JP2018087078A - Sheet transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sheet conveying apparatus capable of suppressing skewing of sheets stacked on a support surface and variations in sheet posture, and as a result, suppressing sheet jamming and deterioration in quality of processing performed on a conveyed sheet. I will provide a. In a sheet conveying apparatus, an outer peripheral surface of a rotating body (101, 102) is separated from a first outer peripheral surface (101A) at a position shifted to one side in a width direction from a separating unit (61, 62) of a conveying unit (60). And a second outer peripheral surface 102 </ b> A that is integrally displaced with the first outer peripheral surface 101 </ b> A. The pressing member is at a position shifted to one side in the width direction from the separating portions 61 and 62, and the first pressing member 111 capable of pressing the uppermost sheet SHt toward the first outer peripheral surface 101A, and the separating portions 61 and 62. And a second pressing member 112 that is at a position shifted to the other side in the width direction and capable of pressing the uppermost sheet SHt toward the second outer peripheral surface 102A. [Selection] Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 discloses a paper feeding device that is an example of a conventional sheet conveying device. The sheet feeding device includes a shooter 14, a set roller 2, a pressing roller 73, and a separation roller 12. The separation roller 12 is generally called a “retard roller”.

  The shooter 14 supports the sheet by its upper surface. The pressing roller 73 is in contact with the uppermost sheet among the sheets supported on the upper surface of the shooter 14 and can be pressed toward the separation roller 12. The set roller 2 contacts the lowest sheet at the lowest position among the sheets supported on the upper surface of the shooter 14, and conveys the lowest sheet to the downstream side in the conveyance direction. When the separation roller 12 comes into contact with another sheet overlapping the lowest sheet, the separation roller 12 applies a separation force to the sheet. That is, the set roller 2 and the separation roller 12 function as a separation unit, separate one by one from the lowest sheet among the sheets supported on the upper surface of the shooter 14, and convey the sheet downstream. .

Japanese Patent No. 4820314

  By the way, in the sheet feeding device as described above, when a plurality of sheets are stacked on the upper surface of the shooter 14, the separation force is repeatedly applied from the separation roller 12 to the other sheets overlapping the lowest sheet, A frictional force continuously acts between the lower sheet and the other sheets overlapping with the lower sheet. As a result, the postures of the plurality of sheets are likely to be inclined, and skewing of the sheets and variations in the postures of the sheets are likely to occur. Such a problem is particularly likely to occur when the left and right ends of the sheet are curled or when the sheet is thin.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional situation, and can suppress skewing of sheets stacked on a support surface and variations in the posture of the sheet. As a result, the sheet is jammed or conveyed. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus capable of suppressing a deterioration in quality of processing performed on the sheet.

The sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention includes a support member having a support surface for supporting the sheet,
A transport unit including a separation unit that separates the lowermost sheet at the lowest position among the sheets supported by the support surface one by one and transports the sheet to the downstream side in the transport direction;
Provided at a position upstream of the separation unit in the transport direction and at a position facing the support surface, and abuts against and presses the uppermost sheet at the uppermost position among the sheets supported by the support surface. A possible pressing member;
It is supported so as to be rotatable around a first rotation axis located at a position upstream of the separating portion in the transport direction and facing a surface opposite to the support surface of the support member. A non-driven rotating body that is exposed from the support surface and is capable of contacting the lowermost sheet;
The outer peripheral surface of the rotating body is a first outer peripheral surface located at a position shifted to one of the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction from the separation unit;
A second outer peripheral surface that is in a position shifted to the other side in the width direction from the separating portion and rotates integrally with the first outer peripheral surface;
The pressing member is at a position shifted to one side in the width direction from the separating portion, and a first pressing member capable of pressing the uppermost sheet toward the first outer peripheral surface;
And a second pressing member that is at a position shifted to the other side in the width direction with respect to the separation portion and capable of pressing the uppermost sheet toward the second outer peripheral surface.

  In the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention, the first outer peripheral surface of the rotating body and the first pressing member sandwich the sheet supported by the support surface at a position shifted to one side in the width direction with respect to the separation unit. Further, the second outer peripheral surface of the rotating body and the second pressing member sandwich the sheet supported by the support surface at a position shifted to the other in the width direction with respect to the separation portion. For this reason, a plurality of sheets stacked on the support surface are suitably applied with a pressing force in the sheet stacking direction from one to the other in the sheet width direction, and the sheets come into contact with each other. At this time, if the sheet is curled or swelled, it is corrected.

  When the sheet is conveyed, a separation force from the separation unit or a frictional force between the lowermost sheet acts on another sheet overlapping the lowermost sheet. Here, for example, when the material of the sheet or the sheet is provided with curls or the like, the posture of the sheet tends to be inclined on the support surface, and the attitude of the lowermost sheet may be inclined accordingly. . In this respect, the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention has a first outer peripheral surface and a second outer peripheral surface that rotates integrally with the first outer peripheral surface, and the first outer peripheral surface is a second one in the width direction of the sheet. The outer peripheral surface integrally rotates on the other side in the width direction of the sheet on a straight line parallel to the width direction of the sheet. That is, due to the contact between the first outer peripheral surface and the second outer peripheral surface, one end portion and the other end portion in the width direction of the sheet are guided so as to proceed in parallel with the conveying direction. For this reason, even if a force that inclines the sheet is applied, if the first outer peripheral surface rotates while abutting on one side in the width direction of the lowermost sheet, the second outer peripheral surface also becomes the other in the width direction on the lowermost sheet. Rotate in the same direction as the first outer peripheral surface while abutting on the sheet, to suppress the inclination of the lowermost sheet. Similarly, if the second outer peripheral surface rotates while being in contact with the other of the lowermost sheet in the width direction, the first outer peripheral surface is also rotated in the same direction as the second outer peripheral surface while being in contact with one of the lowermost sheets in the width direction. Then, the inclination of the lowest sheet is suppressed. For this reason, the inclination of the other sheet overlapping the lowermost sheet is also suppressed.

