JP2022161611A - Conveyance device and reading device - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow a manuscript being conveyed currently to slide into under a manuscript which has been conveyed previously, even when the number of manuscripts to be conveyed continuously is increased.SOLUTION: In a compound machine 1, when a flap 180 is at a first position P51, a manuscript 12, under which a tip of another manuscript 12 being conveyed currently is caused to slide into, is supported by an intermediate discharge chute part 179. When the flap 180 is at a second position P52, the manuscript 12, under which a tip of the another manuscript 12 being conveyed currently is caused to slide into, is supported by a lower side discharge chute part 178. A rear end side in the plurality of manuscripts 12, on an ADF manuscript tray 33, conveyed continuously by a conveyance roller 171 and the like is supported separately by the intermediate discharge chute part 179 and the lower side discharge chute part 178.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying device for ejecting a currently conveyed document by slipping under a previously conveyed document, and a reading device having the same.

2. Description of the Related Art A conveying device is known that conveys a document from a document tray to a discharge tray through a conveying path. 2. Description of the Related Art In a conveying device in which a document is discharged to a discharge tray in a so-called face-up manner in which the reading surface of the document faces upward, it is preferable that the conveyed plural sheets of the document are stacked on the discharge tray in page order. In the sheet conveying device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200010, the trailing edge of the document discharged to the partition plate 19 is lifted upward by the supporting member 33 . Therefore, the leading edge of the subsequently conveyed document slips under the trailing edge of the previous document supported by the support member 33 .

JP 2014-197784 A

In the sheet conveying device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200301, when a plurality of documents are continuously conveyed, the trailing edges of the plurality of documents are stacked above the support member 33, so that the documents are continuously conveyed. As the number of documents increases, the weight of the documents applied to the support member 33 becomes heavier, and the load applied to the documents to be pushed under the documents supported by the support member 33 increases. As a result, the currently-conveyed document may not be able to slip under the already-conveyed document and may buckle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its object is to prevent the currently conveyed original from being replaced by the previously conveyed original even if the number of consecutively conveyed originals increases. To provide a technique capable of crawling downward.

(1) A conveying device according to the present invention includes a first support member forming a first discharge path, a second support member disposed below the first support member and forming a second discharge path, a transport path that is continuous with the first discharge path and the second discharge path; a transport mechanism that transports a document along the transport path in a transport direction; 1 position, and a guide member movable to a second position for guiding the document from the transport path to the second discharge path, wherein the first support member and the second support member The dimension along the direction is shorter than the dimension along the transport direction of the document, and the transport mechanism is positioned at the downstream end of the first support member in the transport direction or the downstream end of the second support member in the transport direction. The leading edge of the document is located downstream in the transport direction from the transport direction, and the trailing edge of the document is located at the transport direction upstream end of the first support member or the transport direction upstream end of the second support member. When the document is conveyed so as to be positioned upstream in the orientation, and the guide member is at the first position, the leading edge of the next document is below the trailing edge of the previous document supported by the first support member. The next document is conveyed so as to sink in, and when the guide member is at the second position, the leading edge of the next document is slipped under the trailing edge of the previous document supported by the second support member. Feed the next document.

With the above configuration, when the guide member is at the first position, the document into which the leading edge of the currently conveyed document is to be inserted is supported by the first supporting member. When the guide member is at the second position, the document into which the leading edge of the currently conveyed document is to be inserted is supported by the second support member. The leading edges of the plurality of documents supported by the first support member and the leading edges of the plurality of documents supported by the second supporting member are positioned relative to the downstream end of the first supporting member and the downstream end of the second supporting member. are located in the same space on the downstream side. As a result, the trailing edge sides of a plurality of documents successively transported by the transport mechanism are separately supported by the first support member and the second support member, so that when the leading edge of the document is inserted, the leading edge of the document can be It is possible to reduce the weight of the previous document that is added to the In addition, since the leading edges of a plurality of originals continuously conveyed by the conveying mechanism are in the same space, the originals supported by the first support member and the originals supported by the second support member can be taken out together. can.

(2) The transport device further includes a cover that covers the downstream side and upper side of the transport path and the upper side of the first discharge path. a nip member that sandwiches the document between the transport roller and the transport roller; upstream in the transport direction from the guide member and downstream in the transport direction from a nip position between the transport roller and the nip member; a first protruding member that protrudes downward into the conveying path, and a second protruding member that is positioned downstream of the first protruding member in the conveying direction and protrudes upward. and the guide member has a flap extending upstream in the conveying direction from the rotation shaft, and is rotated about the rotation shaft to the first position and the second position. , and the guide member at the second position sandwiches the rear end of the document supported by the first support member between itself and the cover.

With the above configuration, the trailing edge of the document conveyed along the conveying path by the conveying roller and the nip member is supported by the second protruding member and positioned above the conveying path. Subsequently, the leading edge of the document conveyed along the conveying path by the conveying roller and the nip member is guided to the lower side of the conveying path by the first protruding member, and slips below the trailing edge of the stopped document. When the guide member is at the second position, the trailing edge of the document supported by the first support member is sandwiched between the guide member and the cover. Abutment on the rear end of the document supported by the support member 1 is suppressed.

(3) The conveying device further includes a discharge roller positioned in the first discharge path, and an interlocking mechanism for interlocking rotation of the guide member and rotation of the discharge roller, and the interlocking mechanism rotates the discharge roller in a rotation direction for conveying the document in the conveyance direction in conjunction with the rotation of the guide member from the first position to the second position.

With the above configuration, when the guide member rotates from the first position to the second position, the document supported by the first support member is transported in the transport direction by the discharge roller. This prevents the leading edge of the document conveyed to the second supporting member from coming into contact with the trailing edge of the document supported by the first supporting member.

(4) A first distance along the vertical direction between the uppermost position of the document guide surface of the guide member at the first position and the lower end of the first protruding member is along the horizontal direction between the uppermost position and the lower end of the first protruding member. is shorter than the second distance.

The stiffness of the document prevents the rear end of the document supported by the guide member at the first position from moving in the transport direction more than the lower end of the first protruding member.

(5) A third distance along the horizontal direction between the nip position and the lower end of the first protruding member is between the first lower surface of the cover facing the first support member and the guide member. shorter than a fourth distance along the vertical direction from the second lower surface of the cover at the position where the document is sandwiched between the cover.

With the above configuration, the trailing edge of the document, which has passed the nip position and is stopped while being supported by the second protruding member, is moved between the guide member and the cover when the guide member rotates from the first position to the second position. sandwiched between. Since the third distance is shorter than the fourth distance, the trailing edge of the document sandwiched between the guide member and the cover reliably moves downstream in the conveying direction from the lower edge of the first protruding member. This makes it easy to take out the document supported by the first support member when the guide member is in the second position.

(6) The conveying device further comprises a third support member arranged downstream of the first discharge path in the conveying direction and having a downstream end located upstream of the leading edge of the document after conveyance. The third support member supports the document in a downwardly curved posture.

With the above configuration, the stiffness of the leading edge of the document located downstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the third support member is increased, and buckling of the document is suppressed.

(7) The conveying device further comprises a fourth support member arranged downstream of the second discharge path in the conveying direction and having a downstream end located upstream of the leading edge of the document after conveyance. The fourth support member supports the document in a downwardly curved posture.

With the above configuration, the stiffness of the leading end of the document located downstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the fourth support member is increased, and buckling of the document is suppressed.

(8) The transport device further includes a document tray disposed below the first support member and the second support member, and the transport path extends from the document tray and curves upward. The front end side of the document supported by the first support member and the second support member, respectively, is positioned on the document tray.

(9) The document tray supports the document in a downwardly curved posture.

