JP2017065868A - Sheet conveying apparatus and image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A sheet conveying apparatus and an image reading apparatus having a stopper capable of aligning the leading ends of sheets and capable of realizing good sheet conveyance. A multifunction device includes a loading surface, a separation unit, and a stopper that can be switched to a protruding position that protrudes from the loading surface or a retracted position that retracts. When the stopper 80 is displaced to the protruding position, the stopper 80 abuts on the separation unit 50 to separate the separation unit 50 from the stacking surface 150A and position the leading end of the sheet SH. The switching mechanism 71 is disposed at a position where the separation unit 50 does not interfere with the sheet SH conveyed from the stacking surface 150A. [Selection] Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus and an image reading apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a conventional sheet conveying apparatus. This sheet conveying apparatus is located on the downstream side of the feed roll with respect to a feed channel that can place a plurality of sheets, a feed roll that feeds the sheet placed on the feed channel in the conveying direction, and a plurality of sheets A partition roll for separating the sheets one by one. The feed roll is rotatably supported by the frame, the frame is pivotally supported around the rotation axis of the drive shaft of the partition roll on the downstream side in the transport direction from the feed roll, and the drive shaft is connected to the drive device. .

  Further, the sheet conveying device is provided with a stopper for aligning the leading ends of the sheets placed on the feed channel and a swing arm for displacing the stopper. The stopper and the swing arm are provided at positions facing the frame from below. The swing arm has a swing characteristic similar to that of a seesaw, with one end and the other end rising or lowering about a shaft provided at the center. A blade provided at the downstream end of the frame in the transport direction and one end of the swing arm abut against the drive shaft of the partition roll at a position downstream of the transport direction. Further, the lower end portion of the stopper and the other end portion of the swing arm are in contact with the drive shaft of the partition roll at a position on the upstream side in the transport direction.

  With such a configuration, when the sheet is placed on the feed channel, the upstream end of the frame swings upward by driving of the driving device, and the blades of the frame push down one end of the swing arm. Accordingly, the other end of the swing arm acts to lift the stopper. At this time, the upper end portion of the stopper protrudes above the sheet placement surface of the feed channel and is positioned between the feed roll and the partition roll. In this position, the stopper aligns the sheet tip on the feed channel. Further, when the sheet is conveyed, the upstream end of the frame swings downward by driving of the driving device, and the pressing of the end of the swing arm by the blades of the frame is released. Along with this, the stopper is lowered, and the feed roll comes into contact with the sheet placed on the feed channel so that the sheet can be conveyed.

JP 2008-169036 A

  In the conventional configuration, one end of the swing arm protrudes from the feed channel mounting surface during sheet conveyance. The swing arm itself is made of an elastically deformable material so that when the leading edge of the conveyed sheet comes into contact with one end of the swing arm protruding from the feed channel, the swing arm is retracted from the transport path by the sheet transport force. It is configured. However, even with such a configuration, if a thin sheet or a flexible sheet is transported, one end of the swing arm may not be sufficiently retracted from the transport path by the sheet transport force. There is. For this reason, one end portion of the swing arm that interrupts the transport path interferes with the leading edge of the transported sheet, and the transport of the sheet may not be good. For example, there is a possibility that the leading end of the sheet may be bent or scratched, or a jam may occur.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and has a configuration including a stopper capable of aligning the leading ends of sheets, and a sheet conveying apparatus capable of realizing good sheet conveyance, and An object is to provide an image reading apparatus.

  The sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention includes a support surface that supports a sheet, a separation unit that is disposed to face the support surface and that separates the sheets supported on the support surface, and separates the sheet. A stopper that is displaced in a direction approaching the unit and projecting from the support surface; a stopper that is displaced in a direction away from the separation unit and is retracted from the support surface; and a stopper that is switched to the first position. A switching mechanism that switches between a position and the second position, and the separation unit feeds a sheet supported by the support surface in the transport direction, and a feed roller in the transport direction from the paper feed roller. The sheet supported on the support surface is rotated by rotating around the axis of the first rotation shaft that is located on the downstream side and extends in a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the transport direction. Sheet A separation roller that separates into two, and a holder that is supported by the first rotation shaft, is swingable about an axis of the first rotation shaft, and rotatably supports the paper feed roller, When the stopper is displaced to the first position, the stopper abuts against the separation unit to separate the separation unit from the support surface, and the stopper is a sheet supported on the support surface at the first position. The switching mechanism is arranged at a position where it does not interfere with the sheet conveyed by the separation unit.

  The sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention includes a switching mechanism that switches the stopper to a protruding position that protrudes from the support surface and a retracted position that retracts from the support surface, and the switching mechanism interferes with the sheet conveyed from the support surface by the separation unit. It is placed in a position that does not. Therefore, it is possible to align the leading ends of the sheets supported on the support surface, and it is possible to realize good sheet conveyance that does not interfere with the conveyed sheet.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sheet conveying apparatus and an image reading apparatus that include a stopper capable of aligning the leading ends of sheets and that can realize good sheet conveyance.

1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic front view of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. It is a typical fragmentary sectional view in the IA-IA cross section of FIG. It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows the state which removed the opening / closing cover. It is a top view which shows the state which removed the back cover. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IC-IC in FIG. 5 and showing a state in which the stopper is retracted from the loading surface. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IC-IC in FIG. 5 and showing a state in which the stopper protrudes from the stacking surface. FIG. 7A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line IB-IB in FIG. 5 and showing a state in which the stopper is retracted from the loading surface. FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line IB-IB in FIG. 5 and showing a state in which the stopper protrudes from the stacking surface. It is the perspective view which looked up the separation unit from the bottom. It is a fragmentary sectional view mainly showing a switching mechanism. It is the fragmentary sectional view which looked down at the transmission rotating shaft of the switching mechanism in the state which removed the opening-and-closing cover, the separation unit, and the upper chute member. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the reading process by an ADF part. It is a fragmentary sectional view explaining the modification concerning the compound machine of other embodiments.

  Hereinafter, a case where the sheet conveying apparatus and the image reading apparatus of the present invention are applied to the multifunction machine 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings to be referred to are used for explaining technical features that can be adopted by the present disclosure, and the configuration of the apparatus described is not intended to be limited to that, but is merely an illustrative example.

[Appearance structure of MFP]
A multifunction device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a configuration corresponding to an example of a sheet conveying device and an image reading device of the present invention. In FIG. 1, in the multi-function device 1, the side on which the operation panel 40 is disposed is defined as the front of the apparatus, and the side that comes to the left hand when facing the operation panel 40 is defined as the left side. Display each direction. 2 are displayed in correspondence with the directions shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, based on FIG. 1 etc., each component with which the multifunctional device 1 is provided is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multifunction machine 1 includes a main body unit 2 and a reading unit 3. The reading unit 3 is an example of the “image reading apparatus” in the present invention. The reading unit 3 includes an ADF unit 9 and an FB unit 5. The ADF unit 9 is an example of the “sheet conveying device” in the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 40 such as a touch panel is provided on the front surface of the FB unit 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main unit 2 is a flat, substantially box-like body and includes an image forming unit 4 inside. The image forming unit 4 forms an image on recording paper by an ink jet method or a laser method. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reading unit 3 is disposed above the main unit 2. The FB unit 5 is used when reading an image of a document placed on a document support surface 101A described later. The ADF unit 9 includes a supply tray 12, a discharge tray 14, and a transport unit 6. The transport unit 6 transports the sheet SH placed on the supply tray 12 along the transport path P <b> 1 and discharges the sheet SH to the discharge tray 14. The ADF unit 9 is used when the images of the sheets SH placed on the supply tray 12 are read while being sequentially conveyed along the conveyance path P1. Note that the sheet to be read includes a document such as a sheet, an OHP sheet, and the like.

  3 is a front view of the IA-IA cross section shown in FIG. A first platen glass 101 and a second platen glass 102 are disposed on the upper surface of the FB unit 5. A document support surface 101 </ b> A is formed by the upper surface of the first platen glass 101. An image sensor 3S is provided in the FB unit 5 below the first platen glass 101 and the second platen glass 102 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The document support surface 101A supports the document from below when the image of the stationary document is read by the image sensor 3S.

