Medium transport apparatus, medium feeder, and image formation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207885-B2
Application number	US-201715680396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A medium transport apparatus includes: a frame; a table including a placement surface on which a medium is placed, a first end portion, and a second end portion, the table extending from the first end portion to the second end portion and being rotatable about a first shaft portion parallel to the placement surface; a first rotor arranged adjacent to the first end portion of the table; a second rotor arranged adjacent to the second end portion of the table; a belt that is stretched by the first rotor and the second rotor, and is configured to rotate circularly and to transport the medium in a first direction from the first end portion toward the second end portion; and a biasing part that links the frame and an attachment part provided between the second end portion and the first end portion of the table, and that biases the table.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medium transport apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a table comprising a placement surface on which a medium is placed, a first end portion, and a second end portion, the table extending from the first end portion to the second end portion and being rotatable about a first shaft portion parallel to the placement surface;
a first rotor arranged adjacent to the first end portion of the table;
a second rotor arranged adjacent to the second end portion of the table;
a belt that is stretched by the first rotor and the second rotor, and is configured to rotate circularly and to transport the medium in a first direction from the first end portion toward the second end portion;
a biasing part that links the frame and an attachment part provided between the second end portion and the first end portion of the table, and that biases the table upward; and
a guide portion that guides the table to turn in a condition in which the medium transport apparatus detachably attaches to an attached part of an image formation apparatus, wherein
the guide portion comes into contact with and is pressed downward by a guide surface of the attached part against biasing force produced by the biasing part in the condition in which the medium transport apparatus detachably attaches to the attached part of the image formation apparatus.

2. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotor rotates about the first shaft portion.

3. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first shaft portion is fixed to the frame.

4. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion is provided on the table.

5. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion comprises a first guide portion and a second guide portion provided on the table at positions different from each other both in the first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

6. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the first guide portion and the second guide portion are provided on the table above the placement surface.

7. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more auxiliary rollers facing the belt.

8. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the auxiliary rollers are arranged in the first direction, and are held rotatable by a support, and
the support is held by the frame and turnable about a rotational shaft, and
the endmost one of the auxiliary rollers, which is the closest to the second end portion, is movable to be away from the belt.

9. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the belt circularly rotates while passing above the placement surface.

10. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the guide portion comprises a first guide portion and a second guide portion provided on the table at positions different from each other both in the first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and
the guide surface of the attached part comprises:
a first contact portion configured to come contact with the first guide portion; and
a second contact portion configured to come contact with the second guide portion.

11. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion comprises a roller.

12. An image formation system comprising:
a medium feeder; and
an image formation apparatus, wherein
the medium feeder comprises:
a medium separator comprising:
a stacker that holds media as stacked one on another; and
a separation part that separates a medium from the media on a one-by-one basis; and

a medium transport apparatus that transports the medium separated from the media by the medium separator,

the medium transport apparatus comprises:
a frame;
a table comprising a placement surface on which the medium is placed, a first end portion and a second end portion, the table extending from the first end portion to the second end portion and being rotatable about a first shaft portion parallel to the placement surface;
a first rotor arranged adjacent to the first end portion of the table;
a second rotor arranged adjacent to the second end portion of the table;
a belt that is stretched by the first rotor and the second rotor, and is configured to rotate circularly and to transport the medium in a first direction from the first end portion toward the second end portion;
a biasing part that links the frame and an attachment part located between the second end portion and the first end portion in the table and which biases the table upward; and
a first guide portion and a second guide portion provided on the table at positions different from each other both in the first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,

the image formation apparatus comprises an attached part to which the medium transport apparatus is detachably attachable, and
the attached part comprises a guide surface in contact with at least one of the first guide portion and the second guide portion.

13. The image formation system according to claim 12 , wherein
the attached part comprises a lock portion which locks the first guide portion or the second guide portion.

14. The image formation system according to claim 12 , wherein the guide surface guides the first guide portion and the second guide portion while biasing the first guide portion and the second guide portion downward against biasing force produced by the biasing part in a condition in which the medium transport apparatus detachably attaches to the attached part of the image formation apparatus.

15. The image formation system according to claim 12 , wherein
the first guide portion comprises a roller, and
the second guide portion comprises a roller.

16. An image formation system comprising:
a medium feeder; and
an image formation apparatus, wherein
the medium feeder comprises:
a medium separator comprising:
a stacker that holds media as stacked one on another; and
a separation part that separates a medium from the media on a one-by-one basis; and

a medium transport apparatus that transports the medium separated from the media by the medium separator,

the image formation apparatus comprises an attached part to which the medium transport apparatus is detachably attachable,
the medium transport apparatus comprises:
a frame;
a table comprising a placement surface on which the medium is placed, a first end portion and a second end portion, the table extending from the first end portion to the second end portion and being rotatable about a first shaft portion parallel to the placement surface;
a first rotor arranged adjacent to the first end portion of the table;
a second rotor arranged adjacent to the second end portion of the table;
a belt that is stretched by the first rotor and the second rotor, and is configured to rotate circularly and to transport the medium in a first direction from the first end portion toward the second end portion;
a biasing part that links the frame and an attachment part located between the second end portion and the first end portion in the table and which biases the table upward; and
a guide portion that guides the table to turn in a condition in which the medium transport apparatus detachably attaches to an attached part of an image formation apparatus,

the attached part comprises a guide surface which guides the guide portion while pressing the guide portion downward against biasing force produc

Assignees

• Oki Data Kk

Inventors

• Udagawa Hiroshi

Classifications

• G03G15/6511 Primary

  Feeding devices for picking up or separation of copy sheets · CPC title

• B65H2405/312

  Trolley, cart, i.e. support movable on the floor · CPC title

• B65H2404/2615

  arranged on a movable frame, e.g. pivoting · CPC title

• G03G2221/1696

  for auxiliary devices, e.g. add-on modules · CPC title

• B65H5/021

  by belts · CPC title