Image reading apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11356574-B2
Application number	US-202117246976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2021
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes a medium mounting portion configured to mount a medium; a feeding means configured to feed a medium from the medium mounting portion; at least one edge guide each configured to regulate a corresponding one of at least one medium width direction edge of the medium having been mounted on the medium mounting portion; a reading means configured to read the medium and disposed on a further downstream side than the at least one edge guide in the medium feeding direction; and at least one medium detection means configured to detect the medium and disposed on a further downstream side than the at least one edge guide in the medium feeding direction and further outside in the medium width direction than at least one edge regulation position for the edge regulation by the at least one edge guide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:
a medium mounting portion that is configured to mount a medium and disposed at a rear side of the image reading apparatus;
a feeding portion configured to feed the medium from the medium mounting portion;
a pair of edge guides configured to regulate side edges of the medium that is mounted on the medium mounting portion in a medium width direction, the medium width direction being a direction intersecting with a medium feeding direction;
a reading section that is configured to read the medium and disposed at a downstream side of the feeding portion in the medium feeding direction;
a pair of ejection rollers that is configured to eject the medium from a front side of the image reading apparatus and disposed at a downstream side of the reading section in the medium feeding direction;
medium detection sensors that are configured to detect the medium and include a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor being disposed at one side of a medium transport region in the medium width direction, the second sensor being disposed at the other side of the medium transport region in the medium width direction, the medium detection sensors being disposed between the feeding portion and the reading section in the medium feeding direction; and
a controller configured to control a feeding of the medium and determine whether a skew of the medium occurs based on a detection of the medium detection sensors,
wherein a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor is larger than a distance between guide faces of the edge guides in the medium width direction.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the distance between guide faces of the edge guides is associated with a width of a maximum size of the medium in the medium width direction.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising,
a lower unit;
an upper unit that is attached to the lower unit so as to be pivotable relative to the lower unit about a pivot that is disposed at a downstream side of the lower unit in the medium feeding direction; and
a cover that is attached to the lower unit so as to be pivotable relative to the lower unit,
wherein the cover has the feeding portion and is configured to be pivotable between a first state in which the cover covers the upper unit and a second state in which the medium is mounted on the feeding portion forms, and
wherein the distance between guide faces of the edge guides is associated with a width of a maximum size of the medium in the medium width direction.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a pair of the transport rollers that transports the medium to the reading section and disposed between the feeding portion and the reading section in the medium feeding direction,
wherein the medium detection sensors are disposed between the feeding portion and the pair of the transport rollers in the medium feeding direction.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising,
a multi-feeding detection sensor that detects a multi-feeding of the medium and disposed between the feeding portion and the pair of the transport rollers in the medium feeding direction.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the medium detection sensors are disposed between the multi-feeding detection sensor and the pair of the transport rollers in the medium feeding direction.

7. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising,
an anterior end detection sensor that is configured to detect an anterior end of the medium and disposed between the pair of the transport rollers and the reading section in the medium feeding means,
wherein the controller controls a reading of the medium and determine to start the reading based on a detection of the anterior end detection sensor.

8. The image reading apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein when the anterior end detection sensor detects the anterior end of the medium and the medium detection sensors do not detect the medium, the controller starts the reading.

9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising,
a lower unit; and
an upper unit that is attached to the lower unit so as to be pivotable relative to the lower unit about a pivot that is disposed at a downstream side of the lower unit in the medium feeding direction.

10. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising,
a lower unit;
an upper unit that is attached to the lower unit so as to be pivotable relative to the lower unit about a pivot that is disposed at a downstream side of the lower unit in the medium feeding direction; and
a cover that is attached to the lower unit so as to be pivotable relative to the lower unit,
wherein the cover has the feeding portion and is configured to be pivotable between a first state in which the cover covers the upper unit and a second state in which the medium is mounted on the feeding portion forms, and
wherein the distance between guide faces of the edge guides is associated with a width of a maximum size of the medium in the medium width direction.

11. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the feeding portion includes a feeding roller and a separation roller that separates the medium by nipping the medium with the feeding roller, and
wherein the medium detection sensors are disposed at a place overlapping with a nip position of the feeding roller and the separation roller in the medium width direction.

12. The image reading apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising,
two feeding guides that are configured to regulate the medium fed by the feeding portion and disposed at the both sides of the medium transport region in the medium width direction, each of the two feeding guides having a notch,
wherein each of the first sensor and the second sensor is disposed at the notch.

13. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a wall portion that are configured to regulate the medium fed by the feeding portion and disposed at an upstream side of each of the medium detection sensors in the medium feeding direction.

14. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the controller determines that the skew occurs, the controller stops the feeding.

15. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising,
an anterior end detection sensor that is configured to detect an anterior end of the medium and disposed between the medium detection sensors and the reading section in the medium feeding direction,
wherein the controller controls a reading of the medium and determine to start the reading based on a detection of the anterior end detection sensor.

16. The image reading apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein when the anterior end detection sensor detects the anterior end of the medium and the medium detection sensors do not detect the medium, the controller starts the reading.

17. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a lower unit; and
an upper unit that is attached to the lower unit so as to be pivotable relative to the lower unit about a pivot that is disposed at a downstream side of the lower unit in the medium feeding direction.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yoshikaie Kazuya
• Arimori Kazuhiko

Classifications

• B65H2511/24

  Irregularities, e.g. in orientation or skewness · CPC title

• H04N1/00779

  Adjusting settings, e.g. mode, feeding rate or type of paper · CPC title

• H04N1/00615

  Guiding elements, e.g. plates · CPC title

• H04N1/028

  for picture information pick-up · CPC title

• B65H7/14

  by photoelectric feelers or detectors · CPC title