Conveying apparatus and tray unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896296-B2
Application number	US-201715437544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A conveying apparatus includes: receiving trays including (i) a lowest tray, (ii) a first receiving tray different from the lowest tray, and (iii) at least one second receiving tray including one second receiving tray disposed just below the first receiving tray; a conveying mechanism; and a supporter supporting the receiving trays. The conveying apparatus further includes a transmission mechanism configured to perform at least one of: transmission of upward movement of the first receiving tray from a receiving position to an upper position, to downward movement of the one second receiving tray from the receiving position to a lower position; and transmission of the downward movement of the one second receiving tray to the upward movement of the first receiving tray.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveying apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of receiving trays each comprising a receiving surface configured to receive a medium, the plurality of receiving trays being arranged in a vertical direction, the plurality of receiving trays comprising (i) a lowest tray located at a lowest position among the plurality of receiving trays and (ii) a first receiving tray that is each of at least one of the plurality of receiving trays other than the lowest tray;
a conveying mechanism configured to convey the medium to the receiving surface of one of the plurality of receiving trays, selectively; and
a supporter supporting the plurality of receiving trays,
the first receiving tray being supported by the supporter so as to be situated selectively to one of a receiving position at which the first receiving tray receives the medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism and an upper position at which a position of a downstream end of the first receiving tray in a conveying direction in which the medium is conveyed by the conveying mechanism is higher than a position of the downstream end of the first receiving tray located at the receiving position,
the plurality of receiving trays comprising: an uppermost tray located at a highest position among the plurality of receiving trays; and at least one second receiving tray that is at least one of the plurality of receiving trays other than the uppermost tray,
each second receiving tray of the at least one second receiving tray being supported by the supporter so as to be situated selectively to one of the receiving position and a lower position at which a position of a downstream end of said each second receiving tray in the conveying direction is lower than a position of the downstream end of said each second receiving tray located at the receiving position,
the at least one second receiving tray comprising one second receiving tray disposed just below the first receiving tray, with no receiving tray between the one second receiving tray and the first receiving tray,
the conveying apparatus further comprising a transmission mechanism configured to perform at least one of: transmission of upward movement that is movement of the first receiving tray from the receiving position to the upper position, to downward movement that is movement of the one second receiving tray disposed just below the first receiving tray from the receiving position to the lower position; and transmission of the downward movement of the one second receiving tray to the upward movement of the first receiving tray.

2. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission mechanism is configured to further perform at least one of: transmission of first return movement that is movement of the first receiving tray from the upper position to the receiving position, to second return movement that is movement of the one second receiving tray disposed just below the first receiving tray from the lower position to the receiving position; and transmission of the second return movement of the one second receiving tray to the first return movement of the first receiving tray.

3. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between an upstream end of said each second receiving tray in the conveying direction and an upstream end of one of the plurality of receiving trays in the conveying direction, which one is disposed just above said each second receiving tray, is greater when said each second receiving tray is located at the lower position than when said each second receiving tray is located at the receiving position.

4. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of receiving trays is supported by the supporter so as to be pivotable about a first axis extending in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to both of the vertical direction and the conveying direction.

5. The conveying apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first receiving tray comprises a basal end portion and a distal end portion located downstream of the basal end portion in the conveying direction,
wherein the distal end portion is mounted on the basal end portion so as to be pivotable about a second axis extending in the orthogonal direction, and
wherein the transmission mechanism is coupled to the distal end portion.

6. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving surface of said each second receiving tray extends in a horizontal direction when said each second receiving tray is located at the lower position.

7. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transmission mechanism comprises an upper member disposed above the first receiving tray and configured to move with the movement of the first receiving tray from the receiving position to the upper position, and
wherein the upper member is configured to perform the at least one of the transmission of the upward movement of the first receiving tray to the downward movement of the one second receiving tray and the transmission of the downward movement of the one second receiving tray to the upward movement of the first receiving tray.

8. The conveying apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the upper member is the uppermost tray.

9. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a projective region formed by projecting the receiving surface of said each second receiving tray in the vertical direction onto a virtual plane orthogonal to the vertical direction overlaps a projective region formed by projecting any of at least one of the plurality of receiving trays which is disposed above said each second receiving tray, onto the virtual plane in the vertical direction.

10. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a restrictor configured to restrict taking of the medium from the receiving surface of said each second receiving tray in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to both of the vertical direction and the conveying direction.

11. A tray unit used for a conveying apparatus, the conveying apparatus comprising (a) a plurality of receiving trays each comprising a receiving surface configured to receive a medium, the plurality of receiving trays being arranged in a vertical direction, the plurality of receiving trays comprising (i) a lowest tray located at a lowest position among the plurality of receiving trays and (ii) a first receiving tray that is each of at least one of the plurality of receiving trays other than the lowest tray, (b) a conveying mechanism configured to convey the medium to the receiving surface of one of the plurality of receiving trays, selectively, and (c) a supporter supporting the plurality of receiving trays,
the tray unit comprising the plurality of receiving trays,
the first receiving tray being supported by the supporter so as to be situated selectively to one of a receiving position at which the first receiving tray receives the medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism and an upper position at which a position of a downstream end of the first receiving tray in a conveying direction in which the medium is conveyed by the conveying mechanism is higher than a position of the downstream end of the first receiving tray located at the receiving position,
the plurality of receiving trays comprising: an uppermost tray located at a highest position among the plurality of receiving trays; and at least one second receiving tray that is at least one of the plurality of receiving trays other than the uppermost tray,
each second receiving tray of the at least one second receiving tray being supported by the supporter so as to be situated selectively to one of the

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Chikamoto Tadanobu
• Yamamoto Hideki

Classifications

• B65H2405/1134

  movable, e.g. pivotable · CPC title

• B65H2405/1117

  pivotable, e.g. around an axis perpendicular to transport direction, e.g. arranged at rear side of sheet support · CPC title

• B65H31/24 Primary

  multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling · CPC title

• B65H2801/06

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

• B65H2408/111

  with stationary location in space of the bins and a diverter per bin · CPC title