  Therefore, in the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention, skew of the sheets stacked on the support surface and variations in the posture of the sheets can be suppressed. As a result, the sheet is jammed and the quality of processing performed on the conveyed sheet Reduction can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view of an image reading apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an image reading apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first housing according to an image reading apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of an image reading apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rotating body and a pressing member according to an image reading apparatus of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a partial top view showing first and second outer peripheral surfaces of first and second regulating rollers and a pressing roller of first and second pressing members viewed from the Z direction of FIG. 5. 1 is a partial schematic top view of an image reading apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of an image reading apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rotating body and a pressing member according to an image reading apparatus of Example 2. 6 is a schematic side view of an image reading apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a partial schematic top view of an image reading apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

  Embodiments 1 and 2 embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Example 1
As shown in FIG. 1, an image reading apparatus 1 according to the embodiment is an example of a specific aspect of the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the side on which the discharge tray 6 is disposed is defined as the front of the apparatus, and the side that comes to the left when facing the discharge tray 6 is defined as the left side. The front and rear, left and right, and up and down directions shown in FIG. Hereinafter, each component provided in the image reading apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

<Overall configuration>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image reading apparatus 1 includes a first housing 8, a second housing 9, a supply tray 70, a discharge tray 6, and a transport unit 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the first housing 8 has a lower chute member 80. The supply tray 70 and the lower chute member 80 are examples of the “support member” in the present invention.

  The upper surface of the first housing 8 is constituted by the upper surface of the lower chute member 80. The upper surface of the lower chute member 80 is inclined downward from the rear end portion of the first housing 8 toward the front end portion. On the upper surface of the lower chute member 80, the inclination angle of the area ahead of the reference line J1 is shallower than the inclination angle of the area behind the reference line J1, which is a substantially intermediate portion in the front-rear direction. A first support surface 80 </ b> A is formed in a region behind the reference line J <b> 1 on the upper surface of the lower chute member 80. On the upper surface of the lower chute member 80, a lower conveyance surface 80G is formed in a region in front of the reference line J1. In this embodiment, the reference line is defined by the joint of the parts. However, the reference line is not limited to this, and the position where the inclination angle changes can be used as the reference line even for one part. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the second housing 9 is disposed above the first housing 8. The front end portion of the second housing 9 is connected to the first housing 8 so as to be swingable around an opening / closing axis X9 extending in the left-right direction at the front end portion of the first housing 8.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the lower surface of the second housing 9 is constituted by the lower surface of the upper chute member 90. On the lower surface of the upper chute member 90, an upper transport surface 90G is formed. The upper transport surface 90G faces the first support surface 80A and the lower transport surface 80G from above. The upper conveyance surface 90G is inclined downward from the rear end portion of the second housing 9 toward the front end portion along the first support surface 80A and the lower conveyance surface 80G.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a transport path P <b> 1 is provided between the upper surface of the first housing 8 and the lower surface of the second housing 9. The first support surface 80A and the lower transport surface 80G of the first housing 8 define the transport path P1 from below. The upper transport surface 90G of the second housing 9 defines the transport path P1 from above. The sheet SH to be read is conveyed in the conveyance direction D1 along the conveyance path P1.

  The transport direction D1 descends forward from the rear end portion of the first support surface 80A and the upper transport surface 90G located on the upstream side toward the front end portion of the lower transport surface 80G and the upper transport surface 90G located on the downstream side. It is a direction to incline. In this embodiment, the left-right direction is the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet SH. One in the width direction is left, and the other in the width direction is right.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply tray 70 is connected to the rear end portion of the first housing 8 and is inclined upward and rearward. A second support surface 70 </ b> A is formed on the upper surface of the supply tray 70. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end edge on the downstream side in the transport direction D1 on the second support surface 70A, that is, the front edge is the end edge on the upstream side in the transport direction D1 on the first support surface 80A, that is, Adjacent to the trailing edge.

  The second support surface 70A supports the sheet SH to be read from below. At this time, the first support surface 80A also supports the sheet SH to be read with the second support surface 70A from below. That is, the sheet SH to be read is supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A. The first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A are examples of the “support surface” in the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sub supply tray 79 is provided at the support end 70 </ b> U on the upstream side in the transport direction D <b> 1 of the supply tray 70. When the size of the sheet SH to be read is large enough to protrude from the second support surface 70A, the sub-supply tray 79 is rearward and upward from the support end portion 70U of the supply tray 70, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The sheet SH is supported in an auxiliary manner.

  Width regulation guides 78L and 78R are provided on the second support surface 70A so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. The width regulating guides 78L and 78R can be moved toward and away from each other in the left-right direction based on the center of the supply tray 70. As a result, the width regulation guides 78L and 78R, for example, when a sheet SH of a plurality of sizes from a business card size to an A4 size is supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A, the sheet SH The sheets SH can be positioned in the left-right direction by approaching or separating from each other according to the length in the width direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the discharge tray 6 is provided at a position below the lower guide surface 80 </ b> G at the front end portion of the first housing 8. As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the discharge tray 6 is used in a state of being drawn forward from the bottom of the first housing 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet SH to be read is transported along the transport path P <b> 1 in the transport direction D <b> 1 and discharged toward the discharge tray 6.

