JP5695933B2 - Sheet conveying apparatus and document information reading apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus in which a sheet feeding tray and a discharge tray on which sheets are placed can be freely opened and closed, and a document information reading apparatus such as a scanner including such a sheet conveying apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a document information reading device such as a scanner includes a sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet to an information reading unit. The information reading unit is a part provided with a sensor that reads image information or magnetic information on a sheet such as an image sensor. The sheet conveying device conveys a sheet between a sheet feeding tray on which the sheet is loaded for feeding the sheet, a discharge tray on which the discharged sheet is loaded, and the sheet feeding tray and the discharge tray. An apparatus main body having a conveyance path.

  As a scanner equipped with such a sheet conveying apparatus, a structure in which a paper feed tray and a discharge tray are folded on the apparatus main body has been conventionally known. That is, at the time of use, the paper feed tray and the discharge tray are opened so that sheets can be placed on the respective trays. On the other hand, when not in use, the paper feed tray and the discharge tray are folded to make the entire apparatus compact and easy to carry.

  Further, among the structures in which the tray can be opened and closed in this way, a structure that covers the sheet feeding port and the operation button with the tray closed is known (see Patent Document 1). In the case of the structure described in Patent Document 1, by closing the tray, it is possible to prevent foreign matters such as dust from entering the apparatus from the paper feed port and to prevent erroneous operation of the operation buttons.

  A structure is also known in which a tray is automatically opened and closed in conjunction with power on / off (see Patent Document 2). In the case of the structure described in Patent Document 2, a motor and a power transmission mechanism for using the power of the motor to open and close the tray are provided to automatically open and close the tray.

Japanese Patent No. 4495195 JP 2008-100776 A

  In the case of the structure described in Patent Document 1 described above, the user needs to operate each time when opening the paper feed tray and the discharge tray, which is troublesome. On the other hand, the structure described in Patent Document 2 can automatically open and close the paper feed tray and the discharge tray. However, a motor and a power transmission mechanism are required to automatically open and close the tray, which increases the manufacturing cost. At the same time, the apparatus becomes large.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention has been invented to realize a structure that can reduce the trouble of opening the paper feed tray and the discharge tray and can reduce the cost and size of the apparatus.

The present invention provides a first tray and a second tray that are rotatable between an open state where a sheet is placed and a closed state folded from the open state, the first tray, and the second tray. An apparatus main body having a conveyance path for conveying sheets to and from the other tray, and the first tray connected to the apparatus main body on the base end side of the first tray so that the first tray can be rotated to the apparatus main body. a first rotation support portion for supporting a second pivot supporting said second tray base end side of the second tray that is connected to the apparatus body rotatably to the apparatus main body The holding portion, the holding portion that holds the first tray in the closed state, and the rotation of the second tray release the holding of the first tray held in the closed state by the holding portion. Te, and a linkage unit for moving the first tray in the open state, closed to the apparatus main body In the case where only the first tray of the first tray and the second tray in the open state is opened, the sheet conveyed from the first tray through the conveyance path, The second tray out of the first tray and the second tray is placed on one surface of the second tray in a closed state with respect to the apparatus main body, while being placed in a closed state with respect to the apparatus main body. In the case where the other surface opposite to the one surface of the second tray is extended from the sheet placement surface on the apparatus main body by rotating only the tray, the second tray The base end portion of the second tray provided with the rotation support portion is brought into contact with the tip end portion on the opposite side of the base end portion of the first tray in the closed state, so that the closed state is a first tray to the open state, the sheet conveying instrumentation, characterized in that Located in.

  According to the present invention, the holding of the first tray is released by the rotation of the second tray, and the first tray is in the open state, so that the trouble of opening the first tray and the second tray can be reduced. . For this reason, since it is not necessary to provide a separate motor or power transmission mechanism, the cost and size of the apparatus can be reduced.

