Image reading device

Abstract

To improve a setting property of a medium.SOLUTION: An image reader 1 includes: a medium placement part 4 which can displace between an opening position and an accommodation position, and on which a medium inserted from an insertion port 32 when it is in the opening position is placed on a placement surface 41; a feeding part 5 of the medium; a reading part 2 for reading an image of the medium fed by the feeding part 5; and a guide member 6 for bringing the medium into contact with a contact surface 61 and guiding it. The guide member 6 can displace between a first position in which the contact surface 61 forms a first inclined angle Θ1 with respect to the placement surface 41 when viewed from a width direction, and a second position in which the contact surface 61 forms a second inclined angle Θ2 with respect to the placement surface 41 when viewed from the width direction, and it moves from the first position to the second position as the medium placement part 4 moves from the opening position to the accommodation position, and moves from the second position to the first position as the medium placement part 4 moves from the accommodation position to the opening position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] Various image reading apparatuses have been conventionally used. Among these, there is an image reading apparatus including: a medium placing portion configured to place a medium inserted from an insertion port; a feeding portion configured to feed the medium; and a reading portion configured to read an image of the medium. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a scanner including: a tray configured to place a sheet inserted from an insertion port; a conveyance roller configured to feed the sheet; and an information reading portion configured to read an image of the sheet. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-246099 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, in a conventional image reading apparatus including a medium placing portion, a feeding portion, and a reading portion, such as the scanner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the space extending from the insertion port to the inside of the apparatus is excessively large, which may result in poor setting performance when inserting a medium through the insertion port in some cases. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an image reading device comprising: a medium insertion port; a medium placement unit that is displaceable between an open position in which the insertion port is open and a storage position in which the insertion port is closed by storing at least a portion of the medium in the insertion port, and which places the medium inserted from the insertion port on a placement surface when in the open position; a feeding unit that feeds the medium placed on the placement surface in the feeding direction; a reading unit that reads the image of the medium fed by the feeding unit; and a guide member provided at a position opposite to the placement surface that guides the medium into contact with a contact surface. The guide member is displaceable between a first position in which the contact surface forms a first inclination angle that narrows as it moves in the feeding direction when viewed from the width direction intersecting the feeding direction, and a second position in which the contact surface forms a second inclination angle that is greater than the first inclination angle when viewed from the width direction, and moves from the first position to the second position as the media mounting portion moves from the opening position to the storage position, and moves from the second position to the first position as the media mounting portion moves from the storage position to the opening position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the external appearance of an image reading device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the diagram showing the media placement section in the storage position. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the image reading device, with the media placement section in the open position. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the media placement section of the image reading device, with the placement support section retracted. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the media placement section of the image reading device, with the placement support section extended. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the image reading device, with the media placement section in the storage position. [Figure 6]Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the image reading device, with the media placement section in the open position. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the area around the guide member of the image reading device, representing the state in which the media placement section is in the storage position. [Figure 8] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the area around the guide member of the image reading device in Figure 1, with the media mounting section removed. [Figure 9] A perspective view showing the area around the contact portion of the guide member of the image reading device in Figure 1. [Figure 10] A perspective view showing the area around the contact point of the media placement section of the image reading device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 11] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the media placement section of the image reading device, representing the state in which the second unit is opened relative to the first unit. [Figure 12] This figure shows the state in which the opening / closing member is opened relative to the second unit, as in the state shown in Figure 11. [Figure 13] A perspective view showing the guide member of the image reading device in Figure 1 with the first elastic member attached. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view showing the state after removing the first elastic member from the state shown in Figure 13. [Figure 15] A perspective view showing the guide member of the image reading device in Figure 1 with the second elastic member attached. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view showing the state after removing the second elastic member from the state shown in Figure 15. [Figure 17] A side cross-sectional view showing the area around a guide member at the opening position of an image reading device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, the diagram showing the state in which the guide member is in the position at which the medium is set within the opening position. [Figure 18] Figure 17 is a side cross-sectional view showing the area around the guide member at the opening of the image reading device, and the view shows the guide member in the position at the opening during media feeding. [Figure 19] A side cross-sectional view showing the area around the guide member of an image reading device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, the diagram showing the guide member in the open position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The present invention will be described in general terms below. An image reading device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a medium insertion opening; a medium placement section that is displaceable between an open position in which the insertion opening is open and a storage position in which at least a portion of the medium is stored in the insertion opening, and which places the medium inserted from the insertion opening onto a placement surface when in the open position; a feeding section that feeds the medium placed on the placement surface in the feeding direction; a reading section that reads an image of the medium fed by the feeding section; and a guide member provided at a position opposite to the placement surface, which guides the medium into contact with a contact surface. The guide member is displaceable between a first position in which the contact surface forms a first inclination angle such that it narrows as it advances in the feeding direction when viewed from the width direction intersecting the feeding direction, and a second position in which the contact surface forms a second inclination angle greater than the first inclination angle when viewed from the width direction, and moves from the first position to the second position as the media mounting portion moves from the opening position to the storage position, and moves from the second position to the first position as the media mounting portion moves from the storage position to the opening position.