With the above configuration, the stiffness of the documents stacked on the document tray is increased, and the document is suppressed from buckling on the document tray.

(10) A reading device comprising the conveying device and a reading sensor that reads a document on the conveying path.

According to the present invention, even if the number of documents that are continuously transported increases, the currently transported document can slip under the previously transported document.

1 is an external perspective view showing the external configuration of a multifunction machine 1 equipped with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the scanner unit 3. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main configuration of the scanner section 3. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of ADF5 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 3 is a functional block diagram of a scanner unit 3; FIG. (A) is a schematic diagram showing the flap 180 at the first position P51, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing the flap 180 at the second position P52. 6 is a flowchart of single-sided reading processing; (A) is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of originals 12 ejected inside an upper ejection path 160, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of originals 12 ejected inside a lower ejection path 161. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a discharge roller 191 according to a first modified example; (A) is a schematic diagram showing a discharge roller 191 according to a second modification, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of a first protruding member 158A etc. according to a third modification. (A) is a schematic diagram showing the ADF discharge tray 34 according to the fourth modification, (B) is a schematic diagram showing the ADF document tray 33 according to the fourth modification, and (C) is a schematic diagram showing the fourth modification. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing such an intermediate discharge chute portion 179; .

Each embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and needless to say, modifications can be made as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, progress from the starting point to the end point of the arrow is expressed as direction, and movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of the arrow is expressed as direction. In the following description, the up-down direction 7 is defined with reference to the state in which the multifunction device 1 is installed for use (the state shown in FIG. 1), and the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface on which the opening 4 is provided as the front surface. , and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the MFP 1 is viewed from the front. The up-down direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are orthogonal to each other. The vertical direction 7 is also the vertical direction. Moreover, the horizontal direction is a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[Overall Structure of MFP 1]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-function device 1 is a multi-function device integrally comprising a printer section 2 of an inkjet recording system provided at the bottom and a scanner section 3 (an example of a reading device) provided at the top. It is a multi-function device (MFD) and has a print function, a scan function, a copy function, a facsimile function, and the like. In the present invention, it is sufficient if only the scanner section 3 having the ADF 5 is provided. In other words, functions other than the scanning function are arbitrary, and the present invention may be implemented as a scanner whose only function is the scanning function.

In the copy function, image data read by the scanner section 3 is recorded on a recording sheet by the printer section 2 . In the facsimile function, image data read by the scanner unit 3 is facsimile-transmitted through a telephone line or the like. The received facsimile data is recorded on recording paper by the printer section 2 .

In the scanning function, the image data of the document 12 read by the scanner unit 3 is transferred to a computer connected to the apparatus by wire or wirelessly. Also, the read image data can be transferred to and stored in various storage media such as memory cards and USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories.

[Configuration of Scanner Unit 3]
1 to 4, the scanner unit 3 includes an ADF document tray 33, an ADF discharge tray 34, a transport path 151, a transport mechanism 16 for transporting the document 12, and a first contact image sensor (an example of a reading sensor). There is a contact image sensor (hereinafter referred to as “first CIS”) 85 and a second contact image sensor (hereinafter also referred to as “second CIS”) 95 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the appearance of the multifunction device 1 is generally formed as a wide and thin rectangular parallelepiped whose width and depth are greater than its height. The printer section 2 at the bottom of the multi-function machine 1 has a housing 10 that constitutes the frame of the printer section 2 . An opening 4 is formed in a front panel 11 forming the front surface of the housing 10 . Inside the opening 4, a paper feed tray 20 and a paper discharge tray 21 are provided in two stages, one above the other. A connector panel 13 on which various connectors are arranged is provided above the opening 4 . A slot portion 18 is arranged at the right end portion of the connector panel 13 . The slot section 18 enables loading of various memory cards, and electrically connects the control section 100 (see FIG. 5) of the multifunction machine 1 and the memory card. A memory card is a card-type storage device with a built-in flash memory as a storage medium. In the slot section 18, a first card slot 19 and a second card slot 22 having different slot types are provided side by side so that different types of memory cards can be loaded. An ink cartridge is accommodated near the right end of the front panel 11 .

An operation panel 6 for operating the printer section 2 and the scanner section 3 is provided on the front upper portion of the multifunction machine 1 . The operation panel 6 is configured by appropriately providing various operation buttons 35 and a liquid crystal display 36 . The multi-function device 1 operates based on instructions input through the operation panel 6 . When the multi-function device 1 is connected to an external computer, the multi-function device 1 also operates based on instructions sent from the computer via the printer driver or scanner driver.

In FIG. 2, the scanner unit 3 has a document cover 30 attached to a support table 15 functioning as an FBS (Flatbed Scanner) via hinges on the back side so as to be freely opened and closed in the direction of arrow P1. The document cover 30 is movable between an open position and a closed position with respect to the support base 15 having the platen glass 80 (see FIG. 4). The document cover 30 covers the platen glass 80 in the closed position. The document cover 30 is integrally provided with an ADF 5 (an example of a conveying device), and the ADF 5 moves as the document cover 30 is opened and closed. ADF document tray 33 , ADF discharge tray 34 , transport path 151 (see FIG. 4 ), transport mechanism 16 , and second CIS 95 are positioned on document cover 30 , and first CIS 85 is positioned on support base 15 .

In FIG. 4, a platen glass 80 is provided on the upper surface of the support base 15 . When the document cover 30 is closed with respect to the support base 15 , the platen glass 80 is covered with the document cover 30 . An elastic plate 82 is provided on the lower surface of the document cover 30 , that is, the surface facing the platen glass 80 .

The elastic plate 82 contacts the platen glass 80 when the document cover 30 is in the closed position. The elastic plate 82 presses and fixes the document 12 placed on the platen glass 80 . The elastic plate 82 has a plate member 74 and a sponge member 75 . The plate member 74 has a single color such as white over the entire area in order to obtain stable reflected light from the document 12 . The plate member 74 is attached to the document cover 30 via a sponge member 75 . The elastic plate 82 is positioned at the lowest portion of the document cover 30 when it is in the closed position. That is, the elastic plate 82 including the sponge member 75 is positioned below the second CIS 95 when the document cover 30 is in the closed position.

The platen glass 80 is, for example, a transparent glass plate or acrylic plate. A positioning member 83 is provided at the left end of the platen glass 80 to separate a reading area 80A for reading the image of the document 12 using the ADF 5 and a reading area 80B for using the scanner unit 3 as an FBS. ing. A positioning member 83 is a positioning reference for placing the document 12 on the platen glass 80 . The upper surface of the positioning member 83 is provided with a mark indicating the placement position according to the size of the document 12 such as A4 size or B5 size. When the ADF 5 is used, the positioning member 83 functions as a guide that guides the document 12 passing over the reading area 80A back to the transport path 151 provided inside the ADF 5 .

As shown in FIG. 4, inside the support base 15, a first image reading unit 32 is incorporated. When the scanner unit 3 is used as an FBS, the manuscript cover 30 is opened and the manuscript 12 is placed on the platen glass 80 . Then, the document cover 30 is closed and the document 12 is fixed on the platen glass 80 . The first image reading unit 32 reads the image of the document 12 placed on the platen glass 80 while moving under the platen glass 80 .

