Image reading apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020045194-A1
Application number	US-201916528370-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	Feb 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A scanner includes a reading section configured to read a medium being transported, a discharge roller pair configured to nip the medium read in the reading section by a first roller and a second roller and discharge the medium, and a rib disposed in a position overlapping the discharge roller pair in a medium transport direction, the rib protruding from the first roller side toward the second roller side out of the first roller and the second roller, the rib including a first rib disposed on one side in a width direction intersecting the medium transport direction with respect to the discharge roller pair and a second rib disposed on the opposite side of the first rib in the width direction with respect to the discharge roller pair.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading section configured to read a medium being transported; a first discharge roller pair configured to nip the medium read in the reading section by a first roller and a second roller and discharge the medium; a second discharge roller pair configured to nip the medium read in the reading section by a third roller and a fourth roller and discharge the medium, the second discharge roller pair being disposed with respect to the first discharge roller pair with a space in a width direction intersecting a medium transport direction; a first rib disposed on one side in the width direction and protrudes from the first roller side toward the second roller side, the first rib being configured to form a convex shape or a concave shape in the medium read in the reading section; and a second rib disposed on the opposite side of the first rib in the width direction and protrudes from the third roller side toward the fourth roller side, the second rib being configured to form a convex shape or a concave shape in the medium read in the reading section, wherein in a side view of the image reading apparatus, the first rib is disposed at a position overlapping the first discharge roller pair, and in the side view of the image reading apparatus, the second rib is disposed at a position overlapping the second discharge roller pair.

2 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first rib has a first top portion at a top in the protruding direction, the second rib has a second top portion at a top in the protruding direction, the first top portion is configured to be positioned in a first position higher than a first nipping position of the first discharge roller pair in the protruding direction of the first rib, and the second top portion is configured to be positioned in a second position higher than a second nipping position of the second discharge roller pair in the protruding direction of the second rib.

3 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first discharge roller pair and the second discharge roller pair are disposed between the first rib and the second rib.

4 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a third rib disposed between the first discharge roller pair and the second discharge roller pair and protrudes in a direction opposite to the protruding direction of the first rib and the second rib.

5 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first rib is disposed in any one of a rotation shaft of the first roller and a rotation shaft of the second roller, and the second rib is disposed in any one of a rotation shaft of the third roller and a rotation shaft of the fourth roller.

6 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first rib is configured to be positioned in a position between the first position and a third position that is retracted from the medium transport path and away from the medium being transported, and the second rib is configured to be positioned in a position between the second position and a fourth position that is retracted from the medium transport path and away from the medium being transported.

7 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control the positioning of the first rib and the second rib, wherein the controller controls the positioning of the first rib and the second rib in accordance with a rigidity of the medium.

8 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a medium detection section disposed upstream of the reading section, the medium detection section including a transmitter that transmits ultrasonic waves and a receiver that receives the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transmitter and outputs an output value corresponding to the received ultrasonic waves, wherein the controller controls the first rib and the second rib in accordance with a result of detection by the medium detection section.

9 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller controls the first rib and the second rib in accordance with a result read by the reading section.

10 . An image reading apparatus comprising:
a reading section configured to read a medium being transported; a discharge roller pair configured to nip the medium read in the reading section by a first roller and a second roller and discharge the medium; a first rib disposed on one side in a width direction intersecting a medium transport direction with respect to the discharge roller pair and protrudes from a first roller side toward a second roller side, the first rib being configured to form a convex shape or a concave shape in the medium read in the reading section; and a second rib disposed on the opposite side of the first rib in the width direction with respect to the discharge roller pair and protrudes from the first roller side toward the second roller side, the second rib being configured to form a convex shape or a concave shape in the medium read in the reading section, wherein in a side view of the image reading apparatus, the first rib and the second rib are disposed at positions overlapping the discharge roller pair.

11 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the first rib has a first top portion at a top in the protruding direction, the second rib has a second top portion at a top in the protruding direction, the first top portion is configured to be positioned in a first position higher than a nipping position of the discharge roller pair in the protruding direction of the first rib, and the second top portion is configured to be positioned in a second position higher than the nipping position of the discharge roller pair in the protruding direction of the second rib.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tezuka Seiji

Classifications

• H04N1/00018

  Scanning arrangements · CPC title

• B65H3/06 Primary

  Rollers or like rotary separators {(B65H3/42 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H2701/1131

  of sheets · CPC title

• B65H7/125

  sensing the double feed or separation without contacting the articles · CPC title

• B65H29/22

  and introducing into a pile · CPC title