[0008] According to this aspect, there is provided a guide member provided at a position facing the placement surface that guides a medium by bringing the medium into contact with a contact surface thereof. Therefore, it is possible to improve the setting performance when inserting a medium from an insertion port. Further, the guide member is displaceable between a first position where the contact surface forms a first inclination angle such that when viewed from the width direction, the contact surface forms an acute angle that narrows as it advances in the feeding direction with respect to the placement surface, and a second position where the contact surface forms a second inclination angle that is larger than the first inclination angle with respect to the placement surface when viewed from the width direction. The guide member moves from the first position to the second position as the medium placement section moves from an open position to a storage position, and moves from the second position to the first position as the medium placement section moves from the storage position to the open position. That is, the guide member is arranged at the first position, which can improve the setting performance when inserting a medium from the insertion port, as the medium placement section is moved from the storage position to the open position when setting the medium. In this way, by displacing the guide member in conjunction with the displacement of the medium placement section, the burden on the user can be reduced, and the medium setting performance can be particularly improved.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first aspect, at least a part of the contact surface of the guide member is located upstream of the feeding section in the feeding direction at the first position, and is located downstream of the medium placement section in the feeding direction at the second position, and when the guide member is at the first position, at least portions thereof overlap with the medium placement section when the medium placement section is assumed to be at the storage position when viewed from the width direction.

[0010] According to this aspect, when the guide member is at the first position, at least portions thereof overlap with the medium placement section when the medium placement section is assumed to be at the storage position when viewed from the width direction. Therefore, the guide member and the medium placement section can be arranged close to each other, and an increase in size of the apparatus can be suppressed.

[0011] Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the image reading apparatus includes a main body portion provided with a rotation shaft, the guide member is displaceable between the first position and the second position by rotating about the rotation shaft, and the image reading apparatus further comprises an elastic member that applies a force to the guide member.

[0012] According to this aspect, the guide member is displaceable between the first position and the second position by rotating about the rotation shaft. By adopting such a configuration in which the guide member is displaced by rotating, the space inside the apparatus in a direction intersecting the rotation shaft can be effectively utilized, and an increase in size of the apparatus can be effectively suppressed.

[0013] Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the third aspect, the elastic member applies a force to the guide member such that the guide member moves from the second position to the first position as the medium placement portion moves from the storage position to the opening position, whereby the guide member moves from the second position to the first position.

[0014] According to this aspect, the guide member moves from the second position to the first position by the elastic member applying a force to the guide member such that the guide member moves from the second position to the first position as the medium placement portion moves from the storage position to the opening position. Since the elastic member applies a force to the guide member to move the guide member in conjunction with the movement of the medium placement portion, the guide member can be suitably moved by the elastic member in linkage with the movement of the medium placement portion.

[0015] Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the third aspect, the guide member has a rail portion extending in an extending direction along the contact surface, the rail portion is movable along the rail relative to the main body portion by engaging with the rotation shaft, the rotation shaft engages with one end of the rail portion in the extending direction when the guide member is at the first position, and the rotation shaft engages with the other end of the rail portion in the extending direction when the guide member is at the second position.

[0016] According to this embodiment, the guide member has a rail portion that extends in an extension direction along the contact surface, and the rail portion is movable along the rail portion relative to the main body by engaging with the rotation shaft, and when the guide member is in the first position, it engages with the rotation shaft at one end of the rail portion in the extension direction, and when the guide member is in the second position, it engages with the rotation shaft at the other end of the rail portion in the extension direction. With this configuration, the guide member can be moved significantly in conjunction with the movement of the media placement section, and the size of the device can be effectively suppressed. In addition, since the contact surface can be widened, the ease of setting the media can be particularly improved.

[0017] Furthermore, a sixth aspect of the present invention is an image reading device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that the guide member moves from the first position to the second position as the media mounting portion moves from the opening position to the storage position, by a contact portion provided on the media mounting portion coming into contact with a contacted portion provided on the guide member.

[0018] According to this embodiment, as the media placement section moves from the opening position to the storage position, the guide member moves from the first position to the second position as the contact portion provided on the media placement section comes into contact with the contact portion provided on the guide member. With this configuration, a system can be easily created in which the movement of the guide member is linked to the movement of the media placement section.

[0019] Furthermore, a seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the image reading device of the first or second aspect, an opening / closing member is provided that can be opened when attaching or detaching the feeding unit, and the guide member is attached to the opening / closing member in such a manner that when the guide member is in the first position, the contact surface is located upstream of the opening / closing member in the feeding direction.

[0020] According to this embodiment, the feeding unit is equipped with an opening / closing member that can be opened when attaching or detaching the feeding unit, and the guide member is attached to the opening / closing member in such a configuration that the contact surface of the guide member is located upstream of the opening / closing member in the feeding direction when the guide member is in the first position. Therefore, the guide member can guide the medium upstream of the opening / closing member in the feeding direction, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the guidance accuracy of the guide member due to the opening / closing member.

