Image reading apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10841444-B2
Application number	US-201916261671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes: a supply tray, which supports sheets to be supplied and includes a movable plate configured to move from a first position to a second position as the sheet supported by the supply tray is decreased, the second position being higher than the first position; a discharge tray; a conveyance guide; a reading sensor; a discharge unit, which includes a discharge opening to discharge the sheet conveyed by the conveyance guide to the discharge tray and is configured to move from a third position to a fourth position as the sheet supported by the paper feed tray is decreased, the fourth position being higher than the third position; and a first drive source, which generates a drive force, wherein the discharge unit is configured to move by receiving the drive force and to transmit the drive force to the movable plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image reading apparatus, comprising:
a supply tray, which supports sheets to be supplied and includes a movable plate configured to move from a first position to a second position as a number of sheets supported by the supply tray decreases, the second position being higher than the first position;
a discharge tray, which is positioned below the supply tray to support a sheet to be discharged;
a conveyance guide, which conveys the sheet from the supply tray to the discharge tray;
a reading sensor, which reads an image on the sheet to be conveyed on the conveyance guide;
a discharger, which includes a discharge opening to discharge the sheet conveyed by the conveyance guide to the discharge tray and is configured to move from a third position to a fourth position as the number of sheets supported by the supply tray decreases, the fourth position being higher than the third position; and
a first drive source, which generates a drive force,
wherein in response to receiving the drive force from the first drive source, the discharger is moved between the third position and the fourth position, and in response to receiving the drive force via the discharger, the movable plate is moved between the first position and the second position.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the discharger includes a pressing surface, which is configured to be in contact with the movable plate to push up the movable plate.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the discharger includes a discharge roller and is rotatable around a first axis,
the image reading apparatus further includes:
a first transmission gear, which is rotatable around the first axis together with the discharger and transmits the drive force from the first drive source to the movable plate;
a second drive source, which is provided separately from the first drive source and generates a drive force;
a first discharge roller drive gear, which receives the drive force from the second drive source and is rotatable around the first axis independently from the first transmission gear; and
a second discharge roller drive gear, which is engaged with the first discharge roller drive gear and is rotatable around a second axis, which is parallel with the first axis, together with a rotation shaft of the discharge roller, and
the first transmission gear supports the rotation shaft of the discharge roller to be rotatable around the second axis while maintaining the first axis and the second axis at a predetermined interval.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first transmission gear has a fan shape.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the movable plate is rotatable around a third axis, which is parallel with the first axis.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a second transmission gear, which receives the drive force from the first drive source by the first transmission gear and is rotatable around the third axis together with the movable plate.

7. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the discharger is rotatable around the first axis and includes a discharge guide which guides the sheet toward the discharge roller; and
the first axis is positioned at an intermediate part between the reading sensor and the discharge opening in a discharge direction in which the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray.

8. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the conveyance guide includes:
a first guide, which guides the sheet sent out from the supply tray;
a second guide, which is connected to the first guide and changes a conveyance direction of the sheet in a reverse direction; and
a third guide, which is connected to the second guide and guides the sheet toward the discharge tray, and

the second drive source is positioned between the first guide and the third guide.

9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first transmission gear is provided at both one side and the other side in an axial direction of the discharge roller.

10. The image reading apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a first side frame and a second side frame, which are opposite to each other to sandwich the conveyance guide in the axial direction of the discharge roller, wherein
the first drive source is supported by the first side frame, and
the second drive source is supported by the second side frame.

11. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the conveyance guide includes:
a first guide, which guides the sheet sent out from the supply tray;
a second guide, which is connected to the first guide and changes a conveyance direction of the sheet in a reverse direction; and
a third guide, which is connected to the second guide and guides the sheet toward the discharge tray, and

the first drive source is positioned between the first guide and the third guide.

12. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in a state where the discharger is positioned in the third position, the movable plate is positioned in the first position, and
in a state where the discharger is positioned in the fourth position, the movable plate is positioned in the second position.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Fujiwara Takashi
• Nakamura Kazutoshi

Classifications

• H04N1/00604 Primary

  Transport trays · CPC title

• B65H31/02

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• H04N1/00591

  from the scanning position (H04N1/00572 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00588

  to the scanning position (H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00615

  Guiding elements, e.g. plates · CPC title