  The second platen glass 102 is located on the left side of the first platen glass 101 and extends elongated in the front-rear direction. A reading surface 102 </ b> A is formed by the upper surface of the second platen glass 102. The reading surface 102A guides the conveyed sheet SH from below when the image of the sheet SH conveyed one by one by the conveying unit 6 is read by the image sensor 3S in the FB unit 5. In the present embodiment, an object whose image is read using the document support surface 101A is referred to as an original, and an object whose image is read while being conveyed by the conveying unit 6 is referred to as a sheet SH. The document and the sheet SH may be substantially the same.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ADF portion 9 is supported by a hinge (not shown) disposed at the rear portion of the FB portion 5 so as to be swingable around an opening / closing axis X9 extending in the left-right direction. The ADF unit 9 covers the document supporting surface 101A from above in the closed state shown in FIGS. Although not shown, the ADF portion 9 swings around the opening / closing axis X9 so that the front end portion thereof is displaced upward and rearward, thereby exposing the document support surface 101A. Thus, the user can support the document to be read on the document support surface 101A.

  The FB unit 5 includes an image sensor 3S and a scanning mechanism (not shown). The image sensor 3S is an example of the “reading unit” in the present invention. The scanning mechanism reciprocates the image sensor 3S in the left-right direction below the document support surface 101A and the reading surface 102A. When reading an image of a document supported on the document support surface 101A, the image sensor 3S reads the image while moving below the document support surface 101A. When the image is read while the sheet SH is conveyed by the conveying unit 6, the image sensor 3S is stopped at a predetermined stationary reading position. Here, the stationary reading position where the image sensor 3S stops is a position facing the reading surface 102A from below. As the image sensor 3S, a known image reading sensor such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is used.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the supply tray 12 is formed in the right part of the ADF unit 9. The upper surface of the supply tray 12 is a sheet feeding surface 12A that supports the sheet SH from below. A plurality of sheets SH to be read that are transported by the transport unit 6 are stacked on the paper feed surface 12A. The sheet feeding surface 12A is a flat surface that slopes downward to the left. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the supply tray 12 is provided with two guides 17A and 17A that are slidable in the front-rear direction. When the front guide 17A and the rear guide 17A approach or separate from each other, a plurality of types of sheets SH of different sizes supported by the supply tray 12 are sandwiched from the front and rear. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the discharge tray 14 is positioned below the supply tray 12. The upper surface of the discharge tray 14 is a discharge surface 14A that supports the sheet SH from below. An image is read by the image sensor 3S and the sheet SH discharged by the transport unit 6 is stacked on the paper discharge surface 14A. The sheet discharge surface 14A is a flat surface that is inclined upward from left to right.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, an opening / closing cover 32 is provided on the upper portion of the ADF unit 9. The open / close cover 32 is a substantially flat plate member that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions from approximately the center of the ADF unit 9 to the left end. The left end portion of the opening / closing cover 32 is bent downward. The opening / closing cover 32 is supported at its left end and lower end so as to be swingable around an opening / closing axis X32 extending in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the open / close cover 32 can be displaced between a closed position indicated by a solid line in FIGS. 1 and 3 and an open position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3. A base member 9 </ b> A is provided at a lower portion of the ADF portion 9. The base member 9 </ b> A constitutes the bottom part of the ADF part 9. The right part of the base member 9 </ b> A constitutes the discharge tray 14.

  The conveyance unit 6 is provided between the opening / closing cover 32 in the ADF unit 9 and the left portion of the base member 9A. The transport unit 6 includes an upper chute member 130 and a lower chute member 140 assembled to the base member 9A. The lower chute member 140 is positioned below the upper chute member 130. The base member 9 </ b> A is located below the lower chute member 140.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of guide ribs 32 </ b> R extending in the left-right direction are formed on the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 32 side by side in the front-rear direction. An upper guide surface 32A is formed by the lower end edge of the guide ribs 32R. The upper guide surface 32A defines an upper route P1A, which will be described later, of the transport route P1 from above.

  On the upper surface of the upper chute member 130, a first upper transport surface 130A and a second upper transport surface 130B are formed. The first upper transport surface 130A is a flat surface that is adjacent to the left end of the supply tray 12 and is inclined downward toward the left. The first upper transport surface 130A of the upper chute member 130 and the paper feed surface 12A of the supply tray 12 constitute a stacking surface 150A. A plurality of sheets SH to be read that are transported by the transport unit 6 are stacked on the stacking surface 150A. The loading surface 150A is an example of the “support surface” in the present invention. The second upper transport surface 130B is a substantially flat surface that slopes up and to the left following the first upper transport surface 130A.

  Lower guide surfaces 140A1 and 140A2 are formed on the lower surface of the lower chute member 140. The lower guide surface 140A1 is a substantially flat surface inclined downward from the vicinity of the left end in the ADF unit 9 toward the reading surface 102A in the right direction. The lower guide surface 140A2 is a substantially flat surface that slopes up and to the right following the lower guide surface 140A1. On the upper surface of the base member 9A, a lower conveyance surface 140B1 that faces the lower guide surface 140A1 from below and a lower conveyance surface 140B2 that faces the lower guide surface 140A2 from below are formed.

  The conveyance path P1 in the conveyance unit 6 includes first and second upper conveyance surfaces 130A and 130B of the upper chute member 130, lower guide surfaces 140A1 and 140A2 of the lower chute member 140, an upper guide surface 32A of the opening / closing cover 32, and a base member 9A. The space is defined as a space surrounded by the lower transport surfaces 140B1 and 140B2 and various transport rollers. More specifically, the transport path P1 includes an upper path P1A that is a portion extending leftward from the paper feed surface 12A of the supply tray 12 along the first and second upper transport surfaces 130A and 130B of the upper chute member 130. . Next, the conveyance path P1 includes a curved path P1B that is connected to the upper path P1A and is curved downward. Next, the conveyance path P1 is connected to the curved path P1B, and after being inclined downwardly toward the reading surface 102A from the lower end of the curved portion, the conveyance path P1 extends to the right along the reading surface 102A, and the reading surface 102A. It includes a lower path P1C composed of a portion extending upward from the right end toward the right and reaching the discharge tray 14. The upper path P1A and the lower path P1C overlap in the vertical direction.