[0021] Furthermore, an eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the image reading device of the seventh aspect, the guide member is positioned between the medium placement section and the opening / closing member in the feeding direction when the guide member is in the second position.

[0022] According to this embodiment, the guide member is positioned between the media placement section and the opening / closing member in the feeding direction when the guide member is in the second position. Therefore, the guide member can be positioned using the space between the media placement section and the opening / closing member, effectively suppressing an increase in the size of the device.

[0023] Furthermore, a ninth aspect of the present invention is an image reading device according to the seventh aspect, comprising a main body having a first unit and a second unit having an opening / closing member that can be opened and closed relative to the first unit, wherein the guide member has a handle portion, and when force is applied to the handle portion in the direction opposite to the direction in which the second unit is opened relative to the first unit, the opening / closing member opens relative to the second unit.

[0024] According to this embodiment, the guide member has a handle portion, and when the second unit is opened relative to the first unit, and force is applied to the handle portion relative to the second unit in the opposite direction to the direction in which the second unit is opened relative to the first unit, the opening / closing member opens relative to the second unit. With this configuration, the user can easily open the opening / closing member by placing their hand on the handle portion, and the load when attaching and detaching the feeding unit can be reduced.

[0025] Furthermore, a tenth aspect of the present invention is an image reading device according to the seventh aspect, comprising an elastic member for applying force to the guide member, wherein the elastic member comprises a first elastic member and a second elastic member, the first elastic member being attached to a first mounting portion provided on the opening / closing member and a second mounting portion provided on the guide member, the second elastic member being attached to a third mounting portion provided on the opening / closing member and a fourth mounting portion provided on the guide member, and at least a part of the feeding portion being positioned between the first elastic member and the second elastic member in the width direction.

[0026] According to this embodiment, the elastic members include a first elastic member and a second elastic member. The first elastic member is attached to a first mounting portion provided on the opening / closing member and a second mounting portion provided on the guide member. The second elastic member is attached to a third mounting portion provided on the opening / closing member and a fourth mounting portion provided on the guide member. At least a portion of the feeding section is positioned between the first elastic member and the second elastic member in the width direction. This configuration allows elastic members to be placed on both sides of the feeding section in the width direction, improving the balance of forces acting on the opening / closing member and the guide member via the elastic members.

[0027] Furthermore, an eleventh aspect of the present invention is an image reading device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the feeding unit comprises a feeding roller and a separation unit provided at a position opposite to the feeding roller, which can separate one sheet of the medium by nipping it together with the feeding roller when a plurality of sheets of the medium are placed on the medium placement unit, and the guide member is located upstream in the feeding direction from the nipping position between the feeding roller and the separation unit.

[0028] According to this embodiment, the feeding section has a feeding roller and a separation section, and the guide member is located upstream in the feeding direction from the nip position between the feeding roller and the separation section. With this configuration, the guide member can suitably guide the medium to the nip position, and the setting of the medium can be particularly improved.

[0029] Furthermore, a twelfth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the image reading device of the eleventh aspect, the guide member has a first arm portion and a second arm portion having the contact surface, and the feeding roller is positioned between the first arm portion and the second arm portion in the width direction.

[0030] According to this embodiment, the feeding roller is positioned between the first arm and the second arm in the width direction. This configuration allows for a wider contact surface between the first and second arms without increasing the size of the device, thereby particularly improving the ability to set the media.

[0031] Furthermore, a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 11th image reading device, when the media mounting section is in the storage position, the media mounting section overlaps with at least a portion of the feeding roller and at least a portion of the separation section in the vertical direction when viewed from the width direction.

[0032] According to this embodiment, when the media mounting section is in the storage position, when viewed from the width direction, at least a portion of the feed roller and at least a portion of the separation section overlap with the vertical direction. Therefore, the media mounting section can be brought close to the feed roller and separation section, and an increase in the size of the device can be suppressed.

[0033] Furthermore, a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to thirteen image reading devices, the media placement section has a placement auxiliary section that can accommodate and extend the media placement section when it is in the opening position.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the media mounting section has a mounting auxiliary section that can accommodate and extend the media mounting section when it is in an open position. Therefore, it is possible to use larger media while suppressing an increase in the size of the device.

[0035] The present invention will be described in detail below. In the following, as an example of an image reading device, we will give a scanner 1 that can read at least one side of a document, either the first side or the opposite second side. Scanner 1 is a so-called sheet-feed type scanner that reads an image of a document while moving the document, which is an example of a medium, to the reading unit 2 described later. In this specification, the term "document" includes not only sheet-type documents but also card-type documents and booklet-type documents.

[0036] In each figure, the XYZ coordinate system is such that the X-axis direction is the width direction, the Y-axis direction is the front-to-back direction, and the Z-axis direction is the direction along the vertical. In this embodiment, the +Y direction is the direction from the back of the device toward the front, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front of the device toward the back. Also, when viewed from the front of the device, the left direction is the +X direction and the right direction is the -X direction. Furthermore, below, the direction in which the document is transported may be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream."

