JP2016005184A - Document conveying apparatus, image reading apparatus, and image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In a configuration in which a paper discharge tray is provided above a document tray, it is possible to prevent a document from being erroneously set on the paper discharge tray. A document placed on a read document placing portion on which a document to be read to be read by an image reading device is placed and conveyed to a discharge document placing portion provided above the read document placing portion. In the document conveying apparatus for discharging, the document conveying device is provided on the document placing side of the discharged document placing unit, and suppresses placing the document to be read on the discharged document placing unit. [Selection] Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a document conveying device, an image reading device, and an image processing device, and more particularly to prevention of erroneous setting of a document on a paper discharge tray in a configuration in which a paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray.

  In recent years, there has been a tendency to digitize information, and image processing apparatuses such as printers and facsimiles used for outputting digitized information and scanners used for digitizing documents have become indispensable devices. Such an image processing apparatus is often configured as a multifunction machine that can be used as a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, or a copier by providing an imaging function, an image forming function, a communication function, and the like.

Among such image processing apparatuses, an original in an image reading apparatus in which an original is conveyed by an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) and read by a scanner unit is generally conveyed as follows. The document set on the document tray is U-turned along a curved conveyance path and conveyed to a paper discharge tray provided below the document tray (hereinafter, this conveyance is referred to as “curved conveyance”). Alternatively, the document set on the document tray is discharged to the discharge tray without making a U-turn through the linear transport path (hereinafter, this transport is referred to as “straight transport”).

  In addition, by providing a conveyance path for curved conveyance by branching from the conveyance path for such straight conveyance, both the curved conveyance and the straight conveyance are supported, and the original is transmitted by any one of the conveyance paths according to the thickness and size of the original. There is known an image reading apparatus in which the image is conveyed. In such an image reading apparatus, a method of switching between curved conveyance and straight conveyance with a simple configuration has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In an image reading apparatus that supports straight conveyance, a document tray, a scanner unit, and a paper discharge tray are arranged in a straight line. For this reason, when the image reading apparatus is adapted to both curved conveyance and straight conveyance, the output tray on which the original conveyed by the curved conveyance is discharged is provided above the original tray on the position of the original tray. Become. However, in many image reading apparatuses, since the document tray is provided above the paper discharge tray, in the image reading apparatus in which the installation positions of the document tray and the paper discharge tray are reversed, the user can It is easy to mistakenly place the document on the paper output tray.

  Also, the image reading apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray, but it does not take into account that a document is erroneously set on the paper discharge tray.

  Such a problem can occur not only in an image reading apparatus that supports both curved conveyance and straight conveyance but also in an apparatus having a configuration in which a paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent a document from being erroneously set on the discharge tray in a configuration in which the discharge tray is provided above the document tray. And

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an embodiment of the present invention is configured to convey a document placed on a read document placing unit on which a document to be read to be read by an image reading apparatus is placed, and to place the read document placement. A document conveying device that discharges to a discharged document placing portion provided above the portion, and is provided on the document placing side of the discharged document placing portion, and places the document to be read on the discharged document placing portion. It is characterized by including the mounting suppression part which suppresses placing.

  According to the present invention, in the configuration in which the paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray, it is possible to prevent erroneous setting of the document on the paper discharge tray.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mechanical configuration of an ADF and a document transport path according to an embodiment of the invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mechanical configuration of an ADF and a document transport path according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. It is a perspective view which illustrates the structure of the general ADF for the comparison with the structure of ADF which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the mechanical structure of ADF which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of ADF concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling the movement of the paper discharge tray cover according to the embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a state where a paper discharge tray of the ADF according to the embodiment of the present invention is removed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mode in which a document is set on a document tray of the ADF according to the embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conveyance mode of a document set on an ADF document tray according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mode in which all the documents set on the document tray of the ADF according to the embodiment of the present invention are conveyed to a discharge tray. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an aspect in which a document discharged to a paper discharge tray of the ADF according to the embodiment of the invention is collected. It is the figure which looked at ADF concerning an embodiment of the present invention from the upper surface. It is a figure which shows the structure of the drive part which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a shape of the paper discharge tray which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the structure of ADF which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the structure of ADF which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an aspect in which a document is discharged to a discharge tray of an ADF according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the structure of ADF which concerns on the modification of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which illustrates the composition of ADF concerning the modification of the 2nd embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiment 1. FIG.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, an image processing apparatus as an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) including a scanner function will be described as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes the same configuration as a general server, a PC (Personal Computer), or the like.

