Image reading apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018367686-A1
Application number	US-201816008867-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2018
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The image reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a cover portion which is openable and closable and in which a first surface forms an upper surface of the apparatus in a closed state and a second surface on an opposite side to the first surface supports a document in an opened state, and a document support tray which is displaceable between a storage position where the document support tray is stored in a state along the second surface in a state where the cover portion is closed and a withdrawn position where the document support tray is withdrawn from the storage position to the upstream side in the feeding direction of the document in a state where the cover portion is opened, and which supports at least a portion of a document supported by the cover portion in a state where the cover portion is opened.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading unit for reading a document; a cover portion which is openable and closable and in which a first surface forms an upper surface of the apparatus in a closed state and a second surface on an opposite side to the first surface supports the document in an opened state; and a document support tray which is displaceable between a storage position where the document support tray is stored in a state along the second surface in a state where the cover portion is closed and a withdrawn position where the document support tray is withdrawn from the storage position to an upstream side in a feeding direction of the document with respect to the cover portion in a state where the cover portion is opened, and which supports at least a portion of a document supported by the cover portion in a state where the cover portion is opened.

2 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the document support tray is withdrawn to the withdrawn position in a state where the cover portion and the document support tray are opened, the document support tray is positioned on an upper side in an apparatus height direction with respect to at least a portion of a discharge path of documents read by the reading unit and discharged, so as to cover at least the portion of the discharge path.

3 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a document support portion which is positioned on a downstream side in the feeding direction of the document with respect to the cover portion in an opened state and which supports the document before feeding along with the cover portion, wherein the document support tray is supported by the document support portion in a state where the cover portion is closed.

4 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the cover portion is provided with a first support portion which supports the document support tray in a state where the cover portion is closed, the document support portion is provided with a second support portion which supports the document support tray, and at least a portion of the first support portion and at least a portion of the second support portion overlap in the apparatus height direction.

5 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a guide portion is provided to extend in the displacement direction of the document support tray at either one of both end portions of the cover portion in the document width direction, which is a direction intersecting in the feeding direction of the document, and both end portions of the document support tray in the document width direction, and a guided portion which is guided by the guide portion by engaging with the guide portion is provided at the other end portion.

6 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a taper which reduces a thickness of the document support tray from the upstream side to the downstream side in the feeding direction of the document is formed at an end portion of the document support tray on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the document.

7 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the document support tray is formed as a transparent or semi-transparent member.

8 . An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading unit for reading a document; a cover portion which is openable and closable, in which a first surface forms an upper surface of the apparatus in a closed state and a second surface on an opposite side to the first surface faces upward in an apparatus height direction, in an opened state; and a document support tray which is able to switch between a storage state where the document support tray is positioned on a lower side of the cover portion by closing the cover portion and a document supporting state where the document support tray is able to support a document fed to the reading unit, by opening the cover portion, wherein the cover portion in the opened state is displaceable between a first position and a second position where the cover portion is withdrawn from the first position to an upstream side in a feeding direction of the document with respect to the document support tray.

9 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein, when the cover portion is withdrawn to the second position in a state where the cover portion and the document support tray are opened, the cover portion is positioned on an upper side in the apparatus height direction with respect to at least a portion of a discharge path of documents read by the reading unit and discharged, so as to cover at least the portion of the discharge path.

10 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the document support tray is provided with a rotating shaft, and the cover portion and the document support tray rotate with the rotating shaft as a fulcrum.

11 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a position-regulating portion provided at both end portions in a document width direction which is a direction intersecting a feeding direction of the document on the document support tray, wherein the cover portion is provided with a guided portion which is formed in a region in a vicinity of both end portions in a document width direction and extends in the feeding direction of the document, and a position-regulated portion which regulates the second position of the cover portion by coming into contact with the position-regulating portion, and when the cover portion is displaced from the first position to the second position with respect to the document support tray, the guided portion comes into contact with the rotating shaft, and the position-regulated portion comes into contact with the position-regulating portion.

12 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a base frame to which the document support tray is rotatably attached, wherein the base frame is provided with an angle-regulating portion, the cover portion is provided with an angle-regulated portion, and the angle-regulating portion is formed to be able to come into contact with the angle-regulated portion in a range from the first position to the second position of the cover portion in a state where the cover portion is opened, so as to regulate the posture of the cover portion.

13 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a discharge tray which is openable and closable, which forms a portion of the upper surface of the apparatus with the cover portion in a closed state and which receives the document read by the reading unit and discharged, in an opened state, wherein the document support tray supports the discharge tray in a state where the cover portion and the discharge tray are closed.

14 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein a protruding portion which protrudes toward the discharge tray side is provided at an end portion of the document support tray in the closed state on the discharge tray side, and the protruding portion overlaps at least a portion of the discharge tray in a planar direction along the upper surface of the apparatus in a state where the cover portion and the discharge tray are closed.

15 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cover portion and the document support tray are rotatable, and a frictional force application portion is provided in one surface of the second surface of the cover portion or a surface facing the second surface in th

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yamada Katsumi

Classifications

• B65H2801/39

  Scanning · CPC title

• H04N1/00567

  Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking · CPC title

• H04N2201/0081

  Image reader (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00551

  Top covers or the like · CPC title

• H04N1/00535 Primary

  using rotatably mounted or foldable components · CPC title