1 is a schematic sectional view of a scanner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view of a scanner which shows the closed state of a paper feed tray and a discharge tray. The perspective view of a scanner which shows the open state of a paper feed tray and a discharge tray. The expanded sectional view of an engaging part. 4A and 4B are schematic views showing a closed state of the paper feed tray and FIG. 5B showing an open state of the paper feed tray for explaining resistance means for the apparatus main body of the paper feed tray. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of a scanner showing a state in the middle of changing the discharge tray from a closed state to an open state. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration cross-sectional view of a scanner showing a state in which the paper feed tray is in an open state in conjunction with the discharge tray. The perspective view at the time of making the paper feed tray of the scanner concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention into an open state. Similarly, a perspective view when the paper feed tray is closed. FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a scanner according to a third embodiment of the present invention when a paper feed tray is opened, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view when a paper feed tray is closed. Similarly, (a) is an II cross-sectional view of FIG. 10 (a), and (b) is a roll cross-sectional view of FIG. 10 (b).

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the document information reading apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a scanner) 100 includes a sheet conveying apparatus 100 </ b> A and an information reading unit (image reading unit) 170. The sheet conveying apparatus 100 </ b> A includes an apparatus main body 101 including an upper unit 150 and a lower unit 190, and a paper feed tray 110 and a discharge tray 160 that are rotatably provided on the apparatus main body 101.

  The apparatus main body 101 is provided with a conveyance path 130 through which a sheet is conveyed, and an information reading unit 170 is disposed in the middle of the conveyance path 130. The conveyance path 130 is provided between the upper unit 150 and the lower unit 190, and the upper unit 150 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the lower unit 190 around the rotation support portion 152. Then, by rotating the upper unit 150, the conveyance path 130 is exposed so that, for example, processing can be performed when a sheet is jammed in the conveyance path 130.

[Information reading unit]
As shown in FIG. 1, the information reading unit 170 includes a pair of image sensors 170 a and 170 b. Each of the image sensors 170a and 170b is a CIS (contact image sensor), and reads information on the front and back surfaces of the sheet. That is, one image sensor 170a is provided on the upper unit 150 side, and the other image sensor 170b is provided on the lower unit 190 side. The surface from which information of each image sensor 170a, 170b is read is the conveyance path 130 side, and information on both sides of the sheet passing through the conveyance path 130 is read by the image sensors 170a, 170b.

  Such image sensors 170a and 170b read the image of the sheet by, for example, irradiating the sheet being conveyed with light from the light source and receiving the reflected light from the sheet with the sensor. The read image information is sent to an external terminal such as a personal computer connected to the scanner 100 for image processing.

  Note that the sheet from which the information reading unit 170 should read an image may be any sheet such as a recording sheet such as OA paper, a receipt, or a check. If there are a plurality of sheets, the sheets may have the same size. preferable. The information read in the present embodiment is information on an image formed on the front surface or the back surface of the sheet.

[Paper Feeder]
In addition, a paper feed unit 120 and a paper discharge unit 140 are disposed at both ends of the conveyance path 130. The sheet feeding unit 120 is disposed to face the sheet feeding port (opening) 121 that communicates with the conveyance path 130 from the outside, a feed roller 122 that is a conveying unit disposed near the sheet feeding port 121, and the feed roller 122. And a separating member 123 which is a separating means. The paper feed unit 120 is provided with a paper feed tray 110 that is a first tray that opens and closes the paper feed port 121.

  The paper feed tray 110 is supported at the end of the lower unit 190 in the vicinity of the paper feed unit 120 so that the base end of the paper feed tray 110 is rotatable about a rotation support unit 111 that is a first rotation support unit. Yes. The rotation center axis of the rotation support unit 111 is arranged in a direction (width direction) orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance path 130. Accordingly, the paper feed tray 110 rotates in the direction of moving toward and away from the paper feed port 121 around the rotation center axis arranged in the width direction.

  Such a rotation support unit 111 is configured, for example, by inserting a shaft installed in the width direction at the base end portion of the paper feed tray 110 into a cylindrical portion as a bearing provided in the lower unit 190. This cylindrical portion is also formed in the width direction. The feed tray 110 is rotated by rotating the shaft in the cylindrical portion.

