JP2018008766A - Sheet conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet conveying apparatus having a side guide mechanism enabling a smooth slide operation.SOLUTION: A side guide mechanism of a sheet conveying apparatus comprises: a regulation unit coming into contact with sheets placed on a tray, on which the sheets are loaded, to regulate side ends of the sheets; a guide base provided so as to cover the top of the sheets loaded on the tray and holding the regulation unit so as to extend downward; and a moving mechanism allowing the guide base and the regulation unit to move in a sheet width direction. The guide base is provided with an operation part for sliding the guide base in the sheet width direction with fingers of a user hooked thereto.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus such as an auto document feeder.

  2. Description of the Related Art A sheet conveying apparatus such as an auto document feeder is known as an apparatus for placing a sheet on a tray and feeding the placed sheet to a document reading unit in order to feed the sheet to a conveyance path. Patent Document 1 describes a sheet device for reading an original, and discloses a sheet apparatus that switches between a U-turn conveyance path and a straight conveyance path. Also known is a sheet conveying apparatus that feeds a sheet to be printed to a printing unit. In such an apparatus for feeding a sheet, a side guide mechanism is provided that allows a guide member to slide in accordance with the size in the width direction of the sheet when the sheet is placed on the tray. The position of is regulated.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-271136

  In such a side guide mechanism in the sheet loading tray, the user often holds the regulating portion of the guide member itself and slides the guide member. Part of the force applied to the restricting portion acts as a force in the direction of warping the guide member, which tends to hinder smooth sliding operation, and may increase sliding resistance and accelerate member wear .

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus having a side guide mechanism capable of a smooth sliding operation.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus having a side guide mechanism that regulates the position of a sheet to be placed in the sheet width direction, and the side guide mechanism includes:
A tray on which sheets are stacked, a regulating portion that abuts and regulates a side edge of a sheet placed on the tray, and is provided so as to cover the top of the sheets stacked on the tray. A guide base that holds the guide base and the restricting portion so as to be movable in the sheet width direction, and a user puts a finger on the guide base. An operation unit for sliding the base in the sheet width direction is provided.

  According to the above configuration, a sheet conveying apparatus having a side guide mechanism capable of a smooth sliding operation is realized.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a composite printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detail of the original document loading platen part in the original document reading conveyance part of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a document reading / conveying unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conveyance path formed by a document conveyance path according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the composite printing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a sheet transport path switching operation and a mechanism thereof according to the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining the drive mechanism for driving the conveyance roller etc. of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a side guide unit of a stacking tray in the document reading and conveying unit according to the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining the parameter | index referred in the installation operation in the stacking tray of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the side guide unit in the stacking tray of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the side guide in the stacking tray of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention is used as a part of the components of the image forming apparatus in the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine thereof. is there. In this case, the sheet conveying device is used as a part of a configuration for conveying a sheet as a document and reading it by an image reading device, or as a part of a configuration for conveying a sheet as a medium by an image forming device and copying an image on the sheet. Sometimes. The read information read by the image reading apparatus is formed as an image on a sheet by an image forming unit (image forming unit) of the image forming apparatus. That is, the image read by the image reading device is copied onto a sheet by the image forming unit. In the following embodiments, an inkjet type composite printing apparatus will be described as an example, but the present invention can also be used for devices such as a copying machine, a FAX, and a read-only document scanner other than the inkjet type.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a composite printing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The composite printing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is generally configured to include a document reading / conveying unit 1 and a printing unit 315. The print unit 315 includes an inkjet print head, and prints an image or the like on the sheet by scanning the print head with respect to the sheet. The printing unit 315 can print the document read by the document reading / conveying unit 1 on a sheet. That is, the composite printing apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a function of a copying apparatus. The print unit 315 performs recording based on image data sent from the host device.

  The document reading / conveying unit 1 includes a document stacking pressure plate unit 40 having a sheet conveying mechanism and a reading unit 41 for reading a sheet document. The document stacking pressure plate unit 40 includes a rotatable transport unit that switches between the U-turn path and the straight path to transport the document sheet, and the reading unit 41 reads the document during transport in each path. The reading unit 41 of the document reading / conveying unit 1 can also read a document placed on the document glass. At the time of reading, in order to place the document on the document glass, the entire document stacking pressure plate unit 40 is rotated and opened. The document reading and conveying unit 1 further includes an operation unit 320, whereby a user (operator) can make various inputs via the operation unit 320 and acquire information from the composite printing apparatus 100. . Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the document reading and conveying unit 1 will be described.

