Paper feed port and image reading apparatus

In a paper feed port configured to feed a sheet-like medium to a conveyance path, an inclined surface is provided at both ends of an opening into which the medium to be fed is inserted, with respect to a width direction crossing a paper feed direction of the medium, such that an abutting angle between the inclined surface and a leading end of the medium on a downstream side in the paper feed direction is an acute angle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-007357, filed Jan. 15, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a paper feed port and an image reading apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional paper feed ports that feed sheet-like media such as sheets of paper and conventional image reading apparatuses that read images on media fed from such paper feed ports have been disclosed. For example, Japanese Patent No. 2566650 discloses an image forming apparatus that has a manual conveyance path for conveying, from a direction orthogonal to a conveyance path of a main unit, a sheet material manually inserted from a manual port (a paper feed port) provided at the front of an apparatus. Further, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-68534 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a guiding member, which can press from above in an approximate full width direction a sheet of paper or an original to a portion where the sheet or the original is inserted into a main unit of the image forming apparatus, is provided protruded. Furthermore, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-7292 discloses a manual insertion guide provided with an upper guiding member facing a lower guiding member with a certain space from the lower guiding member that supports from underneath a manually inserted sheet of paper or original and being shaped so as to retreat backwards as both ends are approached from a front edge.

In the image forming apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2566650 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-68534 and the manual insertion guide disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-7292, for a case where a so-called corner curl is generated in an original for example, further improvements to be able to feed the original more infallibly and easily have been desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, a paper feed port is configured to feed a sheet-like medium to a conveyance path, wherein an inclined surface is provided at both ends of an opening into which the medium to be fed is inserted, with respect to a width direction crossing a paper feed direction of the medium, such that an abutting angle between the inclined surface and a leading end of the medium on a downstream side in the paper feed direction is an acute angle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an image reading apparatus includes the paper feed port; and a reader that reads an image on the medium fed from the paper feed port.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of a paper feed port and an image reading apparatus according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments. In addition, structural elements in the following embodiments include those easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those substantially the same.

In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, a direction in which a medium is fed to the image reading apparatus is referred to as “paper feed direction”, a direction crossing, here, orthogonal to the paper feed direction is referred to as “width direction”, and a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction and the width direction is referred to as “height direction”. The paper feed direction corresponds to a sub-scanning direction of the image reading apparatus, that is, a length direction of the medium, the width direction corresponds to a main scanning direction of the image reading apparatus, that is, the width direction of the medium, and the height direction corresponds to a thickness direction of the medium.

A paper feed port1according to the present embodiment is applied to an image reading apparatus2as depicted inFIG. 1, and feeds an original S, which is a sheet-like medium having a predetermined size, such as a sheet of paper, to a conveyance path3. The image reading apparatus2is applied to a device such as an image scanner, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a character recognition apparatus. The image reading apparatus2includes the paper feed port1, the conveyance path3, a reader main unit4, an original table5, and a control device6. The reader main unit4includes a conveying device7, and an optical unit8, which is a reader. The image reading apparatus2reads an image on the original S fed from the paper feed port1and carried by the conveying device7, using the optical unit8.

The paper feed port1feeds the sheet-like original S to the conveyance path3, and includes an opening9into which the original S to be fed is inserted. In other words, the paper feed port1feeds to the conveyance path3the original S with an image to be read by the optical unit8. Typically, the paper feed port1is for manually feeding the original S by a user to the conveyance path3of the image reading apparatus2. In this case, the user inserts an end of the original S into the opening9of the paper feed port1.

The conveyance path3is a passage to carry the original S fed from the paper feed port1. The conveyance path3is formed between the reader main unit4and the original table5with respect to the height direction.

External shapes of the reader main unit4and the original table5are both rectangularly columnar and long in the width direction. The reader main unit4and the original table5are provided facing each other in the height direction, and the conveyance path3is formed between the opposite surfaces along the height direction. An outer circumferential surface of a roller10(described later) is exposed from a surface of the reader main unit4that is opposite to the original table5with respect to the height direction (from a lower surface in the height direction). On the original table5, a conveying surface11for comparting the conveyance path3is formed on a surface opposite to the reader main unit4with respect to the height direction (on an upper surface in the height direction). The outer circumferential surface of the roller10and the conveying surface11face each other vertically in the conveyance path3along the height direction.