[0037] [Example 1] First, the scanner 1 of Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 16. The scanner 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a media feeding device. In this embodiment, the media feeding device is configured by removing the reading unit 2 from the scanner 1. However, from the standpoint of feeding the document, the entire scanner 1, including the reading unit 2, may be considered as the media feeding device.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6, the scanner 1 of this embodiment includes a main body 3. The main body 3 includes a first unit 3A and a second unit 3B. The second unit 3B can be opened and closed by rotating it relative to the first unit 3A on a rotation axis (not shown). Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6 show the second unit 3B in a closed state relative to the first unit 3A, while Figures 11 and 12 show the second unit 3B in an open state relative to the first unit 3A. Normally, the second unit 3B is kept closed relative to the first unit 3A, but during maintenance, etc., the second unit 3B is opened relative to the first unit 3A.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the scanner 1 of this embodiment has a media placement section 4 attached to the main body 3. As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the main body 3 is provided with an insertion slot 32 for documents, and the media placement section 4 is displaceable between an open position, where the insertion slot 32 of the main body 3 is open, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, and a stored position, where the insertion slot 32 is closed, as shown in Figures 1 and 5. The media placement section 4 is configured to place media inserted through the insertion slot 32 on its placement surface 41 when it is in the open position.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2, 4, and 6, the media mounting section 4 has a mounting support section 42. Here, the mounting support section 42 is configured to be able to be stored and extended when the media mounting section 4 is in the open position. Figures 3 and 5 show the state in which the mounting support section 42 is stored in the storage section 43, while Figures 2, 4, and 6 show the state in which the mounting support section 42 is exposed from the storage section 43 and the extension section 42B is extended from the base section 42A. Small documents can be stably placed on the media mounting section 4 even without extending the extension section 42B from the base section 42A, but when using large documents, the documents can be stably placed on the media mounting section 4 by extending the extension section 42B from the base section 42A. The mounting surface 41 of the media mounting section 4 has both the surface 41A of the storage section 43 and the surface 41B of the mounting support section 42.

[0041] When the media placement section 4 is in the storage position, it can reduce the overall size of the scanner 1 and prevent foreign objects from entering through the insertion opening 32. When the media placement section 4 is in the open position, it can place the media inserted through the insertion opening 32 on the placement surface 41 and start scanning the image of the original document. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the scanner 1 is equipped with a feeding roller 51 inside, which serves as a feeding section 5 for feeding the original document placed on the placement surface 41 in the feeding direction A. Opposite the feeding roller 51, there is a separation roller 52 which, together with the feeding roller 51, constitutes the feeding section 5 and can separate one original document at a time by nipping it together with the feeding roller 51 when multiple original documents are placed on the media placement section 4.

[0042] Furthermore, a guide member 6 is provided upstream in the feeding direction A from the nip position between the feeding roller 51 and the separation roller 52, and facing the mounting surface 41, to guide the document when setting it in the media mounting section 4. Details of the guide member 6 will be described later. Here, the mounting surface 41 includes the surface 41A of the storage section 43 and the surface 41B of the mounting auxiliary section 42 in the media mounting section 4, as well as the surface 41C of a part of the first unit 3A of the main body section 3, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. Also, although Figure 8 shows the media mounting section 4 removed to make the internal structure easier to see, the orientation of the guide member 6 in the state with the media mounting section 4 removed corresponds to the orientation of the guide member 6 when the media mounting section 4 is in the open position.

[0043] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, downstream of the feeding unit 5 in the feeding direction A, a pair of transport rollers 7 is provided to transport the document fed by the feeding unit 5 to the reading unit 2. The transport roller pair 7 has a drive roller 71 and a drive roller 72. The document fed to the transport roller pair 7 by the feeding unit 5 is nipped by the drive roller 71 and the drive roller 72, and is transported to the reading unit 2 as the drive roller 71 rotates. However, instead of the drive roller 71, there may be a driven roller positioned opposite the drive roller 72 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive roller 72.

[0044] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the reading unit 2 has a first reading unit 2A that reads the image from one side of the document, and a second reading unit 2B that reads the image from the other side of the document. Downstream from the reading unit 2 in the feeding direction A, a transport roller pair 8 is provided. The transport roller pair 8 has a drive roller 81 and a drive roller 82. However, instead of the drive roller 81, there may be a driven roller positioned opposite the drive roller 82 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive roller 82. The document, transported to the transport roller pair 8 by the transport roller pair 7, is nipped by the drive roller 81 and drive roller 82, and as the drive roller 81 rotates, it is transported to a plurality of discharge roller pairs 91 provided in the discharge unit 9. Then, it is discharged from the discharge port 92 by the discharge roller pairs 91 and placed on the discharge medium placement section 93 provided on the surface of the second unit 3B. In Figures 5 and 6, the transport path of the document is shown by a dashed line. In this specification, "transportation" is used to mean both supplying and discharging.