  That is, the image processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 20, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 30, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 40, and an I / F 50. 80 is connected. Further, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 60 and an operation unit 70 are connected to the I / F 50. In addition, the image processing apparatus 1 includes an engine that executes image formation output and scanning.

  The CPU 10 is a calculation unit and controls the operation of the entire image processing apparatus 1. The RAM 20 is a volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information at high speed, and is used as a work area when the CPU 10 processes information. The ROM 30 is a read-only nonvolatile storage medium and stores a program such as firmware. The HDD 40 is a non-volatile storage medium that can read and write information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, and the like. In addition to the HDD, a semiconductor storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) may be used.

  The I / F 50 connects and controls the bus 80 and various hardware and networks. The LCD 60 is a visual user interface for the user to check the state of the image processing apparatus 1. The operation unit 70 is a user interface for a user to input information to the image processing apparatus 1 such as a keyboard, a mouse, various hard buttons, and a touch panel.

  In such a hardware configuration, a program stored in a storage medium such as the ROM 30, the HDD 40, or an optical disk (not shown) is read into the RAM 20, and the software control unit is configured by the CPU 10 performing calculations according to those programs. . A functional block that realizes the functions of the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured by a combination of the software control unit configured as described above and hardware.

  Next, functions of the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a controller 100, an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 2, a scanner unit 111, a display panel 113, a paper feed table 114, a print engine 115, and a paper discharge tray 116. And a network I / F 117.

  The ADF 2 also includes a document tray 201 that is a reading document placement unit on which a document to be read to be read by the scanner unit 111 is placed, and a discharge tray 202 a (discharged document placement unit) provided above the document tray 201. And a paper discharge tray 202b through which a document conveyed linearly from the scanner unit 111 as an image reading apparatus is discharged. Such a mechanical configuration of the ADF 2 and control of these configurations are the features of this embodiment, and details of the configuration and control will be described later.

  The controller 100 includes a main control unit 101, an engine control unit 102, an input / output control unit 103, an operation display control unit 104, and an image processing unit 105. As shown in FIG. 2, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured as a multifunction machine having a scanner unit 111 and a print engine 115. In FIG. 2, the electrical connection is indicated by solid arrows, and the flow of paper is indicated by broken arrows.

  The display panel 113 is an output interface that visually displays the state of the image processing apparatus 1, and an input when the user directly operates the image processing apparatus 1 or inputs information to the image processing apparatus 1 as a touch panel. It is also an interface (operation unit). The network I / F 117 is an interface for the image processing apparatus 1 to communicate with other devices via the network, such as Ethernet (registered trademark), USB, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity). An interface is used.

  The controller 100 is configured by a combination of software and hardware. Specifically, a software control unit and an integrated circuit configured by loading a control program such as firmware stored in a non-volatile storage medium such as the ROM 30 or the HDD 40 into the RAM 20 and performing an operation by the CPU 10 according to the program. The controller 100 is configured by hardware such as the above. The controller 100 functions as a control unit that controls the entire image processing apparatus 1.

  The main control unit 101 plays a role of controlling each unit included in the controller 100, and gives a command to each unit of the controller 100. The engine control unit 102 serves as a driving unit that controls or drives the print engine 115, the scanner unit 111, and the like. The input / output control unit 103 inputs a signal or a command input from the information processing apparatus or the like connected to the image processing apparatus 1 via the network I / F 117 to the main control unit 101. The main control unit 101 also controls the input / output control unit 103 to access other devices via the network I / F 117.