  As indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the second housing 9 swings around the opening / closing axis X9 so that the rear end portion thereof is displaced upward and forward, thereby allowing the second housing 9 to move from the upper surface of the first housing 8. The conveyance path P1 can be opened away. Thereby, the removal operation | work of the sheet | seat SH jammed in the conveyance path | route P1, the replacement | exchange operation | work of consumables, etc. can be performed easily.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the transport unit 60 is accommodated in the first housing 8 and the second housing 9. The conveyance unit 60 includes a separation roller 61, a retard roller 62, a sheet leading edge regulating unit 68, a first conveyance roller 65A, a first pinch roller 65B, a first reading unit 3A, a second reading unit 3B, along the conveyance path P1. A second conveying roller 66A and a second pinch roller 66B are included. The separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 are examples of the “separation unit” in the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the separation roller 61 is rotatably supported by an internal frame (not shown) of the first housing 8. The separation roller 61 exposes a part of the outer peripheral surface from the first support surface 80A. The separation roller 61 receives a rotational driving force from a motor (not shown), rotates in the transport direction D1, and is at the lowest position among the sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A. A conveying force is applied to a certain lowermost sheet SHb.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the retard roller 62 is rotatably supported by an internal frame (not shown) of the second housing 9. The retard roller 62 exposes a part of the outer peripheral surface from a portion of the upper transport surface 90G facing the first support surface 80A. The retard roller 62 is pressed toward the separation roller 61 by a biasing spring (not shown). A rotational driving force in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the separation roller 61 is transmitted to the retard roller 62 from a motor (not shown) via a torque limiter. When the retard roller 62 comes into contact with the lowermost sheet SHb in contact with the separation roller 61 from the side opposite to the separation roller 61, transmission of the rotational driving force is blocked by the torque limiter, and the retard roller 62 is driven to rotate by the separation roller 61. On the other hand, when the retard roller 62 contacts a sheet SH other than the lowest sheet SHb that contacts the separation roller 61, transmission of the rotational driving force is permitted by the torque limiter, and the reverse direction of the rotation direction of the separation roller 61 is allowed. The sheet SH rotates and gives a separation force F1 opposite to the conveyance direction D1 to the sheet SH. That is, in this embodiment, an active type is used as the retard roller 62.

  The retard roller 62 may be a passive type that is not directly driven. In this case, a torque limiter is provided between the retard roller 62 and a shaft support (not shown) that rotatably supports the retard roller 62. A rotational driving force is not transmitted to the retard roller 62 from a motor (not shown). When the retard roller 62 contacts a sheet SH other than the lowest sheet SHb that contacts the separation roller 61, the retard roller 62 stops rotating by the action of the torque limiter, and applies a separation force in the direction opposite to the conveying direction D1 to the sheet SH. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, two separation rollers 61 are provided side by side in the left-right direction. Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 7, two retard rollers 62 are provided side by side in the left-right direction. One retard roller 62 is pressed toward one separation roller 61. The other retard roller 62 is pressed toward the other separation roller 61. That is, in the present embodiment, the transport unit 60 includes two sets of separation rollers 61 and retard rollers 62 arranged in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the sheet front end regulating portion 68 is swingably supported by an internal frame (not shown) of the second housing 9. The sheet leading edge restricting portion 68 can be displaced between a restricting position shown in FIG. 2 and a retracted position shown in FIG. The sheet leading edge regulating portion 68 intersects the conveyance path P1 at a position upstream of the retard roller 62 in the conveyance direction D1 at the restriction position shown in FIG. The leading edge position of the sheet SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A is regulated by the sheet leading edge regulating portion 68 at the regulation position. On the other hand, at the retracted position shown in FIG. 4, the sheet leading edge restricting portion 68 retracts upward from the conveyance path P1 and allows the sheet SH to pass.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first transport roller 65 </ b> A and the first pinch roller 65 </ b> B are provided at a position downstream of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 in the transport direction D <b> 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first transport roller 65A is rotatably supported by the lower chute member 80 in a state where a part of the outer peripheral surface is exposed from the lower transport surface 80G. The first transport roller 65A is rotated in the transport direction D1 by receiving a rotational driving force from a motor (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first pinch roller 65B is rotatably supported by the upper chute member 90 in a state where a part of the outer peripheral surface is exposed from the upper conveying surface 90G. The first pinch roller 65B is pressed toward the first transport roller 65A by a biasing spring (not shown). The first pinch roller 65B is driven to rotate by the rotation of the first transport roller 65A.

  The first reading unit 3A and the second reading unit 3B are provided at positions downstream of the first conveying roller 65A and the first pinch roller 65B in the conveying direction D1. As the first reading unit 3A and the second reading unit 3B, for example, a CIS (Contact Image Sensor), a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), or the like is employed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first reading unit 3 </ b> A is assembled to the lower chute member 80. The reading surface facing upward of the first reading unit 3A defines a part of the transport path P1 from the bottom together with the lower transport surface 80G. As shown in FIG. 2, the second reading unit 3 </ b> B is assembled to the upper chute member 90. The reading surface facing downward of the second reading unit 3B defines a part of the conveyance path P1 from above together with the upper conveyance surface 90G.

  The second transport roller 66A and the first pinch roller 66B are provided at a position downstream of the first reading unit 3A and the second reading unit 3B in the transport direction D1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the second transport roller 66A is rotatably supported by the lower chute member 80 in a state where a part of the outer peripheral surface is exposed from the front end portion of the lower transport surface 80G. The second transport roller 66A is rotated in the transport direction D1 by receiving a rotational driving force from a motor (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the second pinch roller 66B is rotatably supported by the upper chute member 90 in a state where a part of the outer peripheral surface is exposed from the front end portion of the upper conveying surface 90G. The second pinch roller 66B is pressed toward the second transport roller 66A by a biasing spring (not shown). The second pinch roller 66B rotates following the rotation of the second transport roller 66A.

<Specific configuration of first and second regulating rollers and first and second pressing members>
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the image reading apparatus 1 includes a first restriction roller 101, a second restriction roller 102, a first pressing member 111, and a second pressing member 112. The first regulating roller 101 and the second regulating roller 102 are an example of the “rotating body” in the present invention. The first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 are an example of the “pressing member” in the present invention.

  In FIG. 4, the first regulating roller 101 and the first pressing member 111 located on the left side of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 are illustrated. The second regulating roller 102 and the second pressing member 112 positioned to the right of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 are positioned on the front side of the sheet of FIG. 4 and are not illustrated in FIG.

