JP4423217B2 - Sheet discharging apparatus and sheet processing apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet discharging apparatus and a sheet processing apparatus including the sheet discharging apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile includes an image forming unit and an image reading apparatus that reads an original, and forms an image based on image information read by the image reading apparatus. There is something.

  Here, in such an image reading apparatus provided in the conventional image forming apparatus or as a single image reading apparatus, an automatic document conveying apparatus that continuously feeds a document, which is an example of a sheet discharging device. Is provided. In such an automatic document feeder (ADF), a plurality of documents placed on the placing table are separated and fed one by one to the image reading unit, and further, the front and back of the document are reversed. Various devices having a function of discharging have been proposed.

  By the way, as an original image reading method in an image reading apparatus provided with such an automatic original conveying device, a fixed reading method in which an original is placed on a platen and image information is optically read while moving an image reading means. The image reading unit is roughly classified into a flow reading method in which image information is optically read while fixing an image reading means at a predetermined position on a platen and conveying a document.

  In recent years, the flow-reading method is mainly employed because of the advantages of improving productivity such as how much processing can be performed within a certain time and downsizing of the apparatus. In the case of this flow scanning method, it is possible to minimize the reversal path for supporting double-sided originals.

  However, in such a conventional ADF 80, when the rigidity of the original P which is a sheet is small, in other words, when the stiffness of the original P is weak, when the paper passes through the discharge roller pair 16 in the separated state, FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the leading edge of the document may lean against the discharge tray 19 and may be rounded on the discharge tray 19 to cause a jam.

Therefore, conventionally, as a countermeasure against this, as shown in FIG. 10, a rib 55 for attaching the stiffness of the document P is provided on the lower sheet guide 51a (see Patent Document 1). The rib 55 is used to prevent the original P from jamming due to the original P being rounded on the discharge tray 19 by applying the stiffness of the original P.
JP 2002-226114 A

  However, in such a conventional ADF 80 and an image reading apparatus including the same, when the original P is firmed by the rib 55 as described above, jamming of the original P can be prevented, but the rear end portion of the original P is prevented. Also increases rigidity. For this reason, when the trailing edge of the original P is kicked out by the pair of discharge rollers 16 that have come into contact and the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray, the original P jumps too much due to the stiffness, and the sheet This will cause misalignment in the direction of discharge. In addition, if the document jumps too much, the document P may fall from the discharge tray 19.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and more reliably prevents the occurrence of a jam when the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray, and the consistency of the discharge direction of the sheet on the discharge tray. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet discharge device that can be enhanced.

The sheet discharge apparatus according to the present invention, stacking the sheet conveying path which the sheet is conveyed, and a discharge port for discharging the sheet, wherein Ru is conveying a sheet conveying path, the sheet trailing edge is emitted through the discharge port a discharge tray you, provided in the discharge port, with a stiffness in the sheet discharged from the discharge port, weaken the stiffness enhancing to the sheet in the middle sheet discharging before the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray It has a stiffness enhancing means, the sheet discharging device according to claim Rukoto be released rear end of the sheet in a state of weakened stiffness enhancing by the stiffness enhancing means passes through the outlet to the discharge tray.

  It is possible to more reliably prevent the occurrence of a jam when the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray and to improve the consistency of the discharge direction of the sheet on the discharge tray.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a copying machine that is an example of an image forming apparatus including an image reading device. The copying machine main body 200 </ b> A includes an image input unit 200 and an image output unit 300. . Further, an ADF 80 which is an automatic document feeder is provided on the upper part of the image input unit 200, and a finisher 400 is provided on the side of the image output unit 300.

  Here, the image output unit 300 is provided with an upper cassette 800, a lower cassette 802, a manual feed guide 804, and a sheet deck 808 that store sheets S as recording media. During image formation, the sheets S stored in the upper cassette 800 and the lower cassette 802 are separated and fed one by one by feeding rollers 801 and 803 and a separation claw (not shown), respectively, and guided to the registration rollers 806. It is burned.

