阅读说明：本技术 图像读取装置 (Image reading apparatus ) 是由 手塚诚二 小柳纪幸 坂元直树 于 2018-09-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请提供图像读取装置,可以容易且适当地执行小册子的读取。扫描仪(1)具备：读取部(20),读取介质(P)的图像；介质进给部(10),在将载置于介质载置部(11)的纸张(P)向读取部(20)进给时,能够选择进行将重叠有多张纸张的纸张摞分离来进给的分离进给的第一进给模式和进行以不分离所述纸张摞的方式来一并进给的非分离进给的第二进给模式；以及第一传送辊对(16)和第二传送辊对(17),传送由介质进给部(10)进给的纸张,在介质进给部(10)以所述第二进给模式进行进给时,构成第一传送辊对(16)和第二传送辊对(17)的第一从动辊(16b)和第二从动辊(17b)在传送纸张(P)的旋转方向上被驱动。(The present application provides an image reading apparatus which can easily and appropriately read a booklet. A scanner (1) is provided with: a reading unit (20) that reads an image of a medium (P); a medium feeding section (10) capable of selecting a first feeding mode for performing separate feeding in which a sheet bundle having a plurality of sheets stacked thereon is separated and fed and a second feeding mode for performing non-separate feeding in which the sheet bundle is collectively fed without being separated, when feeding the sheets (P) placed on the medium placing section (11) to the reading section (20); and a first conveyance roller pair (16) and a second conveyance roller pair (17) that convey the sheet fed by the medium feeding section (10), and when the medium feeding section (10) feeds in the second feeding mode, a first driven roller (16b) and a second driven roller (17b) that constitute the first conveyance roller pair (16) and the second conveyance roller pair (17) are driven in the rotational direction in which the sheet (P) is conveyed.)

1. An image reading apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a reading unit that reads an image of a medium;

a first transport roller pair that transports a media stack on which a plurality of media are stacked to the reading section; and

a drive source capable of driving the first conveyance roller pair,

the first conveying roller pair is composed of a first conveying roller and a second conveying roller,

the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller are driven by the driving source when conveying the bundle of media.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,

the image reading apparatus further includes a second conveyance roller pair provided downstream in the conveyance direction of the first conveyance roller pair,

the second conveying roller pair is composed of a third conveying roller and a fourth conveying roller,

the third conveyance roller and the fourth conveyance roller are driven by the drive source when conveying the bundle of media.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,

the contact load between the first conveying roller pair when the medium bundle is conveyed by the first conveying roller pair is smaller than the contact load between the first conveying roller pair when the medium separately fed is conveyed by the first conveying roller pair.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3,

the first conveyance roller is separated from the second conveyance roller when the bundle of media is conveyed by the first conveyance roller pair.

5. The image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the reading unit includes a first reading unit that reads a first surface of a medium being conveyed and a second reading unit that reads a second surface opposite to the first surface,

the reading unit is configured such that a distance between the first reading unit and the second reading unit can be changed,

the distance between the reading surface of the first reading unit and the reading surface of the second reading unit when the medium bundle is conveyed by the first conveying roller pair is wider than the distance between the reading surface of the first reading unit and the reading surface of the second reading unit when the medium bundle is conveyed by the first conveying roller pair.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,

the first conveying roller pair conveys the media bundle in a reading direction, thereby enabling an image of the media to be read,

the first conveying roller pair is rotatable in a normal rotation direction in which the medium bundle is conveyed in the reading direction and a reverse rotation direction in which the medium bundle is conveyed in a direction opposite to the reading direction,

the first conveying roller pair conveys the media bundle in a direction opposite to the reading direction by rotating in the reverse direction.

7. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6,

the first conveying roller pair conveys the medium bundle in a direction opposite to the reading direction and then conveys the medium bundle in the reading direction to perform reading.

8. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2,

the second conveyance roller pair causes an image of the medium to be read by conveying the medium bundle in a reading direction,

the second conveyance roller pair is rotatable in a normal rotation direction in which the medium bundle is conveyed in the reading direction and a reverse rotation direction in which the medium bundle is conveyed in a direction opposite to the reading direction,

the second conveyance roller pair conveys the media bundle in a direction opposite to the reading direction by rotating in the reverse direction.

9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 8,

the second conveyance roller pair conveys the media bundle in a direction opposite to the reading direction and then conveys it in the reading direction to perform reading.

10. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 or 7,

the first conveyance roller pair and the second conveyance roller pair are driven by the driving source when the medium bundle is conveyed in a direction opposite to the reading direction.

11. The image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the image reading apparatus further includes a feeding section that feeds a medium,

the feeding section separates a medium and conveys the medium to the reading section.

12. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3,

the second conveying roller is provided with a load applying unit, and the load applying unit is provided with: a spring support portion displaceable in a direction in which the contact load is applied to the first conveyance roller; and a pressing spring provided between the spring support portion and the second conveying roller and pressing the second conveying roller,

the contact load is adjusted by displacing the spring support portion.

13. The image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the image reading apparatus includes:

a non-separation feeding mode of the conveyed media bundle by the first conveying roller; and

a separation feeding mode of feeding the medium separated and fed by the first pair of transport rollers.

14. The image reading apparatus according to claim 13,

the non-separation feeding mode and the separation feeding mode are switched by an operation section.

15. The image reading apparatus according to claim 11,

the feeding unit includes:

a feed roller that feeds the medium; and

a separation roller that is rotationally driven at least in a reverse direction opposite to a normal rotation direction that is a rotation direction when the medium is conveyed in a direction in which reading is performed by the reading portion; and

a power transmission mechanism having a train wheel composed of a plurality of gears that mesh with each other, the power transmission mechanism transmitting power from a drive source to the separation roller,

when the feeding portion feeds so as not to separate the media bundle, the engagement of a part of the plurality of gears constituting the gear train is released.