  The image processing unit 105 generates drawing information based on image information to be printed and output under the control of the main control unit 101. The drawing information is information for drawing an image to be formed in the image forming operation by the print engine 115 as the image forming output unit. The image processing unit 105 processes image data input from the scanner unit 111 and generates image data. The image data is information stored in the image processing apparatus 1 as a result of the scanner operation or transmitted to another device via the network I / F 117. The operation display control unit 104 displays information on the display panel 113 or notifies the main control unit 101 of information input via the display panel 113.

  In the case of an image processing apparatus having only a scanner function, the paper feed table 114, the print engine 115, and the paper discharge tray 116 shown in FIG. The function for controlling the engine 115 and the paper discharge tray 116 is omitted.

  When the image processing apparatus 1 operates as a printer, first, the input / output control unit 103 receives a print job via the network I / F 117. The input / output control unit 103 transfers the received print job to the main control unit 101. When receiving the print job, the main control unit 101 controls the image processing unit 105 to generate drawing information based on document information or image information included in the print job. When drawing information is generated by the image processing unit 105, the engine control unit 102 executes image formation on a sheet conveyed from the paper feed table 114 based on the generated drawing information. As a specific mode of the print engine 115, an image forming mechanism using an ink jet method, an image forming mechanism using an electrophotographic method, or the like can be used. A document on which an image is formed by the print engine 115 is discharged to a discharge tray 116.

  When the image processing apparatus 1 operates as a scanner, that is, an image reading apparatus, an operation display control unit is operated in accordance with a user operation on the display panel 113 or a scan execution instruction input from an external device via the network I / F 117. 104 or the input / output control unit 103 transfers a scan execution signal to the main control unit 101. The main control unit 101 controls the engine control unit 102 based on the received scan execution signal. The engine control unit 102 drives the ADF 2 and conveys the document to be imaged set on the document tray 201 of the ADF 2 to the scanner unit 111. In addition, the engine control unit 102 drives the scanner unit 111 and images a document conveyed from the document tray 201. If no original is set on the original tray 201 and the original is directly set on the scanner unit 111, the scanner unit 111 captures the set original under the control of the engine control unit 102. That is, the scanner unit 111 operates as an imaging unit.

  In the imaging operation, an imaging element such as a CCD included in the scanner unit 111 optically scans the document, and imaging information based on the optical information is generated. The engine control unit 102 transfers the imaging information generated by the scanner unit 111 to the image processing unit 105. The image processing unit 105 generates image information based on the imaging information received from the engine control unit 102 according to the control of the main control unit 101. Image information generated by the image processing unit 105 is stored in a storage medium attached to the image processing apparatus 1 such as the HDD 40. The image information generated by the image processing unit 105 is stored as it is in the HDD 40 or the like according to a user instruction, or is transmitted to an external device by the input / output control unit 103 via the network I / F 117.

  In addition, the scanner unit 111 conveys the imaged document to the discharge tray 202a or 202b and discharges it according to the control of the engine control unit 102. Details of the manner in which the imaged document is conveyed to either the discharge tray 202a or 202b will be described later.

  When the image processing apparatus 1 operates as a copying machine, the image processing unit 105 generates drawing information based on the imaging information received by the engine control unit 102 from the scanner unit 111 or the image information generated by the image processing unit 105. To do. Based on the drawing information, the engine control unit 102 drives the print engine 115 as in the case of the printer operation.

  3 and 4 are cross-sectional views illustrating the mechanical configuration of the ADF 2 and the document transport path according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conveyance path when a document is conveyed to the discharge tray 202a, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a conveyance path when the document is conveyed to the discharge tray 202b.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment, a document is conveyed as follows under the control of the engine control unit 102. First, the document on the upper side of the document bundle (which may be one) set on the document tray 201 is picked up by the pickup roller 203 and fed to the separation feeding rollers 204a and 204b.

  The document fed by the pickup roller 203 is separated by the separation feeding rollers 204a and 204b, and the uppermost one document is separated and conveyed toward the conveyance rollers 205a and 205b. The documents conveyed by the separation paper feed rollers 204a and 204b are further conveyed on a linear conveyance path indicated by a thick line in FIG. 3 by the conveyance rollers 205a and 205b. In this conveyance process, the document is imaged by the scanner unit 111 including the image sensor 121 and the like.