The first image reading unit 32 has a first CIS 85 and a CIS carriage 86 in the shape of an elongated rectangular parallelepiped. The CIS carriage 86 carries the first CIS 85 so as to carry it on its upper side. Thereby, the first CIS 85 faces the lower surface of the platen glass 80 . The first CIS 85 is positioned upstream in the transport direction 17 from the curved path 157 in the transport path 151 . The first CIS 85 optically reads the image of the document 12 from below the transport path 151 . The first CIS 85 emits light from a light source such as an LED to irradiate the document 12 with light, guides the reflected light from the document 12 to a photoelectric conversion element through a lens, and the photoelectric conversion element outputs an electric signal corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light. It is a so-called contact type line image sensor. The first CIS 85 is mounted on a CIS carriage 86 and reciprocated under the platen glass 80 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , a guide shaft 87 extends across the casing 84 in the left-right direction 9 . By fitting the CIS carriage 86 to the guide shaft 87, the first image reading unit 32 is supported so as to be able to move smoothly under the platen glass 80 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the CIS carriage 86 (horizontal direction 9). be done. A CIS carriage drive mechanism 88 is provided along the guide shaft 87 . The CIS carriage drive mechanism 88 has a timing belt 89 installed between pulleys. The CIS carriage 86 is fixed to a timing belt 89 of a CIS carriage drive mechanism 88 and is reciprocated by the circumferential motion of the timing belt 89 . As a result, when the scanner unit 3 is used as an FBS, the CIS carriage 86 can be moved parallel to the lower surface of the platen glass 80. The image of the document 12 placed thereon can be read.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an ADF document tray 33 (an example of a document tray) and an ADF discharge tray 34 (an example of a discharge tray) are vertically arranged in a document cover 30 on the upper part of the scanner section 3. It is The ADF document tray 33 is provided with a pair of ADF document guides 93 separated in the front-rear direction 8 of the multifunction machine 1 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8 . The ADF document guide 93 stands up from the ADF document tray 33 and regulates the position of the document 12 placed on the ADF document tray 33 in the width direction.

When one of the ADF document guides 93 is slid by a well-known interlocking mechanism such as a rack and pinion, the other ADF document guide 93 is also slid in the opposite direction.

The pair of ADF document guides 93 are integrally formed with the ADF discharge tray 34 separated above the ADF document tray 33 . The ADF discharge tray 34 is configured as an eaves-like flat plate extending from the top of the ADF document guide 93 so as to protrude inward. The ADF ejection tray 34 is located below an upper ejection chute portion 158 and an intermediate ejection chute portion 179 (to be described later) in the vertical direction 7 .

The document 12 ejected from the ADF 5 is carried on both sides by the ADF ejection tray 34 and held in a state separated from the document on the ADF document tray 33 . Since the length of the ADF discharge tray 34 in the paper discharge direction is shorter than the length of the document 12, the leading end of the document 12 in the paper discharge direction hangs down from the ADF discharge tray 34 and is held on the ADF document tray 33. .

As shown in FIG. 4, the housing of the ADF 5 is composed of an ADF main body 152 molded integrally with the document cover 30, and an ADF cover 153 provided rotatably with respect to the ADF main body. This ADF cover 153 mainly forms the upper surface of the housing of the ADF 5 . The ADF cover 153 rotates in the direction of arrow P2 in the drawing about a rotation shaft (not shown) provided on the side of the ADF main body 152 (on the left side in FIG. 4). A part of the inside of the ADF 5 is thereby exposed.

The ADF cover 153 is rotated with respect to the ADF main body 152 to change its posture between the closed posture shown in FIG. 4 and the open posture. When using the ADF 5, the ADF cover 153 is in the closed posture. The ADF cover 153 is locked to the ADF main body 152 in the closed posture.

A transport mechanism 16 is provided inside the ADF 5 for transporting the document 12 in a transport direction 17 from the ADF document tray 33 to the ADF discharge tray 34 on the transport path 151 . The conveying mechanism 16 includes a suction roller 164 and a suction nip piece 165, a separation roller 166 and a separation nip piece 167, a registration roller (hereinafter also referred to as "R roller") 168 and a pinch roller 169, a conveying roller 171 and a pinch roller 172 ( an example of a nip member).

The transport path 151 is formed in a substantially horizontal U-shape in a cross-sectional view, and includes an inclined path 159, a curved path 157, an upper discharge path 160 (an example of a first discharge path), and a lower discharge path 161 (a second discharge path). example). The transport path 151 is composed of the ADF main body 152 and the ADF cover 153 .

A suction chute portion 154 is formed so as to continue from the ADF document tray 33 to the transport path 151 . The suction chute portion 154 of the ADF 5 is formed so as to be continuous with the space above the ADF document tray 33 . The suction chute portion 154 has an upper surface as a guide surface for the document 12 and is configured as a passage having a predetermined width in the vertical direction 7 . Assuming that the downward facing surface of the document 12 placed on the ADF document tray 33 is the first surface 51 and the upward facing surface is the second surface 52, the original 12 from which the image is to be read has the first surface 51 facing downward. In this state, the document is placed on the ADF document tray 33 so that the leading end in the transport direction 17 is inserted into the suction chute section 154 .

The suction chute portion 154 is provided with a sheet supply mechanism including a plurality of roller bodies. The sheet feeding mechanism has a suction roller 164 and a suction nip piece 165 pressed against it, and a separation roller 166 and a separation nip piece 167 pressed against it. The configuration of each roller and nipping pieces is merely an example of the sheet feeding mechanism, and other known sheet feeding mechanisms such as changing the number and arrangement of rollers, using pinch rollers instead of nipping pieces, etc. Of course, it can be changed to

The suction roller 164 is rotatably provided near the center of the suction chute portion 154 in the paper width direction (front-rear direction 8). Although not shown in the drawing, the suction roller 164 has a key groove that fits into the key of the roller shaft, and the width of this key groove in the circumferential direction is sufficiently longer than the width of the key. Therefore, the suction roller 164 can idle around the roller shaft for about one turn.

The separation roller 166 is rotatably provided at a position separated downstream from the suction roller 164 in the recording paper transport direction 17 . The suction roller 164 and the separation roller 166 are rotationally driven by transmission of driving force from the LF motor 110 (see FIG. 5).

The suction nip piece 165 is provided at a position facing the suction roller 164 so as to be movable up and down in the direction of contacting and separating from the suction roller 164 . The suction nip piece 165 is biased downward by a spring member (not shown), and contacts the suction roller 164 without nipping the document 12 .

The separation nip piece 167 is provided at a position facing the separation roller 166 so as to be vertically movable in the direction of contacting and separating from the separation roller 166 . The separation nip piece 167 is biased downward by a spring member (not shown), and is pressed against the roller surface of the separation roller 166 without nipping the document 12 .

The transport path 151 connects the ADF document tray 33 and the ADF discharge tray 34 and curves upward from below. More specifically, the transport path 151 has a ramp 159, a curved path 157, an upper discharge path 160 and a lower discharge path 161, as shown in FIG. The conveying path 151 has a substantially horizontal U-shape that continues from the suction chute portion 154 to the upper discharge chute portion 158 via the inclined path 159, the curved path 157, and the upper discharge path 160, and from the curved path 157 to the lower discharge path. 161 to form a substantially U-shaped sideways continuation to the lower discharge chute portion 178 .

The inclined path 159 of the conveying path 151 is gently inclined and continuously formed as a passage of a predetermined width from the vicinity of the exit of the intake chute portion 154 to the vicinity of the exit of the reading area 80A. The document 12 delivered from the suction chute portion 154 is smoothly guided along the slope 159 without being strongly curved.

R roller 168 and pinch roller 169 , document sensor 116 , positioning member 83 , second image reading unit 94 , document guide 173 , and first image reading unit are arranged on inclined path 159 from upstream to downstream in conveying direction 17 . 32 are arranged.

The pinch roller 169 is provided so that its axial direction coincides with the width direction (front-rear direction 8) of the ramp 159 . The pinch roller 169 is rotatably provided so that a part of the roller surface is exposed to the slope 159 .