16. The image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the second conveying roller is driven by the driving source when conveying the media bundle to the reading section,

the second conveyance roller is driven to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the first conveyance roller when conveying the separated medium.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for reading a document.

Background

In some cases, a scanner as an example of an image reading apparatus is configured to be provided with an automatic Document Feeder (also referred to as an ADF (Auto Document Feeder)) that automatically conveys a Document as a medium, and is capable of automatically conveying and reading a plurality of documents.

In the image reading apparatus having such a configuration, there is a demand from users to read booklets such as passports and passbooks.

When the opened pages of the booklet are read by the automatic feeding device that automatically conveys a plurality of documents, the automatic feeding device attempts to separate the overlapped pages and convey them one by one, and the opened booklet may not be conveyed, and a jam (jam) may occur to damage the pages of the booklet.

Further, the opened booklet has a thickness, and the booklet may not enter between two rollers of a conveying roller pair conveying a medium, and may be in a non-feeding state.

Here, as a scanner that can feed the booklet by the automatic feeding device, there is a scanner configured as follows: the booklet in a state where the page to be read is turned open is put in a transparent holder and conveyed by the automatic feeding device (for example, patent document 1).

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-174247

However, in the scanner described in patent document 1 in which the booklet put in the holder is conveyed and read, it is necessary to take a lot of labor to put the booklet in the holder.

Further, the booklet put in the holder is increased in thickness as compared with the booklet alone, and therefore, the problem of no feeding occurring at the conveying roller pair is not solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image reading apparatus capable of easily and appropriately reading a booklet.

An image reading apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is characterized by comprising: a reading unit that reads an image of a medium; a medium feeding section capable of selecting a first feeding mode in which the medium feeding section performs separation feeding in which a bundle of media on which a plurality of media are stacked is separated and fed, and a second feeding mode in which the medium feeding section performs non-separation feeding in which the medium bundle is collectively fed without being separated, when feeding the medium placed on the medium placing section to the reading section; a drive roller provided on a downstream side of the medium feeding section in a medium feeding direction; and a driven roller that rotates following rotation of the drive roller, the driven roller being driven in a rotational direction in which the medium is conveyed when the medium feeding portion feeds in the second feeding mode.

According to the present invention, since the driven roller is driven in the rotational direction in which the medium is conveyed when the medium feeding section feeds in the second feeding mode, the second feeding mode can be executed to easily set and feed a bundle of media (for example, a booklet such as a passport or a passbook, a document screw, or the like) which may cause a feeding failure or a jam if the medium is fed while being separated one by one, and in addition, a possibility that the bundle of media thicker than one sheet does not enter between the driving roller and the driven roller, that is, a so-called no-feed state, can be reduced, and the bundle of media can be appropriately conveyed.

A second aspect of the present invention is a printer including: a reading unit that reads an image of a medium; a medium feeding section capable of selecting a first feeding mode in which the medium feeding section performs separation feeding in which a bundle of media on which a plurality of media are stacked is separated and fed, and a second feeding mode in which the medium feeding section performs non-separation feeding in which the medium bundle is collectively fed without being separated, when feeding the medium placed on the medium placing section to the reading section; a drive roller provided on a downstream side of the medium feeding section in a medium feeding direction; and a driven roller that rotates following rotation of the drive roller, wherein a contact load (contact load) applied to the drive roller by the driven roller is smaller than the contact load when the first feeding mode is executed when the medium feeding section feeds in the second feeding mode.

According to the present invention, since the contact load applied to the drive roller by the driven roller is made smaller than the contact load in the first feeding mode when the medium feeding portion feeds in the second feeding mode, it is possible to easily set and feed a medium bundle in the second feeding mode, which may cause a feeding failure or a jam if the medium bundle is fed while being separated one by one, and in addition, it is possible to reduce a risk that the medium bundle thicker than the medium conveyed one by one does not enter between the drive roller and the driven roller, which is a so-called no-feed state, and to realize appropriate conveyance of the medium bundle.

The contact load in the second feed mode may be smaller than the contact load in the first feed mode, and may be zero.

A third aspect of the present invention is summarized as a second aspect including: a load applying unit including: a spring support portion that is displaceable in a direction in which the driven roller applies the contact load to the drive roller; and a pressing spring provided between the spring support portion and the driven roller, and pressing the driven roller, wherein the contact load is adjusted by moving the spring support portion.

According to the present aspect, it is possible to easily adjust the contact load applied by the driven roller to the drive roller.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the medium feeding device according to the second aspect, wherein the driven roller is configured to be separable from the drive roller, and the driven roller is configured to be separated from the drive roller when the medium feeding portion performs feeding in the second feeding mode.

According to this aspect, when the medium feeding portion feeds in the second feeding mode, the driven roller is separated from the drive roller, and therefore, the contact load in the second feeding mode can be made zero, and the risk of occurrence of the non-feeding can be further reduced.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the medium feeding unit according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, including: a feed roller that feeds the medium; and a separation roller configured to be displaceable between a contact state in which the separation roller is in contact with the feed roller and a separation state in which the separation roller is separated from the feed roller, wherein when the medium feeding portion feeds in the first feed mode, the separation roller is set in the contact state, and is rotationally driven in a reverse direction opposite to a normal rotation direction in which the medium is conveyed in a direction in which the medium is read by the reading portion, and wherein when the medium feeding portion feeds in the second feed mode, the separation roller is set in the separation state.

According to the present aspect, in the medium feeding section, switching of the first feeding mode and the second feeding mode can be easily achieved.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is summarized as a fifth aspect including: a medium detection portion provided between the medium feeding portion and the drive roller located closest to the medium feeding portion, the medium detection portion detecting the medium, and the separation roller being set to the contact state and rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction when the medium detection portion detects passage of a leading end of the medium fed by the medium feeding portion in the second feeding mode.