The control device6includes a microcomputer as a central element, and controls each part of the image reading apparatus2. The control device6is, for example, provided internally inside a housing of the original table5.

The conveying device7conveys the original S fed from the paper feed port1to the conveyance path3toward the optical unit8, and includes the roller10. As described above, the roller10is provided inside the housing of the reader main unit4so that a part of the outer circumferential surface is exposed to the conveyance path3. The roller10is provided plurally. The roller10is driven to be rotated by power being transmitted from a drive member including a drive source such as a motor. In the conveying device7, the drive member is driven under control by the control device6and the power is transmitted to the roller10via a gear, a drive shaft, and the like, thereby rotating the roller10. The conveying device7holds the original S between the outer circumferential surface of the roller10and the conveying surface11, and as the roller10is driven to be rotated, the original S is conveyed on the conveyance path3.

The optical unit8reads an image on the original S conveyed by the conveying device7. The optical unit8is, for example, provided internally inside the housing of the reader main unit4. The optical unit8includes a light source12and an image sensor13. The light source12is a light emitting unit such as an LED, and irradiates light to the original S, which is an image reading target, via a reading window14. The image sensor13receives reflected light irradiated by the light source12and reflected by the original S, and converts the received light into an electric signal to read image data. The image sensor13may be, for example, a CCD line sensor or the like, which is a linear image sensor (a one-dimensional image sensor) in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that receive light and generate an electric charge are arranged in a line along the width direction (a longitudinal direction). In the optical unit8, the arranged direction of the photoelectric conversion elements, that is, a longitudinal direction of the image sensor13is the scanning direction, and a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, that is, a conveyance direction of the original S is the sub-scanning direction. The optical unit8optically scans an image on the original S by the image sensor13, converts it into an electric signal to read it as image data, and transmits the read image data to the control device6.

In the image reading apparatus2, an image on the original S fed from the paper feed port1and conveyed by the conveying device7is read by the optical unit8per read line along the scanning direction. Because the original S continues a relative movement with respect to the image sensor13of the optical unit8, the image reading apparatus2is able to sequentially read the image along the sub-scanning direction to finally read a two-dimensional image data on the original S.

The image reading apparatus2includes a shooter15at the paper feed port1. The shooter15includes a guiding face16that guides the original S to the opening9of the paper feed port1. Accordingly, because a leading end of the original S is guided to the opening9by the shooter15, the paper feed port1allows the original S to be easily inserted into the opening9thereby improving the insertability of the original S. The shooter15is provided so that the guiding face16is substantially parallel to the conveying surface11and continuous to the conveying surface11on an upstream side in the paper feed direction. The shooter15is stowable, for example, by the guiding face16rotating to a position substantially vertical to the conveying surface11, thereby enabling the image reading apparatus2to be compact when the image reading apparatus2is not being used.

The image reading apparatus2is able to switch between straight-lined conveyance and bent conveyance, for example, by opening or closing a guiding member17provided on a downstream side of the conveyance path3in the paper feed direction, that is, on a paper ejection side. For example, the image reading apparatus2is able to convey and eject the original S in a bent manner by expanding the guiding member17as illustrated by a one-dot chain line inFIG. 1, thereby enabling saving of an installation space equivalent to a paper ejection space of the original S. Further, the image reading apparatus2is able to linearly convey and eject the original S by storing the guiding member17, thereby enabling to prevent an original S having relatively high stiffness or a thick original S from being damaged.

As depicted inFIG. 1, the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2according to the present embodiment are improved by appropriately forming a shape of the opening9of the paper feed port1, so that the original S is able to be fed more infallibly and easily even when, for example, the original S has a so-called corner curl. The corner curl means a curled state of any one of corners at both ends of the original S in the width direction due to flexure or bending.

Specifically, in the paper feed port1, an inclined surface18is provided in the opening9so that an abutting angle θ with respect to an end of the original S on the downstream side in the paper feed direction becomes an acute angle. The inclined surface18is formed on the housing of the reader main unit4. The inclined surface18having the acute abutting angle θ with respect to the original S is provided at least at both ends of the opening9in the width direction. The inclined surface18is formed, extending along the width direction, and is provided over the entire width direction of the opening9. The inclined surface18is shaped such that a distance along the height direction from the conveying surface11becomes gradually shorter (narrower) from the upstream side to the downstream in the paper feed direction.

