can be appropriately closed when the pressing portion 37 is in a separated state away from the set document.

[0069] Next, the first discharge attachment 43 and the second discharge attachment 44 provided on the discharge tray 28 and the discharge development section 29 will be described with reference to FIG. 15 and subsequent figures. As shown in FIG. 15, the discharge development section 29 is provided between the front cover 27 and the discharge tray 28. The discharge development section 29 has a first development section 29a, a second development section 29b, a third development section 29c, and a fourth development section 29d, which are located in this order in the +Y direction in the developed state. In the stored state, the discharge development section 29 is stored between the front cover 27 and the discharge tray 28 as shown in FIG. 2, and does not protrude from between the front cover 27 and the discharge tray 28. When the discharge development section 29 is deployed, it supports the discharged documents together with the discharge tray 28.

[0070] 16, the discharge tray 28 and the discharge deployment section 29 are provided with a first discharge attachment 43 and a second discharge attachment 44. The first discharge attachment 43 and the second discharge attachment 44 are members that receive the ends of the discharged original document in the width direction, and are examples of receiving members that receive the original document at a position higher than the discharge tray 28 in the +Z direction, i.e., in the stacking direction of the original documents on the discharge tray 28.

[0071] The first discharge attachment 43 has a receiving surface 43a that becomes higher in the +Z direction toward the outside in the width direction as shown in Fig. 17. The angle indicated by the symbol β1 in Fig. 17 is the inclination angle of the receiving surface 43a with respect to the upper surface of the discharge tray 28. The inclination angle β1 of the receiving surface 43a is constant in the document discharge direction. Similarly, the second discharge attachment 44 has a receiving surface 44a that becomes higher in the +Z direction toward the outside in the width direction as shown in Fig. 17. The angle indicated by the symbol β2 in Fig. 17 is the inclination angle of the receiving surface 44a with respect to the upper surface of the discharge tray 28. The inclination angle β2 of the receiving surface 44a is constant in the document discharge direction. The inclination angle β2 is also set to be the same as the inclination angle β1.

[0072] 18 shows the attachment structure of the second discharge attachment 44 to the discharge tray 28 and the discharge deployment portion 29. A first protruding portion 44b protruding in the -Y direction is formed on the -Z direction underside of the second discharge attachment 44. The +Y direction end portion 28a of the discharge tray 28 is formed to face slightly diagonally upward toward the +Y direction, which allows the first protruding portion 44b to fit under the end portion 28a.

[0073] Further, a second protruding portion 44c protruding in the -Z direction is formed on the lower surface of the second discharge attachment 44 in the -Z direction. A recess 29g is formed in the first development portion 29a constituting the discharge development portion 29, and the second protruding portion 44c can enter into this recess 29g. The second protruding portion 44c abuts against a wall portion 29e in the +Y direction of the recess 29g. In this manner, the second discharge attachment 44 is attached to the discharge tray 28 and the first development portion 29a. The attachment structure of the first discharge attachment 43 to the discharge tray 28 and the discharge development portion 29 is also the same, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted below.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 17, the receiving surface 43a of the first discharge attachment 43 supports the +X direction end E1 of the document from the -Z direction, and the receiving surface 44a of the second discharge attachment 44 supports the -X direction end E2 of the document from the -Z direction. As a result, the document placed on the discharge tray 28 is formed with a curled shape that is convex along the width direction toward the discharge tray 28. In Fig. 17, the symbol P indicates the document placed on the discharge tray 28. Since the above-mentioned curled shape is formed not only during feeding but also after discharge, the rigidity of the document in the discharge direction after discharge is increased, and the alignment of the document on the discharge tray 28 can be improved.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, the discharge attachments are provided on both sides of the document width direction, so that the document is curled equally on both sides along the document width direction, and skewing of the document when discharged can be suppressed. However, even if only one of the first discharge attachment 43 and the second discharge attachment 44 is provided, the document can be curled along the document width direction, and the rigidity along the document discharge direction can be increased. In addition, since the first discharge attachment 43 and the second discharge attachment 44 are detachable, by removing them, the front cover 27 can be properly closed as shown in FIG.

[0076] In addition, since the receiving surfaces 43a, 44a become higher in the +Z direction toward the outside in the document width direction, a natural curl shape is formed in the document, thereby enabling even better alignment of the document on the discharge tray 28.

[0077] Next, the pressing section that presses the document toward the discharge tray 28 will be described. As shown in Fig. 16, a mounting section 40 is detachably provided on the upper part of the discharge opening 18. An intermediate section 39 is provided on the mounting section 40 so as to be rotatable in the YZ plane, and a pressing section 38 is further provided so as to be rotatable in the YZ plane relative to the intermediate section 39. The pressing section 38 is a member that extends in the document discharge direction. The pressing section 38 rests on the document discharged onto the discharge tray 28, and the pressing section 38 presses the document discharged onto the discharge tray 28 toward the discharge tray 28 by its own weight. The pressing section 38 presses the document toward the discharge tray 28 at a position closer to the center position of the document relative to the first discharge attachment 43 and the second discharge attachment 44, more specifically, presses the document toward the discharge tray 28 at the center position CL in the width direction. Such a pressing section 38 makes it possible to more reliably form a curled shape in the document.