According to the present invention, when the media bundle fed by the feed roller is conveyed to some extent, the separation roller may be set to the contact state and rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction. Thereby, the conveyance force of the separation roller and the feed roller rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction can be applied to the media bundle.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is summarized as the medium feeding section in any one of the first to fourth aspects, including: a feed roller that feeds the medium; a separation roller that is rotationally driven at least in a reverse direction opposite to a normal rotation direction that is a rotation direction when the medium is conveyed in a direction in which reading is performed by the reading portion; and a power transmission mechanism having a gear train composed of a plurality of gears that mesh with each other and transmitting power from a drive source to the separation roller, wherein when the medium feeding unit feeds in the second feeding mode, the meshing of a part of the plurality of gears constituting the gear train is released.

According to the present aspect, in the medium feeding section, switching of the first feeding mode and the second feeding mode can be easily achieved.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is the medium feeding device of any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the reading unit includes a first reading unit that reads a first surface of the medium conveyed by the medium feeding unit, and a second reading unit that reads a second surface that is a reverse surface of the first surface, and the reading unit is configured such that a gap between the first reading unit and the second reading unit can be changed, and the gap when the medium feeding unit executes the second feeding mode is wider than the gap when the medium feeding unit executes the first feeding mode.

According to the present invention, since the interval between the first reading unit and the second reading unit can be changed and the interval when the medium feeding unit executes the second feeding mode is made wider than the interval when the first feeding mode is executed, it is possible to reduce a possibility that the medium bundle thicker than the medium conveyed one by one is jammed between the first reading unit and the second reading unit and a jam occurs.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is the driven roller according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, further comprising a page turning mechanism.

According to the present invention, when a plurality of media bundles are booklets, reading can be performed while automatically turning pages.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is directed to the ninth aspect, wherein the sheet turning mechanism is configured to turn over the uppermost medium of the stack of media by the driven roller that is rotationally driven in a reverse direction in which the medium is conveyed in a direction opposite to a direction in which the medium is read by the reading unit.

According to the present aspect, the page turning mechanism can be formed with a simple structure.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view showing a scanner according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing a paper conveyance path in the scanner according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic side sectional view of the scanner according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a schematic side sectional view of a scanner according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a page turning operation of the page turning mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a page turning operation of the page turning mechanism.

Fig. 7 is an external perspective view showing a scanner provided with an operation portion that operates switching of "first feeding mode" and "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding portion.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state of the power transmission mechanism in the "first feeding mode" of the medium feeding portion.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state of the power transmission mechanism in the "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding portion.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the power transmission mechanism, and is a diagram illustrating the displacement of the gear when the "first feeding mode" and the "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding unit are switched.

Description of the reference numerals

1 scanner (image reading apparatus); 2 a device main body; 3 a lower unit; 4 an upper unit; 5 a paper discharge tray; 6a feeding port; 7 an operation panel; 8 a first auxiliary paper holder; 9 a second auxiliary paper holder; 10 a medium feeding part; 11a medium placing part; 12, an edge guide; 13 a guide surface; 14 a feed roller; 15 a separation roller; 16a first pair of transfer rollers; 16a first driving roller (driving roller); 16b a first driven roller (driven roller); 17a second conveyance roller pair; 17a second driving roller (driving roller); 17b a second driven roller (driven roller); 18 a discharge port; 19 a control unit; 20a reading unit; 20a first reading section; 20b a second reading section; 22 a first detection unit; 23 a second detection unit; 24 a third detection unit; 25 a fourth detection unit; 26 a first drive source; 27 a second drive source; 28 a cage; 29 a pressing member; 30 a first eccentric cam; 31 a first pressing member; 32 a second pressing member; 33 a second eccentric cam; 40 a load applying unit; 41 a spring support; 42 a pressing spring; 43 pressing a spring; 44 a third eccentric cam; 50 page turning mechanisms; a 51 holding part; 52 a front end portion; 60 power transmission mechanism; 61 a first train; 62 a second train of wheels; 63 a shaft portion; 64 gears; 65 gears; 66 gear sets; 67 an operation section; 68 a connecting portion; p sheets (media); g booklets (media stacks).

Detailed Description

[ first embodiment ]

First, an outline of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the present embodiment, a document scanner (hereinafter, simply referred to as a scanner 1) capable of reading at least one of the front and back surfaces of a sheet as a "medium" is shown as an example of an image reading apparatus.

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view showing a scanner according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing a paper conveyance path in the scanner according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic side sectional view of the scanner according to the first embodiment.

In the X-Y-Z coordinate system shown in the drawings, the X direction is the apparatus width direction and is the sheet width direction, and the Y direction is the sheet conveying direction. The Z direction is a direction intersecting the Y direction and is shown as a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the sheet being conveyed. The + Y direction side is the front side of the apparatus, and the-Y direction side is the back side of the apparatus. The left side when viewed from the front surface side of the apparatus is defined as the + X direction, and the right side is defined as the-X direction. The + Z direction is defined as the device upper side (including the upper portion, the upper surface, and the like), and the-Z direction side is defined as the device lower side (including the lower portion, the lower surface, and the like). The direction (+ Y direction side) in which the sheet P is fed is referred to as "downstream", and the direction (Y direction side) opposite thereto is referred to as "upstream".

(outline of scanner)

Next, a scanner 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference mainly to fig. 1 and 2.

The scanner 1 shown in fig. 1 includes a device main body 2, and the device main body 2 includes a reading unit 20 (fig. 2) for reading an image on a sheet P (medium) therein.

The apparatus main body 2 is configured to include a lower unit 3 and an upper unit 4. The upper unit 4 is configured to: the lower unit 3 is attached so as to be openable and closable with the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction as a pivot, and the upper unit 4 is pivoted toward the front side of the apparatus to open the sheet conveying path of the sheet P, thereby allowing the sheet P to be exposed, and facilitating the handling of a jam.

