JP6460334B2 - Sheet transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus capable of conveying a sheet.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a manual paper feeding unit is provided on the back surface of a main unit in an image recording apparatus in which a scanner unit is rotatably arranged on a main unit having an image recording function. . The scanner unit is provided with a platen glass and a document cover that covers the platen glass.

  The manual paper feed unit includes a tray main body provided in the main body unit and a tray cover provided on the upper portion of the tray main body. The tray main body is in an upright position along the back surface of the main body unit when the manual paper feeder is not used, and the tray cover is in a closed position that covers the upper portion of the tray main body in the upright position. When the manual feed unit is used, the tray main body is inclined at an upper portion away from the rear surface of the main unit, and the tray cover is opened to open the top of the tray main body. The

  In the scanner unit, the document cover is rotatable to a first position that covers the platen glass and a second position that exposes the platen glass. In Patent Document 1, the tray cover of the manual sheet feeder is rotated from the closed position to the open position in conjunction with the rotation of the document cover provided in the scanner unit from the first position to the second position. An interlocking mechanism is disclosed. Thereby, when the document cover is rotated to the second position, the document cover and the tray cover do not come into contact with each other.

JP-A-2015-67401

  The document cover may be configured to be movable upward from the first position covering the platen glass. For example, when a thick original such as a book is placed on a platen glass and the original cover is set to the first position with respect to the thick original, the original cover will be It is not 1 position. That is, the document cover is not completely closed with respect to the platen glass. In such a state where the document cover is not completely closed with respect to the platen glass, when the user further applies a force to rotate the document cover to the first position, the document cover rotates on the rotation axis of the document cover. In order to suppress damage due to application of a large force, the document cover is configured to be movable upward together with the rotation shaft.

  However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, when the document cover is rotated to the second position with a thick document placed on the platen glass, the interlocking mechanism does not operate and the document cover is in the closed position. There is a risk of coming into contact with the tray cover from above.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and provides a sheet conveying device that can rotate without interfering with the tray cover in a state where the document cover is moved above the first position. .

  (1) A sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention is disposed in a main body unit having a sheet conveying path, a flat bed scanner having a platen capable of supporting a document, and the main body unit. A tray main body for supporting a supplied sheet on a support surface, and the tray main body are supported by the tray main body so as to be rotatable about a first axis. From the support surface of the tray main body to the main body unit. A tray cover that can be rotated between a closed position that covers the space that expands toward the top and an open position that opens the space, and a second axis that is parallel to the first axis. A first position that covers the platen, and a rotation tip side is located above the first position, and a second position that opens on the platen is rotatable, and the second shaft is moved from the first position. The second will also be above A document cover that can be moved to a position, and the tray cover is rotated from the closed position to the open position in conjunction with the rotation of the document cover from the first position to the second position. The interlock mechanism is provided on the document cover, and the interlock mechanism is operated by contacting the interlock mechanism when the document cover is moved from the first position to the third position, so that the tray A contact portion for rotating the cover from the closed position toward the open position.

  When an image of a thick document such as a book is read by a flatbed scanner, when the document cover is turned upward from the third position, an interlocking mechanism is acted on by the contact portion, and the tray The cover rotates toward the open position. Thus, when the document cover rotates about the second axis at the third position, the tray cover is retracted from the region through which the document cover passes. Therefore, even if the document cover at the third position is rotated upward, the document cover does not come into contact with the tray cover.

  (2) Preferably, the interlocking mechanism is rotatable around a third axis parallel to the second axis, and is rotated in a first direction away from the main body unit when the abutting portion abuts. And a slide member that slides upward when the rotation of the rotation member in the first direction is transmitted. The slide member slides upward to thereby close the closure. The tray cover at the position is rotated toward the open position.

  When the document cover moves from the first position to the third position, the contact portion contacts the rotating member. As a result, the rotating member rotates in the first direction, and the slide member slides upward. As a result, the original cover can be prevented from interfering with the tray cover.

  (3) Preferably, the document cover has a back surface that is closest to the tray main body portion of the outer surface at the first position, and the contact portion extends from the back surface to the tray main body portion. Projecting toward the support surface.

  When the document cover is moved from the first position to the third position, the rotating member is rotated in the first direction away from the main body unit by the contact portion protruding from the back surface of the original cover toward the tray main body.

  (4) Preferably, the front end of the tray cover is positioned below the upper surface of the outer surface of the document cover at the first position facing upward in the closed position.

  Since the front end of the tray cover is located below the upper surface of the document cover, the apparatus can be thinned.

  (5) Preferably, the rotating member rotates in the first direction when the document cover rotated from the first position toward the second position comes into contact.

  When the document cover is not moved to the third position and the document cover is rotated from the first position to the second position, the rotation member is rotated in the first direction. There is no contact with the tray cover.

(6) Preferably, the rotating member is moved in the first direction by abutting the abutting portion provided on the document cover that is pivoted upward while being moved to the third position. It rotates.

  When the document cover moves from the first position to the third position, the rotating member is moved backward by the contact portion. Thereafter, when the document cover is rotated upward, the rotating member is further rotated in the first direction by the contact portion. Therefore, also in this case, there is no possibility that the document cover interferes with the tray cover.

  (7) Preferably, the interlocking mechanism includes a rack and pinion mechanism that transmits the rotation of the rotation member as a slide of the slide member.

  (8) Preferably, the tray main body portion has the support surface, and is capable of rotating between an upright position and an inclined position in which an upper part from the upright position is separated from the main body unit. A sheet support plate is provided for supporting the sheet supplied to the conveyance path at an inclined position, and the tray cover is disposed on the sheet support plate.

  When the sheet is supported on the support surface of the sheet support plate in the inclined position, the sheet is supplied to the main unit.

  (9) Preferably, the tray main body is disposed behind the main body unit in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the first axis extends along the left-right direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. Yes.