  The transport direction of the sheet SH transported by the transport unit 6 is leftward in the upper path P1A of the transport path P1, and is changed from left to right in the curved path P1B of the transport path P1, and the lower path of the transport path P1. In P1C, it faces right. The extending direction and shape of the transport path P1 are an example. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport unit 6 includes a separation unit 50 and a separation pad 56A. Although details will be described later, the separation unit 50 includes a separation roller 54, a rotation shaft 54 </ b> S of the separation roller 54, a holder 51, a supply roller 92, and a rotation shaft 92 </ b> S of the supply roller 92. The rotating shaft 54S is an example of the “first rotating shaft” in the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the separation roller 54 is located to the left of the supply roller 92, that is, downstream in the transport direction in the transport path P <b> 1. The separation roller 54 is provided at a position facing the second upper conveying surface 130B of the upper chute member 130 from above. The rotation shaft 54S of the separation roller 54 is a cylindrical shaft body that extends around a rotation axis X54 that extends in the front-rear direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet SH. As shown in FIG. 4, the front end and the rear end of the rotating shaft 54 </ b> S of the separation roller 54 are inside the front cover 31 </ b> F that forms the front end portion of the ADF portion 9 and the rear cover 31 </ b> R that forms the rear end of the ADF portion 9. Are rotatably supported by a frame (not shown) arranged in the frame. The separation roller 54 is assembled at the center of the rotation shaft 54S.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the separation pad 56A forms a conveyance surface of the sheet SH together with the second upper conveyance surface 130B. The separation pad 56A is provided at a position facing the separation roller 54 from below. The separation pad 56A is a plate-like body made of a soft material such as rubber or elastomer. The separation pad 56A is pressed toward the separation roller 54 by the biasing spring 56S.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holder 51 is accommodated in a state of being sandwiched from the front and rear sides while covering the separation roller 54 from above. Details will be described later. The holder 51 is supported by the rotation shaft 54 </ b> S so as to be swingable about the rotation axis X <b> 54 of the separation roller 54. The holder 51 extends rightward with respect to the rotation shaft 54S, that is, upstream in the transport direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the supply roller 92 is provided at a position facing the first upper conveying surface 130 </ b> A of the upper chute member 130 from above. The supply roller 92 is provided so as to be able to contact the sheet SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A from above. The supply roller 92 is positioned to the right of the separation roller 54 and is accommodated in the holder 51. The supply roller 92 is supported by the holder 51 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis X92 parallel to the rotation axis X54. Therefore, when the holder 51 swings upward or downward around the rotation axis X54 of the separation roller 54, the supply roller 92 can be displaced between a position approaching the loading surface 150A and a position separating it. Has been.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holder 51 has an upper wall portion 51 </ b> U that covers the supply roller 92 and the separation roller 54 from above. At the rear end of the upper wall portion 51U, a protruding portion 51T that swells upward from a portion located between the rotation axis X54 and the rotation axis X92 is formed. The projecting portion 51T accommodates a transmission gear group (not shown) that transmits a driving force from the rotating shaft 54S to the supply roller 92. The holder 51 is connected to the upper wall portion 51U, and has a front wall portion 51F and a rear wall portion 51R that cover the supply roller 92 and the separation roller 54 from the front and rear. The front wall portion 51F and the rear wall portion 51R extend downward in a direction orthogonal to the upper wall portion 51U. The rotation shaft 54S of the separation roller 54 passes through the front wall portion 51F and the rear wall portion 51R of the holder 51. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, a lower end 51 </ b> D that is a plane facing the stacking surface 150 </ b> A is provided from the right end to the left end at the lower portion of the front wall portion 51 </ b> F and the rear wall portion 51 </ b> R.

  FIG. 5 is a view of the ADF unit 9 as viewed from above with the rear cover 31R removed. A drive gear 55 is provided at the rear end of the rotation shaft 54S. The drive gear 55 rotates the rotating shaft 54S by driving a motor 70 described later. When the drive gear 55 rotates, the rotation shaft 54S rotates, and the separation roller 54 and the supply roller 92 rotate synchronously. The outer peripheral surface 92 </ b> A of the supply roller 92 imparts a transport force to the uppermost sheet SH among the sheets SH stacked on the stacking surface 150 </ b> A, and sends the sheet SH toward the separation roller 54. The separation roller 54 cooperates with the separation pad 56A to separate the sheets SH conveyed by the supply roller 92 one by one and conveys the sheet SH downstream in the conveyance direction on the conveyance path P1.

  The transport unit 6 includes a transport roller 44 and a pinch roller 44P in the upper path P1A of the transport path P1 on the left side of the separation roller 54, that is, at a position downstream of the separation roller 54 in the transport direction. Yes. The conveyance roller 44 and the pinch roller 44P nip the sheet SH separated one by one by the separation roller 54 and the separation pad 56A, and convey the sheet SH toward the downstream in the conveyance direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transport unit 6 includes a curved guide surface 45G, a curved guide surface 45H, a transport roller 45, and a pinch roller 45P in the curved path P1B of the transport path P1. The curved guide surface 45G and the curved guide surface 45H are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval. The curved guide surface 45G defines a portion that curves downward in the curved path P1B from the outside. The curved guide surface 45H defines a portion that curves downward in the curved path P1B from the inside. The conveyance roller 45 and the pinch roller 45P are disposed at the lower end of the curved path P1B. The conveyance roller 45 and the pinch roller 45P nip the sheet SH conveyed by the conveyance roller 44 and the pinch roller 44P and further convey the sheet SH toward the reading surface 102A. The lower guide surface 140A1 and the lower transport surface 140B1 face each other with a predetermined interval between the transport roller 44 and the pinch roller 44P and the reading surface 102A, thereby defining the left portion of the lower path P1C. .

  The transport unit 6 has a pressing member 49 at a position facing the reading surface 102A from above. A compression coil spring 49 </ b> S is disposed between the lower surface of the lower chute member 140 and the pressing member 49. The pressing member 49 is urged by the compression coil spring 49S and presses the sheet SH conveyed by the conveying roller 45 from above so as to contact the reading surface 102A. The transport unit 6 includes a discharge roller 48 and a pinch roller 48P on the right side of the pressing member 49 (reading surface 102A). Between the pressing member 49 (reading surface 102A) and the discharge roller 48 and the pinch roller 48P, the lower guide surface 140A2 and the lower conveyance surface 140B2 face each other with a predetermined interval, so that the right portion of the lower path P1C. Is stipulated.

  The path formed by the lower guide surface 140A2 and the lower transport surface 140B2 is inclined upwardly toward the discharge roller 48 and the pinch roller 48P on the right side of the pressing member 49. The discharge roller 48 is located at the right end portion of the lower guide surface 140A2 of the lower chute member 140. The pinch roller 48P is located at the right end of the lower transport surface 140B2. The discharge roller 48 and the pinch roller 48P nip the sheet SH that has passed over the reading surface 102A and discharge the sheet SH toward the discharge surface 14A of the discharge tray 14.

[Electric configuration of MFP]
The electrical configuration of the multifunction machine 1 in this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, a control unit 110 is provided in the main body unit 2 included in the multifunction device 1. The control unit 110 includes a well-known CPU 110A, ROM 110B, RAM 110C, NVRAM 110D, an interface unit 110E, and the like. The CPU 110A executes a predetermined process in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 110B or the RAM 110C, and thereby controls each part of the multifunction device 1.

  As control objects by the control unit 110, an image forming unit 4, a LAN communication unit 111, an operation panel 40, an image sensor 3S, a sheet conveyance sensor 113, a motor 70, a motor 114, a sheet placement sensor 112, and the like are provided. . Among these, the image forming unit 4 and the LAN communication unit 111 are provided in the main unit 2. The operation panel 40, the image sensor 3S, and the motor 114 are provided in the FB unit 5. The sheet placement sensor 112, the motor 70, and the sheet conveyance sensor 113 are provided in the ADF unit 9.

  The control unit 110 controls forward rotation, reverse rotation, and rotation stop of the motor 70. The rotation direction of the motor 70 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 9, the rotation direction in the X direction is a clockwise rotation direction, and the rotation direction in the Y direction is a counterclockwise rotation direction. The rotation of the motor 70 in the X direction is defined as forward rotation, and the rotation in the Y direction is defined as reverse rotation. The X direction is an example of the “second rotational direction” in the present invention, and the Y direction is an example of the “first rotational direction” in the present invention.

  Further, the control unit 110 can control the multifunction device 1 in the first operation mode and the second operation mode by controlling each control target. In the first operation mode, for example, the control unit 110 supplies power necessary for conveying the sheet SH to the above-described control target, and conveys the sheet SH to be conveyed or an image of the document on the document support surface 101A. This is an operation mode for controlling the power supply necessary for reading by the image sensor 3S and the power supply necessary for forming an image on the recording paper. The second operation mode is an operation mode in which the power consumption in the multifunction device 1 is lower than that in the first operation mode, for example, as in the sleep mode. 112 and the LAN communication unit 111 are operation modes in which power supply is controlled to be small and power supply is stopped or power supply is controlled to be small for other control targets. Specifically, the control unit 110 reduces the brightness of the backlight of the operation panel 40. Further, the control unit 110 monitors signals from the sheet placement sensor 112 and the LAN communication unit 111. The controller 110 is not limited to the multifunction device 1 and may cause the reading unit 3 or the ADF unit 9 to transition to the first operation mode or the second operation mode.

  The LAN communication unit 111 includes a communication interface device compatible with a wireless LAN and a communication interface device compatible with a wired LAN. The motor 114 is a power source for moving the image sensor 3S in the left-right direction in the FB unit 5.

