Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Seiko Epson Corporation

Yoichiro Nishimura

Tetsuo Asada

Gakuro Kanazawa

Asami Hashimoto

Yukio Shiohara

Tomohisa Higuchi

Kazuhito Ishida

Masahisa Kato

Kumiko Kuriki

Keisuke Wakakusa

Masaki Namiki

Ryoichi Shuto

Noriyuki Koyanagi

Keiichiro Fukumasu

Yuta Arakawa

Tomohiro Wada

Yuhei Hamada

A medium-discharging device includes: a device main body including a medium-discharging section that discharges a medium; a medium-receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section; and a pressing member that is configured to be attached to and detached from to the device main body and presses the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section against the medium-receiving tray in a state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, in which the pressing member is configured to switch, in the state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, between a first state in which the pressing member comes into contact with the medium-receiving tray and a second state in which the pressing member retreats upward so as to be apart from the medium-receiving tray.

Medium-discharging device and image reading apparatus

A scanner includes: a first transport roller pair that transports a material; a reader that reads the material; a second transport roller pair that transports the material; a transport motor; and a pressing section. The transport motor 50 rotates both the rollers of the first transport roller pair and both the rollers of the second transport roller pair. The pressing section can vary a first pressing force generated in the first transport roller pair and a second pressing force generated in the second transport roller pair. The pressing section varies the second pressing force in such a way that the second pressing force when the first transport roller pair transports the material but the second transport roller pair does not transport the material becomes lower than the second pressing force when neither the first transport roller pair nor the second transport roller pair transports the material.

Image reading apparatus

An image reading apparatus includes a first unit, a second unit, a motor, and a power transmission mechanism. The second unit is configured to be rotated in relation to the first unit and configured to be closed onto, and opened away from, the first unit by being rotated. The motor is provided in the first unit. The power transmission mechanism transmits motive power of the motor from the first unit to the second unit. The power transmission mechanism includes a first gear and a second gear. The first gear has the same axial center of rotation as that of the second unit. The second gear is provided in the second unit and is in mesh with the first gear.

An apparatus body of an image reading apparatus is turnably provided to a body supporting portion. The apparatus body is turned so as to be switchable between a first posture and a second posture that forms an angle between a reading transportation path and a mounting surface being smaller than the corresponding angle formed in the first posture. A transportation path switching unit couples the reading transportation path to a reverse transportation path when the apparatus body takes the first posture, and couples the reading transportation path to a non-reverse transportation path when the apparatus body takes the second posture.

A medium feeding device includes: a medium mounting section onto which a medium to be fed is mounted; a feeding unit that feeds the medium mounted on the medium mounting section; and a supporting member that supports an end in a width direction of the medium mounted on the medium mounting section and that supports the medium at a higher position than the medium mounting section in a direction of loading of the medium, the width direction being a direction crossing a feed direction.

Medium feeding device and image reading apparatus

In a transport device, a cover defining a portion of a transport path is pivotable between a closed state and an open state. The cover is movable while in the closed state between a first position and a second position lower than the first position. An urging member urges the cover from the second position toward the first position. The cover includes a main body for guiding the sheet in the transport direction and an engagement portion engaged with a frame when the cover is at the first position to restrict pivoting of the cover from the first position to a third position at which the cover is in the open state. The engagement portion is disengaged from the frame when the cover is at the second position to allow pivoting of the cover from the second position to the third position.

Transport device including a cover having a frame engagement feature

A medium feeding apparatus capable of switching between a first feeding mode and a second feeding mode, in which in the first feeding mode, when a first detection section positioned downstream of a feeding roller in a medium feeding direction detects passage of a trailing end of a preceding medium in a feeding standby state in which driving of the feeding roller that feeds the medium is stopped, starting the driving of the feeding roller to perform feeding of a succeeding medium, and in the second feeding mode, when a second detection section positioned downstream of the first detection section in the medium feeding direction detects the passage of the trailing end of the preceding medium in the feeding standby state, starting the driving of the feeding roller to perform the feeding of the succeeding medium.

