Patent ID: 8590882
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A feeder unit comprising: a base portion forming a housing; a first tray that keeps a storage position in which the first tray is stored within the base portion and an operation position that is displaced in a direction to which the first tray projects from the storage position, and is provided at one end of a feeding path of a medium so as to place the medium thereon; a second tray that keeps an operation position in which the second tray forms a continuous surface with the feeding path and is provided at the other end of the feeding path so as to place the medium thereon, and a non-operation position in which the second tray is spaced apart from the feeding path, and a cover member that is openably and closeably provided to cover a surface on which the medium is placed of the first tray in the storage position when being closed or uncover the surface on which the medium is placed of the first tray when being open, wherein the cover member and the second tray form a continuous surface when the second tray is in the non-operation position; and a power transmitter that transmits power to open and close the cover member to the first tray, wherein: the power transmitter is configured so as to displace the first tray to the operation position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to an open-state, and to the storage position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to a closed-state, the power transmitter is configured so as to displace the second tray to the operation position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to the open-state, and to the non-operation position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to the closed-state, the power transmitter includes a projecting strip that comes to abut the first tray and that pushes against the first tray so as to displace the first tray to the operation position when the cover member is switched to the open-state, and a gap in a thickness direction of the medium is increased in the feeding path located below the first tray in a vertical plate arrangement direction when the first tray is displaced upward to the operation position when the cover member is switched to the open-state.