  The sheet placement sensor 112 is a sensor that detects that the sheet SH is placed on the stacking surface 150A. The sheet transport sensor 113 is a sensor that detects that the leading end and the trailing end of the sheet SH transported by the ADF unit 9 have passed a predetermined detection position in the transport path P1.

[Stopper configuration]
As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 and the like, the ADF unit 9 of the present embodiment has a protruding position that protrudes upward on the stacking surface 150A, specifically, from the first upper conveying surface 130A toward the separation unit 50 (FIG. 6 (B)) and a stopper 80 that is displaced between a retracted position (see FIG. 6A) that retracts below the first upper transport surface 130A. The stopper 80 can come into contact with the left end of the sheet SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A at the protruding position. Accordingly, the left end of the sheet SH, that is, the position of the leading end in the conveyance direction of the sheet SH is regulated.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the stopper 80 has a bent portion and is substantially L-shaped when viewed from the front. Moreover, as shown in FIG.7 and FIG.10, it has fixed thickness in the front-back direction. When the stopper 80 is viewed from the front-rear direction, a hole that penetrates in the front-rear direction is formed in a portion that is one end in the longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as one end 80C of the stopper 80). As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a transmission rotation shaft 77 that is a cylindrical shaft body extends in the front-rear direction at a position between the loading surface 150 </ b> A and the lower chute member 140. As shown in FIG. 7, the front end of the transmission rotating shaft 77 extends to a position overlapping the rear portion of the separation unit 50 in the vertical direction. More specifically, the front end of the transmission rotation shaft 77 is located in front of the lower end 51D of the holder 51 of the separation unit 50. The transmission rotating shaft 77 is inserted through a hole formed in one end 80 </ b> C of the stopper 80 and supports the stopper 80. Thereby, one end 80 </ b> C of the stopper 80 is fixed to the transmission rotating shaft 77. As shown in FIG. 10, the front end of the transmission rotating shaft 77 is supported by a shaft fixing member 77 </ b> A that protrudes from the bottom surface of the lower chute member 140.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the rear end of the transmission rotation shaft 77 penetrates a sheet metal frame 31P, which will be described later, and is located behind the sheet metal frame 31P. That is, the rear end of the transmission rotating shaft 77 is supported by the sheet metal frame 31P. At the rear end of the transmission rotating shaft 77, an input portion 72A to which the driving force of the motor 70 is input is provided. When the input portion 72A is rotated by the driving force of the motor 70, the transmission rotating shaft 77 is rotated. Therefore, the stopper 80 is configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis X77 as the transmission rotation shaft 77 rotates. The transmission rotation shaft 77 is an example of the “second rotation shaft” in the present invention.

  The other end opposite to the one end 80C of the stopper 80 is a displacement portion 80D that displaces between the protruding position and the retracted position by rotating the one end 80C of the stopper 80 as the transmission rotation shaft 77 rotates. is there. The amount of displacement between the protruding position and the retracted position of the stopper 80 is determined in advance by the amount of rotation of the transmission rotating shaft 77. Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, the stopper 80 in the retracted position is accommodated between the stacking surface 150A and the lower chute member 140 in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the stopper 80 in the protruding position passes through the opening 150B formed on the loading surface 150A from below and protrudes from the loading surface 150A. The stopper 80 and the opening 150B are provided in a range overlapping the rear wall 51R of the holder 51 when the ADF unit 9 is viewed from directly above. In addition, since the rotation radius can be made smaller by making the stopper 80 into a substantially L shape than in a substantially I shape, the length in the left-right direction of the opening 150B can be shortened.

  The displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 has a contact portion 80A at a portion above the bent portion at the protruding position shown in FIG. The contact portion 80A is the right end of the displacement portion 80D that protrudes upward from the loading surface 150A at the protruding position. The contact portion 80A faces the sheet SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A, contacts the left end of the sheet SH, and regulates the position of the left end of the sheet SH. The protruding position is an example of the “first position” in the present invention. In FIG. 6B, the vertical length of the displacement portion 80D (contact portion 80A) protruding from the stacking surface 150A is the maximum number of sheets SH that can be stacked at one time in the ADF unit 9 in the present embodiment. It is preferable that the length is not less than the vertical length.

  As shown in FIG. 10, an urging spring 81 is attached to the transmission rotating shaft 77 ahead of the position where the stopper 80 is attached. The urging spring 81 is, for example, a torsion coil spring, and the transmission rotating shaft 77 is inserted through a central ring portion. As shown in FIG. 6, one end of the biasing spring 81 is hooked and fixed to a hooking portion 80 </ b> B that is a concave groove formed at the right end of the stopper 80. The other end of the urging spring 81 is fixed by a fixing member 88 protruding from the bottom surface of the lower chute member 140. The fixed member 88 is located on the right side of the transmission rotation shaft 77. The urging spring 81 causes the stopper 80 to exert a force that urges the stopper 80 in a direction in which the stopper 80 is displaced downward from the stacking surface 150A (an example of a second position). The retracted position is an example of the “second position” in the present invention.

  In a state where the transmission rotating shaft 77 is not connected to the motor 70 (described later), the stopper 80 is displaced toward the retracted position as shown in FIG. 6A by the biasing force of the biasing spring 81. The left end of the stopper 80 comes into contact with a receiving member 84 that protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the lower chute member 140, and the stopper 80 stops at a retracted position between the stacking surface 150 </ b> A and the lower chute member 140.

  When the transmission rotary shaft 77 is connected to the motor 70 (described later) and the transmission rotary shaft 77 is driven by the motor 70, the biasing force of the biasing spring 81 is applied as shown in FIG. Against this, the displacement part 80D of the stopper 80 passes through the opening part 150B of the loading surface 150A. Further, the displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 contacts the lower end 51D of the holder 51 to separate the separation unit 50 upward from the loading surface 150A. The displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 is not limited to the lower end 51D of the holder 51, but the separation roller 54 constituting the separation unit 50, the rotation shaft 54S of the separation roller 54, the holder 51, the supply roller 92, and the rotation shaft of the supply roller 92. The separation unit 50 may be spaced apart upward from the loading surface 150A in contact with 92S or the like. In consideration of the transportability of the sheet SH, it is preferable that the rotation axis X77 of the transmission rotation shaft 77 and the rotation axis X54 of the separation roller 54 are configured in parallel when viewed from above.

[Configuration of switching mechanism]
The switching mechanism 71 in this embodiment displaces the position of the stopper 80 to switch between the protruding position and the retracted position. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the switching mechanism 71 includes a driving force transmission unit 72, a planetary gear mechanism 73, and an urging spring 81. The driving force transmission unit 72 includes a toothed pulley 74, a transmission belt 75, a transmission pulley 76, and a transmission rotating shaft 77. The planetary gear mechanism 73 includes a sun pulley 78 and a planetary gear 79.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the transmission pulley 76 that constitutes the driving force transmission unit 72 is provided at the rear end of the transmission rotation shaft 77 and functions as the input unit 72 </ b> A. As the transmission pulley 76 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the transmission rotation shaft 77 rotates in the same direction as the transmission pulley 76. As shown in FIG. 9, a toothed pulley 74 is provided on the upper right side of the transmission pulley 76. A transmission belt 75 is wound around a toothed pulley 74 and a transmission pulley 76. A motor 70 is provided at the lower right of the toothed pulley 74. When the driving force from the motor 70 is transmitted to the toothed pulley 74, the toothed pulley 74 rotates and the transmission pulley 76 (input part 72A) rotates via the transmission belt 75. As a result, the transmission rotation shaft 77 rotates.

  A planetary gear mechanism 73 is provided at the lower left of the toothed pulley 74 and between the toothed pulley 74 and the transmission pulley 76. A transport force transmission gear 83 is adjacent to the lower left of the planetary gear mechanism 73. A gear 53 is provided on the left side of the conveyance force transmission gear 83. A transmission pulley 76 is positioned between the conveyance force transmission gear 83 and the gear 53. A drive gear 55 provided at the rear end of the rotating shaft 54S of the separation roller 54 is adjacent to the upper right of the gear 53. The gear 53 and the drive gear 55 are coupled. The conveyance force transmission gear 83 and the gear 53 are wound around the belt 52. When the driving force from the motor 70 is transmitted to the conveyance force transmission gear 83, the conveyance force transmission gear 83 rotates and the gear 53 rotates via the belt 52. When the gear 53 rotates, the transmission gear 55 rotates, and as a result, the rotation shaft 54S of the separation roller 54 rotates.