  The document imaged by the scanner unit 111 is further U-turned by the paper discharge rollers 206a, 206b, 207a, and 207b along the curved conveyance path as shown by the bold arrows in FIG. 3, and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 202a. . Such a conveyance path is referred to as a “curved conveyance path” and is used, for example, as a conveyance path for a document such as a document having a small thickness or a bendable sheet.

  The switching claw 208, the switching claw support shaft 209, and the butting portion 210 are switching units that switch between the curved conveyance path shown in FIG. 3 and the conveyance path to the paper discharge tray 202b shown in FIG. The switching claw 208 is biased by an elastic material such as its own weight or a spring in the clockwise direction with respect to the support shaft 209. As shown in FIG. 3, when the paper discharge tray 202a is in a closed state, the position of the switching claw 208 is determined by the front end of the switching claw 208 coming into contact with a not-shown abutting portion on the conveyance roller 206b side, and the curved conveyance path Opens.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when the discharge tray 202 b is rotated from the closed state to the opened state, the abutting part 210 abuts against the position of the switching claw 208 shown in FIG. 208 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the support shaft 209. After the rotation, the tip of the switching claw 208 is determined at a position near the nip on the side of the conveying roller 206a, and the conveying path shown in FIG. 4 is opened.

  In this way, by rotating the discharge tray 202b, the switching claw 208 can be interlocked and swung to switch between the curved conveyance path and the straight conveyance path. Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress the complexity and size of the apparatus and the power consumption of the apparatus. However, such a switching configuration is merely an example, and even if a driving source such as a solenoid or a motor is used, this embodiment can be used as long as the document conveying device has a configuration for switching between a curved conveyance path and a straight conveyance path. It becomes the object of.

  In the conveyance path shown in FIG. 4, the document is similarly conveyed by each unit described with reference to FIG. 3 and is imaged by the scanner unit 111. The imaged document is conveyed straight as it is without being curved by the conveying rollers 206a and 206b as shown by thick arrows in FIG. 4, and is discharged to the discharge tray 202b. Such a conveyance path is referred to as a “straight conveyance path” and is used, for example, as a conveyance path for a thick original such as a catalog or an uncurvable original such as a card.

  As described above, in the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the conveyance path for conveying the document imaged by the scanner unit 111 is branched into the curved conveyance path and the straight conveyance path. ing. Due to such a configuration, the discharge tray 202 a of the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment is provided above the document tray 201.

  Here, for the comparison with the configuration of the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment, the configuration of the ADF that is generally used will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a perspective view of a general ADF. As shown in FIG. 5, in a general ADF, a document tray is provided above the discharge tray so that a user can easily set a document. The document set on the document tray is transported to the scanner unit 111 to be imaged, and then U-turned by a curved transport path and discharged to a discharge tray provided below the document tray.

  As described above, the positional relationship between the document tray 201 and the discharge tray 202a in the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment is opposite to the positional relationship between the document tray and the discharge tray of the general ADF shown in FIG. For this reason, there is a concern that a user who sets a document on the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment mistakes the discharge tray 202a for the document tray 201 and erroneously sets the document on the discharge tray 202a.

  The gist of the present embodiment is to suppress erroneous setting of a document on the paper discharge tray 202. Hereinafter, as the configuration according to the present embodiment, the mechanical configuration of the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment and the control processing of these components will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the mechanical configuration of the ADF 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in addition to the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ADF 2 includes a paper discharge tray cover 221, a document tray filler 222, a document sensor 223, a cover position sensor 224, a paper discharge tray filler 225, and A discharged document sensor 226 is included. In FIG. 6 and subsequent figures, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the paper discharge tray cover 221 is a plate-like member provided on the document placement side of the paper discharge tray 202 a and can be moved up and down according to the control of the engine control unit 102. The engine control unit 102 controls the paper discharge tray cover 221 according to signals from the document sensor 223, the cover position sensor 224, and the paper discharge document sensor 226.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling the movement of the discharge tray cover 221 by the engine control unit 102. Hereinafter, the processing of the engine control unit 102 will be described with reference to FIG. 8, and the function of each component shown in FIG. 6 will be described. Note that the case where no document is placed on either the document tray 201 or the discharge tray 202a is set as an initial state. In the initial state, the paper discharge tray cover 221 is in the position shown in FIG. 6 and is in a state that prevents the original from being set in the paper discharge outlet for discharging the original. In other words, the paper discharge tray cover 221 functions as a placement suppression unit that suppresses placing a document to be read on the paper discharge tray 202a.

