Sheet conveying device and image reading apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327927-B2
Application number	US-201514626627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2015
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A sheet conveying device includes a conveyor for conveying a sheet along a predetermined conveyance path and a feeder unit for supporting the sheet to be fed to the conveyor. The conveyor includes a first guide part for guiding the sheet toward a downstream side in the conveying direction in a direction inclined at a downward gradient, a second guide part for guiding the sheet from the first guide part toward a further downstream side in a direction inclined at an upward gradient, a suction roller arranged at the first guide part for conveying the sheet supported by the feeder unit toward the downstream side, and a first conveyance roller arranged at the second guide part and for conveying the sheet conveyed by the suction roller toward the downstream side one at a time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet conveying device comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey a sheet along a predetermined conveyance path; and
a feeder unit configured to support the sheet to be fed to the conveyor,
wherein the conveyor comprises:
a first guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of a downstream end of the feeder unit in a conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, the first guide part having a downstream end and an upstream end, wherein the first guide part extends a downward gradient such that the downstream end is lower than the upstream end;
a second guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of the downstream end of the first guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, the second guide part having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the second guide part extends at an upward gradient such that the upstream end is lower than the downstream end, the downstream end of the first guide part abutting the upstream end of the second guide part;
a suction roller configured to rotate about a first axis to convey the sheet supported by the feeder unit toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, the first axis being positioned over the first guide part between the upstream and downstream ends of the first guide part; and
a first conveyance roller configured to rotate about a second axis and separate the sheet conveyed by the suction roller one at a time and to convey the sheet toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, the second axis being positioned over the second guide part between the downstream and upstream ends of the second guide part, wherein the first conveyance roller defines an outer circumference having an upstream side positioned over the first guide part between the upstream and downstream ends of the first guide part and a downstream side positioned over the second guide part between the downstream and upstream ends of the second guide part.

2. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conveyor further comprises a separation piece configured to separate the sheet one at a time in cooperation with the first conveyance roller, and
wherein the separation piece is arranged in a direction in which a contact surface thereof to the sheet is inclined at an upward gradient toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, the contact surface configuring a part of the second guide part.

3. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conveyor further comprises:
a third guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of a downstream end of the second guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, in a direction of curving the sheet in a guiding direction on the second guide part; and
a fourth guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of a downstream end of the third guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, in a direction inclined at a downward gradient, and

wherein the second guide part and the fourth guide part configure the conveyance path on which sheet guiding directions of the second guide part and the fourth guide part are substantially parallel.

4. The sheet conveying device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the conveyor further comprises a fifth guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of a downstream end of the fourth guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, in a direction inclined at an upward gradient, and
wherein the first guide part and the fifth guide part configure the conveyance path on which sheet guiding directions of the first guide part and the fifth guide part are substantially parallel.

5. The sheet conveying device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a discharge unit configured to support the sheet discharged from the conveyor,
wherein the sheet conveyed by the fifth guide part is discharged to the discharge unit.

6. The sheet conveying device according to claim 3 , wherein the conveyor further comprises:
a pair of second conveyance rollers provided in a vicinity of an upstream end of the third guide part in the conveying direction and configured to convey the sheet toward the third guide part; and
a pair of third conveyance rollers provided in the vicinity of the downstream end of the third guide part in the conveying direction and configured to convey the sheet toward the fourth guide part.

7. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the pair of second conveyance rollers comprises:
a second conveyance roller configured to rotate; and
a pinch roller urged toward the second conveyance roller above the second conveyance roller, and

wherein a rotation center of the first conveyance roller is located at a position that is lower than a position of a rotation center of the pinch roller.

8. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the conveyor comprises:
a first area configuring a part of the third guide part and located within a predetermined distance range from the pair of second conveyance rollers toward the downstream side in the conveying direction; and
a second area configuring a part of the fourth guide part and located within a predetermined distance range from the pair of third conveyance rollers toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, and

wherein at least one of the first area and the second area has a shape for guiding a part of the sheet, which is being guided along the corresponding area, without being bent.

9. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the feeder unit is positioned upstream of the first guide part.

10. A sheet conveying device comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey a sheet along a predetermined conveyance path,
wherein the conveyor comprises:
a first guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from an upstream end in a conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, the first guide part having a downstream end and an upstream end, wherein the first guide part extends at a downward gradient such that the downstream end is lower than the upstream end;
a second guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of the downstream end of the first guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, the second guide part having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the second guide part extends an upward gradient such that the upstream end is lower than the downstream end, the downstream end of the first guide part abutting the upstream end of the second guide part;
a third guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of the downstream end of the second guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, in a direction of curving the sheet in a guiding direction on the second guide part;
a fourth guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of a downstream end of the third guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying direction, in a direction inclined at a downward gradient;
a fifth guide part configured to guide the sheet, which is conveyed from a vicinity of a downstream end of the fourth guide part in the conveying direction toward a further downstream side in the conveying dir

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kurokawa Kotaro
• Utagawa Hideaki

Classifications

• B65H5/38

  immovable in operation · CPC title

• B65H3/0661 Primary

  for separating inclined-stacked articles with separator rollers above the stack · CPC title

• B65H2801/06

  Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers · CPC title

• B65H3/10 Primary

  Suction rollers · CPC title

• B65H2405/3321

  Feed tray superposed to discharge tray · CPC title