[0045] Next, the details of the guide member 6, which is a key part of the scanner 1 in this embodiment, will be described. As described above, the guide member 6 is provided in a position opposite to the mounting surface 41. The guide member 6 has a contact surface 61, which is the part that comes into contact with the document, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, and is configured to guide the document by bringing it into contact with the contact surface 61. Thus, the scanner 1 in this embodiment is equipped with a guide member 6 provided in a position opposite to the mounting surface 41 that guides the document by bringing it into contact with the contact surface 61. Therefore, the ease of setting the document when inserting it from the insertion slot 32 can be improved.

[0046] Here, the guide member 6 is configured to be displaceable depending on whether the media mounting section 4 is in the open position or in the retracted position. Specifically, the guide member 6 is displaceable between a first position, shown in Figure 8, where the contact surface 61 forms a first inclination angle Θ1 such that, when viewed from the width direction intersecting the feeding direction A, the contact surface 61 becomes an acute angle relative to the mounting surface 41 as it moves in the feeding direction A, and a second position, shown in Figure 7, where the contact surface 61 forms a second inclination angle Θ2 with respect to the mounting surface 41 that is larger than the first inclination angle when viewed from the width direction. The guide member 6 moves from the first position shown in Figure 8 to the second position shown in Figure 7 as the media mounting section 4 moves from the open position to the retracted position, and moves from the second position shown in Figure 7 to the first position shown in Figure 8 as the media mounting section 4 moves from the retracted position to the open position. In other words, the guide member 6 is positioned in a first position that improves the ease of inserting a document through the insertion slot 32 as the media mounting section 4 moves from the storage position to the opening position when a document is set. In this way, the scanner 1 of this embodiment can reduce the burden on the user and particularly improve the ease of setting a document by displacing the guide member 6 in conjunction with the displacement of the media mounting section 4.

[0047] Furthermore, in the first position shown in Figure 8, at least a portion of the contact surface 61 of the guide member 6 is located upstream of the feeding unit 5 in the feeding direction A, and in the second position shown in Figure 7, it is located downstream of the media placement unit 4 in the feeding direction A. As shown in Figure 8, when the guide member is in the first position, at least a portion of it overlaps with the media placement unit 4 when viewed from the width direction, assuming it is in the storage position shown by the dashed line in Figure 8. Because the scanner 1 of this embodiment has this configuration, the guide member 6 and the media placement unit 4 can be placed close together, which suppresses an increase in the size of the device.

[0048] Here, we will describe the specific structure that enables the displacement of the guide member 6. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, and Figures 11 and 12, the scanner 1 of this embodiment includes an opening / closing member 33, which is a component of the main body 3 and will be described in detail later. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the opening / closing member 33 is provided with a rotation axis 33a, and the guide member 6 can be displaced between a first position and a second position by rotating with respect to the rotation axis 33a. By configuring the guide member 6 to be displaced by rotation in this way, the space inside the device in the direction intersecting the rotation axis 33a can be effectively utilized, and the device can be effectively prevented from becoming larger.

[0049] In this embodiment, the scanner 1 is equipped with an elastic member 34 that applies force to the guide member 6, as shown in Figures 13 and 15. The elastic member 34 applies force to the guide member 6 in the direction that moves the guide member 6 from the second position to the first position. As the media mounting section 4 moves from the storage position to the opening position, the elastic member 34 applies force to the guide member 6 so that the guide member 6 moves from the second position to the first position. In this embodiment, the scanner 1 moves the guide member 6 as the elastic member 34 applies force to the guide member 6 in conjunction with the movement of the media mounting section 4, so the guide member 6 can be moved appropriately by the elastic member 34 in conjunction with the movement of the media mounting section 4.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the guide member 6 has a rail portion 62 that extends in an extending direction along the contact surface 61. The guide member 6 is movable along the rail portion 62 relative to the main body 3 by the rail portion 62 engaging with the rotation shaft 33a. When the guide member 6 is in the first position as shown in Figure 8, one end 62a of the rail portion in the extending direction engages with the rotation shaft 33a, and when the guide member 6 is in the second position as shown in Figure 7, the other end 62b of the rail portion 62 in the extending direction engages with the rotation shaft 33a. With this configuration, the guide member 6 can be moved significantly in conjunction with the movement of the media mounting section 4, effectively suppressing an increase in the size of the device. In addition, since the contact surface 61 can be made wider, the ease of setting documents can be particularly improved.

[0051] Furthermore, the scanner 1 of this embodiment has a sliding surface 63 on the guide member 6 as shown in Figure 9, and a sliding surface 44 on the media mounting section 4 that contacts the sliding surface 63 as shown in Figure 10. As the media mounting section 4 moves from the open position to the storage position, the sliding surface 44, which is the contact part provided on the media mounting section 4, comes into contact with the sliding surface 63, which is the contacted part provided on the guide member 6, and the guide member 6 moves from the first position to the second position. With this configuration, it is easy to create a system in which the movement of the guide member 6 is linked to the movement of the media mounting section 4.