More specifically, the abutting angle θ is an angle formed between the original S and the inclined surface18on the upstream side in the paper feed direction and on the opposite side of the conveyance path3(and of the conveying surface11), at a contact portion between the leading end of the original S in the paper feed direction and the inclined surface18, in a cross sectional view along the paper feed direction. That is, the inclined surface18is formed so that the abutting angle θ, which is an angle formed between the original S and the inclined surface18on the upstream side in the paper feed direction and on the opposite side of the conveyance path3, becomes smaller than 90 degrees, in a cross-sectional shape along the sub-scanning direction.

Accordingly, in the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, because the inclined surface18is provided at least at the both ends of the opening9in the width direction, so that the abutting angle θ with respect to the original S becomes an acute angle, even if a corner curl is generated in the original S for example, it is possible to prevent a corner of the original S from being caught at the opening9. As a result, in the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, the shape of the opening9is improved by the inclined surface18, without separately providing another paper-feed guiding member or the like, and it is possible to improve the manual insertability of the original S into the opening9, while suppressing a size increase of the apparatus, in other words, while downsizing the apparatus, and thus to feed an original more infallibly and smoothly to feed the original S more easily.

For example, when a user inserts the original S into the opening9by holding the original S with one hand, generally, the user tends to hold a central part of the original S, and thus, the both ends of the original S in the width direction may be bent. However, even if the original S is bent due to the holding of the original S with one hand, the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2are able to prevent a corner of the original S from being caught at the opening9, as in the case where a corner curl is generated in the original S, and to make feeding of the original S easy.

Further, as depicted inFIGS. 2, and4to9, the inclined surface18is shaped such that its edge on the upstream side in the paper feed direction protrudes toward the upstream side in the paper feed direction, from the both ends in the width direction toward the central part. In the inclined surface18, when a protruding length of its edge on the upstream side in the paper feed direction toward the upstream side, based on a position of the edge on the upstream side in the paper feed direction at the both ends in the width direction is designated as protruding amount L, the protruding amount L changes according to a position in the width direction. That is, in the inclined surface18, the protruding amount L gradually becomes larger from the both ends in the width direction toward the central part, thereby forming a front flange wall19.

The front flange wall19is a wall surface continuous with the edge of the inclined surface18on the upstream side in the paper feed direction, and in this embodiment extends to an upper side (an opposite side of the conveyance path3) of the inclined surface18along the height direction. In the front flange wall19, its central part in the width direction protrudes toward the upstream side in the paper feed direction, and in this embodiment, forms a wall surface curved along the paper feed direction. In other words, the front flange wall19is shaped such that the edge of the inclined surface18on the upstream side in the paper feed direction retreats toward a downstream side in the paper feed direction as advancing toward the both ends in the width direction.

Accordingly, in the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, for example, when the original S having a corner curl is inserted into the opening9, a curled portion at a corner of the original S abuts against the front flange wall19, and as this original S is moved toward the downstream side in the paper feed direction, the shape of the curled portion is corrected before the original S reaches the roller10. That is, at this time, in the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, as the original S is pushed forward to the downstream side in the paper feed direction, a force pushing outward acts on the original S from the front flange wall19, as illustrated by arrows inFIG. 10. Accordingly, the curl or flexure at the corner of the original S is pushed outward in the width direction and corrected (reformed). In the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, after the shape of the curled portion is corrected to an appropriate shape, the original S is conveyed between the outer circumferential surface of the roller10and the conveying surface11. Therefore, in the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, the front flange wall19corrects the curl with respect to a curl of more than the height of the opening9, thereby making it possible to correct a curl height of up to a height at which the abutting angle θ between the inclined surface18of the opening9and the original S becomes an acute angle. The front flange wall19is substantially in point contact with the original S when correcting the curl or flexure at the corner of the original S, whereas the inclined surface18of the opening9is substantially in line contact with the original S when correcting the curl or flexure at the corner of the original S. Therefore, the correction effect by the inclined surface18of the opening9is larger than the correction effect by the front flange wall19.