  Since the tray main body is disposed behind the main body unit, the sheet can be conveyed from the tray main body to the front of the main body unit.

  (10) The main unit includes a recording unit that records an image on a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path.

  According to the present invention, the document cover is prevented from interfering with the tray cover when the document cover is rotated while the document cover is moved upward with respect to the main unit.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear part of the multifunction machine 10 when manual sheet feeding is performed. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the printer unit 12. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rear part of the multifunction machine 10 in which the tray main body 61 of the bypass tray 60 is in a horizontal state. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the document cover 72 is in the first position when manual sheet feeding is not performed. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the cover support portion 72Z in that case. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the document cover 72 is in the second position when manual sheet feeding is not performed. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the cover support portion 72Z in that case. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the document cover 72 is positioned above the first position when manual sheet feeding is not performed. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the cover support portion 72Z in that case. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a state in which the tray body 61 of the bypass tray 60 is separated from the tray support 50. FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the bypass tray 60 when the manual sheet feeding is not executed. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the bypass tray 60 when manual paper feeding is performed. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the rear portion of the multifunction machine 10 in which the document cover 72 is in the first position when manual sheet feeding is not performed.

  Hereinafter, a multifunction peripheral 10 (an example of a sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
A multifunction device 10 (an example of a “sheet conveying device”) illustrated in FIG. 1 has various functions such as a print function, a scan function, and a FAX function. In the following description, the vertical direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 (hereinafter referred to as “width direction 9”) of the multifunction device 10 are based on the state of FIG. Defined).

  The multifunction machine 10 includes a main body unit 11 that executes a printing operation, and a document cover 72 provided on the main body unit 11. The main unit 11 includes a printer unit 12 that executes a printing operation and a scanner 70 provided on the printer unit 12, and a document cover 72 is provided on the scanner 70. A bypass tray 60 is provided on the back surface 11 </ b> B of the main unit 11.

  The multifunction machine 10 has a feeding tray 13 attached to the lower part of the printer unit 12. A sheet on which an image is recorded is accommodated in the feeding tray 13. The main unit 11 records an image on a sheet accommodated in the feeding tray 13. The bypass tray 60 is used when manually feeding another sheet in order to record an image on a sheet different from the sheet in the feeding tray 13 in the main unit 11. The scanner 70 is used when acquiring document image data.

  The bypass tray 60 is supported by a tray support 50 provided on the back surface 11 </ b> B of the main unit 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the bypass tray 60 is closed at the top when manual feed is not performed. When the manual sheet feeding is performed, as shown in FIG. 2, the bypass tray 60 is opened. Details of the bypass tray 60 will be described later.

<Printer unit 12>
As shown in FIG. 3, a conveyance path 14 for conveying sheets in the feeding tray 13 is provided inside the printer unit 12. On the upper part of the printer unit 12, a recording unit 31 that records an image by an ink jet method on a sheet conveyed through the conveyance path 14 is provided. A platen 38 that supports a sheet on which an image is recorded by the recording unit 31 is provided below the recording unit 31.

  The conveyance path 14 includes a first conveyance path 14 </ b> A that guides the sheet in the feeding tray 13 from the lower side to the upper side at the rear part (back surface part) of the printer unit 12. The conveyance path 14 has a second conveyance path 14B continuous with the first conveyance path 14A. The second conveyance path 14 </ b> B conveys the sheet linearly forward from the rear of the printer unit 12. The second transport path 14 </ b> B passes between the recording unit 31 and the platen 38. The sheet supported by the bypass tray 60 is also supplied to the second transport path 14B.

  In the printer unit 12, a feeding unit 15 that supplies the sheet in the feeding tray 13 to the first conveyance path 14 </ b> A of the conveyance path 14 is provided. The feeding unit 15 includes a support arm 15 </ b> B disposed between the platen 38 and the feeding tray 13. The support arm 15 </ b> B is arranged in a state along the front-rear direction 8, and the rear part is supported to be rotatable in the up-down direction 7. A feed roller 15A disposed along the width direction 9 is rotatably supported at the rear end portion of the support arm 15B.

  The feed roller 15A abuts on the uppermost sheet in the feed tray 13 when the support arm 15B is pivoted downward about the support shaft 15C, and is separated from the sheet when pivoted upward. . The feeding roller 15A is rotated in a predetermined direction by the power of a motor (not shown) being transmitted by a power transmission mechanism 15D. The uppermost sheet in the feeding tray 13 is supplied to the first conveying path 14A of the conveying path 14 by the rotating feeding roller 15A.

  Between the first conveyance path 14A and the second conveyance path 14B, a first roller pair 21 that conveys the sheet that has passed through the first conveyance path 14A to the second conveyance path 14B is provided. The first roller pair 21 includes a first conveying roller 22 that contacts the upper surface of the sheet and a pinch roller 23 that contacts the lower surface of the sheet. The pinch roller 23 rotates following the rotation of the first conveyance roller 22 while in contact with the first conveyance roller 22. When the sheet is conveyed between the first conveying roller 22 and the pinch roller 23 while being in contact with each other, the sheet is nipped and conveyed onto the platen 38.

  An insertion port 26 for a sheet supplied from the bypass tray 60 is provided behind the first roller pair 21. A bypass feeding unit 25 shown in FIG. 4 is provided behind the insertion port 26. The bypass feeding unit 25 supplies the sheet supported by the bypass tray 60 to the first roller pair 21. The bypass feeding unit 25 has two bypass rollers 25 </ b> A arranged at the center in the width direction 9. Power is transmitted to the bypass roller 25A via a power transmission mechanism (not shown) and rotated.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a second roller pair 41 is provided downstream of the platen 38 in the sheet conveyance direction. The second roller pair 41 includes a second conveyance roller 42 disposed below the second conveyance path 14 </ b> B and a spur roller 43 disposed above the second conveyance roller 42. The spur roller 43 has an uneven spur portion that is continuous in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery. When the spur roller 43 comes into contact with the second transport roller 42, the spur roller 43 rotates following the rotation of the second transport roller 42. When the sheet is conveyed between the second conveying roller 42 and the spur roller 43 while being rotated with each other, the sheet is sandwiched and discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 17. The paper discharge tray 17 is disposed above the feed tray 13.