[0052] Furthermore, the scanner 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an opening / closing member 33 on the second unit 3B. The opening / closing member 33 is in a closed position, as shown in Figure 11, etc., and is closed relative to the second unit 3B, but is configured to be able to be opened to an open position, as shown in Figure 12, when attaching or detaching the feed roller 51, which is a component of the feed unit 5. As shown in Figure 8, the guide member 6 is attached to the opening / closing member 33 in such a configuration that when the guide member 6 is in the first position, its contact surface 61 is located upstream of the opening / closing member 33 in the feed direction A. Therefore, in the scanner 1 of this embodiment, the guide member 6 can guide the document upstream of the opening / closing member 33 in the feed direction A, and the reduction in the guidance accuracy of the guide member 6 due to the opening / closing member 33 can be suppressed.

[0053] Furthermore, in the scanner 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7 and other figures, the guide member 6 is positioned between the media placement section 4 and the opening / closing member 33 in the feeding direction A when the guide member 6 is in the second position. Therefore, the scanner 1 of this embodiment utilizes the space between the media placement section 4 and the opening / closing member 33 to position the guide member 6, effectively suppressing an increase in the size of the device.

[0054] Furthermore, as described above, the scanner 1 of this embodiment includes a main body 3 having a first unit 3A and a second unit 3B that is openable and closable relative to the first unit 3A and is provided with an opening / closing member 33. The guide member 6 has a handle portion 64, as shown in Figures 11 to 16. Here, as shown in Figure 11, when the second unit 3B is in an open state relative to the first unit 3A, applying force to the handle portion 64 in the opposite direction D2 to the direction D1 for opening the second unit 3B relative to the first unit 3A will cause the guide member 6 to open relative to the second unit 3B, as shown in Figure 12. With this configuration, the user can easily open the opening / closing member 33 by placing their hand on the handle portion 64, and the load when attaching and detaching the feed roller 51 can be reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, as described above, the scanner 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an elastic member 34 that applies force to the guide member 6. In this embodiment, the scanner 1 has a first elastic member 34A shown in Figure 13 and a second elastic member 34B shown in Figure 15 as the elastic member 34. Both the first elastic member 34A and the second elastic member 34B are tension springs. The first elastic member 34A is attached to a first mounting portion 341 provided on the opening / closing member 33 and a second mounting portion 342 provided on the guide member 6, as shown in Figure 14. The second elastic member 34B is attached to a third mounting portion 343 provided on the opening / closing member 33 and a fourth mounting portion 344 provided on the guide member 6, as shown in Figure 16. In addition, at least a part of the feeding section 5, such as the feeding roller 51, is positioned between the first elastic member 34A and the second elastic member 34B in the width direction. This configuration allows elastic members 34 to be placed on both sides of the feeding section 5 in the width direction, thereby improving the balance of forces applied to the opening / closing member 33 and the guide member 6 via the elastic members 34. However, the configuration is not limited to this one; for example, the opening / closing member 33 and the guide member 6 may be made highly rigid, and the elastic member 34 may be placed on only one side of the feeding section 5 in the width direction.

[0056] Furthermore, as described above, the scanner 1 of this embodiment has a feeding section 5 comprising a feeding roller 51 and a separation roller 52 positioned opposite the feeding roller 51, which is a separation section capable of separating one document at a time by nipping it together with the feeding roller 51 when multiple documents are placed on the media placement section 4. Here, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the guide member 6 is located upstream in the feeding direction A from the nip position P1 between the feeding roller 51 and the separation roller 52. With this configuration, the guide member 6 can suitably guide the document to the nip position P1, and the ease of setting the document can be particularly improved.

[0057] To explain the positional relationship between the guide member 6 and the separation parts such as the feed roller 51 and the separation roller 52 from another perspective, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, in this embodiment, the rotation axis 33a of the guide member 6 is located between the rotation axis 51a of the feed roller 51 and the rotation axis 52a of the separation roller 52 in the Y-axis direction corresponding to the front-rear direction of the device. This configuration makes it possible to suppress the enlargement of the device in the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the separation part is a separation roller 52, but there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the separation part, and other configurations such as a pad-shaped separation pad may be used instead of a roller.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9 and other figures, in the scanner 1 of this embodiment, the guide member 6 has a first arm portion 65 and a second arm portion 66 having contact surfaces 61, and the feed roller 51 is positioned between the first arm portion 65 and the second arm portion 66 in the width direction. With this configuration, the contact surfaces 61 of the first arm portion 65 and the second arm portion 66 can be made wider without increasing the size of the device, and the ease of setting documents can be particularly improved.

[0059] Furthermore, in the scanner 1 of this embodiment, when the media mounting section 4 is in the storage position as shown in Figure 7, the media mounting section 4 overlaps with at least a portion of the feed roller 51 and at least a portion of the separation roller 52 in the vertical direction when viewed from the width direction, as shown in Figure 7. Therefore, in the scanner 1 of this embodiment, the media mounting section 4 can be placed close to the feed roller 51 and the separation roller 52, thereby suppressing an increase in the size of the device.

