Sheet conveying device and image reading apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9522793-B2
Application number	US-201514857454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 22, 2014
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A sheet conveying device includes a conveyor, a first cover, a second cover movable in conjunction with the first cover, and a restricting portion movable between a restricting position at which the second cover is restricted from being moved from a first position toward a second position and an allowable position at which the second cover is allowed to be moved from the first position toward the second position. The restricting portion is located at the restricting position when the first cover is located at the closed position, and the restricting portion is moved from the restricting position to the allowable position in conjunction with the first cover when the first cover is moved from the closed position toward the opened position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet conveying device comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey a sheet along a predetermined conveyance path;
a first cover configured to be movable between a closed position and an opened position, wherein the first cover is configured to form a part of an outer covering surface of the sheet conveying device by a first surface at the closed position and to function as a support member configured to support a sheet to be fed to the conveyor or a sheet discharged from the conveyor on a second surface opposite to the first surface at the opened position;
a second cover configured to be movable between a first position and a second position in conjunction with the first cover, wherein the second cover is located at the first position when the first cover is located at the closed position and is configured to form a part of the outer covering surface at a position adjacent to the first cover at the first position;
a restricting portion movable between a restricting position at which the second cover is restricted from being moved from the first position toward the second position and an allowable position at which the second cover is allowed to be moved from the first position toward the second position;
an urging member configured to apply an urging force to the restricting portion; and
a pressing portion integrally movable with the first cover, the pressing portion, when being moved, being configured to contact the restricting portion and to press the restricting portion in a direction of resisting the urging force from the urging member,
wherein the restricting portion is located at the restricting position when the first cover is located at the closed position and the second cover is located at the first position,
wherein the restricting portion is moved from the restricting position to the allowable position in conjunction with the first cover and the second cover when the first cover is moved from the closed position toward the opened position and the second cover is moved from the first position toward the second position, and
wherein when the first cover is moved from the closed position toward the opened position, the restricting portion receives the urging force from the urging member and is moved from the restricting position to the allowable position.

2. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the first cover is moved from the opened position toward the closed position, the pressing portion moves the restricting portion from the allowable position to the restricting position against the urging force from the urging member.

3. The sheet conveying device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a stopper configured to be contacted to the restricting portion to prevent the restricting portion from being moved to a position beyond the allowable position when the restricting portion is applied with the urging force from the urging member and is moved to the allowable position.

4. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an urging member configured to apply an urging force to the restricting portion; and
a pressing portion integrally movable with the first cover, the pressing portion, when being moved, being configured to contact the restricting portion and to press the restricting portion in a direction of resisting the urging force from the urging member,
wherein when the first cover is moved from the opened position toward the closed position, the restricting portion receives the urging force from the urging member and is moved from the allowable position to the restricting position, and
wherein when the first cover is moved from the closed position toward the opened position, the pressing portion moves the restricting portion from the restricting position to the allowable position against the urging force from the urging member.

5. The sheet conveying device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a stopper configured to be contacted to the restricting portion to prevent the restricting portion from being moved to a position beyond the restricting position when the restricting portion is applied with the urging force from the urging member and is moved to the restricting position.

6. The sheet conveying device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a base part configured to rotatably support the restricting portion,
wherein the coupling part is rotatably supported to the base part,
wherein the first part is attached to one end of the coupling part, and
wherein the second part is attached to another end of the coupling part.

7. The sheet conveying device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the second cover is pivotally supported to be rotatable at both ends in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and
wherein the restricting portion comprises:
a first part contactable to the pressing portion;
a second part contactable to the second cover at a substantially center position in the width direction; and
a coupling part configured to couple the first part and the second part such that the first part and the second part are integrally movable.

8. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first cover is configured such that a part of an entire range in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction on the first cover is used as a conveyance area of the sheet, and
wherein the pressing portion is provided at a position outside the conveyance area.

9. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first cover is configured such that a part of an entire range in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction on the first cover is used as a conveyance area of the sheet,
wherein the pressing portion is provided at a position outside the conveyance area, and
wherein the restricting portion is configured to contact the pressing portion and the second cover at a position outside the conveyance area.

10. The sheet conveying device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the pressing portion is a part that is formed integrally with the first cover and protrudes from the second surface of the first cover at a state where the first cover is located at the closed position.

11. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressing portion has a first contact part and a second contact part,
wherein the second cover has a third contact part and a fourth contact part, and
wherein when the first cover is located at the closed position, the first contact part and the third contact part are contacted to each other and the second contact part and the fourth contact part are contacted to each other, so as to restrict the first cover and the second cover from being relatively moved in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction.

12. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second cover is configured to be moved from the first position to the second position and to be retreated to a place, at which the second cover does not interfere with movement of the first cover, when the first cover is moved from the closed position to the opened position.

13. An image reading apparatus comprising:
a sheet conveying device configured to convey a sheet to be read along a predetermined conveyance path, the sheet conveying device comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey the sheet along the predetermined conveyance path;
a first cover configured to be movable between a closed position and an opened position, wherein the first cover is configured to form a part of an outer covering surface of the sheet conveying device by a firs

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Murodate Yusuke
• Ohama Takashi

Classifications

• B65H1/04 Primary

  adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile · CPC title

• B65H2405/324

  between operative position and non operative position · CPC title

• B65H2405/115

  Cover · CPC title

• B65H2801/39

  Scanning · CPC title

• B65H2405/3322

  discharge tray superposed to feed tray · CPC title