  The first restriction roller 101 and the second restriction roller 102 are cylindrical members in which a friction layer made of a soft material such as rubber or elastomer is formed at least on the surface layer. The outer peripheral surface of the first regulating roller 101 is a first outer peripheral surface 101A. The outer peripheral surface of the second regulating roller 102 is a second outer peripheral surface 102A. The first outer peripheral surface 101A and the second outer peripheral surface 102A have the same diameter.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first housing 8 accommodates a rotation shaft 103 that defines a first rotation axis X <b> 1 extending in the left-right direction. The first rotation axis X1 is located upstream of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 in the conveying direction D1, and faces the surface opposite to the first support surface 80A of the lower chute member 80, that is, the back surface 80B. It is in the position to do. As shown in FIG. 5, the left end and the right end of the rotation shaft 103 are rotatably supported by shaft support portions 89 </ b> L and 89 </ b> R provided on an internal frame (not shown) of the first housing 8.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first restriction roller 101 is fixed to the left end portion of the rotation shaft 103 so as to be integrally rotatable. The second restriction roller 102 is fixed to the right end portion of the rotation shaft 103 so as to be integrally rotatable. Driving means such as a motor (not shown) that drives the transport unit 60 is not connected to the rotating shaft 103.

  That is, the first restriction roller 101 and the second restriction roller 102 are supported so as to be rotatable around the first rotation axis X1. The first outer circumferential surface 101A of the first regulating roller 101 and the second outer circumferential surface 102A of the second regulating roller 102 can rotate integrally without being driven.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lower chute member 80 has two openings 88L and 88R. The left opening 88L is a rectangular hole at a position corresponding to the first regulating roller 101 and penetrating from the first support surface 80A to the back surface 80B of the lower chute member 80. The right opening 88R is a rectangular hole that is located at a position corresponding to the second restriction roller 102 and penetrates from the first support surface 80A to the back surface 80B of the lower chute member 80.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a part of the first outer peripheral surface 101A of the first regulating roller 101 is exposed from the first support surface 80A through the left opening 88L. A part of the second outer peripheral surface 102A of the second regulating roller 102 is exposed from the first support surface 80A through the right opening 88R.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the first outer peripheral surface 101A of the first regulating roller 101 is exposed from the first support surface 80A and can come into contact with the lowermost sheet SHb. A part of the second outer peripheral surface 102A of the second regulating roller 102 is also exposed from the first support surface 80A and can contact the lowermost sheet SHb.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first outer peripheral surface 101 </ b> A is located at a position shifted leftward from the pair of separation roller 61 and retard roller 62 located on the left. The right end of the first outer peripheral surface 101A is separated from the left side surface of the left separation roller 61 by a distance L1. 102 A of 2nd outer peripheral surfaces are in the position shifted | deviated to the right rather than the group of separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 which are located in the right. The left end of the second outer peripheral surface 102A is separated from the right side surface of the right separation roller 61 by a distance L1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 are movably held by a holding portion 99 provided on a frame (not shown) of the second housing 9. The first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 are provided at a position upstream of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 in the transport direction D1 and facing the first support surface 80A.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first pressing member 111 is located at a position shifted to the left from the pair of separation rollers 61 and the retard roller 62 located on the left. The second pressing member 112 is at a position shifted to the right from the pair of separation rollers 61 and the retard roller 62 positioned on the right.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 have a main body 115, a pressing roller 117, and a compression coil spring 119, respectively. The compression coil spring 119 is an example of the “biasing member” in the present invention.

  The main body 115 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the vertical direction. Guide grooves 115 </ b> G extending in the vertical direction are formed in the left and right side surfaces of the main body 115. The left and right side surfaces of the main body 115 are further extended toward the first support surface 80A from the position where the guide groove 115G is formed, and have portions facing each other in the left-right direction. A pair of tip portions 115A are formed by the portions. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower end surface of the front end portion 115A is inclined downward so as to approach the first support surface 80A toward the downstream side of D1 in the transport direction. The pressing roller 117 is rotatably supported by the tip portions 115A on the left and right side surfaces without being driven.

  A rib (not shown) protruding from the holding portion 99 of the second housing 9 shown in FIG. 4 enters the guide groove 115G of the main body 115 shown in FIG. 5 so as to be slidable. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, the main body 115 is supported by the holding portion 99 so as to be able to approach and separate from the first support surface 80A. The pressing roller 117 faces the first support surface 80A, and can approach and separate from the first support surface 80A together with the main body 115.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lower end portion of the compression coil spring 119 is in contact with the upper surface of the main body portion 115. The upper end portion of the compression coil spring 119 is locked to an internal frame (not shown) of the second housing 9. The compression coil spring 119 urges the main body 115 in a direction approaching the first support surface 80A. The second pressing member 112 has the same configuration as the first pressing member 111.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first support surface 80 </ b> A, that is, from the Z direction shown in FIG. 5, the main body 115 and the pressing roller 117 of the first pressing member 111 are 101A has a portion overlapping with a portion exposed from the first support surface 80A. Further, the main body 115 and the pressing roller 117 of the second pressing member 112 have a portion that overlaps a part of the second outer peripheral surface 102A exposed from the first support surface 80A.

  That is, the pressing roller 117 of the first pressing member 111 is provided at a position facing the first outer peripheral surface 101A. Further, the pressing roller 117 of the second pressing member 112 is provided at a position facing the second outer peripheral surface 102A. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the first pressing member 111 is the uppermost sheet at the uppermost position of the sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A. SHt can be pressed toward the first outer peripheral surface 101A. Further, the second pressing member 112 can press the uppermost sheet SHt of the sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A toward the second outer peripheral surface 102A. That is, the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 are spaced apart from the separation rollers 62 and 62 in the left direction and the right direction at equal intervals, and downstream from the rear edge of the first support surface 80A in the transport direction D1. The uppermost sheet SHt can be pressed toward the first outer peripheral surface 101A and the second outer peripheral surface 102A at positions spaced apart at equal intervals.

<Image reading operation>
In the image reading apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, when the user supports the sheet SH across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A, the sheet SH is placed on the sheet front end restricting portion 68 in the restricting position illustrated in FIG. The tip of stops. Thereby, the front end positions of the plurality of sheets SH are aligned.