  FIGS. 2A and 2B are views showing details of the document stacking pressure plate portion 40 in the document reading and conveying unit 1 shown in FIG. 1, and show a state in which the conveying unit forms a U-turn path and a straight path, respectively. ing. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the document reading / conveying section 1 in the state shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. 2 and 3, the document stacking platen 40 of the document reading and conveying unit 1 includes a first document conveying path (provided by the first conveying unit) 51 and a second document conveying path (provided by the second conveying unit). ) 52 and a third document conveyance path (provided by the third conveyance unit) 53. The first document transport path 51 is provided to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis. As a result, the first document transport path 51 takes the first posture shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A to form a U-turn path, and is shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B. A straight path is formed by taking the second posture.

  The first document transport path 51 is provided with a pickup roller 3 that contacts and picks up the uppermost one of the stacked documents S. Further, on the downstream side of the pickup roller 3 in the sheet conveying direction, a separation roller 5 and a separation pad 4 that are in pressure contact with each other are provided for separating and feeding the documents S picked up by the pickup roller 3 one by one. ing. The second document conveyance path 52 is connected to the first document conveyance path 51 on the upstream end side of the sheet conveyance, and is connected to the third document conveyance path on the downstream end side. A sheet conveyance path is formed by these three conveyance paths. A document discharge tray 18 is provided on the downstream end side of the third document transport path 53. The third document conveyance path 53 is provided with a first conveyance roller 7 and a second conveyance roller 9 on the downstream end side for discharging the document S to the document discharge tray 18. A document edge sensor (not shown) that detects the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document S is attached to the third document transport path 53.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 4A, when the first document conveyance path 51 is in the first rotation position (first posture), the first document conveyance path 51 and the second document conveyance are performed. The path 52 and the third document transport path 53 form a transport path for transporting the document S represented by an arrow in FIG. This first posture is a posture close to the horizontal. Hereinafter, the form of the transport path is referred to as a first transport form. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 4B, the second of the first conveyance path 51 is formed by rotating the first document conveyance path 51 more than 90 degrees around a predetermined rotation axis. At the rotation position (position shifted to the second posture), the second document conveyance path 52 is retracted from the sheet conveyance path. Then, the first original conveyance path 51 and the third original conveyance path 53 form a conveyance path for conveying the original S represented by an arrow in FIG. This form is hereinafter referred to as a second transport form. The document S can be transported in any of the first transport mode and the second transport mode. The operation of moving the first document transport path 51 from the first posture to the second posture and the details of the mechanism will be described later. Here, FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a conveyance path formed by the first to third document conveyance paths 51, 52, and 53, respectively showing a U-turn path and a straight path.

  2A and 2B and FIGS. 3A and 3B again, the reading unit 41 includes a contact image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CIS) 30, and reads a document by the CIS 30. I do. The CIS 30 includes an LED and irradiates the document S from the LED. Then, the reflected light from the original is imaged on the sensor element by the self-focusing rod lens array to read the image information. The CIS 30 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). Thus, when reading a document placed on the document glass 22 or reading a book document (flatbed scan), the document is placed on the document glass 22 while scanning from the left side to the right side of FIGS. Scan the placed document. The CIS 30 is also stopped and fixed at a sheet document reading position (a position facing the reading white base plate 8; a position shown in FIG. 4), which is a position below the third document transport path 53. At this position, the original on the original sheet conveyed through the U-turn path or the straight path can be read through the ADF glass 23.

  The driving force of a drive motor (not shown) is transmitted to the separation roller 5, the pickup roller 3, the first transport roller 7 and the second transport roller 9 by a gear train which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). The When the user instructs the start of reading via the operation unit 320 in a state where the document reading and conveying unit 1 is in the first conveying form shown in FIG. 4A, the drive motor rotates. In conjunction with this, the separation roller 5 and the pickup roller 3 rotate and the pickup arm 6 rotates to press the pickup roller 3 against the document S. Then, the document sheet S is conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction by the rotation of the pickup roller 3. When the document sheet S reaches the separation unit, the document S is separated into one sheet by the separation roller 5 and the separation pad 4, and the uppermost document S is separated and conveyed. The separated document sheet S is transported along the first document transport path 51 and the second document transport path 52 by the transport force of the pickup roller 3 and the separation roller 5, and sent to the third document transport path 53. In the third document conveyance path, the document sheet S is conveyed to the reading unit by the CIS 30 by the first conveyance roller 7 using a drive motor as a drive source. The separation roller 5 is rotated at a lower peripheral speed than the first conveyance roller 7 and the second conveyance roller 9. When the drive motor is continuously rotated, the separation roller 5 is positioned between the first document S and the second document S. A predetermined amount of space is opened.