As depicted inFIGS. 3, and4to9, the inclined surface18is shaped such that a length from the conveyance path3side along the height direction becomes shorter as advancing from the both ends in the width direction toward the central part. In the inclined surface18, when a length up to its upper edge (an edge opposite to the conveying surface11in the height direction) along the height direction, based on its lower edge in the height direction (an edge on the conveying surface11side in the height direction), is designated as height H, the height H changes according to a position in the width direction. That is, in the inclined surface18, the height H gradually becomes shorter as advancing from the both ends in the width direction toward the central part. Accordingly, the inclined surface18is shaped such that the upper edge protrudes toward a lower side in the height direction (toward the conveying surface11) at the central part in the width direction, while the lower edge is flat. In other words, the inclined surface18is curvedly shaped such that it is convex toward the upper edge in the height direction (the opposite side of the conveying surface11) at the both ends in the width direction. That is, an interval along the height direction between the inclined surface18and the conveying surface11(the height of the opening9) becomes narrower as advancing from the both ends in the width direction toward the central part.

Since a curl or the like is hardly generated for example in the central part of the original S in the width direction, in the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, the height H of the inclined surface18can be made shorter; in other words, the height of the opening9can be made shorter, as advancing from the both ends in the width direction toward the central part.

In the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, because the above front flange wall19is provided and the height H of the inclined surface18becomes shorter as advancing from the both ends in the width direction toward the central part, an inclination angle of the inclined surface18of the opening9can be made relatively small, as compared to a case in which the front flange wall19is not provided and the height H is not changed. The paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2are able to improve the insertability in the central part in the width direction, which tends to be inserted with the original S first, and to improve the insertability of the original S more effectively without increasing the size of the apparatus. That is, the central part of the original S in the width direction tends to be inserted first into the opening9. Therefore, by infallibly inserting the central part in the width direction into the opening9, the abutting angle θ between the inclined surface18and the original S become an acute angle, and thus it is possible to increase an effect of suppressing the original S from being caught and removing the curl or flexure, and an effect of correcting the curl or flexure by pushing the original S outward in the width direction by the front flange wall19.

According to the paper feed port1in the embodiment described above, in the paper feed port1for feeding the sheet-like original S to the conveyance path3, the inclined surface18is provided at the both ends of the opening9, into which the original S to be fed is inserted, in the width direction crossing the paper feed direction of the original S, so that the abutting angle θ to the end of the original S on the downstream side in the paper feed direction becomes an acute angle.

According to the image reading apparatus2of the present embodiment described above, the paper feed port1and the optical unit8that reads an image on the original S fed from the paper feed port1are included.

Therefore, because the inclined surface18is provided at least at the both ends of the opening9in the width direction so that the abutting angle θ with respect to the original S becomes an acute angle, it is possible to prevent a corner of the original S from being caught at the opening9, and to make the feeding of the original S easy.

The paper feed port and the image reading apparatus according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiment described above, and various changes may be made within the scope described in the appended claims.

In the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2, as depicted in a modified example inFIG. 11, the front flange wall19may be linearly shaped. That is, the front flange wall19may be V-shaped in which the central part in the width direction protrudes toward the upstream side in the paper feed direction.

In the above description, the shooter15has been explained to be provided so that the angle formed between the inclined surface18and the guiding face16becomes equal to the angle formed between the inclined surface18and the conveying surface11, but it is not limited to this. That is, the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2may include the shooter15having the guiding face16that guides the original S to the opening9, as illustrated by a modified example inFIG. 12, and the shooter15may be provided such that the guiding face16is inclined with respect to the conveying surface11. That is, the shooter15may be provided such that an angle α formed between the inclined surface18and the guiding face16becomes smaller than an angle β formed between the inclined surface18and the conveying surface11. The conveying surface11is a surface facing the inclined surface18along the height direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction and the width direction.

In this case, the paper feed port1and the image reading apparatus2are able to appropriately adjust an approach angle of the original S to the opening9by the guiding face16of the shooter15, and to make the abutting angle θ formed between the original S and the inclined surface18an acute angle more infallibly. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress more infallibly a corner of the original S being caught at the opening9.