  The motor 70 is connected to a sun pulley 78 of the planetary gear mechanism 73 via a pulley and a belt (not shown). A planetary gear 79 of the planetary gear mechanism 73 is coaxially coupled to a gear (not shown) provided on the sun pulley 78 shown in FIG. 9 and rotates and revolves according to the rotation of the sun pulley 78.

  The position of the planetary gear 79 is switched between a first transmission position coupled to the toothed pulley 74 and a second transmission position coupled to the conveying force transmission gear 83 depending on the rotation direction of the motor 70. When the planetary gear 79 is located at the first transmission position shown in FIG. 9, the driving force of the motor 70 includes the toothed pulley 74, the transmission belt 75, the transmission pulley 76, and the transmission rotation shaft 77 that are the driving force transmission unit 72. To the stopper 80. At this time, the driving force of the motor 70 transmitted to the stopper 80 resists the biasing force of the biasing spring 81, so that the stopper 80 is displaced toward the protruding position. That is, the position of the stopper 80 is switched to the protruding position.

  On the other hand, when the planetary gear 79 is located at the second transmission position, the driving force of the motor 70 is applied to the separation roller 54 via the conveying force transmission gear 83, the belt 52, the gear 53, the driving gear 55, and the rotating shaft 54S. Communicated. Thereby, the sheet SH set on the supply tray 12 is conveyed. At this time, the driving force from the motor 70 is not transmitted to the driving force transmission unit 72. Therefore, the transmission rotating shaft 77 rotates in a direction in which the stopper 80 is displaced to the retracted position by the biasing force of the biasing spring 81. Thereby, the position of the stopper 80 is switched to the retracted position. In FIG. 9, the first transmission position of the planetary gear 79 is shown, and the broken line position of the planetary gear 79 indicates the second transmission position by a broken line. The toothed pulley 74 is an example of the “first pulley” in the present invention. The transmission belt 75 is an example of the “belt” in the present invention. The transmission pulley 76 is an example of the “second pulley” in the present invention. The planetary gear 79 is an example of the “switching gear” in the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, a sheet metal frame 31 </ b> P extending in the vertical and horizontal directions is disposed further rearward than the rear end of the upper chute member 130. That is, the sheet metal frame 31P is provided at a position that does not overlap with the stacking surface 150A positioned in front of the sheet metal frame 31P in the vertical direction. The motor 70, the toothed pulley 74, the transmission belt 75, the transmission pulley 76, the planetary gear mechanism 73, the conveying force transmission gear 83, the belt 52, the gear 53, and the drive gear 55 are arranged along the rear surface of the sheet metal frame 31P. Yes. That is, the driving force transmission unit 72 and the planetary gear mechanism 73 constituting the switching mechanism 71 are provided at positions that do not overlap with the mounting surface 150A in the vertical direction when the mounting surface 150A is viewed from above.

[Stopper protruding position]
The operation when the stopper 80 is displaced to the protruding position will be described with reference to FIG. In a state where the planetary gear 79 is not coupled to the toothed pulley 74, the sun pulley 78 rotates in the Y direction when the motor 70 rotates in the reverse direction (in the Y direction). As the sun pulley 78 rotates in the Y direction, the planetary gear 79 revolves in the L direction while rotating in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 9, when the planetary gear 79 is coupled to the toothed pulley 74 to the first transmission position, the toothed pulley 74 prevents the planetary gear 79 from revolving in the L direction. The toothed pulley 74 rotates in the Y direction as the planetary gear 79 rotates in the X direction. The rotation of the toothed pulley 74 in the Y direction is transmitted to the transmission pulley 76 via the transmission belt 75, and the transmission pulley 76 rotates. As the transmission pulley 76 rotates, the transmission rotation shaft 77 connected to the transmission pulley 76 tries to rotate integrally. At this time, a stopper 80 and a biasing spring 81 are attached to the front end portion of the transmission rotating shaft 77, and a biasing force that rotates the transmission rotating shaft 77 in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the transmission pulley 76 acts. . However, the driving force transmitted from the motor 70 to the transmission pulley 76 and input to the transmission rotation shaft 77 rotates the transmission rotation shaft 77 in the Y direction shown in FIG. 9 against the urging force of the urging spring 81. It is configured to let you.

  As described above, with the rotation of the transmission rotating shaft 77 in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 6A, the stopper 80 that has been retracted below the stacking surface 150A is located above the mounting surface 150A. Displacement toward When the stopper 80 is displaced upward, as shown in FIG. 13, the stopper 80 comes into contact with the lower end 51D of the holder 51 to separate the separation unit 50 upward from the stacking surface 150A. At this time, the tip of the displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 is positioned to the right of the rotation axis X54 of the separation roller 54 (upstream in the transport direction) and to the left of the rotation axis X92 of the supply roller 92 (downstream of the transport direction). To abut the lower end 51D of the holder 51. Specifically, the tip of the displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 contacts the lower end 51D of the holder 51 on the left side from the intermediate position between the rotation axis X54 and the rotation axis X92. Further, as the transmission rotation shaft 77 rotates in the Y direction, the stopper 80 lifts the separation unit 50 and is displaced to the protruding position shown in FIG. At this time, the tip of the displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 contacts the lower end 51D of the holder 51 on the right side of the intermediate position between the rotation axis X54 and the rotation axis X92. The tip of the displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 that comes into contact with the lower end 51D of the holder 51 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. You may comprise the surface extended in the front-back direction in the front-end | tip of the displacement part 80D of the stopper 80 with a curved surface. Thereby, when the stopper 80 is displaced to the protruding position or the retracted position, the frictional force generated at the tip of the displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 can be reduced.

  As described above, the stopper 80 has a certain thickness in the front-rear direction. This thickness forms a plane extending in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the contact portion 80A of the stopper 80 at the protruding position has a small flat surface extending in the vertical direction and the front-back direction. Then, the contact portion 80A of the stopper 80 at the protruding position protrudes upward toward the lower end 51D of the holder 51 while intersecting the loading surface 150A at an acute angle. The contact portion 80A contacts the left end of the sheet SH at the protruding position, thereby restricting the sheet SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A from entering the separation roller 54 and positioning the sheet SH. Positioning accuracy of the sheet SH can be increased by the left end of the sheet SH coming into contact with the above-described plane of the contact portion 80A.

  The motor 70 is a stepping motor, and the control unit 110 can control the rotation amount in the Y direction with respect to the transmission rotation shaft 77 by controlling the rotation amount in the Y direction with respect to the motor 70. The amount of rotation of the motor 70 necessary for displacing from the retracted position to the protruding position is obtained in advance, and the control unit 110 rotates the motor 70 based on the amount of rotation, so that the stopper 80 is reliably set at the protruding position. Displace to. A wall surface formed by an upper chute member 130 (not shown) exists at the left end of the opening 150B shown in FIG. In the protruding position shown in FIG. 6B, the right end of the stopper 80 abuts against the wall surface formed by the upper chute member 130 described above. Therefore, the rotation of the transmission rotating shaft 77 beyond the protruding position is restricted by the wall surface formed by the upper chute member 130 described above. A photo sensor that detects the position of the right end of the stopper 80 at the protruding position may be provided on the bottom surface of the upper chute member 130 to control the rotation amount of the stepping motor.

  After the stopper 80 is displaced to the protruding position, the control unit 110 cuts off the power supply to the motor 70. The motor 70 is equal to or greater than the force obtained by combining the urging force of the urging spring 81 at the protruding position and the acting force acting on the stopper 80 when the left end of the sheet SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A comes into contact with the right end of the stopper 80. By using a motor having a detent torque of (2), the stopper 80 can be maintained at the protruding position even when the user stacks the sheet SH on the stacking surface 150A. The controller 110 may maintain the protruding position of the stopper 80 by generating a holding torque in the motor 70 by energizing the motor 70.