  Similarly, the sheets stacked on the manual feed guide 804 are guided one by one to the registration roller 806 via the pair of feed rollers 805. The sheet deck 808 includes a middle plate 808a that is moved up and down by a motor or the like. The sheets S stacked and stored on the middle plate 808a are separated and fed one by one by a feeding roller 809 and a separation claw (not shown). Then, it is guided to the registration roller 806 via the transport roller 810.

  On the other hand, at the time of image formation, a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 812 according to the set number of copies for one document P read by the image input unit 200. Then, the sheets S for the number of copies are sent out of the cassettes 800 and 802 every time an image is formed on the photosensitive drum 812, and then aligned with the photosensitive drum 812 by the registration roller 806. It is conveyed to the image forming unit 300A.

  Here, in the image forming unit 300A, an optical system 813, a developing unit 814, a transfer charging unit 815, and a separation charging unit 816 are provided around the photosensitive drum 812, and the uniformly charged photosensitive drum 812 is provided. By irradiating laser light from the optical system 813 onto the surface of the toner, an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a toner image is formed by the developing device 814, and then the toner image is transferred to the sheet S by the transfer charger 815. It is like that.

  Thereafter, the sheet S adsorbed on the photosensitive drum 812 is peeled off by the separation charger 816, and the sheet on which the toner image is transferred is sent to the fixing device 818 by the conveying belt 817, and heat and pressure are applied. It is fixed. Then, the sheet that has passed through the fixing device 818 is guided to the flapper 820 by the conveyance roller 819 and is sent to the intermediate tray 900 by the discharge roller 821 or discharged to the sheet processing device 400.

  The intermediate tray 900 is for re-feeding the sheet. When an image is formed on both sides of the sheet (double-sided recording) or when an image is formed on one side of the sheet (multiple recording), Sheets once formed with images are stacked.

  Here, the intermediate tray 900 is provided with a conveyance roller 901, a conveyance belt 902, a flapper 903, a conveyance belt 904, and a conveyance roller 905. In the case of double-sided recording, a sheet is guided to the intermediate tray 900 through a path 906 and multiplexed. In the case of recording, the sheet S is guided to the intermediate tray 900 through a path 907.

  Further, the sheets placed on the intermediate tray 900 in this way are separated one by one from the bottom by the action of the auxiliary rollers 909 and 910 and the forward / reverse separating roller pair 911 and are re-fed. The re-fed sheet is guided to the image forming unit 300A via the transport rollers 913, 914, and 915, the transport roller 810, and the registration rollers 806 to form an image. Then, after image formation, it is discharged in the same manner as described above.

  The image-formed sheet discharged from the copying machine main body 200A is discharged to the finisher 400. In the finisher 400, in the non-sort mode, the rollers 404 are discharged and stacked on the sample tray 405 via the buffer roller 401, the flapper 402, and the non-sort mode path 403.

  In the sort mode, the paper is discharged onto the processing tray 409 by the discharge roller 408 via the buffer roller 401, the flapper 406, and the sort mode path 407, and is temporarily stacked. After that, the sheet bundle on the processing tray 409 is aligned at both ends in the direction intersecting the sheet conveying direction by an alignment member (not shown), and the trailing edge of the sheet bundle is bound by the stapler 410 as necessary. Later, the sheet is discharged and stacked on the stack tray 412 by the bundle discharge roller pair 411. When there are a plurality of copies, a collating process is performed in which the stacking direction is shifted by the alignment member for each sheet bundle and the direction of the sheet conveying direction is shifted.

  Incidentally, an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 80 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the image input unit 200, and acts to press a document placed on the platen 18. The ADF 80 is provided with a pressing member (not shown) for pressing the document and the platen 18 so as to cover the entire surface of the platen 18.

  When the document image is read by the ADF 80, first, the document P as a sheet on the feeding tray 11 shown in FIG. 7 is sequentially fed from the uppermost document P by the feeding roller 1, and then separated by the separating units 3 and 4. After that, the sheet is separated one by one, and then the skew is corrected by the registration roller 21, and the U-turn is conveyed by the large diameter roller 24 and the rollers 23, 24, 25.