  The sheet feeding tray 110 is in the open state shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and a sheet or a sheet bundle is placed on the upper surface thereof. On the other hand, in the closed state shown in FIG. 2 folded from the open state, the sheet feeding port (opening) 121 leading to the conveyance path 130 is covered. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the entry of foreign matters such as dust from the paper feed port 121 into the conveyance path 130 in the closed state.

  The feed roller 122 conveys the sheet placed on the sheet feeding tray 110 to the conveying path 130 through the sheet feeding port 121. The separation member 123 is a friction member that serves as a sheet conveyance resistance, and separates the sheet from the sheet bundle placed on the sheet feeding tray 110. Such a separating member 123 may be a retard roller that rotates in the opposite direction to the feed roller. By including the feed roller 122 and the separating member 123 in this manner, the sheet feeding unit 120 can separate and convey sheets one by one from a plurality of sheets (sheet bundle) stacked on the sheet feeding tray 110.

[Discharge part]
On the other hand, the paper discharge unit 140 includes a discharge port (opening) 141 that discharges the sheet from the conveyance path 130 to the outside, and a pair of paper discharge rollers 142 disposed in the vicinity of the discharge port 141. Further, on the downstream side of the sheet discharge direction of the sheet discharge unit 140, a placement surface 150a on which the discharged sheet is placed is formed on the upper surface of the upper unit 150. A discharge tray (discharge extension tray) 160, which is a second tray, is disposed in the intermediate portion in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction (conveyance direction) of the placement surface 150a.

  In addition, a concave portion 150 b having a shape corresponding to the discharge tray 160 is provided on the upper surface of the upper unit 150. Further, the upper surface of the upper unit 150 has a smooth curved surface shape from upstream to downstream in the sheet discharging direction, and the concave portion and the discharge tray 160 in a closed state, which will be described later, are also generally curved in shape. Yes.

  The base end portion of the discharge tray 160 is supported by the downstream end portion of the placement surface 150a of the upper unit 150 in the sheet discharge direction so as to be rotatable about a rotation support portion 161 that is a second rotation support portion. Yes. The rotation center axis of the rotation support portion 161 is arranged in a direction (width direction) orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance path 130. Accordingly, the discharge tray 160 rotates about the rotation center axis arranged in the width direction in a direction moving toward and away from the placement surface 150a. The structure of such a rotation support part 161 is the same as that of the rotation support part 111. Further, as described above, as the discharge tray 160 has a curved shape in accordance with the upper surface of the upper unit 150, the portion near the proximal end of the discharge tray 160 is moved upward in the closed state shown in FIG. The curved portion 162 is curved so as to protrude.

In the open state of the discharge tray 160 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the sheet discharged from the paper discharge unit 140 is placed on the front surface 160a (on the other surface ) . That is, in the present embodiment, the sheet discharged from the scanner 100 is placed on the placement surface 150 a on the upper surface of the upper unit 150. However, by opening the discharge tray 160, even when a long sheet is discharged, the sheet can be supported by the placement surface 150a and the surface 160a of the discharge tray 160. In other words, the discharge tray 160 extends the surface on which the discharged sheets are placed.

On the other hand, in the closed state shown in FIG. 2 in which the discharge tray 160 is folded from the open state, the discharge tray 160 is accommodated in the concave portion 150b formed at the center in the width direction of the placement surface 150a. And the back surface 160b of the discharge tray 160 and the mounting surface 150a substantially coincide with each other. Accordingly, even when the discharge tray 160 is closed, the sheet discharged from the paper discharge unit 140 is placed on the placement surface 150a and the back surface 160b (one surface ) of the discharge tray 160.

  Further, the mounting surface 150 a, the front surface 160 a of the discharge tray 160 in the open state, and the back surface 160 b of the discharge tray 160 in the closed state are inclined surfaces that are inclined downward toward the paper discharge unit 140. As a result, the sheet or sheet bundle discharged to the placement surface 150a and the front surface 160a or the back surface 160b of the discharge tray 160 slides upstream in the sheet discharge direction along the inclination. Then, the rear end (upstream end) of the discharged sheet comes into contact with and aligns with the wall surface 151 erected in the substantially vertical direction on the sheet discharge unit 140 side of the placement surface 150a.