  At this time, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the first outer peripheral surface 101 </ b> A of the first regulating roller 101 and the pressing roller 117 of the first pressing member 111 are located to the left of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62. The sheet SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A is sandwiched at the shifted position. Further, the second outer peripheral surface 102A of the second regulating roller 102 and the pressing roller 117 of the second pressing member 112 are shifted to the right with respect to the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62, and the first supporting surface 80A and the first supporting surface 80A. 2 The sheet SH supported across the support surface 70A is sandwiched.

  A control unit (not shown) starts control of the transport unit 60, the first reading unit 3A, and the second reading unit 3B when receiving an execution command for the image reading operation. As shown in FIG. 4, the sheet front end restricting portion 68 is displaced to the retracted position and allows the sheet SH to pass. The separation roller 61, the retard roller 62, and the pressing roller 67 convey the sheet SH along the conveyance path P1 toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction D1. At this time, if there are a plurality of sheets SH, the sheet is separated from the lowest sheet SHb one by one by the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 and conveyed downstream in the conveying direction D1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first conveying roller 65A and the first pinch roller 65B convey the sheet SH separated one by one toward the first reading unit 3A and the second reading unit 3B. The first reading unit 3A and the second reading unit 3B read the image of the sheet SH. The second conveyance roller 66A and the second pinch roller 66B discharge the sheet SH on which the image has been read by the first reading unit 3A and the second reading unit 3B toward the discharge tray 6.

  A control unit (not shown) displaces the sheet leading end regulating unit 68 to the regulating position shown in FIG. 2 at the end of the image reading operation. Thereafter, a control unit (not shown) places the image reading apparatus 1 in a standby state.

<Effect>
In the image reading apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7, when the sheet SH is conveyed, the separation force from the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 is applied to the other sheet SH that overlaps the lowest sheet SHb. F1 or frictional force F2 between the lowermost sheet SHb acts.

  Here, it is assumed that the image reading apparatus 1 of the present embodiment does not include the first and second regulating rollers 101 and 102 and the first and second pressing members 111 and 112. In this case, while the operation of conveying a plurality of sheets SH while being separated by the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 is repeatedly performed, the separation force F1 and the friction as in the sheet SH shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The posture of the sheet SH on which the force F2 acts is likely to be tilted, and the posture of the lowermost sheet SHb may be tilted accordingly. As a result, the skew of the sheet SH and the variation in the posture of the sheet SH may occur. Such a problem is that when the left and right end portions of the sheet SH are curled, when the sheet SH is thin, the conveyance of the sheet SH is started in a state where the position adjustment of the width regulation guides 78L and 78R by the user is insufficient. This is more likely to occur in cases such as In FIG. 7, as an example of the sheet SH, an intermediate size sheet such as a horizontally long slip sheet is illustrated.

  In this regard, in the image reading apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the first outer peripheral surface 101 </ b> A of the first regulating roller 101 and the pressing roller 117 of the first pressing member 111 are separated from each other. The sheet SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A is sandwiched in the stacking direction of the sheets SH at a position shifted leftward from the 61 and the retard roller 62. Further, the second outer peripheral surface 102A of the second regulating roller 102 and the pressing roller 117 of the second pressing member 112 are shifted to the right from the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62, and the first support surface 80A and The sheet SH supported across the second support surface 70A is sandwiched in the stacking direction of the sheets SH. For this reason, a plurality of sheets SH stacked on the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A are suitably given pressing force in the stacking direction of the sheets SH from one to the other in the width direction of the sheet SH. Thus, the sheets SH come into contact with each other. At this time, if curling or undulation occurs in the sheet SH, it is corrected.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the sheet SH is conveyed, the first outer peripheral surface 101A contacts the left part of the lowermost sheet SHb, and the second outer peripheral surface 102A contacts the right part of the lowermost sheet SHb. It contacts and rotates integrally around the first rotation axis X1 extending parallel to the width direction of the sheet SH. That is, due to the contact between the first outer peripheral surface 101A and the second outer peripheral surface 102A, the left end portion and the right end portion of the lowermost sheet SHb are guided so as to proceed in parallel with the transport direction D1. For this reason, even if a force that inclines the sheet SH is applied, if the first outer peripheral surface 101A rotates while contacting the left portion of the lowermost sheet SHb, the rotation shaft 103 and the first outer peripheral surface 101A The second outer peripheral surface 102A that can rotate integrally also rotates in the same direction as the first outer peripheral surface 101A while being in contact with the right portion of the lowermost sheet SHb, thereby suppressing the inclination of the lowermost sheet SHb. If the second outer peripheral surface 102A rotates while contacting the right part of the lowermost sheet SHb, the first outer peripheral surface 101A also contacts the second outer peripheral surface 102A while contacting the left part of the lowermost sheet SHb. By rotating in the same direction, the inclination of the lowermost sheet SHb is suppressed. For this reason, the inclination of the other sheet SH overlapping the lowermost sheet SHb is also suppressed.

  Therefore, in the image reading apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the skew of the sheet SH stacked on the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A and the variation in the posture of the sheet SH can be suppressed. As a result, the sheet SH It is possible to suppress clogging and quality degradation of the image reading process performed on the conveyed sheet SH.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 6, when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first support surface 80A, that is, from the Z direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The pressing roller 117 has a portion that overlaps a part of the first outer peripheral surface 101A exposed from the first support surface 80A. Further, the main body 115 and the pressing roller 117 of the second pressing member 112 have a portion that overlaps a part of the second outer peripheral surface 102A exposed from the first support surface 80A. Accordingly, the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 can more suitably press the uppermost sheet SHt toward the first and second outer peripheral surfaces 101A and 102A. The variation in the posture of SH can be further suppressed.

  Further, in the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the main body portions 115 of the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 are provided on a frame (not shown) of the second housing 9. The holding portion 99 is supported so as to be able to approach and separate from the first support surface 80A. Thus, when the user supports the sheet SH across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A, the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 are separated from the first support surface 80A. Hard to get in the way.