<Scanner 70>
The scanner 70 is a flat bed scanner and is provided on the printer unit 12 as shown in FIG. The scanner 70 is rotatably supported by the printer unit 12. The scanner 70 mounted on the printer unit 12 can be rotated upward from the front side with the rear side as a rotation center. The rear end portion of the document cover 72 provided on the scanner 70 is connected to the rear end portion of the scanner 70 by a cover support portion 72Z shown in FIG. The cover support portion 72Z is provided in the vicinity of both end portions in the width direction 9 of the multifunction machine 10.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a platen glass 71A on which an original is placed is provided on the upper surface of the scanner. Inside the scanner 70, an image sensor (not shown) capable of optically reading an image of a document on the platen glass 71A is provided below the platen glass 71A.

  The two cover support portions 72Z have the same configuration, and each has a third shaft body 72A along the width direction 9, as shown in FIG. Each of the third shaft bodies 72A has a shape in which a cylindrical body is cut out by two planes that are parallel to each other with the axis interposed therebetween. Therefore, the transverse cross section of each third shaft body 72A has two circumferential surfaces arranged with the shaft center therebetween. The axial center of each third shaft body 72A is located on one first straight line 72L (an example of a “second axis”).

  A connecting body 72B is supported on each third shaft body 72A. The coupling body 72B has an annular coupling portion 72C provided at the upper portion and an insertion portion 72D extending downward from the coupling portion 72C. The connecting portion 72C is rotatably fitted to the third shaft body 72A. Each insertion portion 72D is slidably inserted into each support hole 71B provided at the rear end portion of the scanner 70.

  The scanner 70 is provided with a front surface portion 71C disposed in front of the support hole portion 71B and a rear surface portion 71D disposed behind the support hole portion 71B. An engaging portion 71E that protrudes rearward is provided on the upper portion of the front surface portion 71C.

  At the lower end portion of the insertion portion 72D, a retaining portion 72E that engages with the engaging portion 71E is provided. When the insertion portion 72D is slid upward in the support hole portion 71B, as shown in FIG. 7B, the retaining portion 72E of the insertion portion 72D is engaged with the engagement portion 71E of the support hole portion 71B. To do. This prevents the connecting body 72B from coming out upward from the support hole 71B.

  The document cover 72 has a front end 72Y of the document cover 72 around the first straight line 72L around the first straight line 72L that is the axial center position of each of the two third shaft bodies 72A provided at the rear end. It can rotate in the vertical direction 7. In the following, the front end 72Y of the document cover 72 is referred to as a “rotating tip 72Y”.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the document cover 72 starts from the first position where the rotating tip 72Y is placed on the front end of the scanner 70, as shown in FIG. 6 (A). The rotation tip 72Y of the cover 72 can be rotated to the second position rotated upward at an angle of about 90 °. When the document cover 72 is rotated to the second position, the platen glass 71A of the scanner 70 is exposed.

  When the document cover 72 is located at the first position, the insertion portions 72D of the coupling bodies 72B provided on the cover support portions 72Z are located within the support hole portions 71B. When a document having a thickness such as a book is placed on the platen glass 71A, the document cover 72 comes into contact with the document, so that the insertion portions 72D of the coupling bodies 72B move upward in the support hole 71B. Slide to. As a result, the document cover 72 is moved upward from the first position as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the position of the document cover 72 above the first position is referred to as a “third position”. The document cover 72 in the third position has a rotating tip 72Y that can be rotated upward.

  The document cover 72 is provided with an automatic document feeder (ADF) 72W (see FIG. 1) that picks up and conveys a plurality of documents whose images are to be read one by one. Since the known structure is adopted as the internal structure of the ADF 72W, detailed description is omitted.

[Tray support portion 50 of main unit 11]
As shown in FIG. 8, the tray support portion 50 provided at the rear portion of the main unit 11 has side wall portions 51 disposed at both ends in the width direction 9. Between the side wall portions 51, a flat lower guide plate 52 and a rear side plate 53 are provided. Above the rear part of the lower guide plate 52, the lower part of the tray main body 61 in the bypass tray 60 is located. A tray cover 62 shown in FIG. 2 is supported on the upper portion of the tray main body 61.

  As shown in FIG. 8, an interlocking mechanism 80 is provided on the side wall 51 provided at the left end of the main body unit 11 in the width direction 9. The interlocking mechanism 80 interlocks the rotation of the document cover 72 of the scanner 70 and the rotation of the tray cover 62 of the bypass tray 60. Details of the interlocking mechanism 80 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 8, each side wall portion 51 of the tray support portion 50 has side portions 51 </ b> B that are located on both sides in the width direction 9 with respect to the lower guide plate 52 and the rear plate 53. Each side surface portion 51 </ b> B has a plate shape that is long in the vertical direction 7 and is disposed along the front-rear direction 8. The lower guide plate 52 and the rear plate 53 disposed between the side surface portions 51B are integrally formed.

  The lower guide plate 52 is disposed along the width direction 9 at a substantially constant height in the middle of the vertical direction 7 in each side surface portion 51B. The rear side plate 53 extends upward from the rear end portion of the lower guide plate 52. The front end portion of the lower guide plate 52 is located below the insertion port 26 provided at the rear end portion of the main unit 11. The upper end of the rear side plate 53 is located in the middle of the up-down direction 7 in the rear part of the side part 51B, and has a constant height.

