This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-051539, filed on Mar. 19, 2018, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-107173, filed on Jun. 4, 2018, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
This disclosure relates to a medium conveying device and an image forming apparatus incorporating the medium conveying device.
Examples of sheet-like conveyance target medium include a bendable conveyance object that can be conveyed while bending, and an unbendable conveyance object that is unbendable or may not preferably be bent. Therefore, a medium conveying device that conveys a sheet-like conveyance target medium includes a conveying path linearly formed through which the sheet-like conveyance target medium passes. As a result, a bendable conveyance object and an unbendable conveyance object can be conveyed through the conveying path. In order to downsize medium conveying devices, some of the medium conveying devices include a conveying route inclining upward and extending linearly from an introduction end to an ejection end.
At least one aspect of this disclosure provides a medium conveying device including a conveying lower face, and a placing table. The conveying lower face has an introduction end and an ejection end. The conveying lower face inclines upward and extends linearly from the introduction end to the ejection end. The placing table is provided pivotally on an introduction end side and is displaced between a first position and a second position to place a sheet-like conveyance target medium to be introduced from the introduction end. The placing table forms a linear conveying route when occupying the first position and forms a bent conveying route when occupying the second position.
Further, at least one aspect of this disclosure provides an image forming apparatus including the above-described medium conveying device.
The aforementioned and other aspects, features, and advantages of this disclosure would be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of this disclosure and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
In describing embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner and achieve similar results.
Although the embodiments are described with technical limitations with reference to the attached drawings, such description is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure and all of the components or elements described in the embodiments of this disclosure are not necessarily indispensable.
Referring now to the drawings, embodiments of this disclosure are described below. In the drawings for explaining the following embodiments, the same reference codes are allocated to elements (members or components) having the same function or shape and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.
Hereinafter, embodiments according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, constituent elements having the same functions and configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as appropriate. The drawings may be partially omitted or schematically illustrated in order to aid in understanding a part of the configuration.
A medium conveying device according to this disclosure includes: a linear conveying guide member having one end portion and the other end portion, the other end portion located upward the one end portion; and a manual sheet feeding tray that is provided pivotally on the other end portion side and serves as a placing table, in which the manual sheet feeding tray can be displaced between a first position and a second position, selectively displacing of the manual sheet feeding tray between the first position and the second position allows the linear conveying guide member and the manual sheet feeding tray to form a linear conveying route and a bent conveying route, so that setting performance and stable conveyance for sheet-like conveyance target mediums different in characteristic can be provided, while maintaining downsizing of the medium conveying device.
The medium conveying device according to this disclosure includes a displacement member that displaces the manual sheet feeding tray between the first position and the second position. When the manual sheet feeding tray occupies the first position, the linear conveying route is formed, and when the displacement member displaces the manual sheet feeding tray to the second position, the bent conveying route is formed. For a sheet-like conveyance target medium that is unbendable, the linear conveying route is formed through which the unbendable sheet-like conveyance target medium can be conveyed. For a sheet-like conveyance target medium allowing bending, the manual sheet feeding tray is set to be substantially horizontal to form the bent conveying route, so that setting performance for the bendable conveyance object is improved, while preventing the bendable conveyance object from shifting.
First, the configurations of an image forming apparatus and the medium conveying device will be described, and then the characteristic parts will be described.
The image reading device 101 is a known device that reads an image of a document by placing and setting the document as a sheet-like conveyance target medium on a contact glass, and reading scanning the document. The data of the image read by the image reading device 101 is transmitted to the image forming unit 102 and used as data of an image to be printed.
In the present embodiment, the image forming unit 102 is not limited to the image formation scheme. The image forming unit 102 may be of an electrophotographic type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of an image bearer on the basis of data of an image to be printed, developed with toner that serves as a developer and visualized, transferred onto a sheet as one of sheet-like recording media, and a toner image is fixed on the sheet by applying heat and pressure to the sheet by a fixer. Alternatively, the image forming unit 102 may be of an ink discharge type in which an image is formed on a sheet by discharging ink droplets from an ink head on the basis of data of the image to be printed. The image forming unit 102 has an operation panel 105. The location where the operation panel 105 is provided may be not on the image forming unit 102 but on the automatic document conveying device 100.
