Sheet conveying apparatus and image recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040653-B2
Application number	US-201715417045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a casing provided with a first conveying path and a second conveying path; a first feeding tray provided in the casing and having a first supporting surface that supports a sheet; a supporting member that supports the first feeding tray from below in the casing; a first feeding section provided above the first supporting surface; a first guide member having a first guide surface to guide the sheet fed from the first feeding tray; a second feeding tray provided below the supporting member in the casing and having a second supporting surface that supports a different sheet; a second feeding section provided above the second supporting surface; a second guide member having a second guide surface to guide the different sheet fed from the second feeding tray; and a frame made of metal and being installed on a lower surface of the supporting member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet conveying apparatus, comprising:
a casing provided with a first conveying path and a second conveying path therein;
a first feeding tray provided in the casing, the first feeding tray having a first supporting surface that supports a sheet, the first supporting surface defining a feeding position;
a supporting member that supports the first feeding tray from below in the casing, the supporting member defining a projection extending upwardly therefrom, wherein the feeding position is directly above the projection;
a first feeding section provided directly above the feeding position of the first supporting surface of the first feeding tray in the casing, the first feeding section feeding the sheet supported by the first supporting surface in a first direction from the feeding position;
a first guide member having a first guide surface, the first guide surface contacting a leading edge of the sheet fed from the first feeding tray to guide the sheet to the first conveying path;
a second feeding tray provided below the supporting member in the casing, the second feeding tray having a second supporting surface that supports a different sheet;
a second feeding section provided above the second supporting surface of the second feeding tray in the casing, the second feeding section feeding the different sheet supported by the second supporting surface in the first direction;
a second guide member having a second guide surface, the second guide surface contacting a leading edge of the different sheet fed from the second feeding tray to guide the different sheet to the second conveying path; and
a frame made of metal, the frame being installed on a lower surface of the supporting member,
wherein the supporting member is provided with a guide section, at a position separated from the projection and the first guide surface in the first direction, supporting the first guide member and having a third guide surface that defines at least a part of the second conveying path, and
the frame has a first frame section projecting upwardly therefrom and provided at a position directly below the projection, and a second frame section provided at a position separated in the first direction from a lower end of the third guide surface.

2. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the first frame section is provided at a position corresponding to a position directly below the feeding position.

3. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first frame section is provided along the lower surface of the supporting member and the second frame section is provided to be bent from an end portion in the first direction of the first frame section.

4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide surface, the second guide surface, and the third guide surface are inclined surfaces each of which inclines such that an upper end thereof is positioned downstream of a lower end thereof in the first direction.

5. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein an inclination angle of the first guide surface which is an acute angle made with the first direction and an inclination angle of the second guide surface which is an acute angle made with the first direction are equal.

6. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the upper end of the first guide surface and the upper end of the second guide surface are in the same position in the first direction.

7. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second frame section is provided at an end portion in the first direction of the frame,
the frame has a third frame section positioned at an end portion of the first frame section opposite to the second frame section in the first direction, and
the third frame section is bent upwardly with respect to the first frame section.

8. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an upper end of the second frame section is positioned above a lower end of the first guide member.

9. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a third guide member which is installed in the frame and guides the different sheet conveyed along the second conveying path.

10. An image recording apparatus, comprising:
the conveying apparatus as defined in claim 1 ; and
a recording section provided in the casing to record images on the sheet conveyed along the first conveying path and the different sheet conveyed along the second conveying path, respectively.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Samoto Kenji
• Yamaguchi Masatomo

Classifications

• B65H3/0684

  on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile · CPC title

• B65H2401/15

  Metals · CPC title

• B65H2801/06

  Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers · CPC title

• H04N1/00615

  Guiding elements, e.g. plates · CPC title

• B65H2801/03

  Image reproduction devices · CPC title