  It is assumed that ADF 2 is in the initial state at the start of the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the engine control unit 102 waits (S801 / NO) until it receives an on signal from the document sensor 223 (S801 / YES).

  The ON signal transmitted from the document sensor 223 means that a document is set on the document tray 201. Hereinafter, a mode when a document is set on the document tray 201 will be described. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment with the paper discharge tray 202a removed. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the document tray filler 222 is disposed at a position where the document set on the document tray 201 is pressed.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which a document is set on the document tray 201 of the ADF 2. As shown in FIG. 10, the document tray filler 222 is rotated by being pushed by the document when the document is set on the document tray 201 and shields the document sensor 223 which is a photo interrupter. Document sensor 223 transmits an ON signal to engine control unit 102 when shielded by document tray filler 222.

  When the engine control unit 102 receives an ON signal from the document sensor 223 (S801 / YES), the engine control unit 102 controls the discharge tray cover 221 to be lowered (S802). The engine control unit 102 that has controlled the sheet discharge tray cover 221 to move down maintains the control (S803 / NO) until it receives an ON signal from the cover position sensor 224 (S803 / YES).

  The ON signal transmitted from the cover position sensor 224 means that the paper discharge tray cover 221 has been lowered to a position where it substantially contacts the upper surface of the paper discharge tray 202a as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, when the paper discharge tray cover 221 is lowered to a position where it substantially contacts the upper surface of the paper discharge tray 202a, the paper discharge tray filler 225 provided on the front end side of the lower surface of the paper discharge tray cover 221 causes a photo The cover position sensor 224 that is an interrupter is shielded. When the cover position sensor 224 is shielded by the paper discharge tray filler 225, the cover position sensor 224 transmits an ON signal to the engine control unit 102.

  When the engine control unit 102 receives the ON signal from the cover position sensor 224 (S803 / YES), the engine control unit 102 controls to stop the lowering of the discharge tray cover 221 (S804). As a result, the paper discharge tray cover 221 stops at the position shown in FIG.

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conveyance mode of a document set on the document tray 201 of the ADF 2. As shown in FIG. 11, document bundles set on the document tray 201 are conveyed one by one to the scanner unit 111 and imaged, and are ejected to the sheet ejection tray 202a through the curved conveyance path. Such processing is repeated, and the number of documents set on the document tray 201 decreases.

  While such a document transport process is being performed, the engine control unit 102 waits until an OFF signal is received from the document sensor 223 (S805 / YES) (S805 / NO). The off signal transmitted from the document sensor 223 means that no document is set on the document tray 201.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mode in which all the documents set on the document tray 201 are conveyed to the paper discharge tray 202a. As shown in FIG. 12, when there is no document set on the paper discharge tray 202, the document tray filler 222 is not pushed, so that the original position is restored and the document sensor 223 is not shielded. Document sensor 223 transmits an off signal to engine control unit 102 when it is no longer blocked by document tray filler 222.

  When the engine control unit 102 receives an off signal from the document sensor 223 (S805 / YES), the engine control unit 102 waits until an off signal is received from the discharged document sensor 226 (S806 / YES) (S806 / NO). The discharged document sensor 226 is a reflective sensor provided on the discharged tray cover 221 as shown in FIG. When a document is stacked on the discharge tray 202a, the discharged document sensor 226 detects the document and transmits an on signal to the engine control unit 102.

  FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an aspect in which a document discharged to the discharge tray 202a of the ADF 2 is collected. As shown in FIG. 13, when a document is collected from the discharge tray 202a, the discharged document sensor 226 stops detecting the document and transmits an off signal to the engine control unit 102.