  In the image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 has a non-driven pressing roller 117. The pressing roller 117 is rotatably supported by the front end portion 115A of the main body portion 115 supported so as to be able to approach and separate from the first support surface 80A. Accordingly, when the uppermost sheet SHt is conveyed as the last sheet, the conveyance resistance is unlikely to act on the uppermost sheet SHt from the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112. It can be suitably transported.

  Furthermore, in this image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the pressing roller 117 of the first pressing member 111 is provided at a position facing the first outer peripheral surface 101A. Further, the pressing roller 117 of the second pressing member 112 is provided at a position facing the second outer peripheral surface 102A. Accordingly, the pressing rollers 117 of the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 can more suitably press the uppermost sheet SHt toward the first and second outer peripheral surfaces 101A and 102A. Variations in rows and postures of the sheet SH can be further suppressed.

  In the image reading apparatus 1, the main body 115 urged by the compression coil spring 119 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the number of sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A. The first support surface 80A can be preferably approached. For this reason, the pressing roller 117 of the first pressing member 111 and the second pressing member 112 can more suitably press the uppermost sheet SHt toward the first and second outer peripheral surfaces 101A and 102A. Variations in rows and postures of the sheet SH can be further suppressed.

  Further, in this image reading apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the separation unit includes a separation roller 61 and a retard roller 62, and the separation force F1 of the retard roller 62 overlaps the lowermost sheet SHb. The sheet SH is repeatedly pushed back toward the upstream side in the transport direction D1. For this reason, if no measures are taken, the posture of the other sheet SH that overlaps the lowest sheet SHb while repeatedly performing the operation of conveying a plurality of sheets SH while being separated by the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62. Tends to tilt, and the attitude of the lowermost sheet SHb may be tilted accordingly. In this regard, in this embodiment, the first and second regulating rollers 101 and 102 and the first and second pressing members 111 and 112 change the posture of the lowest sheet SHb and the other sheets SH that overlap the lowest sheet SHb. Since the change in the posture is suppressed, the skew of the sheet SH and the variation in the posture of the sheet SH can be suppressed.

(Example 2)
The image reading apparatus according to the second embodiment is different from the first restriction roller 101, the second restriction roller 102, the first pressing member 111, and the second pressing member 112 according to the image reading apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment with reference to FIGS. 11, a first regulating roller 201, a second regulating roller 202, a first pressing member 211, and a second pressing member 212 are provided. The first regulating roller 201 and the second regulating roller 202 are an example of the “rotating body” in the present invention. The first pressing member 211 and the second pressing member 212 are an example of the “pressing member” in the present invention.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the image reading apparatus according to the second embodiment includes a supply roller 41 and a guide roller 45 provided on the upstream side in the transport direction D <b> 1 with respect to the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62. Yes. The supply roller 41 and the guide roller 45 are an example of the “supply unit” in the present invention.

  Other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. For this reason, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the structure same as Example 1, and description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the supply roller 41 is supported by an internal frame (not shown) of the first housing 8 so as to be rotatable around the second rotation axis X41. The second rotation axis X41 is located at a position facing the back surface 80B of the lower chute member 80 and extends in the left-right direction. The supply roller 41 is a cylindrical member having a third outer peripheral surface 41A. A part of the third outer peripheral surface 41A is exposed from the first support surface 80A.

  The guide roller 45 is rotatably supported by the lower end portion of the linear guide 45A. The linear motion guide 45A is supported by an internal frame (not shown) of the second housing 9 so as to be linearly movable at a position upstream of the retard roller 62 in the transport direction D1. The linear guide 45A projects the guide roller 45 from the upper transport surface 90G to the transport path P1. The guide roller 45 is pressed toward the supply roller 41 by urging the linear motion guide 45A downward by a biasing spring (not shown). The guide roller 45 contacts the uppermost sheet SHt of the sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A from above, and presses it toward the supply roller 41.

  The supply roller 41 receives a rotational driving force from a motor (not shown) and rotates the third outer peripheral surface 41A in the transport direction D1. As a result, the supply roller 41 imparts a transport force to the lowest sheet SHb of the sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A, and toward the downstream side in the transport direction D1. Supply.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, two sets of supply roller 41 and guide roller 45 are provided side by side in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first restriction roller 201 and the second restriction roller 202 are cylindrical members in which a friction layer made of a soft material such as rubber or elastomer is formed at least on the surface layer. The outer peripheral surface of the first regulating roller 201 is a first outer peripheral surface 201A. The outer peripheral surface of the second regulating roller 102 is a second outer peripheral surface 202A. The first outer peripheral surface 201A and the second outer peripheral surface 202A have the same diameter.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the first restriction roller 201 and the second restriction roller 202 are disposed at the upstream end 70 </ b> U in the transport direction D <b> 1 on the second support surface 70 </ b> A of the supply tray 70.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the rotation shaft 203 is disposed on the surface of the supply tray 70 opposite to the second support surface 70 </ b> A, that is, the position facing the back surface 70 </ b> B. The rotation shaft 203 defines a first rotation axis X2 extending in the left-right direction. The first rotation axis X2 is located upstream of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 in the transport direction D1 and opposite the back surface 70B of the supply tray 70. As shown in FIG. 9, the left end and the right end of the rotation shaft 203 are rotatably supported by shaft support portions 77 </ b> L and 77 </ b> R provided on the supply tray 70.

  The first regulating roller 201 is fixed to the left end portion of the rotating shaft 203 so as to be integrally rotatable. The second restriction roller 202 is fixed to the right end portion of the rotation shaft 203 so as to be integrally rotatable. Driving means such as a motor (not shown) that drives the transport unit 60 is not connected to the rotating shaft 203.

  That is, the first restriction roller 201 and the second restriction roller 202 are supported so as to be rotatable around the first rotation axis X2. The first outer circumferential surface 201A of the first regulating roller 201 and the second outer circumferential surface 202A of the second regulating roller 202 can rotate integrally without being driven.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the supply tray 70 has two openings 76L and 76R. The left opening 76L is a rectangular hole that is located at a position corresponding to the first regulating roller 201 and penetrates from the second support surface 70A to the back surface 70B of the supply tray 70. The right opening 76R is a rectangular hole that passes from the second support surface 70A to the back surface 70B of the supply tray 70 at a position corresponding to the second regulating roller 202.