[Stopper retract position]
The operation when the stopper 80 is displaced to the retracted position will be described with reference to FIG. When the planetary gear 79 is coupled to the toothed pulley 74, that is, when the stopper 80 is in the protruding position, the sun pulley 78 rotates in the X direction when the motor 70 rotates positively (in the X direction). . As the sun pulley 78 rotates in the X direction, the planetary gear 79 revolves in the R direction while rotating in the Y direction. When the planetary gear 79 revolves in the R direction, the planetary gear 79 and the toothed pulley 74 are disconnected, and the driving force of the motor 70 is not transmitted to the stopper 80. When the driving force of the motor 70 of the stopper 80 is not transmitted, the transmission rotating shaft 77 rotates in the X direction by the biasing force of the biasing spring 81 as described above. As a result, the stopper 80 is displaced to the retracted position as shown in FIG. When the stopper 80 is displaced toward the lower side of the loading surface 150A, the separation unit 50 is lowered in the direction approaching the loading surface 150A by its own weight, and comes into contact with the loading surface 150A and stops. As described above, the stopper 80 is in contact with the receiving member 84 in the retracted position, and is located between the stacking surface 150A and the lower chute member 140. Note that, as described above, the transmission rotation shaft 77 has a configuration in which the transmission pulley 76 and the toothed pulley 74 provided at the rear end of the transmission rotation shaft 77 are wound around the transmission belt 75. Therefore, in order for the transmission rotating shaft 77 to rotate in the X direction, it is necessary to rotate not only the transmission rotating shaft 77 but also the toothed pulley 74 via the transmission pulley 76 and the transmission belt 75 in the X direction. Therefore, the biasing spring 81 has a biasing force enough to rotate the toothed pulley 74 wound around the transmission rotating shaft 77, the transmission pulley 76, and the transmission belt 75 in the X direction via the stopper 80. A torsion coil spring.

  When the forward rotation of the motor 70 is continued after the planetary gear 79 and the toothed pulley 74 are disconnected, as shown in FIG. 9, the planetary gear 79 is coupled to the conveying force transmission gear 83 and is moved to the second transmission position. Become. The revolution of the planetary gear 79 in the R direction is prevented by the transport force transmission gear 83. The transport force transmission gear 83 rotates in the X direction as the planetary gear 79 rotates in the Y direction. As a result, the driving force of the motor 70 is transmitted to the conveying force transmission gear 83. As the conveyance force transmission gear 83 rotates in the X direction, the gear 53 rotates in the X direction via the belt 52. The drive gear 55 and the rotation shaft 54S rotate in the Y direction as the gear 53 rotates in the X direction. The separation roller 54 and the supply roller 92 rotate in the Y direction as the drive gear 55 and the rotation shaft 54S rotate in the Y direction, and convey the sheet SH shown in FIG. 6A to the curved path P1B.

[Reading process]
Next, reading processing by the ADF unit 9 in the multifunction machine 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The reading process by the ADF unit 9 is executed by the CPU 110 </ b> A of the control unit 110 when the conveyance instruction is input after the multifunction device 1 is turned on.

  When the power is turned on, the control unit 110 controls each control target and shifts the multifunction device 1 to the first operation mode (S1). Next, the control part 110 performs the process which switches the stopper 80 to a protrusion position (S2). Specifically, the control unit 110 reversely rotates the motor 70, and the switching mechanism 71 switches the stopper 80 from the retracted position illustrated in FIG. 6A to the protruding position illustrated in FIG. 6B. Then, the control part 110 interrupts | blocks the electricity supply to the motor 70, stops reverse rotation, and maintains the stopper 80 in a protrusion position. S2 is an example of the “switching process” and the “motor stop process” in the present invention.

  Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not a conveyance instruction has been input (S3). The conveyance instruction is input, for example, when the user presses a button corresponding to “reading start” on the operation panel 40. Note that the conveyance instruction may be input by the user sending a signal instructing to start reading from an external computer connected to the LAN communication unit 111.

  When it is determined that the conveyance instruction is input (S3: YES), the control unit 110 determines whether or not the sheet placement sensor 112 is ON (S8). When it is determined that the sheet placement sensor 112 is ON (S8: YES), that is, when it is determined that the sheet SH to be read is set on the stacking surface 150A (supply tray 12), the control unit 110 performs the stopper A process of switching 80 to the retracted position is executed (S9). Specifically, the control unit 110 rotates the motor 70 forward, and the switching mechanism 71 displaces the stopper 80 from the protruding position to the retracted position. Thereafter, the control unit 110 continues the forward rotation of the motor 70, and the sheet SH on the stacking surface 150A detected by the sheet placement sensor 112 is transported to the transport path P1 by the transport unit 6 (S10). If it is determined that the sheet placement sensor 112 is OFF (S8: NO), the process waits until the sheet SH is placed on the stacking surface 150A. S9 is an example of the “switching process” in the present invention.

  Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is ON (S11). When it is determined that the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is ON (S11: YES), the control unit 110 controls the start timing of the reading operation by the image sensor 3S based on the timing when the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is ON. Then, the reading process is executed (S12). As a result, the image is read by the image sensor 3 </ b> S while the sheet SH is being conveyed by the conveyance unit 6. Here, the stopper 80 and the switching mechanism 71 for switching the stopper 80 do not exist above the stacking surface 150A and the upper chute member 130, and the conveyance of the conveyed sheet SH is not hindered. When it is determined that the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is OFF (S11: NO), the process waits until the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is turned ON.

  When the reading process is executed, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is OFF in parallel (S13). When it is determined that the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is OFF (S13: YES), the controller 110 determines whether the sheet placement sensor 112 is OFF (S14). When it is determined that the sheet placement sensor 112 is OFF (S14: YES), the control unit 110 stops the rotation of the motor 70 and stops the conveyance operation by the conveyance unit 6 (S15). This is because, when the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is OFF and the sheet placement sensor 112 is OFF, it is determined that all the sheets SH set on the stacking surface 150A are normally read and discharged. . Therefore, the control unit 110 executes a process (S2) of switching the stopper 80 to the protruding position (S2) to prepare for a case where the next sheet SH is placed on the stacking surface 150A, and determines a next conveyance instruction (S3). ). On the other hand, if it is determined that the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is not turned off (S13: NO), it is determined that the reading of the sheet SH being conveyed has not been completed, and the process waits until the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is turned off. If it is determined that the sheet conveyance sensor 113 is OFF and the sheet placement sensor 112 is not OFF (S14: NO), it is determined that there is a sheet SH that is not conveyed on the stacking surface 150A, and the next The conveyance of the sheet SH is started (S10).

  If it is determined in S3 that no conveyance instruction is input (S3: NO), the control unit 110 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (S4). When it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed (S4: YES), the control unit 110 controls each control target and shifts the multifunction device 1 to the second operation mode (S5). S5 is an example of the “operation mode transition process” in the present invention.

  Further, the control unit 110 determines whether or not a conveyance instruction is generated (S6). When it is determined that the conveyance instruction is generated (S6: YES), the control unit 110 controls each control target and shifts the multifunction device 1 to the first operation mode (S7). That is, even after shifting to the second operation mode, the generation of the conveyance instruction is continuously monitored, and when the conveyance instruction is generated, the process immediately shifts to the first operation mode and starts the processing from S8. On the other hand, when it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (S4: NO), the process returns to S3, and the above-described conveyance instruction determination process (S3) is continued. If it is determined in S6 that no conveyance instruction has been generated, the process waits until a conveyance instruction is generated.