  When the engine control unit 102 receives an off signal from the paper discharge original sensor 226 (S806 / YES), the engine control unit 102 controls the paper discharge tray cover 221 to rise to a predetermined position (S807). As described above, when no document is stacked on the document tray 201 and the discharge tray 202a, the discharge tray cover 221 returns to the position shown in FIG.

  Here, a drive unit that is driven in accordance with the control of the engine control unit 102 to move the discharge tray cover 221 up and down will be described. FIG. 14 is a view of the ADF 2 as seen from above. As shown in FIG. 14, a pulley 231 is provided at the tip of the rotation shaft of the discharge tray cover 221. A timing belt 234 is hung on a driving pulley 233 driven by a pulley 231 and a driving motor 232.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the pulley 231, the drive motor 232, the drive pulley 233, and the timing belt 234 viewed from the direction A illustrated in FIG. 14. When the drive pulley 233 is rotated forward (clockwise) by the drive motor 232, the pulley 231 is rotated clockwise via the timing belt 234. As the pulley 231 rotates clockwise, the paper discharge tray cover 221 rises.

  On the other hand, when the drive pulley 233 is reversely rotated (counterclockwise) by the drive motor 232, the pulley 231 is rotated counterclockwise via the timing belt 234. As the pulley 231 rotates counterclockwise, the paper discharge tray cover 221 is lowered.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, when the engine control unit 102 receives an ON signal from the document sensor 223, the engine control unit 102 controls the drive motor 232 so that the drive pulley 233 rotates in the reverse direction. Further, when the engine control unit 102 receives the off signal from the document sensor 223 and the discharged document sensor 226, the engine control unit 102 controls the drive motor 232 so that the drive pulley 233 rotates in the forward direction.

  As described above, in the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment, when no document is placed on both the document tray 201 and the discharge tray 202a, the discharge tray cover 221 is in a raised state, that is, the discharge tray. It becomes a position where a document to be read cannot be placed on 202a. Thus, it is possible to prevent the user from mistakenly setting the paper discharge tray 202a with the original tray 201 and erroneously setting the original on the paper discharge tray 202a.

  In the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment, when a document is set on the document tray 201, the discharge tray cover 221 is lowered, and the document discharged to the discharge tray 202a can be collected. That is, the paper discharge tray cover 221 moves to a position where a document to be read can be placed on the paper discharge tray 202a. Since the document is set on the document tray 201, the user correctly recognizes the position of the document tray 201. Therefore, the discharge tray cover 221 is lowered to a position where the document to be read can be set on the discharge tray 202a. Even if it moves, there is a low possibility that an original is erroneously set on the paper discharge tray 202a.

  In the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment, when a document is placed on the discharge tray 202a, the discharge tray cover 221 is lowered even when no document is set on the document tray 201. It is. In this case, it is unlikely that the user who is trying to set a document will set his / her own document in a mixed manner on another user's document placed on the paper discharge tray 202a. Since it is recognized that the existing tray is the discharge tray 202a, there is a low possibility that a document is erroneously set on the discharge tray 202a.