  Each side surface portion 51B is provided with a first shaft body 51E that protrudes inward along the width direction 9 above the upper end of the rear plate 53 (in FIG. 8, in the left first shaft). Only the body 51E appears). Each first shaft body 51E has a cylindrical shape, and each axis 51L is located on one straight line.

  Each side wall 51 is provided with a guide groove 51F below the first shaft body 51E. As will be described later, guide shafts 61H provided in the tray main body 61 of the bypass tray 60 are slidably fitted in the respective guide grooves 51F. Each guide groove 51F includes a first guide portion 51G that is inclined so that the lower end portion is positioned forward of the upper end portion, and a second guide portion 51H that extends rearward from the lower end portion of the first guide portion 51G. Have. The upper end portion of the first guide portion 51G is close to the first shaft body 51E. The second guide portion 51H has an arc shape along a circumference centered on the first shaft body 51E.

[Bypass tray 60]
The bypass tray 60 includes a tray main body 61 shown in FIG. 8 and a tray cover 62 (see FIG. 2) supported on the upper portion of the tray main body 61. The tray main body portion 61 is disposed between the side wall portions 51 of the tray support portion 50.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the tray body 61 includes a flat sheet support plate 61A disposed along the width direction 9, and a tray side surface portion 61B provided at both ends of the sheet support plate 61A in the width direction 9. And having. The sheet support plate 61 </ b> A is disposed between the side wall portions 51 of the tray support portion 50, and each tray side surface portion 61 </ b> B faces the side surface portion 51 </ b> B in each side wall portion 51 of the tray support portion 50. The front surface of the sheet support plate 61A is a support surface 61M on which the sheet is supported.

  Each tray side surface 61B has a plate shape along side edges located on both sides in the width direction 9 of the sheet support plate 61A, and protrudes forward from the sheet support plate 61A. A contact portion 61K that protrudes forward in an arc shape is provided at the bottom of each tray side surface portion 61B. Each side surface portion 51B of the tray support portion 50 is provided with a step portion 51J along the vertical direction 7 in front of each contact portion 61K. Each step portion 51J can come into contact with the contact portion 61K when the tray main body portion 61 is in an inclined position as will be described later.

  The lower end of each tray side part 61B is located below the lower end of the sheet support plate 61A. A guide shaft 61H that protrudes outward is provided at the lower end of each tray side surface 61B. Each guide shaft 61H has a cylindrical shape, and each axis 61L is located on the same straight line. As shown in FIG. 8, each guide shaft 61 </ b> H is slidably inserted into a guide groove 51 </ b> F provided in each side surface portion 51 </ b> B of the tray support portion 50.

  As shown in FIG. 8, slide grooves 61 </ b> C (only one of them appears in FIG. 8) are provided at the bottom of each tray side surface portion 61 </ b> B. Each slide groove 61 </ b> C opens toward both outsides in the width direction 9. A first shaft body 51E provided on each side surface portion 51B of the tray support portion 50 is fitted in each slide groove 61C. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, each slide groove 61C has a straight first groove part 61E along the longitudinal direction of the tray side face part 61B, and forward from the lower end part of the first groove part 61E. It has the 2nd groove part 61F extended. The second groove portion 61F has an arc shape along a circumference centered on the guide shaft 61H.

  A partition wall 61G that partitions the upper end of the first groove 61E is provided in the upper part of the first groove 61E. The partition wall portion 61G is disposed in the upper end portion of the first groove portion 61E so as to form a space in which the first shaft body 51E is rotatably fitted. The partition wall 61G protrudes outward in the width direction 9. When the sheet support plate 61A is slid in the direction away from the second groove portion 61F along the first groove portion 61E, the partition wall portion 61G is fitted in the space of the upper end portion of the first groove portion 61E. The body 51E can get over the partition wall 61G.

  The tray main body 61 is rotatable around the axis 51L around the axis 51L (see FIG. 8) of each first shaft 51E fitted in the space of the upper end of the first groove 61E. . When the tray main body portion 61 is rotated in a direction in which the upper portion approaches the back surface 11B of the main body unit 11, the tray main body portion 61 becomes an upright position along the back surface 11B. When the tray main body 61 is in the standing position, a space is formed that extends from the sheet support plate 61 </ b> A toward the back surface 11 </ b> B of the main body unit 11.

  When the upper portion of the sheet support plate 61A rotates in a direction away from the back surface 11B of the main body unit 11, the guide shaft 61H comes into contact with the peripheral surface constituting the second guide portion 51H of the guide groove 51F. Further, in the tray main body 61, the contact portion 61K provided at the lower portion of each tray side surface portion 61B contacts the stepped portion 51J provided on each side surface portion 51B of the tray support portion 50. As a result, the sheet support plate 61A is stopped at an inclined position inclined at a predetermined angle. When the tray main body 61 is in the inclined position, as will be described later, when the tray cover 62 is in the “open position”, the sheet is loaded by the user over the inclined sheet support plate 61A and the tray cover 62 in the open position. Placed.

  When the tray main body 61 is in the inclined position, the guide shaft 61H provided in the tray main body 61 is located in the second guide 51H of the guide groove 51F provided in each side surface 51B of the tray support 50. Yes. For this reason, when the tray body 61 rotates about the axis 51L of each first shaft 51E, the guide shaft 61H slides along the second guide 51H. Thereby, the tray main body 61 smoothly rotates about the axis 51L of each first shaft body 51E. When the tray body 61 is in the inclined position, the guide shaft 61H is positioned in the lower end portion of the first guide portion 51G in the second guide portion 51H of the guide groove 51F.

  As described above, the first shaft body 51E fitted to the upper end portion of the first groove portion 61E gets over the partition wall portion 61G when the seat support plate 61A at the inclined position is slid upward along the inclined direction. In this case, the first shaft body 51E is slid along the first groove portion 61E so as to approach the second groove portion 61F.