[Function and effect]
The multifunction machine 1 according to the present embodiment includes a stacking surface 150A that supports sheets SH, and a separation unit 50 that is disposed to face the stacking surface 150A and separates and transports the sheets SH supported on the stacking surface 150A one by one. And a stopper that can be displaced to a protruding position that protrudes from the loading surface 150A of the supply tray 12 and a retracted position that retreats from the loading surface 150A. The stopper 80 in the protruding position abuts on the leading end of the sheet SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A and regulates the leading end position of the sheet SH. The stopper 80 in the retracted position is retracted below the stacking surface 150A and does not interfere with the sheet SH conveyed on the stacking surface 150A. In addition, a switching mechanism 71 that switches the stopper 80 between a protruding position and a retracted position is provided, and the switching mechanism 71 is also disposed at a position that does not interfere with the sheet SH conveyed on the stacking surface 150A. As a result, it is possible to align the leading ends of the sheets SH supported on the stacking surface 150A before the start of conveyance of the sheets SH, and after the start of conveyance, the sheet SH and the stopper 80 or the sheet SH conveyed on the stacking surface 150A. Good sheet conveyance that does not cause interference with the switching mechanism 71 can be realized.

  Further, the holder 51 constituting the separation unit 50 is supported on the rotation shaft 54 </ b> S of the separation roller 54. When the displacement portion 80D of the stopper 80 is displaced from the retracted position toward the protruding position, the stopper 80 comes into contact with the lower end 51D of the holder 51 and lifts the separation unit 50 away from the stacking surface 150A. That is, the displacement of the stopper 80 to the protruding position and the ascending operation of the separation unit 50 can be linked. Thereby, compared with the case where the raising operation of the separation unit and the displacement of the stopper to the protruding position are performed by separate mechanisms, the apparatus configuration can be simplified and the apparatus can be reduced in size.

  Further, when the stopper 80 is displaced to the retracted position, the separation unit 50 is lowered in a direction approaching the loading surface 150A by its own weight. Therefore, a mechanism for lowering the separation unit 50 is unnecessary, and the number of parts can be reduced.

  The switching mechanism 71 includes a driving force transmission unit 72 that is connected to the stopper 80 and transmits a driving force of the motor 70 for displacing the stopper 80, a planetary gear 79, and an urging spring 81. The planetary gear 79 can be displaced to either the first transmission position or the second transmission position. In the first transmission position, the planetary gear 79 transmits the driving force from the motor 70 to the stopper 80 via the driving force transmission portion 72, so that the stopper 80 is displaced to the protruding position. On the other hand, the planetary gear 79 stops the driving force transmission from the motor 70 to the driving force transmitting portion 72 and the stopper 80 and transmits the driving force to the separation roller 54 at the second transmission position. The biasing spring 81 biases the stopper 80 toward the retracted position. Therefore, the stopper 80 is displaced to the retracted position by the urging force of the urging spring 81 when transmission of the driving force from the motor 70 is stopped. As described above, the displacement of the stopper 80 to the protruding position, the displacement of the stopper 80 to the retracted position, and the sheet SH can be conveyed with a simple configuration of one motor and the switching mechanism 71. Therefore, the apparatus configuration can be simplified and the apparatus can be reduced in size compared to the case where the switching between the protruding position and the retracted position of the stopper and the conveyance of the sheet SH are performed by separate mechanisms.

  Further, the driving force transmission unit 72 included in the switching mechanism 71 includes a transmission rotation shaft 77 including an input unit 72A to which a stopper 80 is attached at one end and the driving force of the motor 70 is input to the other end. The transmission rotating shaft 77 is provided at a position opposite to the separation unit 50 via the loading surface 150A, and extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction. 72 A of input parts are arrange | positioned in the axial center direction of the transmission rotating shaft 77 in the position which does not overlap with 150 A of loading surfaces. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the interference between the conveyed sheet SH and the transmission rotation shaft 77, and to realize good sheet conveyance.

  The driving force transmission unit 72 includes a toothed pulley 74 that rotates in response to the driving force from the motor 70, a transmission pulley 76 that is an input unit 72A attached to the other end of the transmission rotating shaft 77, and a toothed type. The transmission belt 75 is wound around a pulley 74 and a transmission pulley 76 and transmits the driving force of the motor 70 from the toothed pulley 74 to the transmission pulley 76. With the above-described configuration, it is possible to suppress the interference between the sheet SH being conveyed and the driving force transmission unit 72 while achieving quietness in transmission of the driving force of the motor 70, thereby realizing good sheet conveyance.

  Further, the rotation axis X77 of the transmission rotation shaft 77 is configured to be parallel to the rotation axis X54 of the separation roller 54. The sheet SH supported on the stacking surface 150 </ b> A is positioned by a stopper 80 attached to the transmission rotation shaft 77. It is possible to suppress the sheet SH supported on the stacking surface 150A from being skewed and conveyed.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 1 of the present embodiment, the control unit 110 includes the control unit 110 that controls the forward rotation and the reverse rotation of the motor 70. The control unit 110 can control each control target and control the multi-function device 1 to the first operation mode and the second operation mode in which the power consumption is lower than that of the first operation mode. In the first operation mode, the control unit 110 rotates the motor 70 in the reverse direction, and the switching mechanism 71 switches the stopper 80 to the protruding position, and then shifts to the second operation mode. Therefore, since the stopper 80 is switched to the protruding position even in the second operation mode, the leading ends of the sheets SH placed on the placement surface 150A can be aligned.

  Further, the motor 70 is a stepping motor, and the controller 110 reversely rotates the motor 70 in the first operation mode, and after the switching mechanism 71 switches the stopper 80 to the protruding position, the motor 70 is de-energized, The reverse rotation of the motor 70 is stopped. The motor 70 is equal to or greater than the force obtained by combining the urging force of the urging spring 81 at the protruding position and the acting force acting on the stopper 80 when the left end of the sheet SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A comes into contact with the right end of the stopper 80. By using a motor having a detent torque of (2), the stopper 80 can be maintained at the protruding position even when the user stacks the sheet SH on the stacking surface 150A. Thereafter, the control unit 110 shifts to the second operation mode. Therefore, since the stopper 80 can be maintained at the protruding position even in the second operation mode, the leading ends of the sheets SH placed on the placement surface 150A can be aligned regardless of the operation mode.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The protruding position of the stopper 80 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 6B. The protruding position of the stopper 80 is a position at which the stopper 80 can come into contact with the separation unit 50 to separate the separation unit 50 from the loading surface 150A. Therefore, the control unit 110A controls the number of steps of reverse rotation of the motor 70, and the position where the stopper 80 and the lower end 51D of the holder 51 abut may be changed as shown in FIG. . In addition, the control unit 110A may change the protruding position of the stopper 80 by changing the position where the stopper 80 and the lower end 51D of the holder 51 abut by controlling the reverse rotation time of the motor 70.

  With the above configuration, the protruding position of the stopper 80 (the protruding amount from the stacking surface 150A) can be adjusted based on the maximum stacking amount of the sheets SH stacked on the stacking surface 150A (preliminarily defined in this apparatus). it can. Thereby, it is possible to secure a space in the vertical direction between the stacking surface 150A and the separation unit 50 necessary for stacking the maximum number of sheets SH. Therefore, when the user stacks the sheet SH on the stacking surface 150A, the interference between the separation unit 50 and the sheet SH can be suppressed, so that the workability for the user to stack the sheet SH on the stacking surface 150A can be improved.

  The switching mechanism 71 is not limited to the configuration including the planetary gear mechanism 73. For example, the pulley may be fixed coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor 70, and the pulley wound coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor 70, the toothed pulley 74, and a belt may be wound.

  According to this configuration, the protruding position and the retracted position of the stopper 80 can be switched by switching the rotation direction of the motor 70 without using the planetary gear mechanism 73, so that the number of parts can be reduced.

  Further, the motor 70 is not limited to a stepping motor, and may be a DC motor. By controlling the rotational speed of the DC motor by the control unit 110, the stopper 80 is switched to the retracted position, and the interference sound when the separation unit 50 descends and interferes with the loading surface 150A can be suppressed.

  The switching mechanism 71 may be composed of a solenoid or an electromagnetic clutch, and may switch the protruding position and the retracted position of the stopper 80. In this case, it is not necessary to transmit the driving force by the motor 70, and the planetary gear mechanism 73 and the input unit 72A are not necessary, so that the number of parts can be reduced.