A medium mounting portion 11 on which the paper P is mounted is provided on the apparatus back surface side (-Y axis direction side) of the apparatus main body 2. The medium mounting portion 11 can mount a bundle of sheets P stacked thereon, and can mount a booklet G (fig. 3) in which a plurality of sheets are formed into a booklet shape as a document. In fig. 3, the two-by-one booklet G is arranged such that the portions of the bound backs are oriented in the width direction (X-axis direction).

The medium loading unit 11 is detachably provided in the apparatus main body 2. The mark 11a is a placement surface 11a of the sheet P.

The medium placing portion 11 is provided with a pair of left and right edge guides 12 and 12 each having a guide surface 13, and the guide surfaces 13 guide side edges in a width direction (X-axis direction) intersecting a feeding direction (Y-axis direction) of the sheet P.

The edge guides 12, 12 are provided so as to be capable of sliding movement in the X-axis direction according to the size of the sheet P. In the present embodiment, the edge guides 12 and 12 are configured to follow the X movement of one edge guide 12 (for example, the + X side) and move the other edge guide 12 (the (-X side)) in the opposite direction by a known rack and pinion mechanism.

That is, the medium loading unit 11 is configured such that the sheets P are aligned at the center in the width direction, and a feed roller 14, which will be described later, is provided in the center area in the width direction, and performs paper feeding by a so-called center paper feed method.

The medium loading unit 11 includes a first auxiliary paper support frame 8 and a second auxiliary paper support frame 9. The first auxiliary paper holder 8 and the second auxiliary paper holder 9 can be housed inside the medium placing section 11 as shown in fig. 2, and can be pulled out from the medium placing section 11 as shown in fig. 1, and the length of the placing surface 11a can be adjusted.

As shown in fig. 1, an operation panel 7 that displays various read settings, operations performed by reading, contents of the read settings, and the like is provided on the device front surface side of the upper unit 4.

A feed port 6 connected to the inside of the apparatus main body 2 is provided in an upper portion of the upper unit 4, and the sheet P placed on the medium placing portion 11 is conveyed from the feed port 6 to a reading portion 20 (fig. 2) provided in the apparatus main body 2.

Further, a paper discharge tray 5 described later is provided on the apparatus front surface side of the lower unit 3.

(for paper transport path in scanner)

Next, a paper transport path in the scanner 1 will be described with reference to fig. 2 and 3. Note that the broken line in fig. 2 shows the sheet conveying path.

In the scanner 1 shown in fig. 2, a sheet P as an original is conveyed from the medium loading portion 11 to the reading portion 20 by the medium feeding portion 10.

In the present embodiment, the medium feeding unit 10 includes: a feed roller 14 that feeds the sheet P; and a separation roller 15 that nips the sheet P with the feed roller 14, and rotates in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the sheet P (counterclockwise in the plan view of fig. 3) to separate the sheet P. The medium feeding unit 10 is configured to feed a medium by a center feeding method, and a feeding roller 14 and a separation roller 15 are provided in a central region in a medium width direction (X-axis direction) intersecting a medium conveyance direction (+ Y direction).

The medium feeding unit 10 is configured to: when feeding the sheets P placed on the medium placing portion 11 to the reading portion 20, a "first feeding mode" in which the medium feeding portion 10 performs separation feeding for separating and feeding a sheet bundle in which a plurality of sheets P are stacked, and a "second feeding mode" in which the medium feeding portion 10 performs non-separation feeding for collectively feeding the sheet bundle without separating the sheet bundle may be selected.

Thus, the scanner 1 can read the sheets separately fed one by one (separate feeding), and can read the sheets by the reading unit 20 without placing the sheet bundle, such as a booklet G (fig. 3) such as a passport or a passbook, or a document screw, which may cause a feeding failure or a jam if the sheets are fed while being separated one by one, in a sheet holder or a cassette, and directly place the sheet bundle in the medium loading unit 11.

The operation of the medium feeding unit 10 is controlled by a control unit 19 provided inside the apparatus main body 2. The specific operation of the medium feeding unit 10 when the medium feeding unit 10 performs feeding in the "first feeding mode" or the "second feeding mode" will be described in detail later.

Further, a first conveyance roller pair 16 that conveys the sheet P fed by the feed roller 14 (medium feed section 10), and a second conveyance roller pair 17 are provided on the downstream side of the feed roller 14.

A reading section 20 is provided between the first conveyance roller pair 16 and the second conveyance roller pair 17.

In fig. 2, the paper P placed on the medium placing portion 11 is picked up by a feed roller 14 rotatably provided in the lower unit 3 and fed to the downstream side (+ Y direction side). Specifically, the feed roller 14 rotates while contacting the surface of the paper P facing the medium placing portion 11, thereby feeding the paper P to the downstream side. Therefore, in the scanner 1, when a plurality of sheets of paper P are placed on the medium placing portion 11, the sheets of paper P are fed to the downstream side in order from the paper P on the placing surface 11a side.

The first conveying roller pair 16 is provided upstream of the reading section 20, and conveys the sheet P fed by the feed roller 14 to the reading section 20. The first conveyance roller pair 16 includes a first driving roller 16a (driving roller) and a first driven roller 16b (driven roller).

The first conveying roller pair 16 is also provided in the central region in the medium width direction, similarly to the feed roller 14.

The reading unit 20 includes a first reading unit 20a provided on the upper unit 4 side and a second reading unit 20b provided on the lower unit 3 side. In the present embodiment, the first reading unit 20a and the second reading unit 20b are configured as a Contact Image Sensor Module (CISM), for example.

The first reading unit 20a reads a front surface (a surface facing upward) which is a "first surface" of the sheet P, and the second reading unit 20b reads a back surface (a surface facing downward) which is a "second surface" opposite to the "first surface".

