Medium feeding device, image reading apparatus, and recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059543-B2
Application number	US-201615295413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2016
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A medium feeding device including a medium mounting portion where media are mounted; a feeding roller that feeds the media from the medium mounting portion by contacting a bottommost sheet of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and rotating; a separator that separates a sheet of the media by nipping the sheet between the feeding roller and the separator; an abutting member that is provided above the feeding roller, is switchable between a closed posture that blocks a feeding path of the media upstream of the separator and an open posture that opens the feeding path, abuts against a leading edge of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and includes a friction surface at a position where the abutting member abuts against the leading edge; and a biasing member that biases the abutting member toward the closed posture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medium feeding device comprising:
a medium mounting portion where media are mounted;
a feeding roller that feeds the media from the medium mounting portion by contacting a bottommost sheet of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and rotating;
a separator that separates a sheet of the media by nipping the sheet between the feeding roller and the separator;
an abutting member that is switchable between a closed posture that blocks a feeding path of the media upstream of the separator and an open posture that opens the feeding path, abuts against a leading edge of at least some of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and includes a friction surface at a position where the abutting member abuts against the leading edge, wherein the friction surface does not come into contact with the lower most media nearest the feeding roller prior to feeding and when the abutting member is in the closed position; and
a biasing member that biases the abutting member toward the closed posture,
wherein the friction surface is formed of a friction member that restricts the number of media entering the nip position and the friction member is provided in the abutting member,
a pressing unit that is provided retractably with respect to the feeding roller and presses the media mounted in the medium mounting portion toward the feeding roller by advancing toward the feeding roller, the pressing unit including a surface that extends towards and overlaps a portion of the separator; and
a separating unit that is disposed opposite the pressing unit, is switchable between an advancing state of advancing into the feeding path and a retracting state of retracting from the feeding path by the operation of a motor that powers the feeding roller, and, when in the state of advancing into the feeding path, supports the media mounted in the medium mounting portion so as to separate the bottom most sheet from the feeding roller,
wherein:
the abutting member is provided in the pressing unit,
an engaging portion that engages with a tip of the abutting member is provided in the separating unit,
in a state where the pressing unit retracts from the feeding roller and the separating unit advances into the feeding path, the tip of the abutting member engages with the engaging portion so as to maintain the closed posture, and
in a state where the pressing unit advances toward the feeding roller and the separating unit retracts from the feeding path, the engagement of the tip of the abutting member with the engaging portion is released so as to allow the posture of the abutting member to be switchable.

2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the abutting member, when in the closed posture, also serves as a stopper that stops the leading edge of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion from advancing between the feeding roller and the separator.

3. An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading section that performs reading on media and
the medium feeding device according to claim 2 that feeds the media toward the reading section.

4. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording section that performs recording on media and
the medium feeding device according to claim 2 that feeds the media toward the recording section.

5. The medium feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the friction surface is provided at a position where a leading edge of the bottommost sheet that is fed does not abut against the friction surface when the abutting member is in the open posture.

6. An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading section that performs reading on media and
the medium feeding device according to claim 5 that feeds the media toward the reading section.

7. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording section that performs recording on media and
the medium feeding device according to claim 5 that feeds the media toward the recording section.

8. The medium feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing unit has a loosening surface which loosens a stack of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion when the pressing unit advances toward the feeding roller.

9. An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading section that performs reading on media and
the medium feeding device according to claim 8 that feeds the media toward the reading section.

10. An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading section that performs reading on media and
the medium feeding device according to claim 1 that feeds the media toward the reading section.

11. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording section that performs recording on media and
the medium feeding device according to claim 1 that feeds the media toward the recording section.

12. A medium feeding device comprising:
a medium mounting portion where media are mounted, wherein the medium mounting portion is a cover member for a body of an apparatus that includes the medium feeding device;
a feeding roller that feeds the media from the medium mounting portion by contacting a bottom most sheet of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and rotating;
a separator that separates a sheet of the media by nipping the sheet between the feeding roller and the separator;
an abutting member that is switchable between a closed posture that blocks a feeding path of the media upstream of the separator and an open posture that opens the feeding path, abuts against a leading edge of at least some of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and includes a friction surface at a position where the abutting member abuts against the leading edge, wherein the friction surface does not come into contact with the lower most media nearest the feeding roller prior to feeding and while the abutting member is in the closed position; and
a biasing member that biases the abutting member toward the closed posture,
wherein the friction surface is formed of a friction member that restricts the number of media entering the nip position and the friction member is provided in the abutting member.

13. The medium feeding device according to claim 12 , wherein the abutting member, when in the closed posture, also serves as a stopper that stops the leading edge of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion from advancing between the feeding roller and the separator.

14. A medium feeding device comprising:
a medium mounting portion where media are mounted,
a feeding roller that feeds the media from the medium mounting portion by contacting a bottom most sheet of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and rotating;
a separator that separates a sheet of the media by nipping the sheet between the feeding roller and the separator;
an abutting member that is switchable between a closed posture that blocks a feeding path of the media upstream of the separator and an open posture that opens the feeding path, abuts against a leading edge of at least some of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and includes a friction surface at a position where the abutting member abuts against the leading edge, wherein the friction surface does not come into contact with the lower most media nearest the feeding roller prior to feeding and while the abutting member is in the closed position; and
a biasing member that biases the abutting member toward the closed posture,
wherein the friction surface is formed of a friction member that restricts the number of media entering the nip position and that comprises one of a cork or an elastomer that increases a coefficient of friction between the friction surface a

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kanamitsu Masatomo

Classifications

• B65H3/063

  separating from the bottom of pile (B65H3/0615, B65H3/0623 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65H1/14

  comprising positively-acting mechanical devices {(B65H1/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H3/34 Primary

  Article-retaining devices controlling the release of the articles to the separators · CPC title

• H04N1/00602

  Feed rollers · CPC title

• B65H3/5238

  Retainers of the pad-type, e.g. friction pads · CPC title