  When the leading edge of the document S is detected by a document edge sensor (not shown), the document reading / conveying unit 1 transports the document S from the position of the document S, while the document S is being conveyed, Reading starts. When the trailing edge of the document S is detected by a document edge sensor (not shown), reading of image information by the CIS 30 is finished when a predetermined amount is conveyed from that position. When it is determined by a document edge sensor (not shown) that there is a subsequent document S, the drive motor is continuously rotated, the next document S is continuously read, and a document presence sensor (not shown) detects the absence of the next document. The document conveyance is continued until the image information of the next document S is similarly read. Further, after being read by the CIS 30, the document sheet S is discharged to the document discharge tray 18 by the second transport roller 9 while being guided by the discharge guide 19 provided in the document stacking pressure plate portion 40.

  On the other hand, when the document reading / conveying unit 1 is in the second conveying form shown in FIG. 4B, the separation roller 5 and the pickup roller 3 are rotated by the rotation of the drive motor and the pickup arm 6 is also rotated. It rotates and presses the pickup roller 3 against the document S. Then, the document sheet S is conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction by the rotation of the pickup roller 3. When the document sheet S reaches the separation unit, the document S is separated one by one by the separation roller 5 and the separation pad 4, and the uppermost document S is separated and conveyed. Then, the separated document S is sent from the first document transport path 51 to the third document transport path 53 by the transport force of the pickup roller 3 and the separation roller 5, unlike the case of the first transport mode. Thereafter, in the third document conveyance path, the document S is read in the same manner as in the first conveyance mode.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the composite printing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration. In FIG. 5, a main control board 301 has a main control IC 302 that controls the entire apparatus. The main control IC 302 includes a microprocessor unit (MPU) 306, a read image processing unit 307, a print image processing unit 308, an image encoding unit 309, and the like, and controls the entire apparatus via a system bus 303. . The ROM 304 stores program code, initial value data, table data, and the like for the operation of the MPU 306. The RAM 305 is used as a calculation buffer and an image memory. The reading unit 310 includes the CIS 30, the read image correction unit 312, the reading system driving unit 313, a CIS 314 different from the CIS 30, and the like. The reading unit 310 drives the reading system driving unit 313 to move the CIS 30, and sequentially reads an image optically and converts it into an electrical image signal. The read image correction unit 312 performs shading correction and the like on this signal. Further, the read image processing unit 307 performs image processing and outputs high-definition image data. When reading both sides of the document S, the CIS 314 is operated simultaneously with the CIS 30. As described above, the printing unit 315 moves the print head 316 to a predetermined position by driving by the printing system driving unit 318. At the same time, the image data is printed by outputting the image data created by the print image processing unit 308 to the print head 316 via the print signal output unit 317. The operation panel 320 displays an image or the like on the display unit 321 via the operation panel interface unit 323 and receives an operation input from the operation unit 322. The audio output unit 325 converts audio data into a signal and outputs message audio from the speaker 326. The communication connection unit 327 is connected to the communication network 328 and the telephone 329, and inputs / outputs voice and encoded data. The encoded data is mutually converted into an image by the image encoding unit 309. The external interface unit 331 is a USB standard interface, for example, and is connected to an external device 332 such as a personal computer. The nonvolatile memory 333 is composed of a flash memory or the like, and stores work data and image data so that they are not erased at the time of power failure. The wireless LAN module 334 performs image input / output via an access point outside the apparatus. The power supply unit 340 supplies power necessary for operations of the main control board, the reading unit 310, the printing unit 315, the operation panel 320, and the like.

  Hereinafter, each of the PC scan operation, copy operation, facsimile reception operation, and print operation, which are operations performed by the composite printing apparatus 100 having the above-described configuration, will be described.

<PC scan operation>
The document image information read by the CIS 30 (and CIS 314) of the reading unit 310 is first subjected to processing such as shading correction by the read image correction unit 312. Next, the read image processing unit 307 develops the image data in the RAM 305 and then the image encoding unit 309 compresses and encodes the image data into, for example, the JPEG format. The encoded data passes through the external interface unit 331 and is output to the external device 332.

<Copy operation>
The document image information read by the CIS 30 (and CIS 314) of the reading unit 310 is subjected to processing such as shading correction by the read image correction unit 312. Next, the read image processing unit 307 develops the image data as image data in the RAM 305, and the image encoding unit 309 then compresses and encodes the image data into, for example, the JPEG format and temporarily accumulates it. The accumulated image data is sequentially sent to the print image processing unit 308 and converted into a print image. The print image is output to the print head 316 via the print signal output unit 317, whereby printing is performed on the sheet.