  Here, a platen glass (transparent glass) 18a also serving as a sheet guide is provided in a horizontal path on the lower surface of the large-diameter roller 24 (between the rollers 23 and 25), and further, a scanner unit 204 is provided below the transparent glass 18a. Is stopped (fixed).

  Then, the image reading unit 80A reads the image of the document conveyed by the ADF 80 by the scanner unit 204 stopped in this way. That is, when reading a document image, the scanner unit 204 stopped (fixed) below the platen glass 18a irradiates light to the document P passing through the platen glass 18a, and the reflected light is reflected on the mirrors 205, 206 and By inputting to the image sensor 208 via the lens 207, the image information of the document P is read. The large diameter roller 24 is configured to have a large diameter in order to eliminate the speed difference between the rollers 22 and 23 around the reading unit.

  On the other hand, the original P from which the image has been read is guided again into the ADF 80 by the platen glass 18a and the scooping member 50 disposed between the other platen glasses 18, and then guided to the pair of discharge rollers 16.

  In the single-sided reading mode for reading one side of a document, the paper is discharged onto a discharge tray 19 which is a sheet stacking unit by a discharge roller pair 16.

  On the other hand, in the double-sided reading mode for reading both sides of the document, the paper is fed back to the skew correction unit composed of the roller 22 and the large-diameter roller 24 by reversing the discharge roller 16 and switching a flapper (not shown). The Then, after the skew correction is corrected in the skew correction section, it again passes over the platen glass 18a, and at this time, the back image of the original P is read, and thereafter, the discharge roller pair 16 puts it on the discharge tray 19. Discharged.

  In the ADF 80, in order to reduce the size, the diameter of the large-diameter roller 24 is reduced to shorten the reversing path. When the reversing path is short (that is, when the reversing portion composed of the large diameter roller 24 and the rollers 22, 23, 25 is small), the flapper 54 is switched to read both sides of a long document such as A3 size. When the document P is reversed, the document P passes by the paper discharge roller pair 16 while the leading edge Pf and the trailing edge Pb of the original sheet are in sliding contact with each other.

  Further, the preceding document conveyed by the large diameter roller 24 and the roller 22 after being switched back by the discharge roller pair 16 and the subsequent document conveyed toward the discharge tray 19 by the large diameter roller 24 and the roller 25 are: It is conveyed so as to pass each other at the place where the discharge roller pair 16 is provided.

  If the leading edge and the trailing edge are in sliding contact due to the passing of the document P, the document P cannot be smoothly reversed and conveyed due to the load caused by the sliding contact. Therefore, in the case of passing each other, the driven roller 16b of the drive roller 16a and the driven roller 16b constituting the discharge roller pair 16 is separated from the drive roller 16a by the solenoid S which is a drive means. By setting the discharge roller pair 16 in the separated state, the sliding contact between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document P is eased and the leading edge of the document does not contact the discharge roller pair 16. Similarly, when the preceding document and the succeeding document pass each other, the discharge roller pair is separated.

  When the discharge roller pair 16 is separated as described above, the leading end portion Pf of the document P is conveyed toward the discharge tray 19 by at least the large diameter roller 24 and the roller 22. The rear end portion Pb of the original P returns from the separated state to the contact state before passing through the nip between the upstream roller pair 24 and 25 closest to the discharge roller pair 16. The document is nipped by the pair of discharge rollers 16 brought into contact, and discharged to the discharge tray 19.

  Next, the configuration in the vicinity of the sheet discharge portion of the ADF 80 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in the vicinity of a sheet discharge unit in an ADF 80 provided in an image reading apparatus, which is an example of a sheet discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In the figure, reference numerals 51 and 52 denote a lower discharge guide and an upper discharge guide provided upstream of the discharge roller pair 16 in the sheet discharge direction. By the lower discharge guide 51 and the upper discharge guide 52, the document conveyed by the large-diameter roller 24 (conveyance roller) and the driven roller 25 constituting the conveyance means is guided to the discharge roller pair 16 which is a pair of rollers that can be contacted and separated. A sheet conveyance path R is formed. At the end of the sheet conveyance path R, there is provided a discharge port E through which the sheet passes when discharged outside the apparatus.