After the reading section 20 reads the image on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the sheet P, the sheet P is nipped by the second conveying roller pair 17 located on the downstream side of the reading section 20 and discharged from the discharge port 18 provided on the front surface side of the apparatus of the lower unit 3. The second conveyance roller pair 17 includes a second driving roller 17a (driving roller) and a second driven roller 17b (driven roller) that rotates in response to the rotation of the second driving roller 17 a.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the feed roller 14 is rotationally driven by the first drive source 26 provided in the lower unit 3. The separation roller 15, the first driving roller 16a, and the second driving roller 17a are similarly driven to rotate by a second driving source 27 shown in fig. 3.

The first driving source 26 and the second driving source 27 are controlled by the control unit 19, thereby controlling the driving of the feed roller 14, the separation roller 15, the first driving roller 16a, and the second driving roller 17 a. That is, the control unit 19 controls the paper P conveyance operation.

Further, the lower unit 3 is provided with a paper discharge tray 5 configured to be able to be pulled out from the discharge port 18 toward the front surface side of the apparatus. The sheet discharge tray 5 can be stored in the bottom of the lower unit 3 (fig. 1) and can be pulled out to the front side of the apparatus (not shown). In a state where the paper discharge tray 5 is pulled out, the paper P discharged from the discharge port 18 can be stacked on the paper discharge tray 5.

As shown in fig. 2, a first detection unit 22 for detecting the presence or absence of the paper P placed on the medium placement unit 11 is provided in a placement area on the medium placement unit 11 downstream of the medium movement detection unit and upstream of the feed roller 14 in the medium feeding direction. Further, a second detecting portion 23, a third detecting portion 24, and a fourth detecting portion 25 are provided in this order on the downstream side of the feed roller 14, the downstream side of the first conveying roller pair 16, and the downstream side of the second conveying roller pair 17. By the second detecting portion 23 and the third detecting portion 24, the position of the sheet P in the medium feeding direction can be detected.

The first detector 22, the second detector 23, the third detector 24, and the fourth detector 25 are provided in the center region in the width direction.

As the first, second, third, and fourth detection portions 22, 23, 24, and 25, an optical sensor including a light emitting portion (not shown) that emits light and a light receiving portion (not shown) that receives reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting portion may be used. In addition to the optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor may be used which includes a transmitter for emitting ultrasonic waves and a receiver provided opposite to the transmitter with the paper being conveyed therebetween. Further, a lever type sensor that detects a displacement of a mechanical lever that moves due to contact of a conveyed sheet in an optical type or an electrical contact type may also be employed.

(configuration for switching between first feeding mode and second feeding mode)

Next, a description will be given of switching between a "first feeding mode" in which the medium feeding section 10 performs separation feeding in which a bundle of a plurality of sheets P stacked thereon is separated and fed and a "second feeding mode" in which non-separation feeding is performed in which the bundle of sheets is collectively fed without being separated.

In the medium feeding unit 10 according to the present embodiment, the separation roller 15 is configured to be displaceable between a contact state in which it is in contact with the feed roller 14 and a separation state in which it is separated from the feed roller 14.

More specifically, as shown in fig. 3, the separation roller 15 is held by the holder 28, and the holder 28 is pressed by the pressing member 29, whereby the separation roller 15 is pressed against the feed roller 14.

The separation roller 15 is configured to be displaceable together with the holder 28 in a direction of advancing and retreating with respect to the feed roller 14, and by rotating the first eccentric cam 30 that is rotated by receiving power from an unillustrated drive source controlled by the control unit 19, a contact state (shown by a solid line in fig. 3) in which the separation roller 15 is in contact with the feed roller 14 and a separation state (shown by a broken line in fig. 3) in which the separation roller 15 is separated from the feed roller 14 can be switched.

In fig. 3, the pressing member 29 and the first eccentric cam 30 in the separated state are also shown by broken lines.

Then, when feeding in the "first feeding mode" in which the paper is separated and fed, the medium feeding unit 10 brings the separation roller 15 into the contact state, and rotationally drives the separation roller in a reverse direction (counterclockwise direction in the top view of fig. 3) opposite to a normal direction (clockwise direction in the top view of fig. 3) in which the paper is conveyed in the direction (+ Y direction) in which the reading unit 20 reads the paper. Thereby, the lowermost (lowest) sheet of the plurality of sheets is separated and fed by the feed roller 14.

When there is no medium or only one medium is present between the separation roller 15 and the feed roller 14, the torque limiter, not shown, is provided in the separation roller 15, and slippage occurs in the torque limiter, so that the separation roller 15 is driven to rotate (clockwise in fig. 3). If the second and subsequent media enter between the separation roller 15 and the feed roller 14, slippage occurs between the media, and the separation roller 15 is reversed (counterclockwise in fig. 3) due to the rotational torque received from the second driving source 27. Thereby, multi-feeding of the medium is suppressed.

On the other hand, the medium feeding section 10 brings the separation roller 15 into the above-described separated state when feeding in the "second feeding mode" in which non-separated feeding of paper is performed. The separation roller 15 is separated from the feed roller 14, and thus the separation capability of the separation roller 15 with respect to the sheet can be reduced or eliminated.

Therefore, the sheet bundle (booklet G in fig. 3) placed on the medium placing portion 11 can be fed without being separated, that is, in a non-separated state.

When the separation roller 15 in the separated state is separated to a position where it does not contact the uppermost surface of the sheet bundle (booklet G) placed on the medium placing portion 11, the separation roller 15 is not separated. The separation roller 15 in the separated state may be in contact with the uppermost surface of the sheet bundle (booklet G) placed on the medium placing portion 11, but in this case, the rotation of the separation roller 15 may be stopped so as to be freely rotatable, or the rotation direction of the separation roller 15 may be set to the aforementioned normal rotation direction (clockwise direction in the plan view of fig. 3).

As described above, by switching the contact state and the separation state of the separation roller 15, switching of the "first feeding mode" and the "second feeding mode" in the medium feeding portion 10 can be easily achieved.

(with respect to the first and second transfer roller pairs)

Here, as described in the background section, since the booklet G shown in fig. 3 has a thickness, the booklet G fed by the medium feeding section 10 may not enter between the rollers of the first conveying roller pair 16 and the second conveying roller pair 17 on the downstream side, and may be in a non-feeding state.