  From the above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the document from being erroneously set on the paper discharge tray in the configuration in which the paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, the process when the user collects the document set on the document tray 201 while the engine control unit 102 controls the lowering of the discharge tray cover 221 (S802) is included. Not. However, even in such a case, when the engine control unit 102 receives the off signal from the document sensor 223, the engine control unit 102 switches to the raising control in the middle of the lowering control of the discharge tray cover 221, and the discharge tray cover 221 is moved. This can be dealt with by returning to the position shown in FIG. In addition, when the engine control unit 102 receives an off signal from the document sensor 223, the engine control unit 102 controls the paper discharge tray cover 221 to be lowered until it receives an on signal from the cover position sensor 224, and immediately switches to the up control to discharge the paper tray cover. You may make it return 221 to the position shown in FIG.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the front end of the discharge tray cover 221 is inclined with respect to the upper surface of the discharge tray 202a has been described as an example. This facilitates scooping up the documents discharged from the discharge rollers 207a and 207b, but this configuration is not essential and may be perpendicular to the upper surface of the discharge tray 202a. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a step is provided so that the portion of the surface of the discharge tray 202a that the discharge tray cover 221 is lowered and contacts is lower than the other portion of the surface that the discharge tray cover 221 is lowered and contacts. May be. With such a configuration, the discharged document can be more easily picked up.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the discharge tray cover 221 has a plate shape has been described as an example. However, this is only an example, and the paper discharge tray cover 221 may be a fence shape or a lattice shape. When the paper discharge tray cover 221 is lifted and controlled, a document is set on the paper discharge tray 202a. What is necessary is just the structure to suppress. In addition, when the paper discharge tray cover 221 is an opaque plate, when the paper discharge tray cover 221 is in the position shown in FIG. 6, the user cannot remove the paper discharge port from the outside. It is possible to further prevent erroneous recognition as the document tray 201. However, this configuration is not essential, and the paper discharge tray cover 221 may be transparent.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration different from the configuration shown in FIG. 6 in the first embodiment prevents a document from being erroneously set on the paper discharge tray 202a. 17 and 18 are cross-sectional views illustrating the mechanical configuration of the ADF 2 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the ADF 2 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the ADF 2 according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the ADF 2 is provided with a document pressing portion 251 in addition to the configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 17, the document pressing portion 251 includes a fulcrum portion 251a and a rotation portion 251b. As shown in FIG. 17, the fulcrum portion 251a is provided above the paper discharge port of the paper discharge tray 202a. The rotating portion 251b is provided so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the paper discharge tray 202a by providing a pressure member on its own weight or the fulcrum portion 251a. That is, the document pressing portion 251 is provided so as to close the discharge port of the discharge tray 202a from the document placement surface of the discharge tray 202a, and suppresses the placement of the document on the discharge tray 202a. It functions as a part.

  As shown in FIG. 18, at least one document pressing portion 251 is provided. In the above embodiment, the case where the four document pressing portions 251 are arranged at equal intervals has been described as an example. However, this is only an example, and the number and arrangement of the document pressing portions 251 are not limited to this, and can be arranged at an arbitrary number or interval. Further, the width of the document pressing portion 251 in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction is not limited to the length shown in FIG. 18 and can be set to an arbitrary width.

  FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which a document is discharged to the discharge tray 202a of ADF2. When the leading end in the conveyance direction of the document discharged to the discharge tray 202a hits the document pressing portion 251, the document pressing portion 251 is moved to the discharge tray 202a by the conveying force of the conveying rollers 207a and 207b and the stiffness of the document. It rotates in the direction away from the upper surface of the.

  As a result, the document passes through the discharge tray 202a or between the already-discharged document surface and the document pressing unit 251, and is conveyed until the rear end in the document conveyance direction passes through the discharge rollers 207a and 207b. Then, the document is placed on the paper discharge tray 202a in a form pressed by the weight of the document pressing unit 251.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, since the document cannot be set unless the user lifts the document pressing portion 251, the user may mistake the discharge tray 202 a for the document tray 201. Lower. Therefore, in a configuration in which the paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray, it is possible to prevent the document from being erroneously set on the paper discharge tray.

  Further, in the document conveying device, the document discharged by the discharge roller may flow to the downstream side of the discharge tray due to the discharged force and fall from the discharge tray. In order to solve such a problem, it is conceivable to increase the size of the paper discharge tray. However, in a document transport device in which the paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray, the size of the paper discharge tray is reduced. When the size is increased, the paper discharge tray becomes obstructive and it is difficult to set the original on the lower document tray.

  With the configuration according to the second embodiment, the discharged document is placed on the discharge tray 202a while being pressed by the document pressing portion 251. Therefore, the discharged document can be discharged without enlarging the discharge tray 202a. It is possible to prevent a drop from the tray 202a.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the shape of the rotating portion 251b of the document pressing portion 251 is a rectangular parallelepiped has been described as an example. However, this is only an example, and in order to reduce the rubbing noise between the document and the document pressing unit 251, the corner of the end of the rotating unit 251b is rounded, or the rotation is performed to increase the area of the contact point that holds the document. The shape of the rotating portion 251 may be other than a rectangular parallelepiped, such as bending the end portion of the moving portion 251b that contacts the paper discharge tray 202b into a dogleg shape. Further, in order to prevent the document from being damaged due to the pressing, the end portion of the rotating portion 251b that contacts the paper discharge tray 202b may be made of an elastic body such as rubber.

