JP2017109814A - Sheet conveyance device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet conveyance device which can improve an alignment property of a sheet when the small-sized sheet is loaded on a discharge tray.SOLUTION: A discharge tray 100 includes: a main tray 110 of which a length in a width direction WF is set to be a first width W111, and which has a first support surface 111 for supporting a discharged sheet SH (SH1); a sub tray 120 of which a length in the width direction WF is set to be a second width W121 smaller than the first width W111, and which is detachably mounted on the main tray 110 in an overlapped state with the first support surface 111 from above, and has a second support surface 121 for supporting a discharged sheet SH (SH2); a pair of side guides 131, 132 which are arranged on the sub tray 120 and are respectively raised in positions of sandwiching the second support surface 121 from the width direction WF and are opposite to each other; and positioning means 114A, 114B, 124A, 124B which position the sub tray 120 with respect to the main tray 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133867 discloses a document conveying apparatus which is an example of a conventional sheet conveying apparatus. This document transport device includes a document transport unit and a document discharge table. The document transport unit transports the document along the transport path and discharges it in the discharge direction. A document ejected by the document transport unit is stacked on the document ejection table. A plurality of ribs project from the upper surface of the document discharge table so as to extend in the discharge direction. Each rib supports the discharged document from below.

JP 2012-62185 A

  By the way, in the above-described conventional document conveying apparatus, the document to be discharged next is discharged while contacting from the top with respect to the document discharged previously. For this reason, the document to be discharged next acts to push the previous document toward the downstream in the discharge direction. When the document to be ejected is a small size, there is a possibility that when the previous document is pushed out on the document ejection table, the document ejection table varies in the width direction. In addition, since a small-size document runs on only one rib in the middle of the document discharge table and is inclined, the document is easily displaced in the width direction of the document discharge table. As a result, this document feeder has a problem that it is difficult to improve the alignment of small-size documents.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional situation, and provides a sheet conveying apparatus capable of improving the alignment of sheets when a small-sized sheet is stacked on a discharge tray. With the goal.

The sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention conveys a sheet along a conveying path, and conveys the sheet in a discharging direction.
A sheet conveying device including a discharge tray on which sheets discharged by the conveying unit are stacked,
The discharge tray has a main tray in which a length in the width direction orthogonal to the discharge direction is set to a predetermined first width, and a first support surface that supports discharged sheets from below is formed.
The main tray is detachably mounted on the first support surface from above, the length in the width direction is set to a second width smaller than the first width, and the discharged sheet is supported from below. A sub-tray having a second support surface formed thereon;
A pair of side guides provided on the sub-tray and rising at positions sandwiching the second support surface from the width direction and facing each other;
Positioning means for positioning the sub-tray with respect to the main tray.

  In the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention, the sheet can be supported from below on the first support surface set to the first width of the main tray. When a small-size sheet is discharged, the sub-tray can be mounted on the main tray in a state of overlapping the first support surface from above. At this time, the sub-tray is positioned with respect to the main tray by the positioning means. A second support surface set to a second width smaller than the first width is formed on the sub-tray. For this reason, the small size sheet | seat discharged | emitted can be supported from the bottom on the 2nd support surface of a subtray. During this time, for example, the sheet discharged next on the second support surface comes into contact with the sheet discharged from above and is pushed out in the discharge direction, or the discharged sheet is inclined on the second support surface. Even if the sheet tends to shift in the width direction, the pair of side guides can restrict the sheet from shifting in the width direction on the second support surface.

  Therefore, in the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention, when small-sized sheets are stacked on the discharge tray, the alignment of the sheets can be improved.

1 is a perspective view of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic front view of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the base member in which the main tray was formed. It is a partial top view which shows the base member in which the main tray was formed. It is a perspective view which shows a subtray. It is a fragmentary perspective view which mainly shows the subtray with which the main tray was mounted | worn. It is a fragmentary perspective view which mainly shows the subtray with which the main tray was mounted | worn. It is a partial top view which mainly shows the subtray with which the main tray was mounted | worn. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the AA cross section of FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the BB cross section of FIG. (A) is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the CC cross section of FIG. 5, (b) is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the DD cross section of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the subtray of a modification. It is a side view which shows the subtray of a modification.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Example)
As shown in FIG. 1, an image reading apparatus 1 according to the embodiment is an example of a specific aspect of the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the side on which the operation panel 8P is arranged is defined as the front of the apparatus, and the side that comes to the left hand when facing the operation panel 8P is defined as the left side. To do. 2 are displayed in correspondence with the directions shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, each component provided in the image reading apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

<Overall configuration>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the image reading apparatus 1 includes a main body portion 8 and an opening / closing portion 9. The main body 8 is a flat substantially box-shaped body.