<Facsimile transmission operation>
The document image information read by the CIS 30 (and CIS 314) of the reading unit 310 is subjected to processing such as shading correction by the read image correction unit 312. Next, the read image processing unit 307 develops the image data as image data in the RAM 305, and the image encoding unit 309 then compresses and encodes the data into, for example, the MR (Modified Read) format and temporarily stores the data. The accumulated image data is transmitted and received by the communication connection unit 327 for facsimile communication procedure signals, and then transmission of the image data is started. Even after the start of transmission, reading is continued and transmission is continued while accumulating image data.

<Facsimile reception operation>
When an incoming call is received from the communication network 328, the communication connection unit 327 transmits / receives a facsimile communication procedure signal, and then starts receiving image data. The image data is demodulated by the image encoding unit 309 and developed in the RAM 305. The developed image data is sequentially sent to the print image processing unit 308 and converted into a print image. The print image is output to the print head 316 via the print signal output unit 317. As a result, printing is performed on the sheet.

<Print operation>
Commands and reception parameters transmitted from the external device 332 and received by the external interface unit 331 are interpreted by the MPU 306 and developed in the RAM 305 as image data by the image encoding unit 309. The developed image data is sequentially sent to the print image processing unit 308 and converted into a print image. The print image is output to the print head 316 via the print signal output unit 317. As a result, printing is performed on the sheet.

  The sheet conveyance path switching operation and its mechanism will be described in detail below.

  FIGS. 6A to 6C are views for explaining the sheet conveying path switching operation and the mechanism thereof according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As described above, the first document transport path 51 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable around the first document transport path rotation shaft 401. The second document conveyance path 52 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable around a second document conveyance path rotation axis 402. The second document transport path 52 is urged toward the first document transport path 51 by a torsion coil spring (not shown) provided on the rotation shaft. In the present specification, the first document transport path 51 and the second document transport path 52 sometimes refer to the transport path itself, but as will be described with reference to FIGS. May refer to that unit when it rotates as a single unit. In the first transport mode, the rotation angle with respect to the paper discharge tray can be expressed as a position at a predetermined angle. In the second transport mode, the rotation angle is set at a position larger than the predetermined angle. Can be represented.

  When the first document transport path 51 and the second document transport path 52 are in the first transport form shown in FIG. 6A, the transport paths are formed in a comb-like shape at the boundary between the transport paths. As a result, it is possible to prevent the document from being caught when the conveyance path is switched. The first document transport path 51 is provided with a first document transport path rotating cam 403, while the second document transport path 52 is provided with a second document transport path rotating cam 404. The first document transport path 51 and the second document transport path 52 are in contact with each other through these cams, and are rotated to move to the respective positions shown in FIGS. Is done.

  Specifically, as described above, the second document conveyance path 52 is urged by the coil spring with respect to the first document conveyance path 51. In this state, for example, from the first conveyance mode shown in FIG. 6A, the user manually rotates the first document conveyance path 51 counterclockwise. As a result, the first document conveyance path rotation cam 403 and the second document conveyance path rotation cam 404 interact with each other due to the rotation, and the first document conveyance path 51 and the first document conveyance path 51 are coupled together as shown in FIG. The two document transport paths 52 also rotate counterclockwise. In the present embodiment, when the first document conveyance path 51 is rotated by 100 degrees, the first document conveyance path 51 abuts against the rotation stop, and the position is fixed by a fixing mechanism (not shown). This state is the second transport mode shown in FIG. The clockwise rotation in the reverse direction is the same. In the state shown in FIG. 6C, when the user manually rotates the first document conveyance path 51 clockwise, FIG. It can move to the state shown to Fig.6 (a) through the state shown to b).

  In the first transport mode shown in FIG. 6A, the transport path from paper feed to paper discharge is a U-turn transport path (U-turn path) that is transported with the transport direction being bent by approximately 180 degrees. It is possible to reduce the actual use area of the apparatus including the original and the discharged original. On the other hand, in the second conveyance mode, the sheet conveyance direction is straighter than U-turn conveyance (straight path), and the actual use area of the apparatus is widened, but the conveyance original is difficult to curl and conveyance resistance is small. It can handle a wide range of paper types such as cardboard. According to this embodiment, the first transport mode and the second transport mode can be switched by the above-described operation, and the user can select whether to give priority to the actual use area or the corresponding paper type. .