[0060] Furthermore, as described above, in the scanner 1 of this embodiment, the media placement section 4 has a placement assist section 42. Here, the placement assist section 42 is configured to be able to store and extend when the media placement section 4 is in the open position. This configuration makes it possible to use large-sized documents while suppressing an increase in the size of the device.

[0061] [Example 2] The scanner of Embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to Figures 17 and 18. The scanner of this embodiment is the same as scanner 1 of Embodiment 1, except for the configuration described below. In detail, only the configuration of the guide member 6 differs from scanner 1 of Embodiment 1. Therefore, the scanner of this embodiment has the same characteristics as scanner 1 of Embodiment 1, except for the parts described below. Accordingly, in Figures 17 and 18, components common to Embodiment 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0062] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, in the scanner 1 of Embodiment 1, the rail portion 62 provided on the guide member 6 was straight. On the other hand, in the scanner of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the rail portion 62 provided on the guide member 6 has a bent portion 62c. Therefore, as shown in Figure 18, the guide member 6 can be moved toward the mounting surface 41 more than the guide member 6 of the scanner 1 of Embodiment 1. With this configuration, the guide member 6 can also serve as a pressing member for the document to be placed on the mounting surface 41 when transporting the document. By having the guide member 6 function as a pressing member for the document to be placed on the mounting surface 41, it is possible to, for example, hold down a curled document and suppress the skew of the document.

[0063] [Example 3] The scanner of Example 3 will be described below with reference to Figure 19. The scanner of this example is the same as the scanners of Example 1 and Example 2, except for the configuration described below. Specifically, the scanner of Example 2 has the same configuration and arrangement of the elastic member 34 as scanner 1 of Example 1, but the scanner of this example differs from the scanner of Example 2 only in the configuration and arrangement of the elastic member 34. Therefore, the scanner of this example has the same features as the scanners of Example 1 and Example 2, except for the parts described below. Accordingly, in Figure 19, components common to Example 1 and Example 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0064] In the scanner of Embodiment 2, the elastic member 34 was a tension spring and was arranged as shown in Figures 17 and 18. On the other hand, in the scanner of this embodiment, the elastic member 34 is a compression spring 34C that applies an outward pressing force and is arranged as shown in Figure 18. Thus, various configurations can be used for the elastic member 34, and they can be arranged appropriately according to the structure.

[0065] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as described in the claims, and these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0066] The embodiments described above can also be applied to media feeding devices that do not have a reading unit. Furthermore, although the embodiments described above have been applied to image reading devices such as scanners, they can also be applied to recording devices such as printers. That is, by using the original document in the above embodiments as the recording medium and the reading unit as the recording unit that records to the recording medium, the same effects and advantages as those of the above embodiments can be obtained in a recording device. An example of a recording device is an inkjet printer, and an example of a recording unit is an inkjet recording head. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1...Scanner (media transport device, image reading device), 2...Reading unit, 2A...First reading unit, 2B...Second reading unit, 3...Main body, 3A...First unit, 3B...Second unit, 4...Media placement unit, 5...Feeding unit, 6...Guide member, 7...Pair of transport rollers, 8...Pair of transport rollers, 9...Discharge unit, 32...Insertion port, 33...Opening / closing member, 33a...Rotating shaft, 34...Elastic member, 34A...First elastic member, 34B...Second elastic member, 34C...Compression spring, 41...Placement surface, 41A...Surface, 41B...Surface, 41C...Surface, 42...Placement support unit, 42A...Base, 42B...Extending unit, 43...Storage unit, 44 ...sliding surface (contact part), 51...feeding roller, 51a...rotating shaft, 52...separation roller (separation part), 52a...rotating shaft, 61...contact surface, 62...rail part, 62a...one end, 62b...other end, 62c...bent part, 63...sliding surface (contacted part), 64...handle part, 65...first arm part, 66...second arm part, 71...drive roller, 72...drive roller, 81...drive roller, 82...drive roller, 91...discharge roller pair, 92...discharge port, 93...discharge medium placement part, 341...first mounting part, 342...second mounting part, 343...third mounting part, 344...fourth mounting part, P1...nip position

Claims

1. The media insertion slot, The medium placement section is displaceable between an open position in which the insertion opening is open and a stored position in which at least a portion of the medium is stored in the insertion opening, and when in the open position, the medium inserted through the insertion opening is placed on the placement surface. A feeding unit that feeds the medium placed on the mounting surface in the feeding direction, A reading unit reads the image of the medium being fed by the feeding unit, A guide member provided at a position opposite to the mounting surface, which guides the medium to come into contact with the contact surface, Equipped with, The aforementioned guide member is The device is displaceable between a first position in which the contact surface forms a first inclination angle such that, when viewed from the width direction intersecting the feeding direction, the contact surface becomes an acute angle that narrows as it advances in the feeding direction relative to the aforementioned mounting surface, and a second position in which, when viewed from the width direction, the contact surface forms a second inclination angle greater than the first inclination angle relative to the aforementioned mounting surface. As the media mounting section moves from the opening position to the storage position, it moves from the first position to the second position, and as the media mounting section moves from the storage position to the opening position, it moves from the second position to the first position, It has a main body with a rotating shaft, The guide member is displaceable between the first position and the second position by rotating with respect to the rotation axis. An image reading device characterized by comprising an elastic member that applies force to the guide member.