An R roller 168 is provided at a position facing the pinch roller 169 across the slope 159 . The R roller 168 is provided with its axial direction aligned with the width direction (front-rear direction 8) of the ramp 159 . The R roller 168 is rotatably supported by the ADF main body 152 , and part of its roller surface is exposed on the slope 159 .

The pinch roller 169 is supported while being urged toward the R roller 168 by an elastic member such as a coil spring (not shown). ing. The R roller 168 is connected to the LF motor 110 (see FIG. 5) via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown), and is rotationally driven by transmission of driving force from the LF motor 110 . The outer diameter of the R roller 168 is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the pinch roller 169 .

The document sensor 116 is located downstream of the R roller 168 and the pinch roller 169 on the ramp 159 . Document sensor 116 outputs detection signals indicating the leading edge and the trailing edge of document 12 sent by R roller 168 and pinch roller 169 .

The second image reading unit 94 is located downstream of the document sensor 116 on the slope 159 . The second image reading unit 94 has a second CIS 95 , a platen 96 and a document support member 97 . The second image reading unit 94 reads the second surface 52 of the document 12 .

The second CIS 95 is arranged facing the upper surface of the platen 96 . The second CIS 95 is positioned upstream in the transport direction 17 from the first CIS 85 in the transport path 151 . The second CIS 95 optically reads the image of the document 12 from above the transport path 151 . The second CIS 95 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is mounted on the upper surface of the platen 96 .

Platen 96 is positioned above ramp 159 . The platen 96 has a plate shape with a predetermined thickness. The lower surface of the platen 96 is parallel to the document 12 conveyed on the ramp 159 . Platen 96 has a reading surface 120 , an upstream end 121 and a downstream end 122 .

The reading surface 120 is along the transport direction 17 . The reading surface 120 is parallel to the second side 52 of the document 12 conveyed on the ramp 159 .

The upstream end 121 is the upstream end of the second CIS 95 in the conveying direction 17 . The downstream end 122 is the downstream end of the second CIS 95 in the conveying direction 17 . The upstream end 121 is located above the downstream end 122 in the conveying direction 17 .

The document support member 97 is rotatably supported with an end on the upstream side in the transport direction 17 as an axis (along the front-rear direction 8). The document support member 97 is provided so as to be rotatable in a direction toward and away from the platen 96 . The document support member 97 is biased toward the reading surface 120 by a spring member (not shown). In a state in which no external force is applied, the document support member 97 is positioned to face the reading surface 120 of the second CIS 95 with the transport path 151 interposed therebetween.

In the inclined path 159 , the positioning member 83 is positioned downstream of the second image reading unit 94 in the conveying direction 17 . The left end portion of the positioning member 83 (the downstream end portion in the transport direction 17 ) is an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the transport direction 17 . The positioning member 83 guides the document 12 that has passed through the second image reading unit 94 between the platen glass 80 and the document guide 173 .

The first image reading unit 32 is located downstream of the positioning member 83 in the conveying direction 17 on the inclined path 159 . The first image reading unit 32 reads the first surface 51 of the document 12 . Note that the first image reading unit 32 may be positioned downstream of the positioning member 83 in the conveying direction 17 in image reading by the ADF 5 .

The document guide 173 is provided at a position facing the first image reading unit 32 of the document cover 30 (see FIG. 2). The document guide 173 has a horizontal portion facing the reading area 80A and inclined portions extending upward on the upstream and downstream sides from both ends of the horizontal portion. The document guide 173 is biased toward the reading area 80A by a spring member fixed to the ADF main body 152 . Protrusions are formed at both ends of the horizontal portion of the document guide 173 in the front-rear direction 8 . A gap through which the document 12 can pass is formed between the horizontal portion of the document guide 173 and the reading area 80A in the up-down direction 7 by the contact of the convex portion with the reading area 80A.

A curved path 157 of the transport path 151 starts near the exit of the reading area 80A, extends upward, and warps greatly from left to right in FIG. A downstream end of the curved path 157 in the conveying direction 17 is continuous with the upper discharge path 160 and the lower discharge path 161 . The curved path 157 is formed with the transport roller 171 as an inner transport guide surface and the ADF main body 152 and the ADF cover 153 as an outer transport guide surface.

A conveying roller 171 and a pinch roller 172 are provided on the curved path 157 . The conveying roller 171 is positioned inside the curve of the curved path 157 , and the pinch roller 172 is positioned outside the curve of the curved path 157 . Parts of the roller surfaces of the transport roller 171 and the pinch roller 172 are exposed to the curved path 157 .

The pinch roller 172 is urged toward the conveying roller 171 by an elastic member such as a coil spring (not shown). As a result, the roller surface of the pinch roller 172 is pressed against the roller surface of the transport roller 171 on the curved path 157, and a nip for nipping the document 12 is formed at the contact portion between the transport roller 171 and the pinch roller 172. FIG. The conveying roller 171 is connected to the LF motor 110 (see FIG. 5) via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown), and is rotationally driven by transmission of driving force from the LF motor 110 .

4, the scanner section 3 includes an upper discharge chute section 158, a lower discharge chute section 178, a spring piece 190, an intermediate discharge chute section 179, and a flap 180. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 4 only one spring piece 190 is shown. The intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is an example of a first support member. The lower discharge chute portion 178 is an example of a second support member. Flap 180 is an example of a guide member.

The upper ejection chute portion 158 is a guide member that is integral with the ADF main body 152 and extends laterally between the front wall 152A and the rear wall 152B of the ADF main body 152 (see FIG. 2). The lower end of the upper discharge chute portion 158 forms the upper side of the downstream end of the curved path 157 and the upper discharge path 160 . The lower end of the upper discharge chute portion 158 forms a first protruding member 158A that protrudes downward toward the upwardly inclined surface of the spring piece 190 immediately downstream of the pinch roller 172 in the left-right direction 9 . The lower end of the upper discharge chute portion 158 forms a curved portion 158B extending rightward while curving upward in the range from the right end of the first projecting member 158A to the right end of the flap 180 . The lower end of the upper discharge chute portion 158 extends substantially straight to the right within the range from the right end of the flap 180 to the right end of the upper discharge chute portion 158 .

The lower discharge chute portion 178 is a guide member extending left and right between the front wall 152A and the rear wall 152B of the ADF main body 152. As shown in FIG. The lower ejection chute portion 178 is arranged below the upper ejection chute portion 158 in the vertical direction 7 and at substantially the same position as the ADF ejection tray 34 . At this position, the upper end of the lower discharge chute portion 178 extends substantially horizontally within the range between the right end of the transport roller 171 and the right end of the ADF discharge tray 34 in the left-right direction 9 . The upper end of the lower discharge chute 178 mainly forms the lower side of the lower discharge passage 161 . The dimension in the conveying direction 17 in which the document 12 is conveyed in the lower discharge chute portion 178 (that is, the lateral dimension of the lower discharge chute portion 178) is shorter than the dimension of the document 12 in the same direction. A conveying direction 17 is an example of a conveying direction and is rightward.

Each spring piece 190 is made of flexible sheet material. Materials for the sheet material include synthetic resin (polyethylene terephthalate, etc.) having a thickness of about 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm. The spring piece 190 has a shape like the Greek letter Λ when viewed from the front, and has an upward inclined surface extending obliquely upward to the right from the outlet of the nip N1 toward the first protruding member 158A. Each spring piece 190 bends downward at a position to the right of the first projecting member 158A and reaches the lower ejection chute portion 178 . That is, each spring piece 190 is an example of a second projecting member that projects upward.

The intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is positioned between the upper discharge chute portion 158 and the lower discharge chute portion 178 in the vertical direction 7 . The intermediate discharge chute portion 179 occupies a range from a position away from the upper end of each spring piece 190 to the right in the left-right direction 9 to the right end of the ADF cover 153 . In this position, intermediate ejection chute portion 179 extends generally horizontally between front wall 152 A and rear wall 152 B of ADF body 152 . The intermediate discharge chute portion 179 forms the lower side of the upper discharge passage 160 with its upper end and forms the upper side of the lower discharge passage 161 with its lower end.

[Flap 180]
The flap 180 is positioned between the curved portion 158B of the upper ejection chute portion 158 and the lower ejection chute portion 178 in the vertical direction 7, and between each spring piece 190 and the left end of the intermediate ejection chute portion 179 in the horizontal direction 9. located in between. The flap 180 extends leftward from a rotation axis A23 extending in the front-rear direction 8 along the left end of the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 . The extending end of the flap 180 can swing between a first position P51 (see FIG. 6A) and a second position P52 (see FIG. 6B) in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis A23. As shown in FIG. 6(A), at the first position P51, the flap 180 opens the upstream end of the upper discharge passage 160 and closes the upstream end of the lower discharge passage 161 so that the upper discharge from the curved passage 157 can be discharged. These are communicated so that the document 12 is transported to the path 160 . On the other hand, in FIG. 6B, the flap 180 closes the upstream end of the upper discharge path 160 and opens the upstream end of the lower discharge path 161 so that the document 12 is transported from the curved path 157 to the lower discharge path 161 . are communicated so that the

[Drive Control of Scanner Unit 3]
FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the control unit 100 of the multifunction machine 1 and its peripheral devices. The control unit 100 controls overall operations of the multifunction machine 1 including not only the scanner unit 3 but also the printer unit 2. In the description of this embodiment, the components of the printer unit 2 shown in FIG. is omitted. The control unit 100 is configured as a microcomputer mainly including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) 104. It is connected to an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 106 via a bus 105 .

The ROM 102 stores programs and the like for controlling various operations of the MFP 1 . The EEPROM 104 stores various data used for processing according to the above program. The RAM 103 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording various data used when the CPU 101 executes the above programs or as an expansion area for data and programs.

The CPU 101 comprehensively controls peripheral devices forming the control unit 100 or controlled devices controlled by the control unit 100 . The CPU 101 reads programs stored in the ROM 102 and data stored in the RAM 103 or EEPROM 104, and performs calculations according to the programs.

The ASIC 106 generates phase excitation signals and the like for energizing the carriage motor (also referred to as "CR motor") 108 of the scanner unit 3 and the LF transport motor (also referred to as "LF motor") 110 of the ADF 5 according to commands from the CPU 101. , the signal is given to the CR drive circuit 107 of the CR motor 108 and the R drive circuit 109 of the LF motor 110 . A driving signal is applied to the CR motor 108 and the LF motor 110 via the CR driving circuit 107 and the R driving circuit 109, thereby controlling the rotation of the CR motor 108 and the LF motor 110. FIG.

A CR drive circuit 107 drives a CR motor 108 connected to the CIS carriage 86 of the scanner section 3 . CR drive circuit 107 receives an output signal from ASIC 106 and generates an electric signal for rotating CR motor 108 . The CR motor 108 that receives the electric signal rotates, and the rotational force of the CR motor 108 is transmitted to the CIS carriage 86 via a known scanning mechanism, thereby moving the CIS carriage 86 .

The R drive circuit 109 drives the LF motor 110 connected to the intake roller 164, the separation roller 166, the R roller 168 and the transport roller 171 of the ADF5. The R drive circuit 109 receives an output signal from the ASIC 106 and generates an electric signal for rotating the LF motor 110 . The LF motor 110 that receives the electrical signal rotates, and the rotational force of the LF motor 110 is applied to the intake roller 164, the separation roller 166, the R roller 168, and the transport roller via a well-known drive mechanism composed of gears, drive shafts, and the like. 171.

The ASIC 106 is connected to the first CIS 85 and the second CIS 95 for reading the image of the document 12 in the scanner section 3 . Based on a command from the CPU 101, the ASIC 106 provides the first CIS 85 with an electric signal for emitting light from the light source and a timing signal for outputting image data from the photoelectric conversion element. The first CIS 85 and the second CIS 95 receive these signals, irradiate the document 12 with light at predetermined timing, and output image data converted by the photoelectric conversion elements.

The ASIC 106 is connected with a panel gate array (panel G/A) 111 for controlling the operation buttons 35 for inputting desired commands to the multifunction machine 1 . The panel gate array 111 detects pressing of the operation button 35 of the operation panel 6 and outputs a predetermined code signal. This key code is assigned corresponding to a plurality of operation buttons 35 . When the CPU 101 receives a predetermined key code from the panel gate array 111, the CPU 101 performs control processing to be executed according to a predetermined key processing table. The key processing table is a table that associates key codes with control processing, and is stored in the ROM 102, for example.

An LCD controller 112 that controls the screen display of a liquid crystal display (LCD) 36 is connected to the ASIC 106 . The LCD controller 112 causes the liquid crystal display 36 to display information regarding the operation of the printer section 2 or the scanner section 3 on the screen based on a command from the CPU 101 .

Connected to the ASIC 106 are a slot portion 18 into which various small memory cards are inserted, a parallel interface 113 for transmitting and receiving data to and from a computer via a parallel cable or a USB cable, and a USB connector 14 .

The ASIC 106 is connected with a document sensor 116 for detecting the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document 12 on the transport path 151 (see FIG. 4) inside the ADF 5 .

An actuator 182 is connected to the ASIC 106 . The actuator 182 generates power for moving the flap 180 to the first position P51 and the second position P52 using a motor, an electromagnetic solenoid, or the like.

[Single-sided reading processing by scanner unit 3]
The one-side reading process by the scanner unit 3 will be described below with reference to FIG.

The user places a plurality of originals 12 on the ADF original tray 33 . It is assumed that an image is recorded only on one side of each document 12 . Each document 12 is placed on the ADF document tray 33 so that the image recording surface is the first surface 51 . Next, the user operates the operation panel 6 to start single-sided reading processing. In response to this user operation, the scanner section 3 starts the single-sided reading process shown in FIG.

In S101 of FIG. 7, the control section 100 drives the CR motor 108 to cause the CIS carriage drive mechanism 88 to move the first image reading unit 32 to the reading area 80A (see FIG. 4). In S101, the control unit 100 further initializes an internal number counter. The number counter counts a number count value indicating the number of sheets of the document 12 that have passed through the document sensor 116 .

In S102, the controller 100 drives the actuator 182 to move the flap 180 to the first position P51 (see FIG. 6A). The execution order of S101 and S102 may be interchanged.

In S<b>103 , the control unit 100 drives the LF motor 110 to start conveying the document 12 . That is, the controller 100 starts rotating the suction roller 164 , the separation roller 166 , the R roller 168 and the transport roller 171 . The suction roller 164 nips the document 12 supported by the ADF document tray 33 together with the suction nip piece 165 and feeds it downstream on the ramp 159 . The separation roller 166 nips the document 12 sent from the suction roller 164 together with the separation nip piece 167 , and sends the bottom sheet of the nipped document 12 to the downstream of the slope 159 . The R roller 168 nips the document 12 together with the pinch roller 169 and feeds it down the ramp 159 . As a result, the intake roller 164 , the separation roller 166 and the R roller 168 sequentially convey the originals 12 on the ADF original tray 33 one by one on the inclined path 159 from the lowest one.

In S<b>104 , control unit 100 starts to periodically acquire a detection signal from manuscript sensor 116 .