[0078] The pressing portion that presses the document toward the discharge tray 28 can also be configured as shown in Figures 19 and 20. In Figures 19 and 20, reference numeral 47 denotes a first pressing portion provided on the first discharge attachment 45, and reference numeral 48 denotes a second pressing portion provided on the second discharge attachment 46. The first discharge attachment 45 has a basic configuration similar to that of the above-described first discharge attachment 43, except for the inclusion of the first pressing portion 47. Similarly, the second discharge attachment 46 has a basic configuration similar to that of the above-described second discharge attachment 44, except for the inclusion of the second pressing portion 48.

[0079] The first pressing portion 47 is provided so as to be rotatable in the XZ plane relative to the first discharge attachment 45, and the second pressing portion 48 is provided so as to be rotatable in the XZ plane relative to the second discharge attachment 46. The first pressing portion 47 and the second pressing portion 48 ride on the discharged document as shown in Fig. 20, and press the document discharged to the discharge tray 28 by its own weight toward the discharge tray 28. In Fig. 20, the symbol P indicates a document placed on the discharge tray 28.

[0080] In this embodiment, one each of the first pressing portion 47 and the second pressing portion 48 is provided in the document discharge direction, but a plurality of them may be provided along the document discharge direction as shown in Fig. 21. In Fig. 21, reference numeral 53 denotes a first upstream pressing portion provided in the first discharge attachment 51, and reference numeral 54 denotes a first downstream pressing portion provided in the first discharge attachment 51 downstream in the document discharge direction from the first upstream pressing portion 53. Reference numeral 55 denotes a second upstream pressing portion provided in the second discharge attachment 52, and reference numeral 56 denotes a second downstream pressing portion provided in the second discharge attachment 52 downstream in the document discharge direction from the second upstream pressing portion 55. The first discharge attachment 51 has a basic configuration similar to that of the first discharge attachment 43 described above, except that it has two pressing parts. Similarly, the second discharge attachment 52 has a basic configuration similar to that of the second discharge attachment 44 described above, except that it has two pressing parts.

[0081] It is also preferable to configure the receiving surface of the discharge attachment that receives the document so that the height in the +Z direction is higher on the downstream side than on the upstream side in the document discharge direction. The receiving surface 43b of the first discharge attachment 43A shown in Fig. 22 has a height in the +Z direction that is higher on the downstream side than on the upstream side. This makes it possible to appropriately form a curled shape on the document while ensuring the document stacking capacity by suppressing curling in the vicinity of the discharge port 18 through which the document is discharged.

[0082] The document feeder 9, ie, the medium feeder, described above is applied to the scanner 1 in the above embodiment, but may also be applied to a recording device having a recording head that records on a medium. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1...scanner, 2...device main body, 3...lower unit, 4...upper unit, 4a...frame, 5...support stand, 5a...arm section, 5b...rotating shaft, 6...feed port, 7...operation panel, 9...document feeder, 10...top cover, 11...document support tray, 11a...placement surface, 11b...groove section, 12...feed development section, 12a...first support, 12b...second support, 12c...third support, 13a, 13b, 13c...driven roller, 14...feed roller, 15...separation roller, 16...pair of transport rollers, 16a...transport drive roller, 16b...transport driven roller, 16c...drive roller roller shaft, 17...pair of discharge rollers, 17a...discharge drive roller, 17b...discharge driven roller, 17c...drive roller shaft, 18...discharge port, 20...reading unit, 20A...upper sensor unit, 20B...lower sensor unit, 21A, 21B...sensor module, 23...set guide, 23a...rotation shaft, 24...flap, 24a...rotation shaft, 25...one-way clutch, 26...torque limiter, 27...front cover, 27a...rotation shaft, 28...discharge tray, 29...discharge deployment section, 29a...first deployment section, 29b...second deployment section, 29c...third deployment section, 29d...fourth deployment section Opening, 29e...wall, 29g...recess, 31...first edge guide, 32...second edge guide, 35...first feeding attachment, 35c...first support surface, 35d...downstream support surface, 35e...upstream support surface, 35f...first holding portion, 35g...second holding portion, 35h...third holding portion, 35j...hook portion, 35k...shaft support portion, 35m...first edge regulation surface, 35n...downstream edge regulation surface, 35p...upstream edge regulation surface, 36...second feeding attachment, 36c...second support surface, 36d...downstream support surface, 36e...upstream support surface, 36f...shaft support portion, 36m...second edge regulation surface, 36n...downstream Edge regulation surface, 36p...upstream edge regulation surface, 37...holding portion, 38...pressing portion, 39...middle portion, 40...mounting portion, 43, 43A...first discharge attachment, 43a...receiving surface, 44...second discharge attachment, 44a...receiving surface, 44b...first protruding portion, 44c...second protruding portion, 45...first discharge attachment, 46...second discharge attachment, 47...first pressing portion, 48...second pressing portion, 51...first discharge attachment, 52...second discharge attachment, 53...first upstream pressing portion, 54...first downstream pressing portion, 55...second upstream pressing portion, 56...second downstream pressing portion, P...original

Claims

1. a medium placement section for placing the medium before feeding; A feeding roller constituting a feeding means for feeding the medium placed on the medium placement section; a separation roller that nips and separates the medium between the feeding roller and the separation roller; a mounting surface on which the medium is placed in the medium mounting portion, a support member that supports an end portion of the medium placed on the medium placement section in a width direction that is a direction intersecting a feeding direction, the support member supporting the medium at a position higher in the medium stacking direction than the medium placement section; Equipped with a support surface of the support member that supports the medium becomes higher in a stacking direction of the medium toward the outside in the width direction, a height of the support surface from the medium placement unit in the stacking direction is higher on an upstream side than on a downstream side in the feeding direction; When viewed from the width direction, a straight line that is parallel to the placement surface and passes through a nip position between the feeding roller and the separation roller intersects with a portion of the support surface on the downstream side in the feeding direction, and a portion of the support surface on the upstream side in the feeding direction is located higher in the stacking direction than the straight line. A medium feeding device comprising:

2. 2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes an edge restriction surface that restricts an edge position of the medium in the width direction, The edge regulation surface has a shape extending toward the center in the width direction toward the upstream side in the feeding direction. A medium feeding device comprising:

3. a medium placement section for placing the medium before feeding; a feeding means for feeding the medium placed on the medium placement section; a support member that supports an end portion of the medium placed on the medium placement section in a width direction that is a direction intersecting a feeding direction, the support member supporting the medium at a position higher in the medium stacking direction than the medium placement section; Equipped with an edge guide that regulates an edge position in the width direction of the medium is provided so as to be movable in the width direction; The support member is detachably provided to the edge guide. A medium feeding device comprising:

4. a medium placement section having a placement surface on which the medium is placed before being fed; a feeding means for feeding the medium placed on the medium placement section; a support member for supporting an end portion of the medium placed on the medium placement section in a width direction that intersects with a feeding direction, the support member supporting the medium at a position higher in the medium stacking direction than the placement surface; Equipped with The support member is a support surface for supporting the medium; an edge regulation surface that intersects with the support surface and regulates an edge position of the medium in the width direction; Equipped with the support surface and the edge regulation surface are displaced in the width direction by displacement of the support member along the width direction, The support surface is a downstream support surface; and an upstream support surface located upstream of the downstream support surface in the feeding direction; having A direction from a center position of the medium placement portion in the width direction toward an edge of the medium is defined as an outward direction, the upstream support surface and the downstream support surface have an inclination angle with respect to the placement surface such that their heights in the loading direction from the placement surface increase toward the outward direction, the inclination angle of the downstream support surface is constant along the feeding direction; the inclination angle of the upstream support surface changes to be higher toward the upstream in the feeding direction; A medium feeding device comprising:

5. 5. The medium feeding device according to claim 4, The edge control surface is a downstream edge restraining surface; an upstream edge regulation surface located upstream of the downstream edge regulation surface in the feeding direction; having The downstream support surface and the downstream edge regulation surface are formed in a first range in the feeding direction, the upstream support surface and the upstream edge regulation surface are formed in a second range in the feeding direction; A medium feeding device comprising:

6. 6. The medium feeding device according to claim 5, the upstream edge regulation surface has a shape extending toward the center position upstream in the feeding direction; A medium feeding device comprising:

7. 7. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the support members are provided on both sides in the width direction. A medium feeding device comprising:

8. 8. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing portion that presses the medium toward the medium placement portion at a position closer to a center position of the medium than the support member in the width direction. A medium feeding device comprising:

9. A reading means for reading a surface of the medium; The medium feeding device according to claim 1 , which feeds the medium toward the reading means; and An image reading device comprising:

10. 10. The image reading device according to claim 9, further comprising: a medium receiving section for receiving the medium that has been read by the reading means and discharged; a receiving member that receives an end portion in the width direction of the medium discharged to the medium receiving section, the receiving member receiving the medium at a position higher than the medium receiving section in a stacking direction of the medium in the medium receiving section; An image reading device comprising:

11. 11. The image reading device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving members are provided on both sides in the width direction.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

12. 12. The image reading device according to claim 10, wherein a receiving surface of the receiving member that receives the medium becomes higher in the stacking direction toward an outer side in the width direction.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

13. 13. The image reading device according to claim 12, wherein a height of the receiving surface in the stacking direction is higher on a downstream side than on an upstream side in a direction in which the media are discharged.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

14. 14. The image reading device according to claim 10, further comprising a pressing section that presses the medium toward the medium receiving section at a position closer to a center position of the medium than the receiving member in the width direction.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

Images