  The image forming unit 5 is accommodated in the lower part of the main body 8. The image forming unit 5 forms an image on a sheet by an ink jet method or a laser method. The reading unit 3 is accommodated in the upper part of the main body 8. The reading unit 3 is used when reading an image of a document. As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 8 </ b> P that is a touch panel or the like is provided on the front surface of the main body 8.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the opening / closing unit 9 is provided with a supply tray 91, a transport unit 4, and a discharge tray 100. The supply tray 91 is disposed in the right part of the opening / closing part 9. The supply tray 91 supports the sheet SH to be read from below. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport unit 4 is used when the reading unit 3 reads an image of the sheet SH. The transport unit 4 sequentially transports the sheets SH placed on the supply tray 91 along the transport path P1, and discharges them in the discharge direction D1. The discharge tray 100 is disposed at a position below the supply tray 91 in the right part of the opening / closing unit 9. On the discharge tray 100, sheets SH that have been read by the conveying unit 4 after being read are stacked.

  4 to 12, the discharge tray 100 includes a main tray 110, a sub-tray 120, a pair of side guides 131 and 132, first fitting portions 114A and 114B, and second fitting portions 124A and 124B. However, the specific configuration thereof will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a first platen glass 81 and a second platen glass 82 are disposed on the upper surface of the main body 8. A document support surface 81 </ b> A is formed by the upper surface of the first platen glass 81. The document support surface 81A supports the document from below when the reading unit 3 reads an image of the stationary document. Documents to be read include books, in addition to sheets such as paper and OHP sheets. The second platen glass 82 is positioned to the left of the first platen glass 81 and extends in the longitudinal direction. A reading surface 82 </ b> A is formed by the upper surface of the second platen glass 82. The reading surface 82A guides the conveyed sheet SH from below when the reading unit 3 reads an image of the sheet SH conveyed one by one by the conveying unit 4.

  In this embodiment, an object whose image is read using the document support surface 81A is referred to as a document, and an object whose image is read while being conveyed by the conveying unit 4 is referred to as a sheet SH. The document and the sheet SH may be substantially the same.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the opening / closing part 9 is supported by a hinge (not shown) disposed in the vicinity of the upper end edge of the rear surface of the body part 8 so as to be swingable around an opening / closing axis X9 extending in the left-right direction. In the closed state shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the opening / closing unit 9 covers the document support surface 81 </ b> A from above. Although not shown, the opening / closing portion 9 is displaced to an open position where the document supporting surface 81A is exposed by swinging around the opening / closing axis X9 so that the front end portion thereof is displaced upward and backward. As a result, the user can support the document to be read on the document support surface 81A.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the reading unit 3 includes a reading sensor 3S and a scanning mechanism (not shown). The reading sensor 3S is an example of the “reading unit” in the present invention. In the main body 8, the scanning mechanism reciprocates the reading sensor 3S in the left-right direction below the document support surface 81A and the reading surface 82A. When reading an image of a document supported on the document support surface 81A, the reading sensor 3S reads the image while moving below the document support surface 81A. The position where the reading sensor 3S stops under the reading surface 82A is a predetermined stationary reading position. When an image is read while the sheet SH is conveyed by the conveyance unit 4, the reading sensor 3S is stopped at the stationary reading position. As the reading sensor 3S, a known image reading sensor such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is employed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the surface facing the supply tray 91 is a flat surface that slopes downward to the left. The supply tray 91 is provided with a pair of positioning guides 61 and 62 slidable in the front-rear direction. The positioning guides 61 and 62 are opposed to each other in the front-rear direction. The positioning guides 61 and 62 are connected by a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown). The front-rear direction in which the positioning guides 61 and 62 slide is defined as a width direction WF. The positioning guides 61 and 62 approach and separate from each other, thereby sandwiching a plurality of types of sheets SH supported by the supply tray 91 from different sizes. Thus, the positioning guides 61 and 62 position the sheet SH on the supply tray 91 with respect to the center of the supply tray 91 in the width direction WF.

  In this embodiment, the large-size sheet SH that can be conveyed by the conveyance unit 4 is an A4 size or letter size sheet. These sheets are referred to as a large-sized sheet SH1. When positioning the large sheet SH1 on the supply tray 91, the positioning guides 61 and 62 are spaced apart at equal intervals to the length W1 in the width direction WF of the large sheet SH1, and the large sheet SH1 is moved forward and backward. From.

  In this embodiment, the sheet SH that can be transported by the transport unit 4 includes an A6 size or a postcard size sheet as a size smaller than the large size sheet SH1. An A6 size or postcard size sheet is referred to as a small size sheet SH2. When positioning the small size sheet SH2 on the supply tray 91, the positioning guides 61 and 62 slide so as to approach each other from the position shown in FIG. 1, and are equal to the length W2 of the small size sheet SH2 in the width direction WF. The small-size sheet SH2 is sandwiched from the front and rear sides at intervals.

  Although illustration is omitted, when the sheet SH having a size between the large size sheet SH1 and the small size sheet SH2 is positioned on the supply tray 91, the positioning guides 61 and 62 are arranged in the width direction WF of the sheets SH. The sheet SH is sandwiched from the front and rear sides with an interval equal to the length.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transport unit 4 defines a transport path P <b> 1 as a space surrounded by a guide surface that extends so as to come into contact with one surface and the other surface of the sheet SH in the opening / closing unit 9, a transport roller described later, and the like. To do. The conveyance unit 4 conveys the sheet SH along the conveyance path P1. The transport path P <b> 1 first includes a portion that slopes downward from the supply tray 91 toward the left and then slopes upward. Next, the conveyance path P1 includes a portion that curves downward. Next, the transport path P1 includes a portion that extends short to the right along the reading surface 82A from the curved portion. Finally, the transport path P1 includes a portion that rises toward the right and reaches the discharge tray 100.

  The conveyance direction of the sheet SH conveyed by the conveyance unit 4 is leftward in the upper part of the conveyance path P1, and is changed from leftward to rightward in the part curved downward in the conveyance path P1, and reading of the conveyance path P1 is performed. The lower part that passes through the surface 82A and reaches the discharge tray 100 faces right. The extending direction and shape of the transport path P1 are an example.

  The transport unit 4 includes a supply roller 41, a separation roller 42, and a separation pad 43 at a position close to the supply tray 91 in the transport path P1. The supply roller 41 sends out the sheet SH supported by the supply tray 91 toward the separation roller 42 downstream in the transport direction. When the plurality of sheets SH are about to be conveyed in a state of being overlapped, the separation roller 42 cooperates with the separation pad 43 to separate them one by one and conveys them downstream in the conveyance direction.

  The transport unit 4 includes a transport roller 44 </ b> A and a pinch roller 44 </ b> B at a position downstream of the separation roller 42 and the separation pad 43 in the transport direction. The conveyance roller 44A and the pinch roller 44B convey the sheet SH separated one by one by the separation roller 42 and the separation pad 43 downstream in the conveyance direction.

  The transport unit 4 includes a curved guide surface 45G, a curved guide surface 45H, a transport roller 45A, and a pinch roller 45B at a portion that curves downward in 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 transport path P1 from the outside. The curved guide surface 45H defines a portion that curves downward in the transport path P1 from the inside. The conveyance roller 45A and the pinch roller 45B nip the sheet SH conveyed by the conveyance roller 44 and the pinch roller 44P and convey the sheet SH toward the reading surface 82A.

  The transport unit 4 has a pressing member 49 at a position facing the reading surface 82A from above. The pressing member 49 presses the sheet SH conveyed from the conveying roller 45A and the pinch roller 45B from above and brings it into contact with the reading surface 82A.

  The transport unit 4 includes guide walls 47 and 46, a discharge roller 48A, and a pinch roller 48B on the right side of the pressing member 49. The discharge roller 48 </ b> A and the pinch roller 48 </ b> B are examples of the “most downstream portion of the conveyance path” in the present invention.

  The guide wall 47 defines, from below, a portion that rises to the right of the pressing member 49 in the transport path P1. The guide wall 46 is located above the guide wall 47 and forms a gap with the guide wall 47. The guide wall 46 defines, from above, a portion that rises to the right of the pressing member 49 in the transport path P1.