  The inclined surface of the placement surface 150a is set to have a length in the paper discharge direction that allows a sheet material such as a business card size or a postcard to be stacked. Thereby, even if the discharge tray 160 is not expanded to the open state (deployment position), a small-size sheet material can be stacked on the placement surface 150a.

[Lock lever and switch]
In addition, the upper unit 150 is provided with a lock lever 154 that holds the position of the lower unit 190 and a switch 200 that turns on / off the power of the scanner 100 in order to make the interval of the conveyance path 130 constant.

  The lock lever 154 and the switch 200 are provided in the vicinity of the downstream end of the placement surface 150a of the upper unit 150 in the sheet discharge direction. As shown in FIG. 2, when the paper feed tray 110 is closed, the end on the side where the lock lever 154 is operated and the switch 200 are covered with the paper feed tray 110. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation of the lock lever 154 and the switch 200 when the paper feed tray 110 is closed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, when the paper feed tray 110 is opened, the operation side end of the lock lever 154 and the switch 200 are exposed so that the lock lever 154 and the switch 200 can be operated.

[Engagement part]
Further, in the present embodiment, the paper feed tray 110 has a front end portion (upstream end portion in the sheet conveyance direction in the open state) that can be engaged with the upper unit 150 of the apparatus main body 101. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, an engaging portion 180 is provided for engaging the front end portion of the paper feed tray 110 with the upper unit 150 in the closed state. The engaging portion 180 corresponds to a holding portion that holds the paper feed tray 110 in the closed state. The engaging portion 180 includes an engaging protrusion 181 provided at the front end portion of the paper feed tray 110 and an engaged portion 182 provided in the upper unit 150. The engaging portion is not limited to the structure described with reference to FIG. 4, and the paper feed tray is opened when the discharge tray is opened and closed while the paper feed tray is kept closed with respect to the apparatus main body. In such a case, it may be a structure that can prevent the device installation surface and the like from falling down vigorously.

  The engagement protrusion 181 is formed by forming a protrusion 181 b at the distal end of an elastic plate 181 a whose base end is fixed to the distal end of the paper feed tray 110. The projecting portion 181b has inclined surfaces inclined in opposite directions on both side surfaces. The engaged portion 182 is provided in a concave portion 153 provided at a position aligned with the engaging protrusion 181 of the upper unit 150, and is formed with a protruding portion 182b at the distal end portion of the elastic plate portion 182a. The protrusions 182b are inclined surfaces whose opposite side surfaces are inclined in opposite directions.

  When the front end of the paper feed tray 110 is engaged with the upper unit 150, the engaging protrusion 181 enters the recess 153 of the upper unit 150, and the protrusion 181 b of the engaging protrusion 181 and the engaged part The protrusion 182b of 182 interferes. Further, when the engaging protrusion 181 is further advanced, the inclined surfaces of the protrusions 181b and 182b are engaged with each other, and the elastic plates 181a and 182a are elastically deformed, whereby the protrusions 181b and 182b are mutually connected. Move away. Then, the protrusion 181b of the engaging protrusion 181 gets over the protrusion 182b of the engaged part 182, and the engaging protrusion 181 and the engaged part 182 are engaged. In this state, the paper feed tray 110 is held closed.

  On the other hand, when the engagement between the front end portion of the paper feed tray 110 and the upper unit 150 is released, a force in an opening direction acts on the paper feed tray 110, so that the engagement protrusion 181 is removed from the recess 153. Start moving in the direction to exit. At this time, the protruding portion 181b of the engaging protrusion 181 interferes with the protruding portion 182b of the engaged portion 182, and the elastic plate portions 181a and 182a are elastically deformed by the engagement of the inclined surfaces. Then, the protrusions 181b and 182b move away from each other, and the protrusion 181b of the engagement protrusion 181 gets over the protrusion 182b of the engagement part 182, and the engagement protrusion 181 and the engagement part 182 are engaged. Is disengaged. That is, the holding of the paper feed tray 110 is released. When the engagement portion 180 is disengaged, the paper feed tray 110 can be rotated from the closed state to the open state by its own weight.