  A part of the first outer peripheral surface 201A of the first regulating roller 201 is exposed from the second support surface 70A through the left opening 76L. A part of the second outer peripheral surface 202A of the second regulating roller 202 is exposed from the second support surface 70A through the right opening 76R.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a part of the first outer peripheral surface 201A of the first regulating roller 201 is exposed from the second support surface 70A and can come into contact with the lowermost sheet SHb. A part of the second outer peripheral surface 202A of the second regulating roller 202 is also exposed from the second support surface 70A and can contact the lowermost sheet SHb.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the first outer peripheral surface 201 </ b> A is located at a position shifted to the left from the pair of separation roller 61 and retard roller 62 located on the left. The right end of the first outer peripheral surface 201A is separated from the left side surface of the left separation roller 61 by a distance L2. 202 A of 2nd outer peripheral surfaces are in the position shifted | deviated to the right rather than the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 of the group located to the right. The left end of the second outer peripheral surface 202A is separated from the right side surface of the right separation roller 61 by a distance L2.

  Further, the first outer peripheral surface 201 </ b> A is located at a position shifted to the left from the pair of supply roller 41 and guide roller 45 located on the left. 202 A of 2nd outer peripheral surfaces are in the position shifted to the right rather than the pair of supply roller 41 and guide roller 45 which are located in the right side.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the first pressing member 211 and the second pressing member 212 have a main body 215 and a pressing roller 217, respectively. The two main body portions 215 are connected to the two distal end portions of the substantially U-shaped connection portion 214 and protrude downward.

  The two main body portions 215 are formed with a pair of tip portions 215A that extend in the vertical direction and face in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lower end surface of each tip 215A is inclined downward so as to approach the second support surface 70A toward the downstream side of D1 in the transport direction. The pressing roller 217 is rotatably supported by the pair of tip portions 215A without being driven.

  Shaft portions 214 </ b> L and 214 </ b> R that protrude further leftward from the left end portion and further rightward from the right end portion are formed in portions that extend linearly in the left-right direction in the connection portion 214. The shaft portions 214L and 214R are cylindrical shafts that protrude so as to be separated from each other in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 8, shaft support portions 98 </ b> L and 98 </ b> R are projected on the upper surface of the second housing 9. By inserting the shaft portions 214L and 214R into the shaft support portions 98L and 98R, as shown in FIG. 10, the connection portion 214 is supported on the upper surface of the second housing 9 so as to be swingable around the swing axis X214. ing. The connecting portion 214 can swing between a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 10 and a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  The position of the connection part 214 shown by a solid line in FIG. 10 is the same as the position of the connection part 214 shown in FIG. In a state in which the connecting portion 214 is in this position, the first pressing member 211 and the second pressing member 212 are positioned upstream of the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 in the transport direction D1 and opposed to the second support surface 70A. It is in the position to do. The connection part 214 urges the main body part 215 of the first pressing member 211 and the second pressing member 212 in a direction approaching the second support surface 70A by its own weight. The pressing roller 217 faces the second support surface 70A, and can approach and separate from the second support surface 70A together with the main body 215.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the first pressing member 211 is located at a position shifted leftward from the pair of separation roller 61 and retard roller 62 located on the left. The first pressing member 211 is located at a position shifted to the left from the pair of supply roller 41 and guide roller 45 located on the left. The second pressing member 212 is located at a position shifted to the right from the pair of separation rollers 61 and the retard roller 62 positioned on the right. Further, the second pressing member 212 is located at a position shifted to the right from the pair of supply rollers 41 and guide rollers 45 positioned on the right.

  The pressing roller 217 of the first pressing member 211 is provided at a position facing the first outer peripheral surface 201A. The pressing roller 217 of the second pressing member 212 is provided at a position facing the second outer peripheral surface 202A. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the first pressing member 211 moves the uppermost sheet SHt of the sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A to the first outer peripheral surface 201A. It can be pressed toward The second pressing member 212 can press the uppermost sheet SHt of the sheets SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A toward the second outer peripheral surface 202A.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the first outer peripheral surface 201A of the first regulating roller 201 and the pressing roller 217 of the first pressing member 211 are shifted to the left from the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62 at the first position. The sheet SH supported across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A is sandwiched. Further, the second outer peripheral surface 202A of the second regulating roller 202 and the pressing roller 117 of the second pressing member 212 are shifted to the right from the separation roller 61 and the retard roller 62, and the first support surface 80A and The sheet SH supported across the second support surface 70A is sandwiched. In FIG. 11, a vertically long sheet such as A4 size is illustrated as an example of the sheet SH.

  On the other hand, in the state where the connection portion 214 is in the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10, the first pressing member 211 and the second pressing member 212 are separated from the second support surface 70A together with the connection portion 214, and the second support surface 70A. Is opened above. For this reason, when the user supports the sheet SH across the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A, the connection portion 214, the first pressing member 211, and the second pressing member 212 are unlikely to obstruct the work.

  In the image reading apparatus according to the second embodiment having such a configuration, as in the image reading apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the sheet SH stacked on the first support surface 80A and the second support surface 70A and the sheet SH are stacked. The variation in the posture of the SH can be suppressed, and as a result, the jam of the sheet SH and the deterioration in the quality of the image reading process performed on the conveyed sheet SH can be suppressed.

  In this image reading apparatus, the conveyance resistance from the first and second outer peripheral surfaces 201A and 202A of the first and second regulating rollers 201 and 202 and the pressing roller 217 of the first and second pressing members 211 and 212 is applied to the sheet SH. Even if it acts, the sheet SH can be reliably supplied toward the separation roller 61 by the supply roller 41 and the guide roller 45.