In order to suppress no feeding of the booklet G at the first conveyance roller pair 16 or the second conveyance roller pair 17, in the scanner 1, when the medium feeding portion 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the first driven roller 16b of the first conveyance roller pair 16 and the second driven roller 17b of the second conveyance roller pair 17 are driven in the rotation direction in which the respective conveyance roller pairs convey the sheet.

That is, when the medium feeding portion 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b are rotated clockwise in the plan view of fig. 3.

In the present embodiment, the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b are configured to receive power from the second driving source 27 and are driven under control of the control unit 19. Of course, the first drive source 26 may receive power, and another drive source may be provided.

Further, a switching means, not shown, for switching between a state in which power is transmitted from the first drive source 26 to the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b and a state in which the power transmission is interrupted is provided, and the switching means is controlled by the control unit 19 so that a state in which the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b are driven to rotate and a state in which the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b are driven to rotate by the rotation of the first drive roller 16a and the second drive roller 17a can be switched.

In this way, when the medium feeding section 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b are also rotationally driven in the direction of conveying the sheet, and the thick booklet G is likely to enter between the rollers of the first conveying roller pair 16 and the second conveying roller pair 17, so that occurrence of no feeding at the first conveying roller pair 16 and the second conveying roller pair 17 can be suppressed, and appropriate conveyance of the booklet G can be realized.

(other constitution in the second feed mode)

When the "second feeding mode" is executed, the following configuration may be adopted.

That is, when the second detection unit 23 (fig. 2 and 3) provided as a "medium detection unit" for detecting paper detects the passage of the leading end of the document (booklet G) fed by the medium feeding unit 10 in the "second feeding mode" between the medium feeding unit 10 and the first drive roller 16a as a "drive roller" located closest to the medium feeding unit 10, the separation roller 15 is brought into the above-described contact state (the state of the separation roller 15 indicated by the solid line in fig. 3) and is rotationally driven in the above-described normal rotation direction (clockwise direction in fig. 3).

The following constitution may be adopted: after the booklet G fed by the feed roller 14 is conveyed to some extent, the separation roller 15 is brought into the contact state and is rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction, and the medium feeding portion 10 applies a conveying force to the booklet G. Therefore, the booklet G can be efficiently conveyed.

The timing of bringing the separation roller 15 into the contact state and rotationally driving the separation roller in the normal rotation direction is not limited to the timing of detecting the booklet G by the second detection portion 23. For example, the separation roller 15 may be switched from the separation state to the contact state and rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction after a predetermined time has elapsed after the second detection unit 23 detects the booklet G, or after a predetermined amount has been conveyed.

(for reading unit)

Next, the configuration of the reading unit 20 will be described.

The reading unit 20 shown in fig. 3 includes a first reading unit 20a located on the upper side across the sheet transport path and a second reading unit 20b located on the lower side. That is, the distance between the reading surface of the first reading unit 20a and the reading surface of the second reading unit 20b is the path height of the sheet transport path.

Normally, the interval between the reading surface of the first reading unit 20a and the reading surface of the second reading unit 20b is set to be an interval for thin sheets to pass through, and the first reading unit 20a and the second reading unit 20b are pressed in the direction of approaching each other. This allows the reading surface of each reading unit to reliably contact the sheet P (original).

In fig. 3, the reference numeral 31 denotes a first pressing member 31 such as a coil spring that presses the first reading unit 20a toward the second reading unit 20b, and the reference numeral 32 denotes a second pressing member 32 such as a coil spring that presses the second reading unit 20b toward the first reading unit 20 a.

In addition, one of the first reading unit 20a and the second reading unit 20b is configured to be displaceable so as to advance and retreat with respect to the other, and the interval between the first reading unit 20a and the second reading unit 20b is configured to be changeable.

In the present embodiment, the first reading unit 20a is provided with a displacement mechanism for displacing the first reading unit 20a between an advanced position shown by a solid line in fig. 3 and a retracted position shown by a broken line in fig. 3. As the displacement mechanism, a second eccentric cam 33 is provided that is rotated by a drive source, not shown. The control unit 19 controls the drive source and also controls the rotation of the second eccentric cam 33, so that the interval between the first reading unit 20a and the second reading unit 20b can be adjusted.

Here, the control section 19 performs control such that the interval between the first reading section 20a and the second reading section 20b when the medium feeding section 10 performs the "second feeding mode" is wider than the interval when the "first feeding mode" is performed.

That is, when the booklet G is fed in the "second feeding mode", the interval between the first reading portion 20a and the second reading portion 20b is expanded. This reduces the possibility that a booklet G thicker than the sheets P conveyed one by one will jam between the first reading unit 20a and the second reading unit 20 b.

[ second embodiment ]

In the present embodiment, another example of a configuration for suppressing the non-feeding of the booklet G at the first conveyance roller pair 16 or the second conveyance roller pair 17 when the medium feeding section 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode" will be described with reference to fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a schematic side sectional view of a scanner according to a second embodiment.

In this embodiment and the following embodiments, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

The non-feeding of the booklet G at the first conveyance roller pair 16 or the second conveyance roller pair 17 can also be suppressed by the configuration described below.

That is, with respect to the first transporting roller pair 16, when the medium feeding portion 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the contact load that the first driven roller 16b applies to the first driving roller 16a is made smaller than that when the "first feeding mode" is executed. Further, with the second conveying roller pair 17, at the time of feeding in the "second feeding mode", the contact load that the second driven roller 17b applies to the second driving roller 17a is made smaller than that at the time of executing the "first feeding mode".

As a more specific configuration, the scanner 1 includes a load applying unit 40 capable of changing a contact load applied to the first driving roller 16a by the first driven roller 16b in the first transporting roller pair 16 and a contact load applied to the second driving roller 17a by the second driven roller 17b in the second transporting roller pair 17.