  Note that the structure of the engaging portion between the paper feed tray 110 and the upper unit 150 is not limited to that described above, and may be another known structure such as a magnetic force. In short, it is only necessary to engage with the operation of closing the paper feed tray 110 and disengage when a predetermined force in the opening direction is applied to the paper feed tray 110.

[Resistance means]
Further, a resistance unit 183 that exerts a resistance force between the paper feed tray 110 and the apparatus main body 101 that is smaller than the force acting in the direction from the closed state to the open state due to its own weight. Is provided. In the case of this embodiment, the resistance means 183 includes a spring 183a that is a biasing means, a bent plate portion 183b, and a protrusion 183c, as shown in FIG. The spring 183a is disposed between the apparatus main body 101 and one end (the right end in FIG. 5) of the paper feed tray 110, and biases the paper feed tray 110 toward the other end (the left end in FIG. 5). The folding plate portion 183b is formed so as to be bent from the other end portion of the paper feed tray 110 to the apparatus main body 101 side. The projecting portion 183c is provided at a position facing the bent plate portion 183b of the apparatus main body 101 so as to project in the direction opposite to the biasing direction of the spring 183a.

  Regardless of whether the paper feed tray 110 is open or closed, a part of the bent plate portion 183b is always engaged with the protrusion 183c, and is elastically deformed based on this engagement. That is, when the paper feed tray 110 is in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 5A, the bent plate portion 183b of the paper feed tray 110 biased by the spring 183a is elastically engaged with the protrusion 183c. It is deformed. When the paper feed tray 110 is tilted in the opening direction by its own weight from this state to the open state shown in FIG. 5B, the protrusion 183c and the bent plate part 183b come into sliding contact, and the paper feed tray 110 opens. It becomes resistance to that. As a result, the paper feed tray 110 is slowly opened, and the paper feed tray 110 can be prevented from colliding with the table on which the scanner 100 is placed.

  In the present embodiment, the size, material, size, and the like of each part 183a, 183b, 183c are appropriately restricted, and the paper tray 110 is smaller than the force acting in the direction from the closed state to the open state due to its own weight, and A resistance force against this force is applied.

  Such a resistance means 183 may have another structure such as a damper. However, by adopting the configuration as in the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the resistance means 183 having the functions as described above at a simple and low cost. Further, if the closed state of the paper feed tray 110 can be appropriately maintained by the resistance means 183, the resistance means 183 may serve as an engaging portion for engaging the paper feed tray 110 with the apparatus main body 101. . In this case, the engaging portion 180 shown in FIG. 4 can be omitted.

[Interlocking section]
In the case of the present embodiment, when the discharge tray 160 is rotated, the paper feed tray 110 held in the closed state by the engaging portion 180 is disengaged and the paper feed tray 110 is moved to the open state. Part 300. The interlocking unit 300 includes a front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 positioned above the rotation support portion 111 in a closed state, and a discharge tray 160 that contacts the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 when the discharge tray 160 rotates. And a curved portion 162 that is a contact portion. Then, when the discharge tray 160 is rotated from the closed state to the open state, the discharge tray 160 curved portion 162 comes into contact with the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 and the engagement portion 180 is disengaged. 110 moves to the open state.

In other words, the positional relationship between the paper feed tray 110 and the discharge tray 160 is regulated as follows. That is, when the discharge tray 160 is rotated from the closed state to the open state, the curved portion 162 (base end portion) near the base end of the discharge tray 160 abuts on the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 in the closed state. Thus, the engagement portion 180 is disengaged.

