Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Takuya Naniwa

Katsuro Miura

Yoshinori Osakabe

Muneaki Takahata

Hiromi Tanaka

Tsuyoshi Suganuma

Takashi Fujiwara

Yasuo Nishikawa

A sheet conveying device includes a conveyor, a supporting section which supports a sheet to be fed to the conveyor and a guide section which is provided on the supporting section and configured to guide a sheet to the conveyor. The supporting section includes a first support region and a second support region which support a sheet. The first support region is provided at a position on an upstream side from the second support region in a sheet conveyance direction. The first support region extends substantially horizontally, and the second support region is inclined in a lower direction toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The guide section includes a first portion which extends substantially horizontally along the first support region, and a second portion which is connected to the first portion and extends obliquely in the lower direction along the second support region.

Sheet conveying device and image reading device

A sheet feeder including a motor, a shaft configured to be driven to rotate by a driving force from the motor, the shaft being spaced apart from the motor in an axial direction of the shaft, the shaft being disposed to overlap in a view in the axial direction of the shaft, and a roller supported by the shaft and rotatable along with the shaft, the roller being configured to convey the sheet downstream in a sheet conveyance direction along a sheet conveyance path.

Sheet feeder and image reader having the same

When a document cover in a closed position is opened, a lower end of a rear cover of the document cover may horizontally push a hung portion of an electric cable inside an image reading apparatus. If a rectangular edge of the lower end contacts the horizontal portion directly, the electric cable containing the horizontal portion may be damaged. Therefore, arc-like projections are formed on the lower end of the rear cover such that the projections contact the horizontal portion. According to this configuration, the damage of the electric cable can be suppressed.

Electronic apparatus including main unit and open/close unit movable in up and down direction and openable/closeable in rotating direction relative to main unit

An image reading apparatus includes: a housing; a cover pivotable with respect to the housing about a first pivot axis extending in first directions that are opposite each other; a first electric component provided in the housing; a second electric component provided in the cover; and an electric wire configured to connect the first electric component and the second electric component to each other. The electric wire includes: a first extending portion retained by the cover and extending in the first directions; and a second extending portion movable relative to the cover and extending from the first extending portion toward the housing.

Image reading apparatus

When the two same CIS are used for a first image sensor and a second image sensor and they are arranged to face opposite sides of an original document with longer sides (i.e., a main scanning direction) thereof being aligned, if an arrangement order of the array of the imaging elements and the light guiding unit in a document conveying direction is the same, the connectors are located at opposite side ends in a front-rear direction. Thus, an electric cable connected to the connector of the second image sensor is arranged above the second image sensor and extends in a longitudinal direction. Additionally, a horizontal portion of the electric cable is supported on an upper surface of a casing accommodating the second image sensor.

An image reading apparatus having a sheet path, which includes two ejection paths, is provided. The sheet path is switchable between the two ejection paths by a switchable member. An outlet cover arranged on a casing of the image reading apparatus is movable between a closed position and an open position to open and close an outlet of the second ejection path. When the outlet cover moves from the closed position to the open position, and before the switchable member switches the sheet path from the first ejection path to the second ejection path, switching of the sheet path from the first ejection path to the second ejection path is detectable.

An image reader is provided that includes a housing, a sheet support surface disposed at the housing and configured to support a sheet placed thereon, a conveyor that includes a roller and conveys the sheet in a first direction, a drive unit generating a driving force for driving the conveyor, an image sensor unit reading an image on the sheet being conveyed by the conveyor, a cover configured to rotate between an open position to expose the roller and a closed position to cover the roller around a rotational axis extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a detector configured to output a first signal when the cover is in the closed position and output a second signal when the cover is in the open position, the detector disposed on a same side as the drive unit in the second direction with respect to the sheet support surface.

Image reader

An image reading apparatus capable of reading an image from a sheet is provided. A sheet path to eject the sheet after being read may be selectively switched between a first ejection path to eject the sheet to an ejection unit and a second ejection path to eject the sheet on an outlet cover, which is openable/closable to a casing of the image reading apparatus. When the outlet cover is moved to open, a flapper arranged in a branch point between the first ejection path and the second ejection path moved in conjunction with the opening motion of the outlet cover, and the sheet path is switched from the first ejection path to the second ejection path. Further, a plurality of arms in a cover motion detector having a linkage mechanism rotate, and the rotating motions are detectable by a detector switch arranged at a terminal of the linkage mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Kiyosu, Japan

Takuya Naniwa