  In the vicinity of the discharge roller pair 16 of the lower discharge guide 51, which is a guide member constituting the bottom surface of the sheet conveyance path R, the upper side of the sheet is discharged by abutting against the original and bending upward (the rigidity is increased). Projecting member 53 (rib) is provided so as to protrude upward.

  The driven roller 16b, which is one of the discharge roller pairs 16, corresponds to the passing of the discharge roller pair 16 (see FIG. 8) that occurs when a large-size original such as A3 is reversed to read the back image. For this purpose, the drive roller 16a can be contacted and separated by a solenoid S as drive means. When the leading edge of the document enters the discharge roller pair 16, the control unit C controls the solenoid S so that the discharge roller pair 16 is in a separated state as shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, when the height of the protruding member 53 is changed so that the driven roller 16b constituting the discharge roller pair 16 moves to the discharge lower guide 51 side and the discharge roller pair 16 is separated, the document P protrudes. The height is set such that the document P passes through the member 53 while being bent, and the document P passes without bending when the discharge roller pair 16 is in contact. That is, the projecting member 53 and the discharge roller pair 16 constitute a squeezing means.

  Specifically, the height position of the apex of the protruding member 53 is set between the contact point of the discharge roller pair 16, that is, the height position of the nip between the driving roller 16 a and the driven roller 16 b and the bottom surface of the lower discharge guide 51. In addition, when the driven roller 16b moves to the sheet discharge lower guide 51 side (downward), the apex of the protruding member 53 protrudes upward from the upper end of the driven roller 16b. Here, “above the upper end of the driven roller 16b” means above the horizontal plane passing through the upper end of the driven roller 16b.

  By setting the height of the protruding member 53 in this way, the driven roller 16b is positioned below the protruding member 53 when the discharge roller pair 16 is separated. Therefore, as shown in the side view of FIG. 3, the document P is bent so that the central portion of the document contacts the protruding member 53 and is curved in a cross section perpendicular to the document discharge direction. In the present embodiment, the document is conveyed while being bent by the protruding member 53 so that both ends of the document are directed downward.

  By bending both ends of the document P downward, the sheet is stiffened and the rigidity of the document P in the direction perpendicular to the sheet surface is increased. By applying the stiffness to the original, the original P is conveyed while the original is being discharged without the leading end of the original being leaned against the discharge tray 19 as shown in FIG. As described above, when the protrusion P 53 is stiffened on the document P being conveyed, the jamming due to the rounding that occurs when the leading end as shown in FIG. Can be prevented. The middle of the document discharge here means that the front end of the document is being conveyed in a state of protruding from the discharge port E to the outside of the apparatus.

  In the present embodiment, one protruding member 53 is provided at a substantially central portion in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. However, a plurality of protruding members 53 may be provided in the 16 axial directions of the discharge roller pair. When a plurality of the protruding members 53 are provided, the document is waved in the width direction and is conveyed in a state where the stiffness is more strongly applied.

  On the other hand, while the document P is being discharged (conveyed) toward the discharge tray 19 (while the sheet is being discharged), the trailing edge of the document is brought into contact with the large-diameter roller 24 and the driven roller 25. Prior to passing the contact position, the driven roller 16b rises and the discharge roller pair 16 comes into contact as shown in FIG. The timing of raising the driven roller 16b is based on a signal from the sensor F that detects that the document has passed a predetermined position. That is, when the sensor F detects the passage of the trailing edge of the document, the control unit C controls the solenoid S based on the detection result to raise the driven roller 16b to contact the driving roller 16a.

  As described above, the height of the apex of the protruding member 53 is set to such a height that the document P passes through without being bent when the discharge roller pair 16 is in contact. In other words, it is configured such that when the discharge roller pair 16 comes into contact, the stiffness of the projection member 53 to the document is weakened. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, since the height position of the apex of the projection member 53 is set to be the same as the height position of the contact point of the discharge roller pair 16, the discharge roller pair 16 When in the contact state, the document P passes through without being bent.