A lower portion of the image forming unit 102 has a sheet feeder 103 in which sheets are stacked and stored. The sheet feeder 103 supplies the sheets to the image forming unit 102. A sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit 102 is discharged in a sheet ejection direction indicated by an arrow Al Then, the sheet is stacked onto a discharge tray 104 at an upper portion of the image reader 103 located in the space between the image reading device 101 and the image forming unit 102.
The automatic document conveying device 100 includes a document tray 2, a manual sheet feeding tray 7; and a sheet ejection tray 15. The document tray 2 stacks a sheet-like document P1 as a bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 serves as a sheet placing section. The sheet ejection tray 15 serves as a sheet ejector. In the present embodiment, the bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium is a document on which a character or a design is printed on paper or resin sheet, for example. The sheet-like document P1 stacked on the document tray 2 is sent into a sheet feeding direction A2 orthogonal to the sheet ejection direction A1. The sheet-like document P1 U-turns by substantially 180 degrees and is ejected onto the sheet ejection tray 15 of the automatic document conveying device 100 located below the document tray 2. In the present embodiment, the maximum size of the sheet-like document P1 and a sheet is assumed to be A3 size.
As illustrated in
The document-tray sheet feeding port 14 is formed between the document tray 2 and an end portion 100Aa of an exterior member 100A located above the document tray 2. A pickup roller 3, a feed roller 5, and a separation pad 6 are disposed in the document-tray sheet feeding port 14. In the present embodiment, for example, when a copy start button is operated on the operation panel 105 illustrated in
A first document detector (hereinafter referred to as “document-setting detection sensor”) 4 is disposed between the document tray 2 and the pickup roller 3 to detect the presence or absence of a sheet-like document P1 on the document tray 2. The document-setting detection sensor 4 includes a light reflective optical sensor. The document-setting detection sensor 4 detects, at a light receiver, light emitted from a light emitter and reflected on a sheet-like document P1, to detect the presence or absence of the sheet-like document P1. In the present embodiment, the document-setting detection sensor 4 is disposed above the sheet-like document P1. However, the document-setting detection sensor 4 may be provided below the sheet-like document P1 as long as the light receiver can detect the reflected light.
The automatic document conveying device 100 includes a conveying path 61 extending linearly from the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to the sheet ejection tray 15 and inclining upward. The conveying path 61 is formed between a conveying upper face 61a and a conveying lower face 61b. The conveying upper face 61a includes an upper conveying guide member 615 and an upper conveying guide plate 617. The conveying lower face 61b includes a lower conveying guide member 616 and a lower conveying guide plate 614. The conveying upper face 61a and the conveying lower face 61b are formed extending linearly from the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to the sheet ejection tray 15. One end of the conveying path 61 is open in a housing section 100c in which the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is housed, and the other end is open on the sheet ejection tray 15 side. In the present embodiment, the opening in the housing section 100c serves as a manual sheet feeding port 13, and the opening on the sheet ejection tray 15 side serves as a discharge port 12 that discharges a sheet-like document conveyed through the conveying path 61 to the sheet ejection tray 15.
That is, the automatic document conveying device 100 includes an introduction end and an ejection end. An end portion 614b of the lower conveying guide plate 614 included in one end of the conveying lower face 611) serves as the introduction end. An end portion 616a of the lower conveying guide member 616 included in other end of the conveying lower face 61b serves as the ejection end.
The conveying path 61 has a pair of pre-reading rollers 611 serving as a pair of conveying rollers. A pair of post-reading rollers 612 and a pair of discharge rollers 613 are disposed on the conveying path 61 between the document reader 9 and the discharge port 12. The pair of post-reading rollers 612 and the pair of discharge rollers 613 each serve as a pair of conveying rollers.
The leading end of the curved conveying route 60 is coupled to the conveying path 61 between the manual sheet feeding port 13 and the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. That is, the curved conveying route 60 includes space formed between a guide member 602 and a guide member 603 disposed opposed to each other. The guide members 602 and 603 are disposed so as to guide a sheet-like conveyance target medium from a direction different from a conveying direction of the sheet-like conveyance target medium from the manual sheet feeding port 13, to the lower conveying guide member 616 and the upper conveying guide member 615 forming the conveying path 61. In other words, the curved conveying route 60 forms a conveying route through which the sheet-like document P1 is conveyed from the other direction, to the conveying path 61. The document readers 9 and 10 each include a contact image sensor (CIS) that serves as an image sensor including a light source, a light receiving element, and a lens integrally formed, for example. The document reader 9 detects the front face of the sheet-like document P1, and the document reader 10 detects the back face of the sheet-like document P1.