  Next, a modification of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of Modification 1 of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, the first modification of the second embodiment is configured such that the end portion of the rotating portion 251b enters the groove portion 332 provided in the paper discharge tray 202a.

  In the configuration shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the document may be inserted through a slight gap between the paper discharge tray 202 a and the document pressing portion 251. With the configuration shown in the first modification, such a gap is eliminated, so that it is possible to further prevent the original from being erroneously set on the paper discharge tray 202a.

  FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a second modification of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 21, in the second modification of the second embodiment, the document pressing portion 251 has a shape that covers the entire paper discharge port. With such a configuration, in addition to the effects of the configurations shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, it is possible to further prevent the user from mistaken the discharge tray 202 a for the document tray 201 by making the discharge port invisible from the outside. Is possible.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the document conveying apparatus corresponding to both the curved conveyance path and the straight conveyance path has been described as a specific example. However, the present embodiment can be similarly applied to any document conveying apparatus having a configuration in which the paper discharge tray is provided above the document tray, regardless of whether the straight conveyance path is supported.

1 Image processing device 2 ADF
10 CPU
20 RAM
30 ROM
40 HDD
50 I / F
60 LCD
70 Operation unit 80 Bus 100 Controller 101 Main control unit 102 Engine control unit 103 Input / output control unit 104 Operation display control unit 105 Image processing unit 111 Scanner unit 113 Display panel 114 Paper feed table 115 Print engine 116 Paper discharge tray 117 Network I / F
201 Document tray 202a, 202b Paper discharge tray 203 Pickup roller 204a, 204b Separation paper feed roller 205a, 205b Transport roller 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b Paper discharge roller 208 Switching claw 209 Support shaft 210 Abutting portion 221 Paper discharge tray cover 222 Document tray filler 223 Document sensor 234 Cover position sensor 235 Discharge tray filler 226 Discharged document sensor 231 Pulley 232 Drive motor 233 Drive pulley 234 Timing belt 251 Document pressing portion 251a Supporting portion 251b Rotating portion 252 Groove portion

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2014-024612

Claims (10)

A document that transports a document placed on a read document placing portion on which a document to be read to be read by an image reading device is placed and discharges it to a discharge document placing portion provided above the read document placing portion. A conveying device,
An original conveying apparatus, comprising: a placement suppressing portion that is provided on the original placement side of the discharged original placement portion and suppresses placing the read target original on the discharged original placement portion. A control unit that controls the placement suppression unit according to whether or not the reading target document is placed on the reading document placing unit to a position where the reading target document cannot be placed on the discharged document placing unit. The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: When the reading target document is placed on the reading document placing unit, the control unit places the placement suppression unit on the discharge document placing unit from a position where the reading target document cannot be placed. The document conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the document conveying device moves to a position where the document can be placed. The control unit controls the placement suppression unit to a position where the placement can be placed when the document transported from the reading document placement unit and ejected is placed on the discharge document placement unit. The document feeder according to claim 3, wherein: The controller controls the above-described placement suppression unit when all the originals placed on the read original placing part are conveyed and the discharged original is not placed on the discharged original placing part. The document conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the document to be read is moved from a position where the document to be read can be placed to a position where it cannot be placed on the discharged document placing portion. The above-described placement suppression unit is
A discharge port for discharging a document from a document placement surface of the discharge document placement unit to the discharge document placement unit;
The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the document is discharged from the discharge port, the document is rotated in a direction away from the document placement surface. The document conveying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the placement suppressing unit presses the document surface discharged to the discharged document placing unit by its own weight. A groove is provided on the document placement surface of the discharged document placement portion,
8. The document conveying device according to claim 6, wherein when the document is not placed on the discharged document placing portion, the one end portion is located in the groove portion. .   An image reading apparatus comprising the document conveying device according to claim 1.   An image processing apparatus comprising the document conveying device according to claim 1.