  Further, since the first document transport path 51 and the second document transport path 52 do not interfere with each other during the movement from the first transport mode to the second transport mode, the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Can be formed over the entire area. As a result, it is possible to reduce the conveyance failure due to the catching of the document. In other words, the first document transport path 51, which is a movable transport path, has two rotation positions (two transport sections of the transport unit) in the first transport mode (FIG. 6A) and the second transport mode (FIG. 6C). The posture is formed with a conveyance path. In this case, in the first transport mode, the first document transport path 51 contacts the second document transport path 52 and the transport path, and the second document transport path 52 contacts the third document transport path 53 and the transport path. On the other hand, in the second transport mode, the first document transport path 51 is in contact with the third document transport path 53 and the second document transport path 52 does not constitute a transport path. Thus, when the first document transport path 51 rotates from the rotational position constituting the third document transport path 53 and the second transport mode to the position of the first transport mode, the first document transport path 53 is simply removed from the third document transport path 53. It can be set as the operation | movement which leaves | separates. On the other hand, when rotating to the position constituting the second conveyance mode, the operation can simply be in contact with the third document conveyance path 53. As a result, when the first document conveyance path 51 is rotated, a conveyance path configuration having no part that interferes with the third document conveyance path 53 can be obtained. In addition, since the first document transport path 51 similarly rotates the second document transport path 52 via a cam when the first document transport path 51 is rotated, interference between the transport paths can be avoided in this rotation.

  Furthermore, in the second transport mode, the transport path length between the separation roller 5 and the first transport roller 7 can be shortened compared to the first transport mode. As a result, the second conveyance mode can cope with reading of a document that is shorter in the conveyance direction than the first conveyance mode. Furthermore, it can contribute to shortening the conveyance time. Further, since the first document transport path 51 and the second document transport path 52 are in contact with each other only by the cam portion, the rotation operation does not affect the sheet passing surface of the transport path, and is always good. It is possible to maintain the state of the paper.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are views for explaining a driving mechanism for driving a conveyance roller and the like in the document reading and conveying unit 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As better shown in FIG. 7B, the gear train constituting the drive mechanism of the present embodiment is composed of two gear trains, a gear train M4 and a gear train M5. Among these, the gear train M5 is provided in the unit of the first document transport path 51. The rotation shafts of the pickup roller 3 and the separation roller 5 are connected to part of the gear of the gear train M5. On the other hand, the gear train M4 is provided in the document stacking pressure plate section 40. The rotation shafts of the first transport roller 7 and the second transport roller 9 are connected to a part of the gear of the gear train M4. These first and second transport rollers 7 and 9 constitute a third document transport path 53. FIG. 7A corresponds to the first transport mode shown in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 7B corresponds to the second transport mode shown in FIG. 6B.

  When the pinion gear attached to the rotation shaft of the drive motor M is engaged with the gear 502 at the end of the gear train M4, the driving force of the drive motor M is changed to the gear in the gear train M4, the intermediate gear 500, and the gear train. It is transmitted to each of the above-described rollers via gears in M5. The drive motor M is a brush type DC motor, and a rotary encoder that detects a rotation amount by reading a detection slit pattern printed on a code wheel film (not shown) disposed on a motor shaft by an encoder sensor (not shown). It is arranged near the motor. Based on the pulse signal from the encoder, rotation control of the drive motor M is performed by pulse width modulation (PWM) control.

  An intermediate gear 500 that transmits the rotation of these gear trains is disposed between the gear train M4 and the gear train M5. The intermediate gear 500 is supported so that the rotation axis is the same axis as the rotation shaft 401 (rotation center) of the first document conveyance path 51 described above. Accordingly, when the first document transport path 51 described above with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C is rotated, the intermediate gear 500 is stopped and the entire gear train M5 together with the first document transport path 51 is stopped. Rotate. That is, the gear 501 at the end of the gear train M5 disposed in the first document transport path 51 circulates around the intermediate gear 500 as a sun gear as a planetary gear. Then, gears other than the gear 501 in the gear train M5 rotate according to the rotation according to the rotation of the gear 501. By configuring the drive mechanism as described above, it is possible to simplify the drive mechanism for the conveyance path switching configuration by rotating the first document conveyance path 51.

  Of course, when the drive motor M is driven to rotate the respective rollers, the intermediate gear 500 rotates to transmit the rotation of the gear in the gear train M4 to the gear in the gear train M5.

  In the present embodiment, when the drive motor M is rotationally driven in the direction in which the document sheet is conveyed, the intermediate gear 500 is moved in the direction in which the first document conveyance path 51 rotates from the first conveyance mode to the second conveyance mode. Rotate. Accordingly, when the document sheet is transported in the second transport mode, a driving force is applied in the direction in which the first document transport path 51 is opened, so that the first document transport path 51 can be prevented from closing.

  Further, when the first document transport path 51 is moved from the first transport mode to the second transport mode by a user operation, the gear train M5 on the downstream side of the intermediate gear 500 rotates. At this time, the gear train M5 is configured so that the separation roller 5 and the pickup roller 3 rotate in the direction opposite to the document sheet conveying direction in accordance with this rotation. As a result, when a paper jam occurs while the user is transporting the document sheet in the first transport mode, even if the user moves the first document transport path 51 to the second transport position, force is exerted on the document sheet in the transport direction. Since it is not added, the jammed original sheet can be easily removed.

  FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views showing the configuration of the side guide unit of the stacking tray 14 in the document reading and conveying unit 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a figure which decomposes | disassembles and shows. Hereinafter, with reference to this figure and FIGS. 2A and 2B, the configuration of the side guide unit that guides the end of the document sheet in the width direction in the stacking tray 14 in the conveyance direction will be described.

  The side guide unit 200 is provided in the first document conveyance path 51. The side guide unit 200 has a pair of guide members 210 and 211 that respectively contact the end portions in the width direction of the document sheet and guide the document in the transport direction. The guide members 210 and 211 are integrally provided with rack portions 210c and 211c, respectively, and these rack portions are arranged to mesh with the pinion gear 201 arranged at the center in the width direction of the first document conveying path 51, respectively. That is, the rack part is coupled to the side guide base. Each of the guide members 210 and 211 is configured to be slidable in the document sheet width direction (direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction). Accordingly, the guide members 210 and 211 of the side guide unit 200 move symmetrically with respect to the center line in the document conveyance direction. The guide units 210 and 211 include side guide bases 210a and 211a that face the document surface of the sheet, respectively, and regulation units 210b and 211b that contact the document sheet side end portion and guide the document sheet in the transport direction. These restricting portions include flat portions 210d and 211d that are parallel to the transport direction and orthogonal to the document surface. The side guide bases 210a and 211a hold the restricting portions so that they extend downward. The document feed guide 203 shown in FIG. 2B is provided on the side facing the document placement tray 14 in the first transport mode. That is, the upper surface cover 101 of the first document conveyance path 51 and the document feed guide 203 are arranged so as to sandwich the side guide unit 200. The top cover 101 of the first document transport path 51 has an opening 204, and the side guide base 210a of the side guide unit 200 is exposed through this opening. The side guide base 210a is provided with a hole 210e, and the hole 210e is located at a position corresponding to the opening 204.

  The hole 210e provided in the side guide base 210a functions as an operation unit for placing a finger when the user slides the side guide unit 200. That is, the user places a finger on the hole 210e and moves the side guide base 210a to cause the slide. As a result, the z-direction position of the center of gravity of the moving member for sliding such as the side guide base and the rack part and the position of the operation part can be made substantially the same position. Can be suppressed. As a result, there is no galling or the like during sliding, and the side guide can be moved smoothly.

  In addition, it may replace with the hole part 210e which penetrates the board surface of a side guide base as an operation part which a user puts a finger, and you may make it the recessed part which does not penetrate a board surface. Further, a protrusion protruding from the side of the side guide base opposite to the sheet passing surface, that is, from the upper surface of the side guide base may be provided as a finger hook for the user.

  In the first transport mode shown in FIG. 2A, the user slides the side guide unit 200 by placing a finger on the edge of the hole 210e exposed from the opening 204 of the upper surface cover 101 of the first document transport path 51. It can be performed. At this time, the guide members 210 and 211 are positioned above the original sheets stacked on the original placing tray 14, and the restricting portions 210 b and 211 b extend from the upper side to the lower side of the original sheets. . Concave portions 214a and 214b are formed in the document stacking tray, and the restricting portions 210b and 211b are configured to be higher than the opening height of the document stacking portion, and the leading ends of the restricting portions 210b and 211b enter the recessed portions 214a and 214b. It has become. The recesses 214 a and 214 b are provided corresponding to the movable range of the side guide unit 200. That is, the concave portion is formed corresponding to the region from the maximum width to the minimum width of the corresponding document sheet width. The leading ends of the restricting portions 210b and 211b enter the recesses 214a and 214b and are positioned below the set surface of the tray. As a result, it is possible to prevent the original from entering under the restricting portion when the original is set. By providing a mechanism for sliding the side guide (rack and pinion section; moving mechanism) on the upper surface cover 101 side of the first document transport path 51 above the document sheet, the side guide is guided to the document stacking tray 14 side. Therefore, a guide hole shape is not required. In general, the user pushes and sets a document to the set position while shifting the document sheet set on the document stacking tray 14 in the paper feeding direction. At that time, if the leading edge of the document is caught in the guide hole of the side guide and the setting is continued as it is, problems such as document sheet damage may occur. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described above, there is no hole shape on the document setting surface of the document stacking tray 14 that prevents document setting. As a result, the original sheet can be set smoothly. Further, since there is no hole shape, there is an advantage that foreign matter can be prevented from entering the inside of the document feeder. The pickup roller 3 and the separation roller 5 described above are also provided in the first conveyance path cover 101 that forms the first conveyance path 51. Since the side guide unit 200 and the pickup roller 3 and the separation roller 5 that form the paper feed unit are attached to the same conveyance path member, the attachment positions of each other can be arranged with high accuracy. Accordingly, when the pickup roller is not accurately arranged at the center of the document, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the straight-ahead performance due to the left-right balance being lost and causing the skew when the document is drawn.