The load applying unit 40 includes: a spring support portion 41 that is displaceable in a direction (the direction of arrow a shown in fig. 4) in which the contact load is applied to the corresponding drive roller (the first drive roller 16a and the second drive roller 17a) along the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17 b; and a pressing spring 42 and a pressing spring 43 that are provided between the spring support portion 41 and the first driven roller 16b, and between the spring support portion 41 and the second driven roller 17b, and that press the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17 b.

The contact load of each of the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b can be adjusted by displacing the spring support portion 41.

The contact load increases if the spring support portion 41 is displaced in the arrow a direction, that is, if the spring support portion 41 is moved closer to the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b, and decreases if the spring support portion 41 is displaced in the direction opposite to the arrow a direction, that is, if the spring support portion 41 is moved away from the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17 b.

In the present embodiment, the spring support portion 41 is configured to be displaced by rotation of the third eccentric cam 44 that receives power from a drive source, not shown. The driving source is controlled by the control section 19, whereby the rotation of the third eccentric cam 44 can be controlled to adjust the contact load.

In the present embodiment, the pressing spring 42 for the first driven roller 16b and the pressing spring 43 for the second driven roller 17b are both supported by the common spring support portion 41, but the pressing spring 42 for the first driven roller 16b and the pressing spring 43 for the second driven roller 17b may be configured to be supported by separate spring support portions.

With the load applying unit 40 configured as described above, the contact load applied by the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b to the corresponding first driving roller 16a and second driving roller 17a serving as driving rollers can be easily adjusted.

Further, when the medium feeding portion 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the contact load applied by the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b to the corresponding first driving roller 16a and second driving roller 17a is made smaller than that when the "first feeding mode" is executed, and therefore, the booklet G is likely to enter between the rollers of the first transporting roller pair 16 and the second transporting roller pair 17. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the fear that the booklet G is not fed at the first conveyance roller pair 16 and the second conveyance roller pair 17, and to realize appropriate conveyance of the booklet G.

In the present embodiment, the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b are configured to be moved in a direction away from the first driving roller 16a and the second driving roller 17a by a displacement means, not shown, and are configured to be separated from the first driving roller 16a and the second driving roller 17 a. Therefore, when the medium feeding portion 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b can be separated from the first driving roller 16a and the second driving roller 17 a.

That is, when the medium feeding portion 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the contact load is made zero. This can further suppress the occurrence of non-feeding of the booklet G at the first conveyance roller pair 16 and the second conveyance roller pair 17.

The displacement unit is controlled by the control unit 19 to control the separation of the first driven roller 16b and the second driven roller 17b from the first driving roller 16a and the second driving roller 17 a.

[ third embodiment ]

In the scanner 1, a page turning mechanism 50 that automatically turns a page of the read booklet G may be provided. In the present embodiment, the page turning mechanism 50 will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

Fig. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating the operation of turning the page by the page turning mechanism.

In the present embodiment, the sheet turning mechanism 50 shown in fig. 5 and 6 is provided on the first driven roller 16b constituting the first conveying roller pair 16. In other words, the scanner 1 includes the first driven roller 16b having the page-turning mechanism 50.

More specifically, the page turning mechanism 50 includes a holding portion 51 and a front end portion 52 movably attached to the front end of the holding portion 51, and is provided on the first driven roller 16 b.

The first conveying roller pair 16 and the second conveying roller pair 17 are configured to be rotatable in both a normal rotation direction (for example, a rotation direction indicated by an arrow in the uppermost drawing of fig. 5) in which the sheet is conveyed in a direction (+ Y direction) in which the sheet is read by the reading section 20, and a reverse rotation direction (for example, a rotation direction indicated by an arrow in the second from the top in fig. 5) in which the sheet is conveyed in a direction (the (-Y direction) opposite to the reading direction. The first driven roller 16b of the first conveying roller pair 16 is configured to be driven to rotate at least in the reverse direction by receiving power from a drive source not shown.

The sheet turning mechanism 50 is configured to turn the uppermost medium of the booklet G by the first driven roller 16b driven to rotate in the reverse direction.

Next, the page turning operation of the page turning mechanism 50 will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

The uppermost diagram of fig. 5 shows a state in which reading of the folio first page P1 of the booklet G is ended. When the reading section 20 performs reading, the first conveyance roller pair 16 and the second conveyance roller pair 17 rotate in the normal rotation direction.

After the reading of the first sheet is completed, as shown in the second drawing from the top in fig. 5, the first conveyance roller pair 16 and the second conveyance roller pair 17 are rotated in the reverse direction, and the leading end of the booklet G in the reading direction is nipped by the first conveyance roller pair 16.

When the leading end of the booklet G in the reading direction is nipped by the first conveyance roller pair 16, the first driving roller 16a is stopped, and only the first driven roller 16b is rotationally driven in the reverse direction.

Thus, as shown in the second drawing from the bottom of fig. 5, the first driven roller 16b picks up the uppermost sheet.

Next, when the first driven roller 16b is rotationally driven in the reverse direction, as shown in the lowermost view of fig. 5, the leading end of the picked-up sheet is caught and held by the holding portion 51 and the leading end portion 52.

When the first driven roller 16b is rotationally driven by a predetermined amount in the reverse direction, the driving of the first driven roller 16b is stopped, and the tip end portion 52 is displaced so as to be bent upward as shown in the uppermost view of fig. 6. Thereby, the leading end of the sheet held by the holding portion 51 and the leading end portion 52 is released to turn the sheet, and the second sheet P2 is opened.

The tip portion 52 receives power from a power source, not shown, and operates.

After the second sheet P2 is opened by turning the pages of the booklet G, the first conveying roller pair 16 and the second conveying roller pair 17 are rotated in the normal rotation direction as shown in the second from the top to the bottom of fig. 6, and the second sheet P2 is read.