  Further, in this image reading apparatus, the first and second regulating rollers 201 and 202 and the first and second pressing members 211 and 212 are arranged at the upstream end portion 70U in the transport direction D1 on the second support surface 70A of the supply tray 70. Has been. Accordingly, the first and second regulating rollers 201 and 202 and the first and second pressing members 211 and 212 are unlikely to interfere with the supply roller 41, the separation roller 61, the retard roller 62, and the driving mechanism that transmits the driving force to them.

  In the above, the present invention has been described with reference to the first and second embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and applied without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say.

  For example, a configuration in which a pinch roller that is pressed toward the separation roller 61 at a position upstream of the retard roller 62 in the transport direction D1 is added to the transport unit 60 according to the first embodiment is also included in the present invention.

  The rotating body may be a single roller including the first and second outer peripheral surfaces and extending in the width direction. Further, the roller having the first outer peripheral surface and the roller having the second outer peripheral surface may be coupled so as to be integrally rotatable by a plurality of gears, a transmission shaft, or the like. Furthermore, the positions where the first and second outer peripheral surfaces and the first and second pressing members are provided are not limited to the positions of the first and second embodiments. For example, the first outer peripheral surface and the second outer peripheral surface are at a position that is equidistant from one end and the other end in the width direction with respect to one end and the other end in the width direction of the installation region in which the separation portion is provided It only needs to be on the same straight line extending in parallel with the width direction. In addition, the first and second pressing members may not be opposed to the first and second outer peripheral surfaces as long as the uppermost sheet can be pressed toward the first and second outer peripheral surfaces.

  For example, the separation unit may be configured to include a separation pad instead of the active retard roller or the passive retard roller.

  As the supply unit, an endless belt may be employed instead of the supply roller 41 according to the second embodiment.

  The present invention can be used in, for example, an image reading apparatus, an image forming apparatus, or a multifunction machine.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sheet conveying apparatus (image reading apparatus), SH ... Sheet 70A, 80A ... Support surface (70A ... 2nd support surface, 80A ... 1st support surface)
70, 80 ... support member (70 ... supply tray, 80 ... lower chute member)
D1 ... Conveying direction, SHb ... Lowermost sheet, SHt ... Uppermost sheet, 60 ... Conveying part 61, 62 ... Separating part (61 ... Separating roller, 62 ... retarding roller)
70B, 80B ... the surface of the support member opposite to the support surface (70B ... the back surface of the supply tray, 80B ... the back surface of the lower chute member)
X1, X2 ... first rotation axis 101, 102, 201, 202 ... rotating body (101, 201 ... first regulating roller, 102, 202 ... second regulating roller)
101A, 102A, 201A, 202A ... outer peripheral surface of rotating body (101A, 201A ... first outer peripheral surface, 102A, 202A ... second outer peripheral surface)
111, 112, 211, 212 ... pressing member (111, 211 ... first pressing member, 112, 212 ... second pressing member)
115, 215 ... main body, 115A, 215A ... tip of main body 117, 217 ... pressing roller, 119 ... biasing member (compression coil spring)
41, 45 ... supply section (41 ... supply roller, 45 ... guide roller)
41A ... third outer peripheral surface, X41 ... second rotational axis 70U ... upstream end in the transport direction on the support surface (upstream end of the first support surface)

Claims (10)

A support member having a support surface for supporting the sheet;
A transport unit including a separation unit that separates the lowermost sheet at the lowest position among the sheets supported by the support surface one by one and transports the sheet to the downstream side in the transport direction;
Provided at a position upstream of the separation unit in the transport direction and at a position facing the support surface, and abuts against and presses the uppermost sheet at the uppermost position among the sheets supported by the support surface. A possible pressing member;
It is supported so as to be rotatable around a first rotation axis located at a position upstream of the separating portion in the transport direction and facing a surface opposite to the support surface of the support member. A non-driven rotating body that is exposed from the support surface and is capable of contacting the lowermost sheet;
The outer peripheral surface of the rotating body is a first outer peripheral surface located at a position shifted to one of the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction from the separation unit;
A second outer peripheral surface that is in a position shifted to the other side in the width direction from the separating portion and rotates integrally with the first outer peripheral surface;
The pressing member is at a position shifted to one side in the width direction from the separating portion, and a first pressing member capable of pressing the uppermost sheet toward the first outer peripheral surface;
And a second pressing member which is located at a position shifted to the other side in the width direction with respect to the separation portion and capable of pressing the uppermost sheet toward the second outer peripheral surface. apparatus.   The first pressing member has a portion that overlaps a part of the first outer peripheral surface exposed from the support surface when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the support surface, and the second pressing member includes the second outer periphery. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a portion overlapping a part of the surface exposed from the support surface.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pressing member and the second pressing member are supported so as to be able to approach and separate from the support surface. Each of the first pressing member and the second pressing member is supported so as to be able to approach and separate from the support surface, and
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a non-driven pressing roller rotatably supported at a front end portion of the main body portion facing the support surface. The pressing roller of the first pressing member is provided at a position facing the first outer peripheral surface,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing roller of the second pressing member is provided at a position facing the second outer peripheral surface.   The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the first pressing member and the second pressing member includes a biasing member that biases the main body portion in a direction approaching the support surface. The separation unit, a separation roller that conveys the lowermost sheet to the downstream side in the conveyance direction;
7. A retard roller configured to be pressed toward the separation roller and configured to apply a separation force opposite to the conveying direction to a sheet other than the lowest sheet. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1. A supply unit that is provided upstream of the separation unit in the transport direction and supplies the sheet supported by the support surface toward the downstream side of the transport direction;
The first outer peripheral surface and the first pressing member are at a position shifted to one side in the width direction from the supply unit,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second outer peripheral surface and the second pressing member are located at positions shifted to the other in the width direction with respect to the supply unit.   The supply unit has a third outer peripheral surface, rotates around a second rotation axis located at a position facing the surface of the support member opposite to the support surface, and a part of the third outer peripheral surface The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a supply roller that exposes the sheet from the support surface.   The rotating body including the first outer peripheral surface and the second outer peripheral surface, and the first pressing member and the second pressing member are disposed at an upstream end portion in the transport direction on the support surface. Item 10. The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 9.

Images