  After the discharge roller pair 16 comes into contact, the original is nipped by the discharge roller pair 16 and conveyed by the rotation of the discharge roller pair 16, and the output tray is weakened in the state where the protrusion of the original 53 is weakened. 1 is discharged by the discharge roller pair 16.

  Here, the configuration in which the height position of the apex of the projection member 53 when the discharge roller pair 16 abuts is the same position as the contact point of the discharge roller pair 16, but the discharge roller pair 16 is in the abutting state. The apex of the protruding member 53 may be positioned at a position where the original is not bent by the protruding member. Therefore, the height position of the apex of the protruding member 53 may be set to be positioned below the tangent line (nip line) at the contact point of the discharge roller pair 16. Even if the apex of the protruding member 53 is positioned slightly above the nip line of the discharge roller 16, it is only necessary that the document is weakened so that the leading end of the sheet hangs down toward the discharge tray 19.

  Since the document P is discharged by the discharge roller 16 in a state where the document P is not bent by the protruding member 53, that is, in a state where the stiffness of the document is weakened, the discharge roller pair 16 brought into contact with the document P When kicking off the edge and discharging the document to the discharge tray 19, it is possible to prevent the document from being discharged from the discharge tray 19 due to excessive jumping (sheet misalignment in the sheet discharge direction) or excessive jumping as shown in FIG. 10. Can do.

  In the above embodiment, the lower discharge guide 51 is provided with the protruding member 53, and when the discharge roller pair 16 is in the separated state, the document passes through the height of the protruding member 53 while contacting the protruding member 53 and bending. When the discharge roller pair 16 is in contact, the height is set such that the document passes without being bent. Therefore, the document can be discharged (conveyed) so that the leading end side of the document passes through the discharge port E in a state where the pair of discharge rollers 16 is separated and the stiffness of the document is strengthened, and the occurrence of jam can be prevented. Further, the document is transferred from the transport roller 16 to the discharge tray 19 in a state in which the pair of discharge rollers 16 is brought into contact with the discharge roller E and the stiffness of the document is weakened so that the document hangs down to the discharge tray 19 side. By discharging, it is possible to prevent the document from jumping excessively (alignment in the document discharge direction) and dropping from the discharge tray 19 when the document is discharged, and the document can be reliably discharged to the discharge tray 19. .

  Note that there are originals that are stiff, and it is not necessary to apply further stiffening to such originals. Therefore, when ejecting a stiff original, the protruding member 53 is not attached to the lower discharge guide 51. You may make it provide in the state urged | biased to the original document side with the spring which is an urging | biasing means of illustration.

  By providing the protruding member 53 in such a state that the protruding member 53 is urged to the original side in this way, when a strong original is conveyed (discharged), when the discharge roller pair 16 is separated, the protruding member 53 is applied to the original. When pressed, the sheet is retracted against the urging force of the spring toward the sheet discharge lower guide 51 side. As a result, there is no need to apply further stiffness to a document that is strong, and the document can be conveyed (discharged) without applying a load to the document by the protruding member 53.

  In the description so far, the ADF provided in the image reading apparatus is exemplified as an example of the sheet discharging apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image including an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet. The forming apparatus can also be applied to an apparatus that discharges a sheet on which an image is formed by an image forming unit from a main body of the image forming apparatus to a discharge tray. Further, the finisher 400 that performs collation processing or stapling processing on a sheet can be applied to an apparatus that discharges a sheet to the sample tray 405, the processing tray 409, or the stack tray 412, for example. That is, it is possible to cope with an apparatus having a function of discharging sheets to a discharge tray as a sheet stacking unit.

  In the above embodiment, the relative position between the protruding member 53 and the driven roller 16b is changed by moving the driven roller 16b of the pair of discharge rollers 16, and the sheet is strongly stiffened and the sheet is rubbed. A configuration for switching between a state of weakening and a state of weakening is exemplified. However, other forms for releasing the sheet to the discharge tray in a state in which the sheet is dripped in the middle of discharging and the sheet is dampened so that the sheet is dampened may be, for example, the following forms .