  When the first shaft body 51E slides, the guide shaft 61H slides upward from the lower end portion in the first guide portion 51G of the guide groove 51F. When the guide shaft 61H reaches the upper end portion of the first guide portion 51G, the first shaft body 51E is positioned at the lower end portion of the first groove portion 61E in the slide groove 61C.

  Thereby, contact | abutting with the surrounding surface which comprises the guide shaft 61H and the 2nd guide part 51 of the guide groove 51F is eliminated. Further, the contact between the contact portion 61K of each tray side surface portion 61B and the stepped portion 51J of the tray support portion 50 is also eliminated. Furthermore, the first shaft body 51E is slidable in the second groove portion 61F of the slide groove 61C. As a result, a force that rotates the upper portion of the tray body 61 downward about the guide shaft 61H acts on the tray body 61 by its own weight. By this force, the upper portion of the tray main body 61 is rotated downward, and the first shaft body 51E slides in the second groove 61F of the slide groove 61C. When the tray body 61 is in a substantially horizontal state, the tray body 61 abuts on the upper end of the rear plate 53 in the tray support 50. Thereby, the rotation of the tray main body 61 is stopped.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the tray cover 62 supported by the tray main body 61 has a plate shape and is disposed along the width direction 9. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, one side edge 62A (hereinafter referred to as “first side edge 62A”) along the longitudinal direction of the tray cover 62 is a tray body 61. Is disposed along the upper edge of the sheet support plate 61A. The side edge 62C along the longitudinal direction opposite to the first side edge 62A in the tray cover 62 is referred to as a “second side edge 62C”.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a second shaft body 62 </ b> Y is provided in the vicinity of the right end in the width direction 9 on the surface of the tray cover 62 opposite to the surface 62 </ b> D. The second shaft body 62Y is provided at a position corresponding to the upper side of the tray side surface portion 61B located in the vicinity of the right end in the width direction 9 of the tray main body portion 61. Although not shown, the tray cover 62 is also provided with a second shaft body in the vicinity of the left end in the width direction 9. The second shaft body is also provided at a position corresponding to the upper side of the tray side surface portion 61B located in the vicinity of the right end in the width direction 9 of the tray main body portion 61.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a through hole 61R is provided in the upper part of each tray side surface 61B. Each of the second shaft bodies 62Y is rotatably inserted into the through hole 61R. Each through-hole 61R has a circular shape, and each axis is located on one second straight line 62L (an example of a “first axis”). Each second shaft body 62Y is rotatably inserted into a through hole 61R provided in the upper part of each tray side surface portion 61B. Therefore, each axial center of the second shaft body 62Y is also located on the second straight line 62L.

  When the tray main body 61 is in an upright position along the back surface 11B of the main body unit 11 and the tray cover 62 is in a horizontal state, the second side edge 62C is positioned close to the back surface 72G of the document cover 72. Become. In such a state, the tray cover 62 is in a horizontal state, and covers the space between the sheet support plate 61A of the tray body 61 and the back surface 11B of the body unit 11. Hereinafter, such a position of the tray cover 62 is referred to as a “closed position”. The tray cover 62 in the open position is positioned below the upper surface 72H facing upward in the outer surface of the document cover 72 in the first position.

  When the tray cover 62 is in the closed position and the second side edge 62C is rotated upward, the tray cover 62 opens the space between the upper portion of the sheet support plate 61A and the back surface 11B of the main unit 11. Open. The tray cover 62 can be rotated until it reaches a state along the sheet support plate 61A. Hereinafter, the position of the tray cover 62 along the sheet support plate 61 </ b> A is referred to as an “open position” of the tray cover 62 (see FIG. 2).

  When the tray body 61 is in the inclined position and the tray cover 62 is in the open position, the sheet is supported on the support surface 61M of the sheet support plate 61A. The upper part of the sheet can be supported on the tray cover 62.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the tray cover 62 includes two guide members 63 that guide both outer side edges in the width direction 9 when a supported sheet is supplied into the main body unit 11. Is provided. Each guide member 63 is provided on the surface of the tray cover 62 opposite to the surface 62D. Each guide member 63 protrudes in a direction opposite to the direction in which the surface 62D is exposed. The guide members 63 can be moved in a direction approaching each other and a direction separating from each other by a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown).

[Interlocking mechanism 80]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the interlocking mechanism 80 is provided on the side wall portion 51 disposed at the left end in the width direction 9 of the tray support portion 50. As shown in FIG. 10, the interlocking mechanism 80 has a rotating member 81 disposed along the front-rear direction 8 behind the main unit 11. The rotating member 81 has a flat plate shape that is long along the vertical direction 7. The lower part of the rotation member 81 is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 82 arranged along the width direction 9. The axis of the rotation shaft 82 is located on one third straight line 82L (an example of a “third axis”). The third straight line 82L is parallel to the first straight line 72L.

  The upper part of the rotation member 81 is rotatable in the front-rear direction 8. That is, it can be rotated backward (an example of a “first direction”) away from the main unit 11 and forward toward the main unit 11.

  A segment gear 83 configured integrally with the rotation member 81 is provided on the upper portion of the rotation member 81. The segment gear 83 is constituted by a part of the internal gear, and is disposed along a circumferential surface around the rotation shaft 82. The segment gear 83 rotates in the front-rear direction 8 together with the rotation member 81.

  A gear cover 81 </ b> A that covers the segment gear 83 is provided on the rotating member 81. The gear cover 81 </ b> A has an upper surface portion 81 </ b> B disposed along the front-rear direction 8 above the segment gear 83. The front end portion of the upper surface portion 81B is located in front of the segment gear 83, and a sliding contact portion 81C extending upward is provided at the front end portion. The sliding contact portion 81C faces the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 when the document cover 72 is in the first position. The sliding contact portion 81C is in contact with the upper portion of the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 at the first position in a state in which the rotation member 81 is rotated most forward.

  When the document cover 72 rotates from the first position to the second position, the sliding contact portion 81C follows the rotation and contacts the back surface 72G of the document cover 72. When the document cover 72 is rotated from the first position to the second position, the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 is inclined from the state along the vertical direction 7 so that the upper part is located rearward. As the inclination angle of the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 increases, the sliding contact portion 81C sequentially rotates backward (an example of “first direction away from the main body unit 11)”. Thereafter, when the document cover 72 further rotates toward the second position, the sliding contact portion 81C comes into contact with the upper surface 72H of the document cover 72 from the back surface 72G of the document cover 72. Also in this case, the slidable contact portion 81 </ b> C sequentially rotates backward as the inclination angle of the document cover 72 increases, and the rotation member 81 further rotates rearward about the rotation shaft 82.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a plate-shaped guide surface 81D extending downward is provided at the left end portion in the width direction 9 of the sliding contact portion 81C. The upper portion of the guide surface 81D is parallel to the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 at the third position, as shown in FIG. 6A, with the rotation member 81 rotated most forward. Similarly, when the document cover 72 is in the first position, the upper portion of the guide surface 81D is parallel to the back surface 72G of the document cover 72. The lower portion of the guide surface 81D is inclined so as to be positioned rearward as it goes downward in a state where the rotation member 81 is rotated most forward.

  As shown in FIG. 5, an idle gear 85 is provided below the rear part of the segment gear 83. The idle gear 85 includes a first gear 85A (see an enlarged view of FIG. 5) that meshes with the segment gear 83, and a second gear 85B that rotates integrally with the first gear 85A. The second gear 85B and the first gear 85A are supported in a coaxial state. Below the idle gear 85, a pinion gear 86 that meshes with the second gear 85B is provided.

  A rod-shaped slide member 87 is provided behind the pinion gear 86 along the vertical direction 7. The slide member 87 is located at the rear part of the tray support part 50. A rack gear 87A that meshes with the pinion gear 86 is formed on the front surface of the slide member 87.

  The slide member 87 is positioned at the lowest position when the rotation member 81 does not rotate backward, that is, when the document cover 72 is in the first position. In such a state, the upper end portion of the slide member 87 is in contact with or close to the rear portion of the left end portion of the tray cover 62.

  When the document cover 72 is rotated from the first position to the second position, the upper portion of the rotation member 81 is rotated backward, and the segment gear 83 is rotated together with the rotation member 81 in the backward direction. To do. As a result, the first gear 85A of the idle gear 85 meshed with the segment gear 83 rotates, and the second gear 85B of the idle gear 85 rotates together with the rotation of the first gear 85A. As a result, the pinion gear 86 engaged with the second gear 85B rotates, and the rack gear 87A engaged with the pinion gear 86 slides upward. The entire slide member 87 slides upward.

  When the rack gear 87A slides upward, the entire slide member 87 slides upward. Thereby, the tray cover 62 in the closed position is pushed upward, and the second side edge 62C of the tray cover 62 rotates upward. When the second side edge 62C of the tray cover 62 rotates upward, there is no possibility that the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 that rotates from the first position to the second position contacts the second side edge 62C of the tray cover 62. . As a result, the document cover 72 is smoothly rotated to the second position.

[Abutment 73 of Document Cover 72]
As shown in FIG. 5B, a contact portion 73 that contacts the sliding contact portion 81 </ b> C of the rotation member 81 is provided on the back surface 72 </ b> G of the document cover 72. When the document cover 72 moves upward, the contact portion 73 contacts the sliding contact portion 81 </ b> C and rotates the upper portion of the rotation member 81 backward. The contact portion 73 is provided at the left end portion of the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 at the first position. The contact portion 73 protrudes rearward from the back surface 72G toward the tray main body portion 61. The contact portion 73 has an inclined surface 73A that is inclined below the sliding contact portion 81C of the rotating member 81 in the interlocking mechanism 80 so that the lower portion is positioned behind the upper portion. A contact surface 73B parallel to the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 is continuously provided below the inclined surface 73A.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the contact portion 73 is positioned below the sliding contact portion 81C of the rotating member 81 when the document cover 72 is in the first position. In such a state, the sliding contact portion 81C of the rotating member 81 is in contact with the back surface 72G of the document cover 72, and the rotating member 81 is not rotated backward.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when the document cover 72 is moved from the first position to the third position, the inclined surface 73A of the contact portion 73 is placed on the lower end portion of the sliding contact portion 81C of the rotating member 81. Abut. Accordingly, the sliding contact portion 81C moves rearward, and the upper portion of the rotation member 81 rotates rearward.

  When the document cover 72 at the first position is rotated toward the second position, the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 is in sliding contact with the sliding contact portion 81C. Thereafter, when the document cover 72 is rotated toward the second position, the upper surface 72H of the document cover 72 is brought into sliding contact with the sliding contact portion 81C, and thereafter, as shown in FIG. It is in sliding contact with 81D.

[Operation of Bypass Tray 60]
The bypass tray 60 is in the state shown in FIG. 1 when manual sheet feeding is not executed. In this state, the tray body 61 is in an upright position along the back surface 11B of the body unit 11, and the tray cover 62 is in a closed position that covers the space between the tray body 61 and the body unit 11. It has become. The tray cover 62 in the closed position prevents foreign substances such as dust from entering the space between the tray main body 61 and the main body unit 11.

  When manual sheet feeding is executed, the tray cover 62 is set to the open position, and the sheet support plate 61A of the tray main body 61 is set to the inclined position. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9B, the tray cover 62 is in the open position along the sheet support plate 61A in the inclined position. A sheet is placed by the user on the sheet support plate 61A in the inclined position and on the tray cover 62 in the open position.

  The sheet supported on the sheet support plate 61 </ b> A is supplied by the bypass feeding unit 25 to the second conveyance path 14 </ b> B of the conveyance path 14 provided in the main body unit 11. An image is recorded on the sheet conveyed through the second conveyance path 14 </ b> B by the recording unit 31.

[Operation of interlocking mechanism 80]
When the document cover 72 is rotated from the first position to the second position, such as when an image of a document is read by the scanner 70, the tray cover 62 does not interfere with the document cover 72 by the interlocking mechanism 80. State.

  That is, the sliding contact portion 81 </ b> C of the interlocking mechanism 80 is in contact with the upper portion of the back surface 72 </ b> G in the document cover 72 at the first position. In this state, when the document cover 72 is rotated to the second position, the upper surface of the rear surface 72G of the document cover 72 is rotated rearward, and the sliding contact portion 81C that is in contact with the upper portion of the rear surface 72G is rotated rearward. As a result, the upper part of the rotating member 81 rotates backward. As a result, the segment gear 83 rotates backward, the idle gear 85 and the pinion gear 86 rotate, and the entire slide member 87 provided with the rack gear 87A slides upward. As a result, in the closed tray cover 62, the second side edge 62C is rotated upward.

  In such a state, even if the document cover 72 is further rotated toward the second position thereafter, there is no possibility that the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 contacts the second side edge 62C of the tray cover 62.

  When the document cover 72 is further rotated toward the second position, the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 comes into sliding contact with the guide surface 81D of the sliding contact portion 81C from the state of contact with the sliding contact portion 81C. Thereby, the upper part of the rotation member 81 is further rotated backward. Thereafter, when the document cover 72 is further rotated toward the second position, the upper surface 72H of the document cover 72 is brought into sliding contact with the guide surface 81D, and the upper portion of the rotation member 81 is further rotated backward. . As a result, the tray cover 62 is rotated by the slide member 87 so as to be in the open position.

  When the document cover 72 is in the second position, as shown in FIG. 6A, the upper surface 72H of the document cover 72 is in contact with the lower portion of the guide surface 81D. In such a state, the second side edge portion 62C of the tray cover 62 is pushed up by the upper end portion of the slide member 87, and the tray main body portion 61 is in the inclined position.

  When the scanner 70 reads an image of a thick document such as a book, the document is placed in a predetermined state on the platen glass 71A with the document cover 72 in the second position. The Thereafter, the rotation tip 72Y of the document cover 72 is rotated downward.

  When the rotating tip 72Y of the document cover 72 is rotated downward, the document cover 72 contacts the document on the platen glass 71A. In this case, in the document cover 72, the third shaft body 72A of the cover support portion 72Z moves upward, and the document cover 72 is in the third position. Thereby, the inclined surface 73A of the contact portion 73 provided on the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 contacts the lower end portion of the sliding contact portion 81C. As a result, the sliding contact portion 81C is rotated backward, and the upper portion of the rotation member 81 is rotated backward.

  When the upper part of the rotating member 81 is rotated backward, as described above, the idle gear 85 is rotated by the segment gear 83, and then the pinion gear 86 is rotated. Thereby, the rack gear 87A meshed with the pinion gear 86 rotates upward, and the entire slide member 87 slides upward. When the slide member 87 slides upward, the tray cover 62 is pushed up by the upper end of the slide member 87. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7A, the second side edge 62C of the tray cover 62 is rotated upward as compared with the case where the tray cover 62 is in the closed position.

  In this case, the tray cover 62 is in a position inclined at an inclination angle of about 15 ° from the horizontal state. Thus, the tray cover 62 is retracted from the area through which the document cover 72 passes when the document cover 72 rotates from the third position about the first straight line 72L of the third shaft body 72A. Such a position of the tray cover 62 is referred to as a “retracted position”.

  When reading of the image of the document by the scanner 70 is completed with the tray cover 62 in the retracted position, the rotation tip 72Y of the document cover 72 is rotated upward to take out the document from the platen glass 71A. . In this case, since the tray cover 62 is in the retracted position, there is no possibility of coming into contact with the back surface 72G of the rotated document cover 72. Accordingly, the rotation leading end 72Y of the document cover 72 is smoothly rotated upward without interfering with the tray cover 62.

  When the turning tip 72Y of the document cover 72 is turned upward about the first straight line 72L of the third shaft body 72A, the back surface 72G and the top surface 72H of the document cover 72 are sequentially slid on the sliding contact portion 81C. Then, the upper surface 72H is in sliding contact with the guide surface 81D. As a result, the pivot member 81 pivots rearward, and the second side edge of the tray cover 62 that is in the retracted position by the action of the segment gear 83, the idle gear 85, the pinion gear 86, the pinion gear 86, and the rack gear 87A. 62C is further rotated upward. As a result, a document such as a book on the platen glass 71A can be easily removed from the platen glass 71A.

[Effect of the embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, when the document cover 72 moves from the first position to the third position, the interlock mechanism 80 acts by the contact portion 73, and the tray cover 62 rotates toward the open position. As a result, when the document cover 72 rotates about the first straight line 72L at the third position, the tray cover 62 is retracted from the region through which the document cover 72 passes. Therefore, even if the turning tip 72 </ b> Y of the document cover 72 at the third position is rotated upward, the document cover 72 does not contact the tray cover 62.

  The main unit 11 has a flat bed scanner having a platen glass 71A on which a document is placed. The document cover 72 covers the platen glass 71A at the first position and covers the platen glass 71A at the second position. The document cover is opened. Thus, when the image of a thick original such as a book is read by the flatbed scanner, the rotation front end 72Y of the original cover 72 at the third position is rotated upward without interfering with the tray cover 62. Can be made.

  The rotating member 81 of the interlocking mechanism 80 is supported by the main unit 11 so as to be rotatable around a third straight line 82L parallel to the first straight line 72L. Turn away from the head). The slide member 87 of the interlocking mechanism 80 is slid upward when the forward rotation of the rotation member 81 is transmitted. As the slide member 87 slides upward, the tray cover 62 in the closed position is rotated toward the open position.

  When the document cover 72 moves from the first position to the third position, the contact portion 73 contacts the rotation member 81. Thereby, the rotation member 81 rotates backward, and the slide member 87 slides upward. As a result, the tray cover 62 rotates from the closed position toward the open position. As a result, the document cover 72 is prevented from interfering with the tray cover 62.

  The document cover 72 has a back surface 72G that is closest to the tray main body 61 in the outer surface at the first position, and the contact portion 73 protrudes from the back surface 72G toward the tray main body 61. Yes. According to this configuration, when the document cover 72 is moved from the first position to the third position, the rotating member 81 is moved backward by the contact portion 73 protruding from the back surface 72G of the document cover 72 toward the tray body 61. It is rotated.

  In the closed position, the second side edge 62C of the tray cover 62 is positioned below the upper surface 72H facing upward in the outer surface of the document cover 72 in the first position. Thereby, the thickness reduction of the apparatus is realized.

  The rotating member 81 rotates backward when the document cover 72 rotated from the first position toward the second position contacts. In this case, when the document cover 72 is not moved to the third position and the document cover 72 is rotated from the first position to the second position, the rotation member 81 is also rotated backward to The cover 72 does not come into contact with the tray cover 62.

  The pivot member 81 pivots backward by the contact portion 73 of the document cover 72 in which the pivot tip 72Y is pivoted upward while the document cover 72 is moved to the third position. Is.

  When the document cover 72 moves from the first position to the third position, the rotating member 81 is moved backward by the contact portion 73. Thereafter, when the turning front end 72 </ b> Y of the document cover 72 is turned upward, the turning member 81 is further turned backward by the contact portion 73. Therefore, also in this case, there is no possibility that the document cover 72 interferes with the tray cover 62.

  The interlocking mechanism 80 has a rack and pinion mechanism that transmits the rotation of the rotation member 81 as a slide of the slide member 87.

  The tray main body 61 has a sheet support plate 61A that can be rotated between an upright position and an inclined position in which an upper portion from the upright position is separated from the main body unit 11. The sheet support plate 61 </ b> A has a support surface 61 </ b> M that supports the sheet supplied to the conveyance path 14 in the inclined position. The tray cover 62 is supported by the sheet support plate 61A.

  When the sheet is supported on the support surface 61M of the sheet support plate 61A in the inclined position, the sheet is supplied to the conveyance path 14 of the main body unit 11.

  The tray main body 61 is disposed behind the main body unit 11 in the front-rear direction 8 orthogonal to the up-down direction 7, and the axis 51L of the first shaft body 51E has a width orthogonal to the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. Along the direction 9. In this case, since the tray body 61 is disposed behind the body unit 11, the sheet can be conveyed from the tray body 61 to the front end of the body unit 11.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the scanner 70 is configured to be rotatably supported with respect to the printer unit 12, but the scanner 70 may be configured to be fixed to the printer unit 12.

10 .... Machine 11 .... Main unit 11B ... Back (first side)
14... Transport path 50... Tray support part 61... Tray body part 61 A... Sheet support plate 62. Scanner 71A ... Platen glass 72 ... Original cover 72A ... Third shaft body 72G ... Back surface 72H ... Upper surface 80 ... Interlock mechanism 81 ... Turning member 81C ... · Sliding contact portion 83 ··· Segment gear 85 ··· Idle gear 86 ··· Pinion gear 87 ··· Sliding member

Claims (10)

A main body unit having a sheet conveyance path, and a flatbed scanner having a platen capable of supporting an original;
A tray main body portion that is disposed in the main body unit and supports a sheet supplied to the conveyance path on a support surface;
A closed position that is supported by the tray main body portion so as to be rotatable about a first axis and covers a space extending from the support surface of the tray main body portion toward the main body unit, and an upper portion of the space. A tray cover that can rotate between an open position for opening
A first position covering the platen with a second axis parallel to the first axis as a center, and a second position where the rotation tip side is located above the first position and opens on the platen. A document cover that is pivotable and is movable to a third position where the second shaft is above the first position;
An interlocking mechanism for rotating the tray cover from the closed position toward the open position in conjunction with the document cover being rotated from the first position to the second position;
The document cover is provided on the document cover. When the document cover is moved from the first position to the third position, the interlock mechanism is operated by contacting the interlock mechanism, and the tray cover is closed. A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: an abutting portion that rotates from a position toward the open position. The above interlocking mechanism is
A rotating member that is rotatable about a third axis parallel to the second axis, and that rotates in a first direction away from the body unit when the abutting portion abuts;
A slide member that slides upward when the rotation of the rotation member in the first direction is transmitted;
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tray cover in the closed position is rotated toward the open position by sliding the slide member upward. The document cover has a back surface that is closest to the tray main body portion of the outer surface at the first position.
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion protrudes from the back surface toward the support surface of the tray main body portion.   4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front end of the tray cover is positioned below the upper surface of the outer surface of the document cover at the first position facing upward in the closed position. 5.   5. The rotating member according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member rotates in the first direction when the document cover rotated from the first position toward the second position comes into contact. The sheet conveying apparatus according to 1.   The rotating member rotates in the first direction when the abutting portion provided on the document cover that is rotated upward in a state of being moved to the third position comes into contact. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 5.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the interlocking mechanism includes a rack and a pinion mechanism that transmits the rotation of the rotating member as a slide of the slide member. The tray body is
A sheet having the support surface and capable of rotating between an upright position and an inclined position where an upper portion from the upright position is separated from the main body unit, and the sheet supplied to the conveyance path at the inclined position Having a sheet support plate to support,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tray cover is disposed on the sheet support plate. The tray body is disposed behind the body unit in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the up-down direction,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first axis is along a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body unit includes a recording unit that records an image on a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path.

Images