  In the second transport mode, as shown in FIG. 2B, the document feed guide 203 functions as a support surface that supports the lower side of the document. The user can hold the tip of the restricting portion 210b of the side guide unit 200 and slide the side guide in the moving direction. Also in the second transport mode, the side guide unit 200, the pickup roller 3 that forms the paper feeding unit, and the separation roller 5 are attached to the same member, so that skewing can be suppressed.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the side guide unit of the present embodiment, good operability can be ensured even when the side guides form a pair. Furthermore, since the positional accuracy in the width direction of the side guide and the separation part can be maintained high, it is possible to improve the separation performance such as skew suppression. Further, the side guide unit of the present embodiment can regulate the position in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction in common in a plurality of conveyance modes even in the sheet conveyance apparatus capable of switching the conveyance path. Accordingly, it is possible to configure a side guide that can favorably guide a document and has good operability in any form of conveyance path. In the first conveyance mode, the guide base covers the sheets stacked on the tray in a non-contact manner, and in the second conveyance mode, the guide base becomes a part of the sheet stacking unit.

  FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining indexes that the user refers to in the installation operation in the stacking tray 14 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 9A and 9B show the document placement section in the first transport mode and the second transport mode, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, on the upper surface cover 101, which is a covering member on the upper side of the first document conveyance path 51, an index indicating the surface (front side) of the sheet-like document and the downstream side in the document conveyance direction. A conveyance path upper surface cover index 102 composed of an arrow index (direction index) indicating a direction is provided. These indices correspond to the first transport mode. Further, these indexes are formed by a concavely engraved portion. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the lower surface cover 103 that forms the lower covering member of the first document transport path 51 is provided with an index indicating the back surface (back side) of the document sheet and downstream in the document sheet transport direction. A conveyance path lower surface cover index 104 composed of an index of an arrow indicating the side direction is provided. These indicators correspond to the second transport mode. These indices are also formed by the concavely engraved portions.

  In the first transport mode shown in FIG. 9A, according to the transport path upper surface cover index 102 provided on the upper surface cover 101, a plurality of document sheets are respectively placed on the upper surface and the uppermost sheet (the first sheet) 1 page) with the surface visible. At that time, the document sheet is inserted into the first document transport path 51 in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. When the sheet is inserted and placed on the placement tray 14, the user can perform an operation of placing the sheet while viewing the index 102 </ b> A representing the sheet surface of the upper surface cover index 102. Thereby, during the placement operation, the user compares the surface of the sheet with the index 102A representing the surface. If the surface on which the document is written is not visible on the placed sheet, for example, the front and back of the sheet You can see that is the opposite.

  Note that, during the main placement operation in the first transport mode, the user cannot see the transport path lower surface cover index 104 because the transport path lower surface cover 103 is in the retracted state. When the document is read in this state, the document sheet passes between the conveyance path lower surface cover 103 and the cover facing this. On the document discharge tray 18, the first page of the document is discharged so that the surface of the first page contacts the surface of the document discharge tray 18, and sequentially discharged, and then the final page is discharged with the back side up. .

  In the second conveyance mode shown in FIG. 9B, the conveyance path lower surface cover 103 can be seen. According to the conveyance path lower surface cover index 104 provided on the cover, a plurality of document sheets are divided into the lowermost sheets ( Place it with the back side of the last page visible. The first document transport path 51 is inserted and placed in the direction of arrow B in the figure. Similarly, when the sheet is inserted and placed on the placement unit, the user can perform an operation of placing the sheet while looking at the index 104A representing the sheet back surface of the lower surface cover index 104. As a result, the user can notice when the front and back sides of the sheet are reversed by comparing the sheet surface and the back surface index 104A during the placement operation.

  Note that, during the main loading operation in the second conveyance mode, the conveyance path upper surface cover 101 is on the back side of the place where the sheet is placed, and the conveyance path upper surface cover index 102 cannot be seen. When a document is read in this state, the document is discharged onto the document discharge tray 18 so that the back side of the last page of the document is in contact with the surface of the document discharge tray 18, and sequentially discharged, with the first page facing the upper side. Discharged.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can place the sheet while checking whether there is an error on the front and back when placing the sheet on the placement unit. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from noticing that the front and back sides are reversed until the original reading result is obtained, and the operability of the apparatus can be improved.

