Image reading device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024083701-A1
Application number	US-202318463035-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 7, 2023
Priority date	Sep 8, 2022
Publication date	Mar 14, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image reading device includes an inner roller and an outer roller in a curved path, and a path forming member that forms an outer side of a first path portion when a path portion extending downstream in a conveying direction from a nip position between the inner roller and the outer roller in the curved path is defined as the first path portion, wherein a support portion that supports a trailing end of a medium is provided on a lateral side of the outer roller in a swing member that rotatably supports the outer roller, and the support portion protrudes further inward of the curved path than the path forming member in the first path portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An Image reading device comprising:
an inversion path including a curved path that inverts a medium while curving the medium; an inner roller that is provided on an inner side of the curved path and conveys the medium downstream in a conveying direction thereof; an outer roller that is provided on an outer side of the curved path and nips the medium with the inner roller; a first reading portion that is located downstream in the conveying direction from the inner roller and the outer roller and reads an image on the medium; a swing member that is a member rotatably supporting the outer roller, is swingable, and swings to move the outer roller closer to and away from the inner roller; and a path forming member that forms an outer side of a first path portion when a path portion of the curved path extending downstream in the conveying direction from the nip position between the inner roller and the outer roller is defined as the first path portion, wherein a part of a circumferential surface of the inner roller forms an inner side of the first path portion, a support portion that supports a trailing end of the medium that is out of the nip position is provided in the swing member laterally with respect to the outer roller in a width direction that is a direction intersecting the conveying direction, and the support portion protrudes further inward of the curved path than the path forming member in the first path portion.

2 . The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the support portions are provided on both sides of the outer roller in the width direction.

3 . The image reading device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the support portions protrude further inward of the first path portion than the path forming member in the entire region of the first path portion.

4 . The image reading device according to claim 3 , wherein
the support portions extend to a downstream end of the swing member in the conveying direction.

5 . The image reading device according to claim 3 , wherein
the first path portion extends from the nip position to a position advanced, from the nip position, by an angle of 30° downstream in the conveying direction around a rotation axis center of the inner roller.

6 . The image reading device according to claim 3 , wherein
a maximum value of a clearance between the support portion and the circumferential surface of the inner roller in the first path portion is equal to or less than twice the clearance at the nip position.

7 . The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the support portion serves as a first support portion, and the swing member integrally includes a second support portion that supports the trailing end of the medium at a position downstream from the outer roller in the conveying direction and on a lateral side of the first support portion in the width direction.

8 . The image reading device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second support portion does not protrude further inward of the curved path than the first support portion.

9 . The image reading device according to claim 8 , wherein
the second support portion includes a plurality of ribs disposed at intervals in the width direction.

10 . The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the support portion includes a rib extending along the conveying direction.

11 . The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the support portion is configured by a deformable member that is deformable by coming into contact with the medium.

12 . The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the support portion is configured by a driven roller configured to be driven to rotate by coming into contact with the medium.

13 . The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first reading portion is located outside the inversion path and includes a pressing portion at a position on an inner side of the inversion path and facing the first reading portion with the inversion path interposed therebetween, the pressing portion being configured to move closer to and away from the first reading portion and to press the medium toward the first reading portion, a regulating portion that regulates movement of the medium in a direction away from the first reading portion is provided downstream from the pressing portion in the conveying direction, and a guiding unit that guides the medium to a top portion of the regulating portion is provided between the pressing portion and the regulating portion in the conveying direction.

14 . The image reading device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first unit that forms the inner side of the inversion path and includes the inner roller; a second unit that forms the outer side of the inversion path and retracts with respect to the first unit to open a part of the inversion path; and a third unit that forms the outer side of the inversion path downstream from the second unit in the conveying direction, includes the path forming member, and is provided rotatably around a first rotation shaft to be movable closer to and away from the first unit, wherein the swing member is rotatably provided in the third unit via a second rotation shaft, the second unit is configured to apply a pressing force to the support portion in accordance with an opening operation thereof, the swing member is rotatable in a direction in which the outer roller moves away from the inner roller by receiving a force from the second unit, and the third unit is rotatable in a retracting direction with respect to the first unit by receiving a force from the swing member in accordance with the opening operation of the second unit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tezuka Seiji

Classifications

• B65H5/36

  Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation · CPC title

• B65H2402/441

  movable for facilitating access to area inside the housing, e.g. pivoting or sliding · CPC title

• H04N1/00615

  Guiding elements, e.g. plates · CPC title

• B65H5/062 Primary

  between rollers or balls · CPC title

• B65H2404/6111

  and shaped for curvilinear transport path · CPC title