In S105, the control unit 100 detects the leading edge of the document 12 conveyed on the inclined path 159 in the conveying direction 17 based on the detection signal. In S<b>105 , the control unit 100 further causes the first image reading unit 32 to start the reading process after the first time has passed since the head detection, and starts acquiring image data from the first image reading unit 32 .

In S106, the controller 100 detects the rear end of the document 12 conveyed on the inclined path 159 in the conveying direction 17 based on the detection signal. In S106, the control unit 100 further increases the number count value by one. In S106, the control unit 100 further causes the first image reading unit 32 to temporarily stop the reading process after the first time has elapsed since the trailing edge was detected. Thereby, the control unit 100 stores image data representing an image recorded on the lower surface of one document 12 in the RAM or the like.

In S107, the control unit 100 determines whether or not to end the single-sided reading process. Based on an output signal from a document sensor (not shown) provided on the ADF document tray 33 , the control unit 100 determines whether or not the document 12 remains on the ADF document tray 33 . When the document 12 does not remain, the control unit 100 determines Yes in S107, and ends the single-sided reading process. If the document 12 remains, the control unit 100 determines No in S107, and executes S108.

In S108, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the number count value is greater than or equal to the number threshold value Nth. The number-of-sheets threshold Nth is set to, for example, about 20 sheets. The control unit 100 executes S105 in response to determining that it is not equal to or greater than the number threshold Nth (No in S108). The control unit 100 executes S109 in response to determining that the number is equal to or greater than the number threshold Nth (Yes in S108).

In S109, the controller 100 drives the actuator 182 to move the flap 180 from the first position P51 to the second position P52 (see FIG. 6). Here, the control unit 100 may stop outputting the control signal to the LF motor 110 while the flap 180 is moving to the second position P52.

[Conveyance of document 12 in single-sided reading process]
Hereinafter, the document 12 to be read first is also simply referred to as the "first sheet". The document 12 to be read for the second and subsequent times is also simply referred to as the “second and subsequent sheets”.

Through the reading process described above, the first sheet is conveyed within the curved path 157 after passing through the reading area 80A from the head in the conveying direction 17 . After that, the first sheet is sent between the conveying roller 171 and the pinch roller 172 from the top. The conveying roller 171 nips the first sheet together with the pinch roller 172 and sends it downstream along the curved path 157 . As a result, the leading edge of the first sheet comes into contact with the first protruding member 158A after being delivered obliquely upward to the right from the nip N1. As a result, the orientation of the top of the first sheet is changed to obliquely downward to the right. After that, the leading edge of the first sheet comes into contact with the upwardly inclined surfaces of the spring pieces 190 extending from the nip N1, and is conveyed in the curved path 157 along the upwardly inclined surfaces. At this time, each spring piece 190 is elastically deformed by the load received from the first piece, and changes its posture downward. Each spring piece 190 supports the first sheet from below. Since the flap 180 is at the first position P51, the first sheet passes the upper ends of the spring pieces 190, is conveyed rightward in the upper discharge path 160, and is discharged to the ADF discharge tray .

After passing through the reading area 80A, the trailing edge of the first sheet is conveyed in the curved path 157 and then sent out from the nip N1. The trailing edge of the first sheet stops on each spring piece 190 immediately after coming out of the nip N1. Each spring piece 190 is only loaded by its own weight in the vicinity of the rear end of the first sheet. As shown in FIG. 8A, the lower end of the first protruding member 158A abuts near the rear end of the first sheet from above, and each spring is positioned downstream of the first protruding member 158A in the conveying direction 17. The upper end of piece 190 abuts from below. At this time, each spring piece 190 is elastically deformed downward by the load received from the document 12 . As a result, the trailing edge of the document 12 is slightly upwardly separated from the upward inclined surface of the spring piece 190 . In other words, the controller 100 positions the leading edge of the document 12 downstream of the downstream end of the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 in the conveying direction 17 and of the upstream end of the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 in the conveying direction 17 . The document 12 is conveyed by the conveying roller 171 or the like so that the rear end of the document 12 is positioned upstream in the same direction. This point is the same for the second sheet to the Nth sheet. Also, the ADF discharge tray 34 is positioned to the right of the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 and below the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 . Therefore, a relatively large load is applied to the portion near the tip of the first sheet, so that the rear end of the first sheet is slightly upwardly separated from the rising inclined surface of the spring piece 190 .

The first sheet is supported by the intermediate ejection chute portion 179 (see FIG. 8A) and also by the ADF ejection tray 34 when the rear end is stopped by the spring piece 190 . At this time, the leading edge of the first sheet hangs down from the ADF discharge tray 34 to the ADF document tray 33 beyond the downstream end of the ADF discharge tray 34 in the conveying direction 17 . is held to This point is the same for the second to Nth sheets.

One or more originals 12 are supported by the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 when the heads of the second to Nth sheets are sent out from the nip N1. Also, the trailing edge of the document 12 on the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is separated from the upward inclined surface of the spring piece 190 . Therefore, when each of the second to Nth sheets is conveyed along the upward inclined surface of each spring piece 190, the leading edge of each sheet is the trailing edge of the document 12 already supported by the upper end of each spring piece 190. Dive below. Each of the second to Nth sheets is conveyed rightward in the upper discharge path 160 below the lowermost document 12 on the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 and discharged to the ADF discharge tray 34 .

In response to the determination of Yes in S108, the flap 180 moves from the first position P51 to the second position P52. Due to this movement, the flap 180 applies an upward force from below to the trailing ends of the first to Nth sheets. Further, the curved portion 158B of the upper discharge chute portion 158 is curved so as to bulge upward so as to match the shape of the upper surface of the flap 180 . As a result, when the flap 180 moves to the second position P52, the document 12 located at the upper end of the spring piece 190 is lifted upward, and as a result, the rear end of the document 12 is moved between the first protruding member 158A and the spring. It escapes from between the pieces 190 . After that, the flap 180 supports the rear end of the document 12 supported on the intermediate discharge chute section 179 by sandwiching it between the flap 180 and the curved section 158B.

The Nth+1 sheet is conveyed in the conveying path 151 in the same manner as the Nth sheet until it abuts on the upward inclined surface of each spring piece 190 . However, since the flap 180 is positioned at the second position P52, the Nth+1 sheet is conveyed rightward in the lower discharge path 161 after getting over the upper end of each spring piece 190, and is transferred to the ADF discharge tray 34. , and after slipping under the Nth sheets of the document 12 already supported on the ADF discharge tray 34, the document is further conveyed to the right. That is, the control unit 100 is configured so that the leading edge of the document 12 is positioned downstream in the same direction as the downstream end of the lower discharge chute portion 178 in the transport direction 17 and is positioned further downstream in the transport direction 17 than the upstream end of the lower discharge chute portion 178 in the transport direction 17 . The document 12 is conveyed by the conveying roller 171 or the like so that the trailing edge of the document 12 is positioned upstream in the same direction. At this time, the leading edge of the Nth+1 sheet passes over the downstream end of the ADF discharge tray 34 in the conveying direction 17 and hangs down from the ADF discharge tray 34 to the ADF document tray 33 . is held to In other words, both the leading edge side of the Nth sheets of the document 12 supported on the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 and the leading edge side of the Nth+1 sheet of the document 12 supported on the lower discharge chute portion 178 are located on the ADF document tray 33 . supported above. This point is the same for the Nth+2nd sheet to the last sheet.