  For this purpose, the rotation support portion 161 that rotatably supports the base end portion of the discharge tray 160 on the upper unit 150 is provided by the rotation support portion 111 that rotatably supports the base end portion of the paper feed tray 110. Is also located above. Further, the rotation support portion 161 is disposed adjacent to the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 in the closed state, and is positioned below the front end portion 112. In other words, the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 in the closed state protrudes above the rotation support portion 161 of the discharge tray 160.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, when the discharge tray 160 is rotated in the open direction (the direction indicated by the solid line arrow in FIG. 6), the curved portion 162 of the discharge tray 160 becomes the leading end 112 of the paper feed tray 110. Abut. When the discharge tray 160 is further rotated in the open state from this contacted state, the engagement portion 180 of the sheet feeding tray 110 with the apparatus main body 101 is disengaged. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the paper feed tray 110 is rotated by its own weight in the open state (the direction of the solid line arrow in FIG. 7), and is in the open state as shown in FIGS. A sheet to be read by the scanner 100 can be placed on 110.

  Further, in the case of the present embodiment, when the discharge tray 160 rotates to the open state, the portion near the base end of the discharge tray 160 is projected as a curved portion 162 that rotates in the direction to rotate from the closed state to the open state. The curved portion 162 is in contact with the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110. Accordingly, the rotation support portion 161 that is the rotation center of the discharge tray 160 does not have to be forced to approach the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110, and the degree of freedom in design can be improved. That is, the rotation support portion 161 can be set apart from the front end portion of the paper feed tray 110 by the amount of the curved portion 162.

  Further, by bringing the curved portion 162 into contact with the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110, it is easy to transmit a force so that the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 is directed in the direction in which the paper feed tray 110 is rotated to the open state. . That is, if the curved portion 162 abuts when the discharge tray 160 rotates, the abutment angle of the paper feed tray 110 to the front end 112 can be made closer to the vertical direction by the amount of the curvature. It is easy to transmit the force so that the tray 110 moves in the direction of turning to the open state. As a result, the paper feed tray 110 can be smoothly rotated to the open state, and the load on the rotation support portion 111 of the paper feed tray 110 can be reduced, thereby improving the product life.

  On the other hand, when the paper feed tray 110 is rotated in the direction of the broken line arrow in FIG. 7 in order to change the paper feed tray 110 from the open state to the closed state, the front end portion 112 of the paper feed tray 110 is in the open state. Abut. When the sheet feeding tray 110 is further rotated in the closed state from this contacted state, the discharge tray 160 is rotated in the closed state (in the direction of the broken arrow in FIG. 6) by its own weight, as shown in FIG. Open. As a result, the paper feed tray 110 and the discharge tray 160 are folded and closed, so that the scanner 100 can be made compact and easy to carry. Note that the discharge tray 160 may be provided with resistance means similar to that of the paper feed tray 110, that is, means for resistance when the closed state is caused by its own weight.

[Scanner operation]
In the case of this embodiment, first, as described above, the discharge tray 160 is rotated in the open state, so that the paper feed tray 110 is also rotated in the open state. And In this state, a sheet (or sheet bundle) from which information is read is placed on the paper feed tray 110. In addition, the power switch 200 is exposed when the paper feed tray 110 is open. Therefore, for example, the user presses the switch 200 and further presses the reading start button or issues a reading instruction from the external terminal, thereby starting the reading operation.

  When the reading operation starts, the feed roller 122 is driven to rotate, and the sheets are separated from the sheet bundle one by one by the separating member 123 and conveyed to the conveying path 130. For the sheet conveyed to the conveyance path 130, information on both surfaces (or any one of the surfaces) of the sheet is read by the image sensors 170a and 170b. Information read by the image sensors 170a and 170b is stored in a storage unit (memory) provided in the apparatus or sent to an external terminal (not shown) (such as a personal computer). The sheet that has passed through the image sensors 170 a and 170 b is sandwiched between a pair of paper discharge rollers 142 and discharged onto the placement surface 150 a and the discharge tray 160.

  Since the scanner 100 of this embodiment configured as described above has the interlocking unit 300 as described above, the operation of opening the discharge tray 160 can also open the paper feed tray 110 in conjunction with it. That is, by opening the discharge tray 160, the engagement portion 180 is disengaged and the paper feed tray 110 is also opened. For this reason, the trouble of opening the paper feed tray 110 and the discharge tray 160 can be reduced. In addition, the discharge tray 160 can be closed in conjunction with the operation of closing the paper feed tray 110, and the trouble of closing the paper feed tray 110 and the discharge tray 160 can be reduced. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide a separate motor or power transmission mechanism in order to realize such a configuration, the cost and size of the apparatus can be reduced.