  The discharge roller 48 </ b> A is disposed in the vicinity of the right end portion of the guide wall 46. The pinch roller 48 </ b> B is disposed in the vicinity of the right end portion of the guide wall 47. As shown in FIG. 12, two sets of the discharge roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B are provided on the front which is one side in the width direction WF and on the rear side which is the other side in the width direction WF.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge roller 48 </ b> A and the pinch roller 48 </ b> B nip the sheet SH that has passed over the reading surface 82 </ b> A, convey it in the discharge direction D <b> 1, and discharge it to the discharge tray 100. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the width direction WF that is the front-rear direction is orthogonal to the discharge direction D <b> 1 that is the direction from left to right.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transport unit 4 has a pressing member 50 downstream of the discharge roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B in the discharge direction D1. The pressing member 50 is supported by an internal frame in the opening / closing portion 9 so as to be swingable around the swing axis X50. The swing axis X50 is located to the right and above the discharge roller 48A and extends in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 12, two pressing members 50 are provided on the front that is one side in the width direction WF and the rear that is the other side in the width direction WF.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing member 50 is biased by a torsion coil spring (not shown) so as to displace the end located downstream in the discharge direction D1 with respect to the swing axis X50 downward. . The sheet SH discharged by the discharge roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B advances toward the downstream in the discharge direction D1 while being pressed down by the pressing member 50.

<Specific configuration of discharge tray>
The discharge tray 100 includes a main tray 110 formed on a base member 99 constituting a lower portion of the opening / closing portion 9 as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and the like, and a main tray as shown in FIGS. The sub-tray 120 is detachably mounted on the 110 and a pair of side guides 131 and 132 provided on the sub-tray 120. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 9, and 10, the discharge tray 100 includes first fitting portions 114 </ b> A and 114 </ b> B provided on the main tray 110, and FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 10. As shown in FIG. 10, it has 2nd fitting part 124A, 124B provided in the subtray 120. As shown in FIG. The first fitting portions 114A and 114B and the second fitting portions 124A and 124B are examples of the “positioning means” in the present invention. These specific configurations will be described in detail below.

<Main tray>
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the main tray 110 is formed in the upper right portion of the base member 99. In the upper left portion of the base member 99, a part of the curved guide surface 45G described above and the guide wall 47 are formed, and an opening 99H is formed therebetween. The opening 99H is located directly above the reading surface 82A with the opening / closing part 9 closed. In this embodiment, the base member 99 is manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin or the like.

  The main tray 110 is formed with a first support surface 111, a first protrusion 115, ribs 116, 117, 118, and 119 and first fitting portions 114A and 114B.

  The first support surface 111 is a surface facing the top of the main tray 110. The first support surface 111 is a substantially rectangular flat surface inclined upward to the right from a position spaced downward with respect to the right end portion of the guide wall 47.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first support surface 111 is set to have a predetermined first width W111 in the width direction WF. The first width W111 is set to be larger than the length W1 in the width direction WF of the large sheet SH1. The first support surface 111 supports the sheet SH from below when the sheets SH of various sizes including the large size sheet SH1 are discharged.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first protrusion 115 is provided at the center of the first support surface 111 in the width direction WF. The first projecting portion 115 has a substantially prismatic shape, projects upward from the first support surface 111A, and extends in the discharge direction D1. A reference line C1 shown in FIG. 5 indicates a center line when the positioning guides 61 and 62 position the sheet SH on the supply tray 91 with the center reference. The reference line C1 extends in the left-right direction so as to pass through the central portion of the first support surface 111 in the width direction WF. The 1st protrusion part 115 is arrange | positioned on the reference line C1.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ribs 116 and 117 make a pair and are disposed at positions shifted from the first protrusion 115 to one side and the other side in the width direction WF. The ribs 116 and 117 are an example of the “pair of ribs” in the present invention. The ribs 118 and 119 also form a pair, and are disposed outside the width direction WF with respect to the ribs 116 and 117. The ribs 118 and 119 are also arranged at positions shifted from the first protrusion 115 to one side and the other side in the width direction WF.

  The ribs 116 to 119 have a substantially plate shape and protrude upward from the first support surface 111 and extend in the discharge direction D1. The upper end edges of the ribs 116 to 119 are inclined downward so as to approach the first support surface 111 toward the downstream in the discharge direction D1. The upper end edges of the ribs 116 to 119 are curved so as to be recessed downward. An upper end edge 115T of the first protrusion 115 is located above the upper end edges of the ribs 116 to 119 and extends to a position downstream of the ribs 116 to 119 in the discharge direction D1.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 10, the first fitting portions 114 </ b> A and 114 </ b> B are positioned adjacent to the upstream edge in the discharge direction D <b> 1 on the first support surface 111, in other words, discharged from the main tray 110. It is provided at a position adjacent to the roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B. The first fitting portions 114 </ b> A and 114 </ b> B make a pair and are disposed at positions shifted from the first protruding portion 115 to one side and the other side in the width direction WF. The distance from the reference line C1 to the first fitting portion 114A and the distance from the reference line C1 to the second fitting portion 114B are set to be the same. The first first fitting portion 114 </ b> A is disposed between the first protrusion 115 and the rib 116 and in the vicinity of the rib 116. The first fitting portion 114 </ b> B is disposed between the first protruding portion 115 and the rib 117 and in the vicinity of the rib 117. The first fitting portions 114A and 114B have a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction when viewed from above, and are recessed downward.

<Sub tray>
As shown in FIG. 6, the sub-tray 120 is a separate member from the base member 99. In this embodiment, the sub-tray 120 is manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin or the like. In the present embodiment, the pair of side guides 131 and 132 and the second fitting portions 124A and 124B are integrally formed on the sub-tray 120. In the description of the configuration of the sub-tray 120, the posture of the sub-tray 120 mounted on the main tray 110 is used as a reference in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction, as shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the sub-tray 120 is formed with a second support surface 121, a notch 128, a second protrusion 125, a recess 123, and second fitting portions 124A and 124B.

  The second support surface 121 is a surface facing the top of the subtray 120. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lower surface of the sub-tray 120, that is, the surface facing the first support surface 111 can be overlapped with the first support surface 111 from above. The shape follows the surface shape. The left portion of the second support surface 121 is a substantially rectangular flat surface 121Q extending rightward from the upstream edge 120F in the discharge direction D1 of the sub-tray 120. The right part of the second support surface 121 is an inclined surface 121S. The inclined surface 121S is inclined upward from the intermediate portion 121M in the discharge direction D1 on the second support surface 121 to the downstream edge portion 121E in the discharge direction D1. In the present embodiment, the intermediate portion 121M is set at a position closer to the downstream edge portion 121E than the upstream edge portion 120F in the discharge direction D1 of the second support surface 121. Therefore, the ratio of the inclined surface 121S to the entire second support surface 121 is smaller than that of the flat surface 121Q.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the second support surface 121 is set to a second width W121 whose length in the width direction WF is smaller than the first width W111 (see FIG. 5). The second width W121 is set to be slightly larger than the length W2 of the small size sheet SH2 in the width direction WF. In the present embodiment, the second width W121 of the second support surface 121 is set to be slightly narrower as it goes downstream in the discharge direction D1. The second support surface 121 supports the sheet SH2 from below when the small-size sheet SH2 is discharged with the sub-tray 120 mounted on the main tray 110.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the notch 128 is provided at the center of the second support surface 121 in the width direction WF. The notch 128 is recessed rightward from the upstream edge 120 </ b> F in the discharge direction D <b> 1 of the sub-tray 120. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the notch 128 is notched so as to avoid the first protrusion 115 formed on the main tray 110 in a state where the sub-tray 120 is mounted on the main tray 110.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the second protrusion 125 is provided at the center of the second support surface 121 in the width direction WF, and is located to the right of the notch 128. The second projecting portion 125 has a substantially prismatic shape, projects upward from the second support surface 121, and extends in the discharge direction D1. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, in a state where the sub-tray 120 is mounted on the main tray 110, the second protrusion 125 is disposed on the reference line C <b> 1 and is formed on the main tray 110. Extends in the discharge direction D1 following the first end 115E downstream of the discharge direction D1. In this state, as shown in FIG. 11, an extension line extending the upper end edge 115T of the first protrusion 115 toward the downstream side in the discharge direction D1 is denoted by L1. The first end 115E downstream in the discharge direction D1 in the first protrusion 115 and the second end 125E upstream in the discharge direction D1 in the second protrusion 125 face each other at a position lower than the extension line L1.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the recessed part 123 is recessed toward the upstream of the discharge direction D1 from the edge part 121E downstream of the 2nd support surface 121 (inclined surface 121S). The recessed portion 123 is recessed further leftward from the intermediate portion 121M in the discharge direction D1. In other words, the concave portion 123 cuts out a part of the flat surface 121Q beyond the intermediate portion 121M that is the boundary between the inclined surface 121S and the flat surface 121Q in the second support surface 121. Further, the recess 123 is recessed to the lower surface of the sub-tray 120 in the vertical direction, and a part of the lower surface of the sub-tray 120 is cut away.

  The pair of side guides 131 and 132 rises and faces each other at a position sandwiching the second support surface 121 from the width direction WF. The upper edges of the side guides 131 and 132 are inclined upward starting from a position shifted to the right from the upstream edge 120F of the sub-tray 120, and are moved to the edge 121E downstream of the second support surface 121 in the discharge direction D1. Connected. Therefore, the height of the side guides 131 and 132 is formed so as to gradually increase from the upstream to the downstream in the discharge direction D1.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the distance between the side guides 131 and 132 in the width direction WF is set to be approximately equal to the second width W121 of the second support surface 121. In the range from the upstream edge 120F to the start of the side guides 131 and 132 in the sub-tray 120, the length in the width direction WF is narrower than the second width W121, and the front edge and the rear edge of the narrow part Are guided portions 129A and 129B. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, when the sub-tray 120 is mounted on the main tray 110, the guided portions 129 </ b> A and 129 </ b> B are guided while being sandwiched by the ribs 116 and 117 of the main tray 110 from the width direction WF.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the second fitting portions 124 </ b> A and 124 </ b> B are provided at the edge 120 </ b> F upstream of the sub-tray 120 in the discharge direction D <b> 1. The front second fitting portion 124A protrudes downward in the vicinity of the left end of the front guided portion 129A. The rear second fitting portion 124B protrudes downward in the vicinity of the left end of the rear guided portion 129B.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when the first fitting portions 114 </ b> A and 114 </ b> B and the second fitting portions 124 </ b> A and 124 </ b> B are fitted, the sub-tray 120 is positioned with respect to the main tray 110.

<Image reading operation>
In the image reading apparatus 1, when reading an image of a document supported on the document support surface 81A, a scanning mechanism (not shown) operates in the reading unit 3, and the reading sensor 3S is moved from the lower side of the left edge of the document support surface 81A to the right end. Move left and right between the edges. As a result, the reading sensor 3S reads the image of the document supported on the document support surface 81A. Thereafter, the scanning mechanism (not shown) moves the reading sensor 3S that has finished reading from the right end side to the left end side in the reading unit 3 to return to the original position.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, when reading an image of the sheet SH on the supply tray 91, a scanning mechanism (not shown) is operated in the reading unit 3, and the reading sensor 3S is moved to a stationary reading position below the reading surface 82A. Stop. Thereafter, when the conveyance unit 4 sequentially conveys the sheet SH on the supply tray 91 along the conveyance path P1, the sheet SH passes above the reading sensor 3S at the stationary reading position while contacting the reading surface 82A. The reading sensor 3S reads an image of the sheet SH that passes therethrough. Then, the sheet SH from which the image has been read is discharged in the discharge direction D1 by the discharge roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B, and is stacked on the discharge tray 100.

<Effect>
In the image reading apparatus 1 according to the embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 12A, the sheets SH of various sizes including the large size sheet SH <b> 1 can be obtained in a state where the sub-tray 120 is not attached to the main tray 110. When discharged, the sheet SH can be supported from below on the first support surface 111 set to the first width W111 of the main tray 110.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, when the small-sized sheet SH2 is discharged, the sub-tray 120 overlaps the first support surface 111 from above as shown in FIGS. 7 to 11 and 12B. It can be mounted on the main tray 110 in a state. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 and the like, the sub-tray 120 is positioned with respect to the main tray 110 by fitting the first fitting portions 114A and 114B and the second fitting portions 124A and 124B. The As shown in FIG. 9, the sub-tray 120 is formed with a second support surface 121 set to a second width W121 that is smaller than the first width W111. The second width W121 is set to be slightly larger than the width W2 of the small size sheet SH2. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 12B, the small-size sheet SH2 can be supported from below on the second support surface 121 of the sub-tray 120. During this time, for example, the sheet SH2 discharged next on the second support surface 121 comes into contact with the sheet SH2 discharged from the top and is pushed out in the discharge direction D1, or the discharged sheet SH2 is the second support. The pair of side guides 131 and 132 prevents the sheet SH2 from being displaced in the width direction WF on the second support surface 121 even if it is inclined on the surface 121 and tends to shift in the width direction WF. it can.

  Therefore, in the image reading apparatus 1 according to the embodiment, when the small-sized sheet SH2 is stacked on the discharge tray 100, the alignment of the sheet SH2 can be improved.

  In the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the first fitting portions 114A and 114B are provided in the main tray 110 at positions adjacent to the discharge roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B. The fitting portions 124 </ b> A and 124 </ b> B are provided on the upstream edge portion 120 </ b> F of the sub-tray 120 in the discharge direction D <b> 1. The first fitting portions 114A and 114B and the second fitting portions 124A and 124B are fitted in the vicinity of the discharge roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B, thereby positioning the sub-tray 120 with respect to the main tray 110. Accordingly, in the image reading apparatus 1, the second support surface 121 and the pair of side guides 131 and 132 can be accurately positioned with respect to the small-sized sheet SH2 discharged by the discharge roller 48A and the pinch roller 48B.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 12A, the first protruding portion 115 has a large size on the first support surface 111 in a state where the sub-tray 120 is not attached to the main tray 110. The sheet SH1 is bent so as to be convex upward when viewed from the discharge direction D1. As a result, the large sheet SH1 on the first support surface 111 can have a waist. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 and 11, even when the sub-tray 120 is mounted on the main tray 110, the first protrusion 115 protrudes above the second support surface 121 by the notch 128. . Accordingly, the first protrusion 115 can also give a waist to the small-sized sheet SH2 on the second support surface 121. Further, the height difference between the first support surface 111 and the second support surface 121 can be reduced.

  In the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 and 11, the second protrusion 125 formed on the sub-tray 120 is the first protrusion with the sub-tray 120 mounted on the main tray 110. The first portion 115E downstream of the discharge direction D1 in the portion 115 extends in the discharge direction D1. As shown in FIG. 12B, such a second protrusion 125 is also curved so that the small-sized sheet SH2 on the second support surface 121 is convex upward when viewed from the discharge direction D1. As a result, the small sheet SH2 on the second support surface 121 can be effectively held.

  Furthermore, in this image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 11, the first end 115E downstream of the first protrusion 115 in the discharge direction D1 and the second end upstream of the second protrusion 125 in the discharge direction D1. The part 125E is opposed to an extended line L1 extending from the upper end edge 115T of the first projecting part 115 toward the downstream side in the discharge direction D1. Due to this positional relationship, as shown by the arrow Y1 in FIG. 11, the small-sized sheet SH2 is discharged. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the leading end of the sheet SH2 from being caught at a position where the first end portion 115E and the second end portion 125E face each other, thereby realizing excellent sheet discharge.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, when the sub-tray 120 is mounted on the main tray 110, the sub-tray 120 is slid in the direction opposite to the discharge direction D1, thereby The second fitting portions 124A and 124B of the sub-tray 120 are approached from the right side with respect to the first fitting portions 114A and 114B to perform alignment. At this time, the ribs 116 and 117 formed on the main tray 110 guide the guided portions 129A and 129B of the sub-tray 120 while sandwiching them from the width direction WF, whereby the first fitting portions 114A and 114B and the second fitting portions are provided. The alignment with 124A and 124B can be easily performed. Further, as shown in FIG. 12A, the ribs 116 and 117 work together with the ribs 118 and 119 to assist the first projecting portion 115. Therefore, the large-sized sheet SH1 on the first support surface 111 is used. Can be effectively curved so as to be convex upward when viewed from the discharge direction D1.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the second support surface 121 has an inclined surface 121S that is inclined upward from the intermediate portion 121M in the discharge direction D1 to the end edge portion 121E downstream in the discharge direction D1. Contains. As a result, when the small-size sheet SH2 on the second support surface 121 is pushed by the sheet SH2 to be discharged later and is shifted downstream in the discharge direction D1, the sheet SH2 rides on the inclined surface 121S, so that the sheet SH2 can be easily grasped. . As a result, the small-sized sheet SH2 on the second support surface 121 can be easily taken out from the sub-tray 120.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the sub-tray 120 has a recess 123 that is recessed from the edge 121E downstream of the discharge direction D1 in the second support surface 121 toward the upstream of the discharge direction D1. Is formed. By inserting a finger into such a recess 123, it becomes easier to grip a small-sized sheet SH2 supported by the second support surface 121, particularly the sheet SH2 riding on the inclined surface 121S. As a result, the small-sized sheet SH2 on the second support surface 121 can be easily taken out from the sub-tray 120.

(Modification)
The sub-tray 120 can be changed as in the modification shown in FIGS. In this modification, a guide notch 138 is formed in the front side guide 131. The guide notch 138 is notched in a range from the central portion in the discharge direction D1 of the front side guide 131 toward the downstream side. In other words, the front side guide 131 is positioned upstream of the edge 121E downstream of the discharge direction D1 on the second support surface 121 in the discharge direction D1, more specifically, in the discharge direction D1 on the second support surface 121. The intermediate portion 121M is changed to be interrupted at a position upstream of the discharge direction D1. According to this modification, the guide notch 138 opens a range E1 from the position at which the front side guide 131 is interrupted to the downstream edge 121E in the discharge direction D1 on the second support surface 121. A small-sized sheet SH2 discharged to the second support surface 121 from the opened portion can be confirmed. Then, by inserting a finger from the open range E1, it becomes easy to grasp the small-sized sheet SH2 supported by the second support surface 121. As a result, the small-sized sheet SH2 on the second support surface 121 can be easily taken out from the sub-tray 120.