After the reading of the second facing page P2 is completed (second from the bottom in fig. 6), when the reading of the next page (third facing page) is further performed, as shown in the lowermost view in fig. 6, the first conveyance roller pair 16 and the second conveyance roller pair 17 are rotated again in the reverse direction, the leading end of the booklet G in the reading direction is conveyed to the position where the first conveyance roller pair 16 nips the leading end, the leading end 52 is returned to the direction continuous with the holding portion 51, and the operations in the second from the bottom and subsequent views in fig. 5 are repeated.

In the uppermost view of fig. 6, the timing of returning the bent tip portion 52 to the original state is not limited to the timing immediately before the page turning operation is started, as long as the page turning operation (the operation in the second drawing from the bottom of fig. 5) in which only the first driven roller 16b is rotationally driven in the reverse direction is started.

As described above, the scanner 1 includes the first transport roller pair 16 having the page turning mechanism 50, and can read the booklet G while automatically turning the pages thereof. This makes it possible to easily read a plurality of pages of the booklet G in succession.

[ fourth embodiment ]

In the present embodiment, another example of the configuration of the "first feeding mode" and the "second feeding mode" of the switching medium feeding unit 10 will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 10.

Fig. 7 is an external perspective view showing a scanner provided with an operation portion that operates switching of "first feeding mode" and "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding portion. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state of the power transmission mechanism in the "first feeding mode" of the medium feeding portion. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in the "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding portion. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the power transmission mechanism, and is a diagram illustrating the displacement of the gear when the "first feeding mode" and the "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding unit are switched.

In the present embodiment, switching between a "first feeding mode" in which the medium feeding unit 10 separately feeds the paper and a "second feeding mode" in which the medium feeding unit 10 non-separately feeds the paper is performed by switching between a connection state (fig. 8) in which the transmission of the power to the separation roller 15 is connected and a release state (fig. 9) in which the transmission of the power to the separation roller 15 is released.

In other words, the power transmission mechanism 60 that transmits power from the second drive source 27 to the separation roller 15 is provided, the power transmission mechanism 60 includes a second gear train 62 as a "gear train" including a plurality of gears that mesh with each other, and when the medium feeding unit 10 feeds in the "second feeding mode", the meshing of a part of the plurality of gears that form the second gear train 62 is released.

Next, the power transmission mechanism 60 will be described with reference to fig. 8.

The power transmission mechanism 60 includes: a first train wheel 61 having a gear engaged with a rotation shaft, not shown, of the separation roller 15; a second train 62 provided on the-X direction side inside the apparatus main body 2 (fig. 1); and a shaft portion 63 connecting the first train wheel 61 and the second train wheel 62.

The second gear train 62 includes a gear 64, a gear 65 meshing with the gear 64, and a gear train 66 including a gear meshing with the gear 65 and a gear coupled to the shaft 63.

In fig. 8, the gear 64 is coupled to a rotary shaft (not shown) of the first conveying roller pair 16, and receives power from the second driving source 27 via the first conveying roller pair 16 (driven by the power of the second driving source 27). The power received by the gear 64 of the second train 62 is transmitted to the separation roller 15 via the shaft portion 63 and the first train 61.

Here, as shown in fig. 7, an operation section 67 that operates switching of the "first feeding mode" and the "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding section 10 is provided to the upper unit 4 of the scanner 1. The mark 67a is a grip 67a for operation.

The operation unit 67 is provided to slide back and forth in the X-axis direction with respect to the upper unit 4, and as shown in fig. 8 and 9, is coupled to a gear 65 of the second train 62 constituting the power transmission mechanism 60 that transmits power from the second drive source 27 to the separation roller 15 at a coupling portion 68.

The gear 65 coupled to the operation unit 67 is configured to be movable and displaceable in the sliding direction of the operation unit 67. Thereby, the operating portion 67 can be slid in the X-axis direction to switch the connected state (fig. 8) in which the gear 65 and the gear 64, and the gear 65 and the gear train 66 are meshed, and the released state (fig. 9) in which the meshing of the gear 65 and the gear 64, and the gear 65 and the gear train 66 is released.

In the present embodiment, when the grip portion 67a of the operation portion 67 is slid in the + X direction, the gear 65 is arranged at the position indicated by the solid line in fig. 8 and 10, and the gear 65 and the gear 64, and the gear 65 and the gear train 66 are engaged with each other.

In the connected state, the power of the second driving source 27 is transmitted to the separation roller 15, and the separation roller 15 separates the sheet. That is, the medium feeding unit 10 can be set to the "first feeding mode".

In fig. 10, the operation section 67 and the connection section 68 are not shown.

When the operation unit 67 is slid in the-X direction, the gear 65 is disposed at a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in fig. 9 and 10, and the engagement between the gear 65 and the gear 64 and the engagement between the gear 65 and the gear train 66 are released. In the release state, power is not transmitted from the gear 64 to the gear train 66, and therefore the separation roller 15 does not rotate. That is, the separation of the sheet by the separation roller 15 is not performed. Therefore, the medium feeding portion 10 can be made to be the "second feeding mode".

With the above configuration, switching between feeding in the "first feeding mode" and feeding in the "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding portion 10 can be easily achieved.

In addition to the above, the gear 65 may be manually displaced in the X-axis direction by the operation unit 67, or the gear 65 may be automatically displaced in the X-axis direction by an actuator such as a solenoid.

The scanner 1 may include both the configuration of spacing the separation roller 15 from the feed roller 14 as described in the first embodiment and the configuration of releasing the engagement of the gears of the second gear train 62 constituting the power transmission mechanism 60 as described in the present embodiment as the configuration of switching between the "first feeding mode" and the "second feeding mode" of the medium feeding unit 10.

After the separation roller 15 and the feed roller 14 are separated from each other, the meshing of the gears constituting the second gear train 62 can be released to stop the rotation of the separation roller 15 in the separation direction, and therefore, the non-separation state in which the separation roller 15 does not perform separation can be more reliably achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention.