JPH04256641A - Image reading device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate removal of a document sheet or sheets jammed in a document separating/transporting part. CONSTITUTION:When a document sheet or sheets P jammed in an upper transport unit 21 and a lower transport unit 22 provided in the body 1 of a image reading device, these transport units 21, 22 are drawn out to the front of the device body 1. With this drawing-out, the upper transport unit 21 is automatically moved by a disengaging means R in the direction separating from the lower transport unit 22. Thereby roller couples 3, 5, 7 in the upper and lower transport units 21, 22 disengage contact pressure with the document sheet P, which permits easily removing the jamming document sheet P.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading device for reading image information on a document.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a conventional image reading device is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5A, a document P is set face down on a paper feed tray 102 provided on the front side (right side in the figure) of the main body 101 of the apparatus. The originals P set on the paper feed tray 102 are inserted into the separating section 103 in the direction of the arrow, and the separating section 103 separates the originals P one by one from the lower original P and sends them to the image sensor unit 105. The originals P whose image information has been read by the image sensor 106 of the image sensor unit 105 are stacked in page order with the images facing down on a paper ejection tray 109 located at the back of the apparatus by a paper ejection roller 107.

FIG. 3(b) shows a U-turn method in which the original P is set facing upward on the front side of the apparatus. In the same figure,
The paper discharge tray 109 is disposed below the paper feed tray 102 and is connected by a U-turn portion 110. The document P on the paper feed tray 102 is separated by the separation unit 103.
The pages are sent one by one starting from the top page, and after making a U-turn while being guided by the paper path of the image sensor unit 105, the image is read by the image sensor 106 of the image sensor unit 105, which is the reading section, and then the image is sent to the paper output on the front side of the device. The pages are stacked downward in order on the paper tray 109.

FIG. 3(c) shows a U-turn method in which a document P to be read is set facing downward. Paper feed tray 10
The originals P stacked on the paper sheet 2 are sent one page at a time from the top page in the separation section 103, and after making a U-turn along the U-turn section 110, are placed inside the U-turn section 110. The image information is read by the image sensor 106 of the image sensor unit 105, and the sheets are stacked and ejected onto a paper ejection tray 109 on the front side of the apparatus.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the method shown in FIG. 3(a) described above, since the paper feed tray 102, which is the document setting section, is located at the front of the device, it is easy to set the document P, and the document P is relatively small. Since the document P is conveyed straight to the discharge tray 109, there is an advantage that jams are less likely to occur and the document P is less likely to be damaged.However, since the document P is discharged to the document discharge tray 109 at the back of the apparatus, it is difficult to take out the document P. In addition, the device occupies a large area, and since the cover 111 for clearing document jams is located at the top, articles cannot be placed on top of the device, which limits the installation location of the device. ing.

Furthermore, in the method shown in FIG. 3(b), the paper feed tray 102 and the paper ejection tray 109 are located at the front of the device, so
Although it is easy to manipulate the document and the area occupied by the device is relatively small, the document P is easily jammed and damaged because the document P is conveyed in a U-turn. In addition, the document conveyance accuracy is lower than that of the straight type shown in (a), and the image sensor 106, which has an image information reading section, is located at the U-turn section 11.
Since it is located below 0, there is a drawback that the thickness of the device is large.

[0007] In addition, the method (c) allows the device to have a thin outer shape, but it also allows a plurality of documents P to be fed to the paper feed tray 10 at one time.
If the document P is not stacked on the document P2, there is a drawback that the order of the pages of the ejected document P will be out of order.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image reading device that allows easy removal of document jams.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. For example, as shown with reference to FIG. In an image reading device that discharges an image after reading it, upper and lower transport units (21, 22) transport the original (P).
The apparatus includes a jam release means (R) for removing a jammed original (P) jammed in the upper/lower transport unit (21, 22) by pulling out the original (P) in a direction opposite to the original transport direction of the apparatus main body (1). It is characterized by

Further, the jam release means (R) moves the upper and lower transport units in a direction that separates the pair of rollers (3, 5, 7) for transporting documents in the upper and lower transport units (21, 22). It has a biasing member (R) that biases either one of the units (21, 22), and has a biasing member (R) that biases one of the units (21, 22).
By pulling out the upper/lower transport unit (22)
It is characterized by automatically moving either one of 1 and 22).

[0011]

[Operation] Based on the above configuration, the document (P) inserted from the front of the device main body (1) is transferred to the upper/lower transport unit (2).
While being conveyed by a pair of rollers 1 and 22), image information is formed on an image sensor (6a) and read, and after reading the image information, the original (P) is ejected onto a paper ejection tray (10). Ru.

[0012] When a document (P) is jammed in the upper/lower transport unit (21, 22), the upper/lower transport unit (21, 22) is moved in the opposite direction to the original transport direction of the main body (1). When pulled out, the upper transport unit (
21) is the lower transport unit (
22). As a result, the pair of rollers (3, 5, 7) that are in pressure contact with the original (P) are separated, and the jammed original (P) can be easily taken out.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an entire image reading apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, a paper feed tray 2 is provided on the front side of the main body 1 of the apparatus, on which a document P is loaded and inserted in the direction of the arrow. Inside the apparatus main body 1, the document separating section 3 includes a pickup roller 3a, a retard roller 3b,
It consists of a separation roller 3c. The document transport section 5 includes a transport roller 5a and a pinch roller 5b.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an image sensor unit incorporating a light source, a lens, and a 1-magnification image sensor 6a; 7 denotes a document ejection section consisting of a paper ejection roller 7a and a pinch roller 7b; and 9 a guide for guiding the document P to a paper ejection tray. , 10 is a paper output tray for storing the scanned original P, 11 is a detection means for detecting that the paper output tray 10 is set in a fixed position, and 12 is an electrical equipment section 12 including a power supply unit, a CPU board, etc. It shows.

The inserted document P is separated by the document separation section 3 and conveyed to the image sensor unit 6 by the document conveyance section 5, where image information is read, and then transferred to the document discharge section 7.
The paper is ejected to the paper ejection tray 10. Above paper output tray 1
0 can be taken in and out by pulling it out from the solid line position shown in the figure to the right in the figure, and the document P after the image information has been read is taken out from the paper ejection tray 10 that has been pulled out to the chain line position 10A.

The upper rollers 3b and 5a of the roller pairs of the document separation section 3, document transport section 5, document discharge section 7, etc.
, 7a, and a frame 13 on which these are rotatably mounted.
The upper transport unit 21 is configured by the above. Also,
Lower rollers 3c, 5b, 7b of the above roller pair
A lower conveyance unit 22 is constituted by the pickup roller 3a, a frame 15 on which these rollers are rotatably mounted, and the like.

The lower conveyance unit 22 is attached to a side plate 16 shown in FIG. 2 and a side plate 17 constituting the gear box 19. is rotatably supported via a support shaft 14 of the conveyance roller 5a. Upper transport unit 21
is a direction in which the free end is raised by the elasticity of a jam release means (hereinafter referred to as a biasing member) R consisting of a torsion spring wound around the support shaft 14, that is, the upper conveyance unit 2
The rollers 3b, 5a, and 7a in the roller 1 are urged to rotate in a direction away from the opposing roller.

The side plates 16 and 17 can be slid horizontally by loosely fitting the protrusions 16a and 17a provided therein into the guide grooves 1a provided on the inner surface of the side plates of the main body 1, respectively. It has become. Therefore, the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22 can be freely pulled out from the front side of the apparatus main body 1 to the position indicated by the chain line in FIG. 1 (released position).

When the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22 are inserted into the apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG. The inner roller pairs 3, 5, and 7 are in pressure contact with each other. Frame 15 of lower conveyance unit 22
A locking hole (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the device, and a locking claw 23 whose claw portion engages with this locking hole is a locking knob 25 that can freely move forward and backward along the document conveyance direction of the apparatus main body 1. It is rotatably attached to.

When the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22 are inserted into the apparatus main body 1 as shown in the figure, the lower transport unit 22 is locked by the lock claw 23, and the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22 are locked. It is fixed at a predetermined image reading position. When the operator pushes in the lock knob 25, the lock claw 23 comes out of the lock hole, and the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22 can be pulled out forward. When the upper and lower conveying units 21 and 22 are pulled out to the chain line position, the upper conveying unit 21 is rotated in a direction in which the free end thereof is raised by the elasticity of the biasing member R.

In the image reading device having the above configuration, the operation of reading the image information of the document P supplied from the paper feed tray 2 is the same as that of the conventional image reading device described in FIG. 3, so the explanation thereof will be omitted. do.

[0023] Now, the original P inserted from the paper feed tray 2
If a jam occurs in the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22, the lock knob 25 is first pushed in to unlock the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22. When the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22 are pulled out to the position shown in chain lines in FIG. 1 in this state, the upper transport unit 21 is rotated in the direction of arrow A by the elasticity of the biasing member R. Due to this rotation of the upper conveyance unit 21, one roller 3b, 5a, 7a of the pair of rollers in the upper conveyance unit 21 also automatically moves in the same direction, and moves away from the opposing roller 3c, 5b, 7b, respectively. separated. As a result, the jammed original P that was pressed between the roller pairs 3, 5, and 7 is removed from the top by the release of the pressing action.
It can be easily taken out from the lower transport units 21 and 22.

After the jam of the document P is released, the upper and lower transport units 21 and 22 are pushed into the apparatus main body 1, so that the upper transport unit 21 is pushed into the upper part of the apparatus main body 1 to a predetermined height, and each roller pair is pushed in. 3, 5, and 7 are brought into pressure contact with each other, and the document P can be separated and conveyed. Also, by engaging the lock claw 23 with the locking hole of the lower transport unit 22, the upper and lower transport units 21
, 22 are held at predetermined positions where image information can be read.

[0025] In the present image reading device, the top surface of the device can be constructed in a flat state, so that items such as a printer can be placed on the top surface of the device, or the device can be stored in a rack. There is also a big advantage in terms of space saving.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, the upper and lower transport units for separating and transporting original documents can be moved in and out of the front side of the main body of the apparatus, and the upper and lower transport units can When a document jam occurs, by pulling out the upper document toward the front of the device, one of the pair of rollers for separation and conveyance in the upper and lower conveyance units is automatically released from the other roller by the urging force of the release means. Since they are separated, jammed originals can be easily removed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of an image reading device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view as well.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side view showing an example of a conventional image reading device.

[Explanation of symbols]

P Document R Jam release means (biasing member) 1
Apparatus main body 2 Paper feed tray 3, 3a, 3b Document separation section 5, 5a, 5b
Document transport section 6 Image sensor units 7, 7a, 7b Document discharge section 10
Paper discharge tray 10a Detection means 11 Detection means 14 Support shaft 15 Jam release door 17 Jam release section 21 Upper transport unit 22 Lower transport unit 23 Detection means (sensor)

Claims (2)

[Claims] [Claim 1] In an image reading device that transports a document to a reading device, reads an image on the document, and then outputs the document, by pulling out the upper and lower transport units that transport the document in a direction opposite to the document transport direction of the main body of the device. . An image reading device comprising a jam clearing means for clearing a jam of a document jammed in the upper and lower transport units. 2. The jam release means includes a biasing member that biases one of the upper and lower transport units in a direction that separates a pair of rollers that transport documents in the upper and lower transport units. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the upper and lower transport units is automatically moved by pulling out the upper and lower transport units.