Medium feeding apparatus, image reading apparatus, and medium feeding method in medium feeding apparatus

A sheet feed device includes a housing, a tray, a feed roller, an arm, a pad, and a protruding portion. The housing has a sheet conveyance path. The tray includes a bottom plate having a sheet support surface that supports a sheet. The sheet conveyance path extends upward from the sheet support surface. The feed roller rotates about a rotational axis and feeds the sheet supported on the sheet support surface in a first direction. The arm rotatably supports the feed roller. The arm swingably moves about an axis parallel to the rotational axis of the feed roller. The pad is disposed on the bottom plate. The pad has a higher friction coefficient than a friction coefficient of the sheet support surface. The protruding portion protrudes upward from the sheet support surface at a position shifted from the pad in a second direction opposite from the first direction.

Sheet feed device

A housing is formed with a first opening and a sheet conveyance path. A tray is inserted into the housing through the first opening in a first direction and pulled out in a second direction opposite from the first direction. The tray supports a sheet. The tray includes a bottom plate, a front plate, and a cover. The bottom plate supports a sheet. The front plate protrudes upward from an end portion of the bottom plate in the second direction. The cover is configured to move between a first position at which the cover closes a second opening and a second position at which the cover opens the second opening. The second opening is defined by an end of a top plate in the second direction and an upper end of the front plate, the top plate covering an upper side of a space that accommodates a sheet.

Sheet feed device and image recording apparatus

A slide member slides in conjunction with reciprocation of a carriage. The slide member slides between a first position and a second position to cause a switch gear to move between a plurality of slide positions at which the switch gear engages respective ones of a plurality of transmission gears. The slide member at the second position is closer to a first end of a shaft than the slide member at the first position is. A first cover covers a first sliding contact portion of the shaft over an entire range of the first sliding contact portion in a main scanning direction. The slide member is in sliding contact with the first sliding contact portion when the slide member slides between the first position and the second position. The first sliding contact portion is closer to the first end than the slide member located at the first position is.

Image recording apparatus

A medium feeding apparatus includes a first feed roller, a second feed roller, a first separating roller, and a second separating roller. The medium feeding apparatus further includes a first curve forming portion that forms, in a medium, a curve in a width direction. The first curve forming portion is in contact with a medium at a portion upstream of a nip position between the feed rollers and the separating rollers in the feeding direction and at a portion between the first separating roller and the second separating roller in the width direction and a state in which the portion in contact with the medium is, with respect to the outer circumferential surfaces of the feed rollers, positioned in a rotation center direction of the feed rollers is maintained.

A front plate is rotatably supported at an end portion of a tray in a pulling direction. The front plate rotatably moves between: a first position at which the front plate extends diagonally upward in the pulling direction from a first end portion at which a rotational axis is located toward a second end portion opposite the first end portion; and a second position at which the second end portion of the front plate is located at a position that is higher than the second end portion at the first position and that is shifted in an insertion direction from the second end portion at the first position. The front plate includes a grip and a surface. The surface of the front plate faces in the pulling direction and downward in a state where the front plate is located at the first position, wherein the surface surrounds the grip.

A conveyor includes: a first power transmitting mechanism configured to transmit one of forward rotation and reverse rotation of a motor to a first roller and not to transmit the other from a driven member to the first roller; and a second power transmitting mechanism configured to transmit the other rotation to the first roller and not to transmit the one rotation to the first roller. The first power transmitting mechanism includes a transmission delayer that does not transmit rotation of the motor from the driven member to the first roller until the motor is rotated by a particular amount from a time point at which the motor starts to be rotated in a rotational direction of the one rotation when rotation transmitted from the motor to the driven member is changed from the other rotation to the one rotation.

Conveyor and image recording apparatus

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a main unit; a tray main body pivotable between a standing position and an inclined position; and a tray cover connected to the tray main body and pivotable between a bent position and a straight position. A space formed between the main unit and the tray main body is covered by the tray cover located at the bent position relative to the tray main body at the standing position and exposed by the tray cover located at the straight position relative to the tray main body at the inclined position. The tray cover pivoting from the straight position to the bent position relative to the tray main body at the inclined position causes the tray main body to pivot from the inclined position to the standing position, so that the tray cover covers the space.

Growing community of inventors

Kitakyushu, Japan

Yoichiro Nishimura