A pair of pull-out rollers 601 that serves as a pair of conveying rollers is disposed on the curved conveying route 60. The pair of pull-out rollers 601 conveys the sheet-like document P1 sent from the document tray 2, toward the conveying path 61.
The lower conveying guide plate 614 disposed between the manual sheet feeding port 13 and the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 serves as a wall face for a sheet-like document to be manually fed. In addition, a guide face 617a of the upper conveying guide plate 617 disposed opposed to the lower conveying guide plate 614 serves a wall surface for the sheet-like document to be manually fed. The lower conveying guide plate 614 and the upper conveying guide plate 617 extend in the width direction W (see
The sheet-like document P1 conveyed through the curved conveying route 60 is introduced into the conveying path 61 from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet-like document P1 by the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. The sheet-like document P1 passes through the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. Then, in a simplex reading mode, the document reader 9 reads an image of the front face of the document, and in a duplex reading mode, the document reader 9 and the document reader 10 read respective images of the both faces of the document. The sheet-like document P1 of which the image has been read is conveyed from the discharge port 12 to the outside of the medium conveying device by the pair of post-reading rollers 612 and the pair of discharge rollers 613, discharged to the sheet ejection tray 15, and then stacked on the sheet ejection tray 15.
The automatic document conveying device 100 is disposed such that the manual sheet feeding tray 7 can be housed in the housing section 100c on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the manual sheet feeding port 13. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 is supported pivotally by a casing 100B that serves as a base of the automatic document conveying device 100. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 is disposed so as to occupy a housing position indicated by a dashed line in
In the present embodiment, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is disposed so as to occupy, at the operation position, different positions of a position that is linear with respect to the conveying path 61 indicated by a solid line and a position that bends with respect to the conveying path 61 indicated by a two-dot chain line. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
That is, the sheet-like documents (unbendable conveyance objects) P2 and P3 that are not conveyable are sheet-like conveyance target mediums that do not bend or may not preferably be bent, physically. Examples of a sheet-like medium (unbendable conveyance object) that is not conveyable include a card-like paper medium such as a business card; a post card; or resin cards such as a cash card and various credit cards. In addition, the sheet-like conveyance target mediums to be set on the manual sheet feeding tray 7 include a sheet-like conveyance target medium having a non-rectangular shape, an irregular size, or a surface with unevenness deeper than a plain paper copier, such as Japanese paper, although having bendability.
In the present embodiment, reference sign P2 represents a bendable sheet-like document having an irregular shape, and a reference sign P3 represents a sheet-like document that is a card containing resin and having a business card size.
As illustrated in
Then, when the copy start button is operated on the operation panel 105 (see
Next, switching of the position (posture) of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 will be described with reference to
The manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupies the second position in abutting against the protrusion 80 as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, when the manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupies the first position, as illustrated in
For the bent conveying route K2 of
For the linear conveying route K1 of
That is, as described in
In addition, when the protrusion 80 protrudes from the housing space 1B with the manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupying the housing position and the protrusion 80 is located at the abutting position, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is difficult to pivot and move to the first position. As a result, the pivoting range is regulated and the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is held at the second position.
As described above, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In particular, for a curled document having both ends of the document width in the conveying direction of the sheet-like document P2 warped upward, a central portion of the sheet-like document P2 comes into contact with the lower conveying guide plate 614 bent in advance. Thus, the lower conveying guide plate 614 corrects the document warp and reliably sends the sheet-like document to the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611.
On the other hand, for a curled document having both ends warped downward, the lower conveying guide plate 614 and the guide face 617a of the upper conveying guide plate 617 on the upper side opposed to the lower conveying guide plate 614, in advance, are tapered narrowing toward the conveying direction. As a result, the guide face 617a corrects the document warp and reliably sends the sheet-like document P2 to the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. Note that if a figure indicating pressing of the center of a document is applied in addition on the document placing face side of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to prompt the user to press the center of the document on the manual sheet feeding tray 7 and send the document, the both ends and the center of the sheet-like documents P2 are pressed against the lower conveying guide plate 614. As a result, the sheet-like document P2 is directed to the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 and more reliably sent to the nip. Therefore, an entry position and an angle at the position of the front end of the document to the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 are stable. As a result, occurrence of damage to the front end can be reduced and holding failure of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 can be avoided.