In addition, the motor 70 serves as both a driving force transmission to the separation roller 54 for conveying the sheet SH and a driving force transmission to the stopper 80 via the driving force transmission unit 72. It may be provided.
Further, the stopper 80 is not limited to a substantially L shape when viewed from the front, but may be configured with a substantially I shape when viewed from the front.

  The present invention can be used for a sheet conveying device, an image reading device, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Multifunction machine, 3 ... Reading unit, 3S ... Image sensor, 9 ... ADF part 50 ... Separation unit, 92 ... Supply roller 54 ... Separation roller, 54S ... Rotating shaft, X54 ... Rotating shaft center 51 ... Holder, 51F ... Front Wall part, 51R ... Rear wall part, 51D ... Lower end 70 ... Motor 71 ... Switching mechanism, 72 ... Driving force transmission part, 72A ... Input part, 81 ... Biasing spring 73 ... Planetary gear mechanism (sun pulley 78, planetary gear 79 )
74 ... pulley with teeth, 75 ... transmission belt, 76 ... transmission pulley,
77: Transmission rotating shaft, X77: Rotating shaft center 80: Stopper 150A ... Loading surface (first upper conveying surface 130A, paper feeding surface 12A), SH ... Sheet

Claims (13)

A support surface for supporting the sheet;
A separation unit that is arranged to face the support surface and conveys the sheets supported by the support surface one by one;
A stopper that is displaced in a direction approaching the separation unit and that is displaced from a first position protruding from the support surface and a second position that is displaced in a direction away from the separation unit and is retracted from the support surface;
A switching mechanism for switching the stopper between the first position and the second position,
The separation unit is
A paper feed roller for feeding out the sheet supported by the support surface in the transport direction;
Rotating around the axis of a first rotating shaft that is located downstream of the paper feed roller in the transport direction and extends in a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the transport direction, A separation roller for separating the sheets supported on the support surface one by one;
A holder supported by the first rotating shaft, swingable about an axis of the first rotating shaft, and rotatably supporting the paper feed roller;
When the stopper is displaced to the first position, the stopper contacts the separation unit to separate the separation unit from the support surface, and the stopper is supported by the support surface at the first position. Configured to position the sheet in contact with the leading edge of the sheet,
The sheet transfer device, wherein the switching mechanism is disposed at a position that does not interfere with the sheet conveyed by the separation unit. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1,
When the stopper is displaced to the first position, the stopper contacts the holder to separate the separation unit from the support surface. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2,
The holder includes a side wall through which the first rotation shaft is inserted and rotatably supports the paper feed roller,
When the stopper is displaced to the first position, the stopper contacts the lower end of the side wall to separate the separation unit from the support surface. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the stopper is displaced to the second position, the separation unit is lowered in a direction approaching the support surface by its own weight. The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A motor rotatable in a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction;
The switching mechanism includes a driving force transmission unit that is interposed between the motor and the stopper, and that displaces the stopper by transmitting the driving force of the motor to the stopper.
The control unit executes a switching process for switching a rotation direction of the motor between the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction;
The switching mechanism is
When the motor rotates in the first rotation direction by the switching process, the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the driving force transmission unit, thereby switching the stopper to the first position,
When the motor is rotated in the second rotation direction by the switching process, the transfer of the driving force of the motor to the driving force transmission unit is stopped to switch the stopper to the second position. apparatus. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 5,
The switching mechanism is further interposed between the motor and the driving force transmission unit, and transmits a driving force from the motor to the driving force transmission unit, and a driving force from the motor to the driving force transmission unit. Including a switching gear displaceable between the second transmission position for transmission to the separation roller,
The switching mechanism is
When the rotation direction of the motor is switched to the first rotation direction by the switching process, the switching gear is displaced to the first transmission position, and the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the driving force transmission unit. , Switching the stopper to the first position,
By the switching process, the rotation direction of the motor is switched to the second rotation direction, the switching gear is displaced to the second transmission position, and transmission of the driving force of the motor to the driving force transmission unit is stopped. Accordingly, the sheet conveying device switches the stopper to the second position. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 5 or 6,
The switching mechanism further includes a biasing spring that biases the stopper toward the second position,
The switching mechanism is
When the rotation direction of the motor is switched to the first rotation direction by the switching process, the driving force of the motor transmitted from the driving force transmission unit to the stopper resists the biasing force of the biasing spring. , Switching the stopper to the first position,
When the rotation direction of the motor is switched to the second rotation direction by the switching process, the transmission of the driving force of the motor to the driving force transmission unit is stopped, and the biasing force of the biasing spring causes the A sheet conveying device that switches the stopper to the second position. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The driving force transmission unit includes a second rotating shaft provided with an input unit to which the stopper is attached at one end and a driving force from the motor is input to the other end.
The second rotation shaft is provided at a position opposite to the separation unit via the support surface, and extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction,
The sheet conveying apparatus, wherein the input unit is disposed at a position that does not overlap the support surface in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 8,
The driving force transmission unit is
A first pulley that rotates in response to a driving force from the motor;
A second pulley attached to the other end of the second rotating shaft as the input unit;
A belt wound around the first pulley and the second pulley and transmitting a driving force of the motor from the first pulley to the second pulley;
The switching mechanism is
By the switching process, the rotation direction of the motor is switched to the first rotation direction, whereby the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the first pulley constituting the driving force transmission unit, and the belt and the second pulley The second rotating shaft rotates via the switch to switch the stopper to the first position,
By the switching process, the rotation direction of the motor is switched to the second rotation direction, whereby transmission of the driving force of the motor to the first pulley constituting the drive transmission unit is stopped, and the stopper second position Switch to the sheet conveying device. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,
The sheet conveying apparatus, wherein an axis of the second rotating shaft is parallel to an axis of the first rotating shaft. A support surface for supporting the sheet;
A separation unit that is arranged to face the support surface and conveys the sheets supported by the support surface one by one;
A stopper that is displaced in a direction approaching the separation unit and that is displaced from a first position protruding from the support surface and a second position that is displaced in a direction away from the separation unit and is retracted from the support surface;
A switching mechanism for switching the stopper between the first position and the second position;
A reading unit that reads an image of the conveyed sheet,
The separation unit is
A paper feed roller for feeding out the sheet supported by the support surface in the transport direction;
Rotating around the axis of a first rotating shaft that is located downstream of the paper feed roller in the transport direction and extends in a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the transport direction, A separation roller for separating the sheets supported on the support surface one by one;
A holder supported by the first rotating shaft, swingable about an axis of the first rotating shaft, and rotatably supporting the paper feed roller;
When the stopper is displaced to the first position, the stopper contacts the separation unit to separate the separation unit from the support surface, and the stopper is supported by the support surface at the first position. Configured to position the sheet in contact with the leading edge of the sheet,
The image reading apparatus, wherein the switching mechanism is disposed at a position that does not interfere with a sheet conveyed by the separation unit. The image reading apparatus according to claim 11.
A motor rotatable in a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction;
A control unit,
The switching mechanism includes a driving force transmission unit that is connected to the stopper and displaces the stopper using a driving force of the motor.
The controller is
A switching process for switching the rotation direction of the motor between the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction can be executed.
The apparatus can be controlled in any one of a first operation mode that operates with a first power consumption and a second operation mode that operates with a second power consumption lower than the first power consumption,
An operation mode transition process for transitioning from the first operation mode to the second operation mode can be performed,
In the first operation mode, the control unit performs a switching process for switching the rotation direction of the motor to the first rotation direction when the signal for starting the conveyance of the sheet is not received in the first operation mode, and the driving force transmission unit An image reading apparatus that executes the operation mode transition process after switching the stopper to the first position by transmitting the driving force of the motor to the first position. The image reading apparatus according to claim 12, wherein
The motor is a stepping motor;
The control unit performs a motor stop process for stopping rotation of the stepping motor after switching the stopper to the first position by the switching process, and executes the motor stop process, and then performs the operation mode transition process. An image reading apparatus that executes

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