The trailing edge of the Nth+1 sheet comes into contact with the lowest edge of the first projecting member 158A and stops as it exits the nip N1. In addition, since the portion slightly closer to the tip than the rear end of the Nth+1 sheet stops at the upper end of the spring piece 190, each spring piece 190 substantially receives the load from the vicinity of the rear end of the Nth+1 sheet. The rear end of the Nth+1 sheet is lifted upward by the upward biasing force received from each spring piece 190, as shown in FIG. 8(B). Since the lower ejection chute portion 178 is positioned below the upper end of each spring piece 190 , the rear end of the Nth+1 sheet tends to extend obliquely upward to the left from each spring piece 190 .

One or more originals 12 are supported by the lower discharge chute portion 178 when each head from the Nth+2nd to the last is sent out from the nip N1. Also, the trailing edge of the document 12 on the lower discharge chute portion 178 is separated from the upward inclined surface of the spring piece 190 . Therefore, each of the Nth+2 sheets to the last sheet comes into contact with the upwardly inclined surface of each spring piece 190 and is transported along the upwardly inclined surface, after which the original document 12 already supported by the upper end of each spring piece 190 is left behind. Dive below the edge. Each of the Nth+2 to the last sheets is conveyed rightward in the lower discharge path 161 below the lowermost document 12 of the lower discharge chute section 178 in the same manner as the other documents 12 .

As described above, on the ADF discharge tray 34, the plurality of originals 12 are stacked in order from the top in the so-called face-up reading process order. "Face up" means that the image recording surface of the document 12 faces upward. After completing the single-sided reading process, the user pulls out the plurality of documents 12 from the ADF discharge tray 34 .

[Double-sided scanning]
When a plurality of documents 12 having images recorded on both sides thereof are placed on the ADF document tray 33, the user operates the operation panel 6 to start double-sided reading processing for both sides of the documents 12. . In response to this user operation, the scanner unit 3 starts double-sided reading processing. In this case, the control unit 100 further causes the second image reading unit 94 to start the reading process after a second time period shorter than the first time period after the leading edge of the document 12 is detected in S105, so that the second image is read. Acquisition of image data from the reading unit 94 begins. After the trailing edge of the document 12 is detected in S106, the controller 100 terminates the reading process by the second image reading unit 94 after the second time has passed.

[Use of image data, etc.]
The image data stored in the RAM or the like in S106 can be used for various purposes (such as FAX transmission) as described above.

[Actions and effects of the embodiment]
According to this embodiment, when the flap 180 is at the first position P51, the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 supports the document 12 into which the leading edge of the document 12 currently being conveyed is to be inserted. When the flap 180 is at the second position P<b>52 , the document 12 into which the leading edge of the currently conveyed document 12 is to be inserted is supported by the lower discharge chute section 178 . The leading edge of the plurality of original documents 12 supported by the intermediate ejection chute section 179 and the leading edge of the plurality of original documents 12 supported by the lower ejection chute section 178 are located at the downstream end and the lower side of the intermediate ejection chute section 179 . The sheet is conveyed further downstream than the downstream end of the discharge chute section 178 . In this way, the trailing edge sides of the plurality of documents 12 on the ADF document tray 33 continuously transported by the transport roller 171 or the like are supported separately by the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 and the lower discharge chute portion 178. When the leading edge of the document 12 is inserted, the load applied to the leading edge of the document 12 by the original document 12 can be reduced. As a result, the currently-conveyed document 12 is prevented from slipping under the already-conveyed document 12 and is prevented from buckling.

In addition, since the leading edges of the conveyed documents 12 are generally at the same position, the documents 12 supported by the intermediate discharge chute section 179 and the lower discharge chute section 178 can be easily taken out together. That is, the recoverability of the document 12 is improved.

The trailing edge of the document 12 conveyed along the curved path 157 is supported by the spring piece 190 . Subsequently, the leading edge of the document 12 conveyed along the conveying path 151 by the conveying rollers 171 and pinch rollers 172 is guided from the curved path 157 to the lower discharge path 161 by the flap 180 and supported by the lower discharge chute portion 178 . It slips downward from the rear end of the document 12 to be processed. When the flap 180 is at the second position P52, the vicinity of the rear end of the document 12 supported by the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is sandwiched between the flap 180 and the curved portion 158B, so that the original document 12 is conveyed to the lower discharge chute portion 178. This prevents the leading edge of the document 12 being ejected from coming into contact with the trailing edge of the document 12 supported by the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 .

[First modification]
The first modification differs from the embodiment in that the intermediate discharge chute section 179 further includes discharge rollers 187 as shown in FIG. Therefore, in the following, the points of difference will be described without describing the common parts with the embodiment.

In FIG. 9, the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is formed with a through hole 187A that vertically penetrates the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 and extends in the front-rear direction. The discharge roller 187 is positioned in the through hole 187A and is rotatable in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis A28 extending in the front-rear direction 8. As shown in FIG.

The rotation axis A28 is connected to the rotation axis A23 of the flap 180 by link members 188 provided in front and rear of the flap 180 and the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 . The link member 188 can be positioned at a lower position P71 and an upper position P72 in the vertical direction 7 by an actuator 182 such as an electromagnetic solenoid. The lower position P71 is the vertical position of the link member 188 when the flap 180 is positioned at the first position P51 (see FIG. 6). The upper position P72 is the vertical position of the link member 188 when the flap 180 is positioned at the second position P52 (see FIG. 6).

In S109 (see FIG. 7), the controller 100 (see FIG. 5) causes the actuator 182 to move the link member 188 from the lower position P71 to the upper position P72. In conjunction with this, the rotating shafts A23 and A28 of the flap 180 rotate, and as a result, the flap 180 moves from the first position P51 to the second position P52, and the ejection roller 187 moves above the intermediate ejection chute section 179. The original 12 is rotated so as to be conveyed in the conveying direction 17 .

[Second modification]
The second modification differs from the embodiment in that the intermediate discharge chute section 179 further includes discharge rollers 191 as shown in FIG. 10(A). Therefore, in the following, the points of difference will be described without describing the common parts with the embodiment.

In FIG. 10A, the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is formed with a through hole 191A that vertically penetrates the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 and extends forward and backward. The discharge roller 191 is positioned within the through hole 191A and is rotatable in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis A31 extending in the front-rear direction 8 .

In S109 (see FIG. 7), while the flap 180 is being moved from the first position P51 to the second position P52, the control unit 100 controls the power of the LF motor 110 to the discharge roller 191 via the clutch 192, for example. control to transmit to LF motor 110 and clutch 192 are an example of an interlocking mechanism. By this control, the ejection roller 191 rotates clockwise (an example of the direction of rotation) in FIG. 10A in conjunction with the movement of the flap 180 from the first position P51 to the second position P52. As a result, the document 12 supported by the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is conveyed in the conveying direction 17 .

According to the second modification, when the flap 180 moves, the document 12 supported by the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is conveyed in the conveying direction 17 by the discharge roller 191 . This prevents the leading edge of the document 12 conveyed to the lower discharge chute section 178 from contacting the trailing edge of the document 12 supported by the intermediate discharge chute section 179 .