2. In the image reading device according to claim 1, The guide member is such that at least a portion of the contact surface is located upstream of the feeding unit in the feeding direction at the first position, and downstream of the medium placement unit in the feeding direction at the second position. The image reading device is characterized in that, when the guide member is in the first position, at least a portion of it overlaps with the media mounting portion when viewed from the width direction, assuming it is in the storage position.

3. In the image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, The image reading device is characterized in that the guide member moves from the second position to the first position when the elastic member applies force to the guide member so that the guide member moves from the second position to the first position as the media mounting portion moves from the storage position to the opening position.

4. In the image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, The guide member has a rail portion extending in the direction of extension along the contact surface, and the rail portion is movable along the rail portion relative to the main body portion by engaging with the rotation shaft. An image reading device characterized in that the guide member engages with the rotating shaft at one end of the rail portion in the extending direction when the guide member is in the first position, and engages with the rotating shaft at the other end of the rail portion in the extending direction when the guide member is in the second position.

5. In the image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, The image reading device is characterized in that, as the media mounting portion moves from the opening position to the storage position, the contact portion provided on the media mounting portion comes into contact with the contact portion provided on the guide member, thereby moving from the first position to the second position.

6. The media insertion slot, The medium placement section is displaceable between an open position in which the insertion opening is open and a stored position in which at least a portion of the medium is stored in the insertion opening, and when in the open position, the medium inserted through the insertion opening is placed on the placement surface. A feeding unit that feeds the medium placed on the mounting surface in the feeding direction, A reading unit reads the image of the medium being fed by the feeding unit, A guide member provided at a position opposite to the mounting surface, which guides the medium to come into contact with the contact surface, Equipped with, The aforementioned guide member is The device is displaceable between a first position in which the contact surface forms a first inclination angle such that, when viewed from the width direction intersecting the feeding direction, the contact surface becomes an acute angle that narrows as it advances in the feeding direction relative to the aforementioned mounting surface, and a second position in which, when viewed from the width direction, the contact surface forms a second inclination angle greater than the first inclination angle relative to the aforementioned mounting surface. As the media mounting section moves from the opening position to the storage position, it moves from the first position to the second position, and as the media mounting section moves from the storage position to the opening position, it moves from the second position to the first position, The feeding section is equipped with an opening / closing member that can be opened when attaching or detaching the feeding section. The image reading device is characterized in that the guide member is attached to the opening / closing member in such a manner that when the guide member is in the first position, the contact surface is located upstream of the opening / closing member in the feeding direction.

7. In the image reading device according to claim 6, The guide member is such that at least a portion of the contact surface is located upstream of the feeding unit in the feeding direction at the first position, and downstream of the medium placement unit in the feeding direction at the second position. The image reading device is characterized in that, when the guide member is in the first position, at least a portion of it overlaps with the media mounting portion when viewed from the width direction, assuming it is in the storage position.

8. In the image reading device according to claim 6 or 7, The image reading device is characterized in that the guide member is positioned between the media placement section and the opening / closing member in the feeding direction when the guide member is in the second position.

9. In the image reading device according to claim 6 or 7, The main body comprises a first unit and a second unit having an opening / closing member that can be opened and closed relative to the first unit, The guide member has a handle portion, An image reading device characterized in that, when force is applied to the handle portion in the direction opposite to the direction in which the second unit is opened relative to the first unit, the opening / closing member opens relative to the second unit.

10. In the image reading device according to claim 6 or 7, The guide member is equipped with an elastic member that applies force to the guide member, The elastic member comprises a first elastic member and a second elastic member. The first elastic member is attached to a first mounting portion provided on the opening / closing member and a second mounting portion provided on the guide member. The second elastic member is attached to a third mounting portion provided on the opening / closing member and a fourth mounting portion provided on the guide member. An image reading device characterized in that at least a portion of the feeding section is positioned between the first elastic member and the second elastic member in the width direction.

11. In the image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, The feeding unit comprises a feeding roller and a separation unit located opposite the feeding roller, which is capable of separating one sheet of the medium by nipping it together with the feeding roller when multiple sheets of the medium are placed on the medium placement unit. The image reading device is characterized in that the guide member is located upstream in the feeding direction from the nip position between the feeding roller and the separation section.

12. In the image reading device according to claim 11, The guide member has a first arm portion and a second arm portion having the contact surface, The image reading device is characterized in that the feeding roller is positioned between the first arm and the second arm in the width direction.

13. In the image reading device according to claim 11, The image reading device is characterized in that, when the media mounting section is in the storage position, it overlaps with at least a portion of the feeding roller and at least a portion of the separation section in the vertical direction when viewed from the width direction.

14. In the image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, The image reading device is characterized in that the media mounting section has a mounting auxiliary section that can be stored and extended when the media mounting section is in the opening position.

Images