  While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be appropriately modified and applied without departing from the spirit thereof.

  In the embodiment, the pair of side guides 131 and 132 are integrally formed with the sub-tray 120, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the pair of side guides may be provided on the sub-tray so as to be able to approach and separate from each other. In other words, the second width of the second support surface may be changeable within a range that satisfies the condition that it is smaller than the first width of the first support surface.

  The present invention can be used in, for example, an image reading apparatus, an image forming apparatus, a multifunction machine, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sheet conveyance apparatus (image reading apparatus), SH ... Sheet, P1 ... Conveyance path D1 ... Discharge direction, 4 ... Conveyance part, 100 ... Discharge tray, WF ... Width direction W111 ... 1st width, 111 ... 1st support surface , 110 ... main tray W121 ... second width, 121 ... second support surface, 120 ... sub-tray 131, 132 ... pair of side guides 114A, 114B, 124A, 124B ... positioning means 114A, 114B ... first fitting portion, 124A , 124B, second fitting portions 48A, 48B, the most downstream portion of the transport path (48A, discharge roller, 48B, pinch roller)
120F: Edge edge upstream in the discharge direction in the sub-tray 115 ... first protrusion, 128 ... notch, 125 ... second protrusion 115E ... first end, 125E ... second end, 115T ... first protrusion L1 ... Extension line 116, 117 ... A pair of ribs, 121M ... The intermediate part of the 2nd support surface in the discharge direction 121E ... 2nd support surface which extended the upper end edge of the 1st protrusion part toward the downstream of the discharge direction Edge portion downstream of the discharge direction 121S... Inclined surface, 123... Recessed portion, 3S... Reading unit (reading sensor)
138 ... Guide notch

Claims (10)

A transport unit that transports a sheet along a transport path and discharges the sheet in a discharge direction;
A sheet conveying device including a discharge tray on which sheets discharged by the conveying unit are stacked,
The discharge tray has a main tray in which a length in the width direction orthogonal to the discharge direction is set to a predetermined first width, and a first support surface that supports discharged sheets from below is formed.
The main tray is detachably mounted on the first support surface from above, the length in the width direction is set to a second width smaller than the first width, and the discharged sheet is supported from below. A sub-tray having a second support surface formed thereon;
A pair of side guides provided on the sub-tray and rising at positions sandwiching the second support surface from the width direction and facing each other;
And a positioning means for positioning the sub-tray with respect to the main tray. The positioning means includes a first fitting portion provided at a position adjacent to the most downstream portion of the transport path in the main tray;
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second fitting portion that is provided at an upstream edge portion of the sub-tray in the discharge direction and can be fitted to the first fitting portion. The main tray is formed with a first projecting portion that is near the center of the first support surface in the width direction and projects upward from the first support surface and extends in the discharge direction.
4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sub-tray is formed with a cutout portion that is cut out so as to avoid the first protruding portion in a state where the subtray is mounted on the main tray.   4. The second tray is formed in the sub-tray near the center of the second support surface in the width direction, and protrudes upward from the second support surface and extends in the discharge direction. The sheet conveying apparatus according to the description.   The first end portion downstream of the first projecting portion in the discharge direction and the second end portion upstream of the second projecting portion in the discharge direction are configured so that the upper end edge of the first projecting portion extends in the discharge direction. The sheet conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the sheet conveying device is opposed at a position lower than an extended line extending toward the downstream. The main tray has a pair of protrusions that protrude above the first support surface and extend in the discharge direction at positions shifted to one and the other in the width direction from the central portion of the first support surface. Ribs are formed,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ribs are arranged at positions sandwiching the sub-tray mounted on the main tray from the width direction.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second support surface includes an inclined surface that inclines upward from an intermediate portion in the discharge direction to an end edge portion downstream in the discharge direction.   The sheet conveyance according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sub-tray is formed with a concave portion that is recessed from an end edge downstream in the discharge direction on the second support surface toward an upstream in the discharge direction. apparatus.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one of the side guides is formed with a guide notch portion in which a range from the intermediate portion toward the downstream side in the discharge direction is notched. .   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reading unit that is provided in the middle of the conveying path and reads an image of a sheet conveyed by the conveying unit.

Images