  In the sheet discharge device shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the lower guide 151 constituting the sheet conveyance path is provided with a protruding member (rib) 153 as a stiffness applying means. The lower guide 151 is movably held between a solid line position and a broken line position shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 which is a side view. By swinging the lower guide 151, the projection member 153 is configured to switch between a state in which the protrusion member 153 strongly applies stiffness to the sheet and a state in which the attachment to the sheet is weakened so that the sheet hangs down. In FIG. 11, the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 125 is discharged to the discharge tray 119 by the discharge roller pair 116.

  At the start of sheet discharge, as shown in FIG. 12, the sheet is bent by the protruding member 153 and conveyed by the discharge roller pair 116 from the discharge port E1 in a state where the sheet is strongly firm. The apex of the protruding member 153 in the state of FIG. 12 is located above the nip line of the discharge roller pair 116.

  When the trailing edge of the sheet is detected by the sheet sensor F1 while the sheet is being discharged by the discharge roller pair 116, the protruding member 153 integrated with the lower guide 151 is moved downward by the solenoid S1. When the protruding member 153 moves downward, the sheet is not bent by the protruding member 153, and the sheet is weakened (see FIG. 13). The sheet is discharged onto the discharge tray 119 by the discharge roller pair 116 in a state where the sticking to the sheet is weakened. The apex of the protruding member 153 in the state of FIG. 13 is located below the nip line of the discharge roller pair 116. However, even if the height of the apex of the protruding member 153 is slightly above the nip line of the discharge roller 116, the sheet is substantially weakened so that the sheet droops toward the discharge tray 119. I just need it.

  Further, as shown in the front cross-sectional view of FIG. 14 and the side views of FIGS. 15 and 16, the pair of discharge rollers for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray is formed in a comb shape, and the sheet to be discharged is stiff. There may be. In this embodiment, the comb-like discharge roller pair 216 has both a function as a member for discharging the sheet onto the discharge tray 219 and a function as a stiffness applying means for applying a strain to the sheet.

  At the start of sheet discharge by the comb-shaped discharge roller pair 216, the lower roller of the comb-shaped discharge roller pair 216 is positioned at the position shown in FIG. 15 (the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 14). In addition, the sheet sandwiched between the comb-like discharge roller pair 216 is bent by the comb-like discharge roller pair 216 to be firm. In the middle of discharging the sheet, the lower discharge roller of the comb-shaped discharge roller pair 216 bends the sheet as shown in FIG. From the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. 14 to the position shown in FIG. Then, the comb-like discharge roller pair 216 discharges the sheet to the discharge tray 219 in a state where the stiffness of the sheet is weakened so that the leading edge of the sheet hangs down to the discharge tray 219 side. Increasing the distance between the comb-like pair of discharge rollers 216 in order to weaken the squeeze to the sheet means that the control unit moves the roller based on the output of the sheet sensor in the sheet conveyance path. Through. It is the same in any form that the control unit performs control so as to switch between a state in which strong squeezing is performed and a state in which squeezing is weakened based on the output of the sheet sensor.

  In any of the above-described embodiments, in a sheet processing apparatus including a sheet processing unit such as a process of reading an image on a sheet, a process of forming an image on a sheet, a process of binding a staple to a sheet bundle or a process of collating The present invention can be applied as an apparatus for discharging a sheet that has been subjected to predetermined sheet processing by the processing unit to the outside of the apparatus.