<Second Embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, it has the switching lever 210 which is a switching means which switches the case where the separation member 123 (refer FIG. 1) is used and the case where it is not used. The separation member 123 moves between a position where it contacts the sheet and a position where it does not contact in conjunction with the operation of the switching lever 210. For example, when the switching lever 210 is operated, the feed roller 122 (see FIG. 1) is moved toward and away from the feed roller 122.

  In the separation feeding mode in which the separation member 123 is moved to a position where the sheet abuts, the separation member 123 separates and feeds the sheets one by one from the sheet bundle. On the other hand, in the non-separation feeding mode in which the separation member 123 is retracted from the contact position of the sheet, the separation member 123 is not brought into contact with the sheet, so that the sheets are hardly separated. In such a non-separated feeding mode, a thin sheet or a thick sheet that cannot be separated and fed is fed one by one, or a sheet such as a half-folded sheet or a bound form is intentionally divided into a plurality of sheets. It is used when you want to feed in layers without separating.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the switching lever 210 that can switch between the separation feeding mode and the non-separation feeding mode is covered with the sheet feeding tray 110 in the closed state. Thereby, when the user carries the scanner with the paper feed tray 110 in the closed state (stored state), the user can be prevented from switching the switching lever 210 by mistake. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the switches 201a and 201b for turning on / off the power of the scanner 100 are arranged as follows. That is, the apparatus is turned on in conjunction with the operation of rotating the paper feed tray 110 from the closed state to the open state, and the apparatus is operated in conjunction with the operation of rotating the paper feed tray 110 from the open state to the closed state. The switches 201a and 201b are arranged so that the power source of is turned off.

  Specifically, protrusions 113a and 113b are provided near the proximal end 112 and the proximal end of the paper feed tray 110, respectively. In addition, a switch 201a is provided at a position where the upper unit 150 is aligned with the protrusion 113a of the sheet feeding tray 110 in the closed state. Further, a switch 201b is provided in the lower unit 190 in the vicinity of the rotation support portion 111 of the paper feed tray 110 at a position aligned with the protrusion 113b of the paper feed tray 110 in the open state. When the switch 201a is pushed by the protrusion 113a, the power is turned off. On the other hand, when the switch 201b is pushed by the protrusion 113b, the power is turned on.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 11A, when the paper feed tray 110 is opened, the protrusion 113b at the base end of the paper feed tray 110 turns the switch 201b. Press to turn on the power. At this time, the protrusion 113a at the front end of the paper feed tray 110 is separated from the switch 201a.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 10B and 11B, when the paper feed tray 110 is closed, the projection 113a at the tip of the paper feed tray 110 presses the switch 201a to turn off the power. At this time, the protrusion 113b at the base end of the paper feed tray 110 is separated from the switch 201b.

  In this embodiment, the scanner 100 is turned on when the paper feed tray 110 is opened, and the scanner 100 is turned off when the paper feed tray 110 is closed. That is, the power of the scanner 100 is turned on / off in conjunction with the opening / closing of the paper feed tray 110. As a result, it is possible to reduce the trouble of the power on / off operation, and more reliably turn off the power, leading to labor saving when not in use. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the above-described first embodiment or the above-described second embodiment.

<Other embodiments>
In each of the above-described embodiments, the structure in which the paper feeding unit 120 is disposed on the lower side of the apparatus, the paper ejection unit 140 is disposed on the upper side, and the discharge tray 160 is disposed on the upper side of the paper feeding tray 110 has been described. However, the present invention is naturally applicable to a structure in which a paper feed unit is provided on the upper side of the apparatus, a paper discharge unit is provided on the lower side, and a paper feed tray is disposed on the upper side of the discharge tray.

  Further, the discharge tray may be configured to cover the discharge port 141 in the closed state. Further, the switching lever, the switch, and the lock lever of the separating member may be covered with a closed discharge tray. Furthermore, the power on / off may be linked to the opening / closing of the discharge tray.