When the protrusion 80 does not protrude from the housing space 1B, as illustrated in
According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 serving as a placing table on which the sheet-like document as a sheet-like conveyance target medium is placed occupies the first position away from the protrusion 80 or the second position in abutting against the protrusion 80. For occupation of the first position, the linear conveying route K1 is formed, and for occupation of the second position, the bent conveying route K2 unlike the first position is formed. Therefore, irrespective of the bendability of the sheet-like documents P2 and P3, there can be improved the setting performance for the sheet-like document P2 and the conveyability for the sheet-like document P3 on the manual sheet feeding tray 7.
Furthermore, setting of the sheet-like document P1 on the horizontal manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupying the second position prevents the sheet-like document P1 from falling from the manual sheet feeding tray 7 or slipping down in a direction away from the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. Therefore, the positional relationship between the document front end P1a and the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 is stable. As a result, damage on the document front end P1a can also be reduced.
Furthermore, when the manual sheet feeding tray 7 moves from the first position illustrated in
Next, with reference to
The link lever 92 extends in the same direction as the elongated groove 1C and engages with the operation section 91 at one end 92A of the link lever 92 with play and is movable in the sliding direction C in conjunction with operation of the operation section 91. An upper face 92b of the link lever 92 has the protrusion 80. A lower face 92c of the link lever 92 has a protrusion 92E protruding downward in the figures (retracting direction of the protrusion 80) and engaging with the bottom 1Cb.
When the operation section 91 is operated in the sliding direction C, the protrusion 92E falls from the bottom 1Cb into the groove 1E having a divergent inclination 1F provided on the bottom 1Cb, or the protrusion 92E lifts from the groove 1E to the bottom 1Cb. The opposite side of the divergent inclination 1F of the groove 1E is rectangular, and restricts, with the housing space 1B corresponding to the protrusion 92E, the movement of the link lever 92.
As illustrated in
As described above, providing of the switching section 90 that moves the position of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 between the first position and the second position allows the user to slide and operate the operation section 91 of the switching section 90, in accordance with the type of the sheet-like documents P2 and P3 that are to be used. As a result, the protrusion 80 abuts against or separates from the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7. Therefore, the position (posture) of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 can be easily changed and the operability is improved.
In the present embodiment, there are provided, on the automatic document conveying device 100 side, the protrusion 80 serving as the displacement member that displaces the position of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 between the first position to the second position, and the operation section 91. However, the arrangement is not limited to such a mode. For example, the protrusion 80 and the operation section 91 may be provided on the manual sheet feeding tray 7 side such that the protrusion 80 protrudes from the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to abut against the casing 100B and the manual sheet feeding tray 7 takes the second position, and such that the protrusion 80 is housed on the lower face 7a side of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to allow the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to take the first position.
The medium conveying device according to the present embodiment has been described as the automatic document conveying device 100 equipped in the image forming apparatus 1. However, the applicable field is not limited to an image forming apparatus. The medium conveying device according to the present embodiment is applicable to any field as long as the application is for conveying a bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium and an unbendable sheet-like conveyance target medium.
Furthermore, the automatic document conveying device 100 according to the present embodiment includes the document readers 9 and 10. However, the automatic document conveying device 100 may also be a document conveying device with which the document readers 9 and 10 and an image reading function are not equipped.
In addition to the sheets (paper) described in the embodiments, examples of the bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium as a sheet-like medium on which an image is to be formed, include a coated sheet, a resin film (overhead projector (OHP) sheet), a plastic film, a prepreg, and a copper foil, in the embodiments.
The effects described in the embodiments of this disclosure merely detail the most favorable effects arising from this disclosure, and the effects of this disclosure are not limited to the effects described in the embodiments of this disclosure. Numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the above teachings, the present disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. With some embodiments having thus been described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2018-051539 | Mar 2018 | JP | national |
2018-107173 | Jun 2018 | JP | national |