  Further, the first document transport path upper surface cover index 102 and the transport path lower surface cover index 104 can be viewed by the user independently during operation in the first transport mode and the second transport mode, respectively. That is, in any conveyance mode, the manuscript sheet placement operation does not see both indicators at the same time, and the user can clearly recognize the front and back sides of the manuscript and the insertion direction. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the indicators in the transport path upper surface cover index 102 and the transport path lower surface cover index 104 are in a reverse relationship with one on the front and the other on the back, which makes it easier to recognize.

(Second Embodiment)
FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views showing the configuration of the side guide unit of the stacking tray 14 in the document reading and conveying unit 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship of the side guides in the stacking tray according to the second embodiment. In these drawings, the same elements as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the present embodiment, as an operation unit on which a user puts his / her finger, a projection portion 205 that protrudes in parallel with the stacked sheets and toward the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction is a side guide base. 210a. The projecting portion 205 is formed so that the protruding protruding portion extends in parallel with the document sheet conveying direction. The protrusion 205 is a portion that the user pinches with a finger when sliding the guide member. The protrusion 205 is formed on substantially the same plane as the side guide base 210a and is disposed in the vicinity of the extension line of the rack 210c. That is, in the same manner as described above in the first embodiment, in addition to providing the operation unit at the position substantially the same as the position of the center of gravity in the z direction of the moving member for sliding, the position of the projection part 205 is set to the position of the rack part 210c. It is substantially the same as the value of the center of gravity in the y direction. Thereby, when the user holds the protrusion 205 and slides the side guide 210, the force operated by the user is transmitted to the rack portion 210c in a substantially straight line through the side guide base 210a. Since a useless force that rotates the side guide with respect to the pinion does not occur, the sliding operation of the side guide can be performed smoothly.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the rack parts 210C and 211C of this embodiment are arrange | positioned contrary to the form shown in FIG. However, this is to configure the protrusion 205 to the rack 211C so as to be substantially in a straight line, and there is no functional difference between the rack shown in FIG. 5 and the rack shown in FIG. 11 in other points.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Document reading conveyance part 3 Pickup roller 5 Separation roller 7 1st conveyance roller 9 2nd conveyance roller 14 Document loading tray 18 Document discharge tray 40 Document loading pressure plate part 51 1st document conveyance path 52 2nd document conveyance path 53 1st 3 Document conveyance path 200 Side guide 210a Side guide base 210b Restriction part 210e Hole part 211a Side guide base 211b Restriction part 401 First document conveyance path rotation center 402 Second document conveyance path rotation center

Claims (10)

A sheet conveying apparatus having a side guide mechanism for regulating a position of a sheet to be placed in the sheet width direction,
The side guide mechanism is
A tray on which sheets are stacked,
A restricting portion that abuts and regulates the side edge of the sheet placed on the tray;
A guide base that is provided so as to cover the sheets stacked on the tray, and holds the restricting portion so as to extend downward;
A moving mechanism that allows the guide base and the restricting portion to move in the sheet width direction;
With
The sheet conveying apparatus, wherein the guide base is provided with an operation unit for a user to hang his / her finger and slide the guide base in the sheet width direction.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is a hole or a recess formed in the guide base.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit includes a protrusion protruding from an upper surface of the guide base or a protrusion protruding parallel to the sheet.   A pair of the restricting portions opposed to each other across the sheet in the sheet width direction and a pair of guide bases corresponding to the restricting portions are provided, and the pair of guide bases and the restricting portions are the moving mechanism. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveying apparatuses move in opposite directions.   The moving mechanism includes a pair of racks coupled to each of the pair of guide bases and extending in the seat width direction, and one pinion gear engaged with each of the racks between the pair of racks. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4.   The operation unit is provided on one of the pair of guide bases and is not provided on the other, and when the user operates the operation unit, the pair of guide bases move in conjunction with each other. 5. The sheet conveying apparatus according to 5. A separation unit that separates a plurality of sheets stacked on the tray one by one;
A conveyance path member constituting a part of a conveyance path for conveying the sheet separated by the separation unit;
Further comprising
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the side guide mechanism and the separation unit are attached to the conveying path member. A transport unit that transports the sheet, and the transport unit can take a first posture close to horizontal and a second posture rotated more than 90 degrees from the first posture;
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the restricting unit is capable of restricting sheets stacked in the sheet width direction in both the first posture and the second posture. The sheet conveying apparatus according to item.   The guide base covers the sheets stacked on the tray in a non-contact manner in the first posture, and the guide base becomes a part of a sheet stacking portion in the second posture. The sheet conveying apparatus according to 8.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reading unit that reads an image of the conveyed sheet.

Images