  In any of the above-described embodiments, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a jam by applying a stiffness to the sheet during the discharge of the sheet, and the sheet is discharged in a state in which the squeezing is weakened and the squeezing is weakened during the discharge of the sheet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent excessive jumping (misalignment) when the sheet is discharged and fall from the discharge tray, and the sheet can be reliably discharged to the discharge tray.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in the vicinity of a discharge unit in an ADF provided in an image reading apparatus that is an example of a sheet discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the state at the time of separation of the discharge roller pair provided in the ADF. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a document is bent by a protruding member when the discharge roller pair is separated. The figure which shows the state at the time of contact | abutting of the said discharge roller pair. The figure which shows the state in which a document is conveyed without bending below at the time of contact | abutting of the said discharge roller pair. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a copying machine including a sheet discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image reading apparatus including a sheet discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in the vicinity of a discharge unit in an ADF provided in an image reading apparatus provided with a sheet discharge apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the state at the time of separation of the discharge roller provided in the conventional ADF. The figure which shows the state at the time of contact | abutting of the discharge roller in the conventional ADF. Sectional drawing explaining the other form of the sheet | seat discharge apparatus of this invention. The side view explaining the other form of the sheet discharge apparatus of this invention. The side view explaining the other form of the sheet discharge apparatus of this invention. Sectional drawing explaining the other form of the sheet | seat discharge apparatus of this invention. The side view explaining the other form of the sheet discharge apparatus of this invention. The side view explaining the other form of the sheet discharge apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

16 discharge roller pair 16a drive roller 16b driven roller 24 large-diameter roller 25 roller 51 discharge lower guide 53 protruding member 80 ADF
80A Image reading unit 200A Copier body R Paper discharge path

Claims (8)

A sheet conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed;
A discharge port for discharging the sheet that will be conveyed to the sheet conveying path,
A discharge tray you loading the trailing edge is emitted through the outlet sheet,
Provided in the outlet, with a stiffness in the sheet discharged from the discharge port, and a stiffness enhancing means for weakening the stiffness enhancing to the sheet in the middle sheet discharging before the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray Have
Sheet discharging device according to claim Rukoto released into the discharge tray rear end of the sheet in a state of weakened stiffness enhancing by the stiffness enhancing means through said outlet. The stiffness applying means has a protruding member protruding in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the sheet discharged from the discharge port,
The sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protruding member deforms the sheet so that the sheet is curved in a cross section perpendicular to the sheet discharging direction, and applies stiffness to the sheet. Constituting the bottom surface of the sheet conveying path, the guide member provided with the protruding member;
A pair of contactable and disengageable discharge rollers for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray,
The height of the apex of the protruding member is higher than the upper end of the one roller when the one roller of the discharge roller pair moves downward and the one roller and the other roller are separated from each other. Is set to a position that is the same as or lower than the nip line of the pair of discharge rollers when the pair of discharge rollers abuts,
3. The sheet according to claim 2, wherein the sheet is stiffened by the protruding member in a state where the pair of discharge rollers is separated, and the sheet is weakened in a state where the pair of discharge rollers is in contact. Sheet discharge device. A conveyance roller for conveying the sheet in the sheet conveyance path;
A control unit for controlling contact and separation of the discharge roller pair;
After the transport roller transports the sheet so that the leading edge of the sheet passes through the discharge port, the discharge roller pair is separated from the discharge roller pair before the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the transport roller. The sheet discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls contact and separation of the discharge roller pair so as to be in a contact state. The discharge roller pair can be reversed in the direction opposite to the direction of discharging the sheet,
The discharge roller pair is separated after the discharge roller pair is reversed to start conveying the preceding sheet in the direction opposite to the sheet discharge direction,
5. The sheet discharge apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the discharge roller pair is in the separated state, the succeeding sheet and the preceding sheet conveyed by the transfer roller are conveyed so as to pass each other in the discharge roller pair. . The kneading means deforms the sheet so as to increase the rigidity of the sheet,
The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the crimping means releases the deformation of the sheet in the middle of discharging the sheet so as to weaken the crimping so as to cancel the crimping to the sheet. Discharging device.   The sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the protruding member weakens the stiffness of the sheet by moving the protruding member away from the sheet during discharging of the sheet from the discharge port. A sheet processing unit for performing predetermined processing on the sheet;
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: the sheet discharging apparatus according to claim 1, which discharges a sheet processed by the sheet processing unit.

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