[Third Modification]
As shown in FIG. 10B, the vertical distance Z11 (an example of the first distance) is the highest position P61 on the top surface (an example of the document guide surface) of the flap 180 at the first position P51 and the first protrusion The distance in the vertical direction 7 from the lowermost position P62 of the member 158A. The horizontal distance X11 (an example of the second distance) is the distance in the horizontal direction 9 between the positions P61 and P62. By making the vertical distance Z11 shorter than the horizontal distance X11, the vicinity of the trailing end of the document 12 located directly below the first protruding member 158A is pulled out from the first protruding member 158A in the transport direction 17 by the waist of the document 12. is suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the lateral distance X12 (an example of the third distance) is the distance in the lateral direction 9 between the nip N1 and the lowest position P62 of the first projecting member 158A. A vertical distance Z12 (an example of a fourth distance) is defined between a portion of the upper ejection chute portion 158 facing the intermediate ejection chute portion 179 (an example of the first lower surface) and the flap 180 of the upper ejection chute portion 158. It is defined as the distance in the vertical direction 7 from the position of the upper end sandwiching the 12 . By making the horizontal distance X12 shorter than the vertical distance Z12, the recoverability of the document 12 is improved. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, the trailing edge of the original document 12, which has passed through the nip N1 and is stopped while being supported by the spring piece 190, is pushed forward by the flap 180 as shown in FIG. 8B. When it swings from the first position P51 to the second position P52, it is sandwiched between the flap 180 and the upper ejection chute portion 158 . In other words, when the lateral distance X12 is shorter than the vertical distance Z12, the trailing edge of the document 12 sandwiched between the flap 180 and the upper discharge chute section 158 moves downstream in the conveying direction 17 from the lowest end of the upper discharge chute section 158. move with certainty. As a result, with the flap 180 at the second position P52, the succeeding document 12 is conveyed to the lower discharge path 161 without hitting the trailing end of the preceding document 12, thereby improving the recoverability of the document 12. FIG.

[Fourth Modification]
In FIG. 4 , the ADF discharge tray 34 is located downstream of the upper discharge path 160 in the transport direction 17 . The downstream end of the ADF discharge tray 34 is positioned upstream in the transport direction 17 from the leading edge of the transported document 12 . As shown in FIG. 11A, each top surface of the ADF discharge tray 34 is lowered in the vertical direction 7 as it approaches the extended end. FIG. 11A is a schematic diagram of a vertical cross section of the ADF discharge tray 34 taken along line Xa-Xa in FIG. 2 as viewed from the right. FIG. 11B is a schematic diagram of a longitudinal section of the ADF document tray 33 taken along line Xb--Xb in FIG. 2 as viewed from the right. The ADF discharge tray 34 is an example of a fourth support member.

The ADF document tray 33 is positioned downstream in the transport direction 17 from the lower discharge path 161 . The downstream end of the ADF discharge tray 34 is positioned upstream in the transport direction 17 from the leading edge of the transported document 12 . As shown in FIG. 11B, on the upper surface of the ADF document tray 33, the portion downstream of the ADF discharge tray 34 in the transport direction 17 approaches the front-rear center of the ADF document tray 33 when viewed from the horizontal direction 9. The position in the up-down direction 7 becomes lower as the number increases. The ADF document tray 33 is an example of a document tray.

According to the fourth modification, the document 12 positioned on the ADF document tray 33 (the document 12 that has already been transported or the document 12 to be transported) is stiffened on the leading end side in the transport direction 17, and the document 12 is prevented from buckling. Suppressed.

Further, the more the downstream end of the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 in the conveying direction 17 protrudes leftward from the downstream end of the cover 153 in the same direction, the more the portion of the document 12 near the leading end supported by the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 becomes. The load applied to the document 12 supported on the lower discharge chute portion 178 can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 11C, the upper surface of the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 becomes lower in the vertical direction 7 as it approaches the front-rear center of the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 in plan view from the left-right direction 9 . According to this, the stiffness of the document 12 positioned on the intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is increased, and buckling of the document 12 is suppressed. The intermediate discharge chute portion 179 is an example of a third support member.

[Other Modifications]
In the embodiment, transport path 151 was a U-turn path. However, the conveying path 151 is not limited to this and may be a straight path.

In order to improve the recoverability of the originals 12 , a roller made of resin may be provided on the upper surface of the flap 180 so as to rotate in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft extending in the front-rear direction 8 .

1 MFP 3 Scanner unit (reading device)
5 ADF (conveyor)
16... Conveying mechanism 32... First image reading unit (reading sensor)
33 ADF document tray (document tray)
34 ADF discharge tray (fourth support member)
94 Second image reading unit (reading sensor)
150 Conveying path 157 Curved path 158 Upper discharge chute 160 Upper discharge path (first discharge path)
161 Lower discharge passage (second discharge passage)
178 Lower discharge chute portion (second support member)
179... Intermediate discharge chute portion (first support member, third support member)
180 Flap (guide member)
P51... First position P52... Second position 100... Control unit

Claims (10)

a first support member forming a first discharge passage;
a second support member disposed below the first support member and forming a second discharge path;
a conveying path continuous with the first discharge path and the second discharge path;
a transport mechanism for transporting the document in the transport direction along the transport path;
a guide member movable to a first position for guiding the document from the transport path to the first discharge path and a second position for guiding the document from the transport path to the second discharge path;
The first support member and the second support member have a dimension along the transport direction shorter than a dimension along the transport direction of the document,
The transport mechanism is
The leading edge of the document is located downstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the first support member in the transport direction or the downstream end of the second support member in the transport direction, and the first support member is located in the transport direction. transporting the document so that the rear end of the document is located upstream in the transport direction from the upstream end of the second support member or the upstream end of the second support member in the transport direction;
conveying the next document so that the leading edge of the next document slips below the trailing edge of the previous document supported by the first support member when the guide member is at the first position;
A conveying device for conveying the next document so that the leading edge of the next document slips under the trailing edge of the previous document supported by the second support member when the guide member is at the second position. further comprising a cover covering the downstream side and upper side of the transport path and the upper side of the first discharge path;
The transport mechanism is
a conveying roller positioned upstream in the conveying direction from the guide member;
a nip member that sandwiches the document between itself and the transport roller;
a first protruding member positioned upstream in the transport direction from the guide member and downstream in the transport direction from a nip position between the transport roller and the nip member, and protruding downward into the transport path; ,
a second protruding member located downstream in the conveying direction of the first protruding member and protruding upward,
the guide member has a flap extending upstream in the conveying direction from the pivot shaft, and is positioned at the first position and the second position by pivoting about the pivot shaft;
2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the guide member at the second position sandwiches the trailing edge of the document supported by the first support member between itself and the cover. a discharge roller positioned in the first discharge path;
an interlocking mechanism interlocking the rotation of the guide member and the rotation of the discharge roller,
3. The interlocking mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the interlocking mechanism rotates the discharge roller in a direction of rotation for transporting the document in the transporting direction in interrelation with the movement of the guide member from the first position to the second position. transport equipment. A first distance along the vertical direction between the uppermost position of the document guide surface of the guide member at the first position and the lower end of the first protruding member is a second distance along the horizontal direction between the uppermost position and the lower end of the first protruding member. 4. Conveyor according to claim 2 or 3, which is shorter than the distance. A third distance along the horizontal direction between the nip position and the lower end of the first protruding member is such that the document is placed between the guide member and the first lower surface of the cover facing the first support member. 5. The conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the cover is shorter than a fourth vertical distance from the second lower surface of the cover at the clamping position. a third support member arranged downstream of the first discharge path in the conveying direction and having a downstream end located upstream of the leading edge of the document after conveyance;
6. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the third support member supports the document in a downwardly curved posture. further comprising a fourth support member arranged downstream of the second discharge path in the transport direction and having a downstream end located upstream of the leading edge of the document after transport,
7. The conveying device according to claim 6, wherein the fourth support member supports the document in a downwardly curved posture. further comprising a document tray arranged below the first support member and the second support member,
the transport path extends from the document tray, curves upward, and connects to the first support member and the second support member;
8. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein leading edges of the originals supported by the first supporting member and the second supporting member are positioned on the original tray. 9. The conveying device according to claim 8, wherein the document tray supports the document in a downwardly curved posture. a conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9;
a reading sensor that reads a document on the transport path.

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