  Further, the force for moving the first tray from the closed state to the open state may be, for example, by an urging means such as a spring, in addition to the force due to its own weight (gravity) as described above. The same applies to the force that moves the second tray from the open state to the closed state.

  The sheet conveying apparatus described in each of the above embodiments may be provided in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile in addition to a document information reading apparatus such as a scanner.

100 Document information reader (scanner)
100A sheet conveying apparatus 101 apparatus main body 110 paper feed tray (first tray)
111 Rotation support portion (first rotation support portion)
121 Paper feed slot (opening)
122 Feed roller (conveying means)
123 Separation member (separation means)
130 Conveyance path 141 Discharge port (opening)
160 Discharge tray (second tray)
161 Rotation support portion (second rotation support portion)
170 Information Reading Unit 180 Engaging Unit 183 Resistance Unit 200, 201a, 201b Switch 210 Switching Lever (Switching Unit)

Claims (8)

A first tray and a second tray that are rotatable between an open state where a sheet is placed and a closed state folded from the open state;
An apparatus main body having a conveyance path for conveying a sheet between the first tray and the second tray;
A first rotation support section that rotatably supports the first tray on the apparatus main body on the base end side of the first tray connected to the apparatus main body;
A second rotation support section that rotatably supports the second tray on the apparatus main body on the base end side of the second tray connected to the apparatus main body;
A holding unit for holding the first tray in a closed state;
By the rotation of the second tray, and release the holding of the first tray which is held in a closed state by the holding portion, and a linkage unit for moving the first tray in the open state ,
When only the first tray of the first tray and the second tray that are closed with respect to the apparatus main body is opened, the first tray passes through the conveyance path. While the sheet to be conveyed is placed on one surface of the second tray in a closed state with respect to the apparatus main body,
By rotating only the second tray out of the first tray and the second tray that are closed with respect to the apparatus main body, the other side opposite to the one surface of the second tray is provided. When extending from the sheet placement surface on the apparatus body as a sheet placement surface, the base end portion of the second tray provided with the second rotation support portion is closed. Bringing the first tray in a closed state into an open state by contacting the tip end of the first tray opposite to the base end portion;
A sheet conveying apparatus. The interlocking portion is in contact with the leading end portion of the first tray that is positioned above the first rotating support portion in the closed state and the leading end portion of the first tray when the second tray is rotated. A contact portion of the second tray in contact with,
The holding portion is an engaging portion that engages the first tray with the apparatus main body in a closed state,
By the rotation of the second tray, the contact portion of the second tray contacts the front end portion of the first tray, the engagement portion is disengaged, and the first tray is opened. Go to the
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The second rotation support portion is positioned above the first rotation support portion that rotatably supports the base end portion of the first tray, and the distal end portion of the first tray in the closed state. Is located below,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus is characterized. The first tray covers an opening leading to the transport path of the apparatus main body in a closed state.
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus is characterized in that: Between the first tray and the apparatus main body, there is provided a resistance means that is smaller than the force acting in the direction from the closed state to the open state and that acts against the force.
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus is characterized. The apparatus is turned on in conjunction with the operation of rotating the first tray from the closed state to the open state, and the apparatus is operated in conjunction with the operation of rotating the first tray from the open state to the closed state. A switch to turn the power on and off is arranged so that the power of
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus is characterized in that: The first tray is a sheet feeding tray that conveys a sheet to the conveyance path,
The second tray is a discharge tray from which the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path,
Conveying means for conveying the sheet placed on the sheet feeding tray to the conveying path;
Separating means for separating the sheet from the sheet bundle placed opposite to the conveying means and placed on the sheet feeding tray;
Switching means for switching between the case of using the separating means and the case of not using the separating means,
The switching means is covered by the closed paper feed tray;
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveying apparatus is a sheet conveying apparatus. A sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet;
An original information reading device comprising: an information reading unit that reads information on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device;
The sheet conveying apparatus is the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An original information reading apparatus characterized by the above.

Images