MEDIUM CONVEYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING THE MEDIUM CONVEYING DEVICE

Abstract

A medium conveying device includes a conveying lower face and a placing table. The conveying lower face has an introduction end and an ejection end. The conveying lower face inclines upward and extends linearly from the introduction end to the ejection end. The placing table is provided pivotally on an introduction end side and displaced between a first position and a second position to place a sheet-like conveyance target medium to be introduced from the introduction end. The placing table forms a linear conveying route when occupying the first position and forms a bent conveying route when occupying the second position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-051539, filed on Mar. 19, 2018, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-107173, filed on Jun. 4, 2018, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

This disclosure relates to a medium conveying device and an image forming apparatus incorporating the medium conveying device.

Background Art

Examples of sheet-like conveyance target medium include a bendable conveyance object that can be conveyed while bending, and an unbendable conveyance object that is unbendable or may not preferably be bent. Therefore, a medium conveying device that conveys a sheet-like conveyance target medium includes a conveying path linearly formed through which the sheet-like conveyance target medium passes. As a result, a bendable conveyance object and an unbendable conveyance object can be conveyed through the conveying path. In order to downsize medium conveying devices, some of the medium conveying devices include a conveying route inclining upward and extending linearly from an introduction end to an ejection end.

SUMMARY

At least one aspect of this disclosure provides a medium conveying device including a conveying lower face, and a placing table. The conveying lower face has an introduction end and an ejection end. The conveying lower face inclines upward and extends linearly from the introduction end to the ejection end. The placing table is provided pivotally on an introduction end side and is displaced between a first position and a second position to place a sheet-like conveyance target medium to be introduced from the introduction end. The placing table forms a linear conveying route when occupying the first position and forms a bent conveying route when occupying the second position.

Further, at least one aspect of this disclosure provides an image forming apparatus including the above-described medium conveying device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned and other aspects, features, and advantages of this disclosure would be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an embodiment of a medium conveying device according to this disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus provided with the medium conveying device according to this disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the configuration on the introduction side of the medium conveying device, a bent conveying route formed by a placing table occupying a second position, and a sheet-like conveyance target medium that is set;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory enlarged view of a linear conveying route formed by the placing table occupying a first position, and an unbendable conveyance object that is set;

FIG. 5 is a view of the linear conveying route formed by the placing table occupying the first position;

FIG. 6 is a view of the bent conveying route formed by the placing table occupying the second position;

FIG. 7 is an external view of a switching section that switches between the bent conveying route and the linear conveying route;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the configuration of the switching section.

FIG. 9 is a view of the switching section switched to the side for forming the bent conveying route; and

FIG. 10 is a view of the switching section switched to the side for forming the linear conveying route.

The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of this disclosure and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In describing embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner and achieve similar results.

Although the embodiments are described with technical limitations with reference to the attached drawings, such description is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure and all of the components or elements described in the embodiments of this disclosure are not necessarily indispensable.

Referring now to the drawings, embodiments of this disclosure are described below. In the drawings for explaining the following embodiments, the same reference codes are allocated to elements (members or components) having the same function or shape and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, constituent elements having the same functions and configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as appropriate. The drawings may be partially omitted or schematically illustrated in order to aid in understanding a part of the configuration.

A medium conveying device according to this disclosure includes: a linear conveying guide member having one end portion and the other end portion, the other end portion located upward the one end portion; and a manual sheet feeding tray that is provided pivotally on the other end portion side and serves as a placing table, in which the manual sheet feeding tray can be displaced between a first position and a second position, selectively displacing of the manual sheet feeding tray between the first position and the second position allows the linear conveying guide member and the manual sheet feeding tray to form a linear conveying route and a bent conveying route, so that setting performance and stable conveyance for sheet-like conveyance target mediums different in characteristic can be provided, while maintaining downsizing of the medium conveying device.

The medium conveying device according to this disclosure includes a displacement member that displaces the manual sheet feeding tray between the first position and the second position. When the manual sheet feeding tray occupies the first position, the linear conveying route is formed, and when the displacement member displaces the manual sheet feeding tray to the second position, the bent conveying route is formed. For a sheet-like conveyance target medium that is unbendable, the linear conveying route is formed through which the unbendable sheet-like conveyance target medium can be conveyed. For a sheet-like conveyance target medium allowing bending, the manual sheet feeding tray is set to be substantially horizontal to form the bent conveying route, so that setting performance for the bendable conveyance object is improved, while preventing the bendable conveyance object from shifting.

First, the configurations of an image forming apparatus and the medium conveying device will be described, and then the characteristic parts will be described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus 1 according to this disclosure. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an automatic document conveying device 100 that serves as a medium conveying device, an image reading device 101, and an image forming unit 102.

The image reading device 101 is a known device that reads an image of a document by placing and setting the document as a sheet-like conveyance target medium on a contact glass, and reading scanning the document. The data of the image read by the image reading device 101 is transmitted to the image forming unit 102 and used as data of an image to be printed.

In the present embodiment, the image forming unit 102 is not limited to the image formation scheme. The image forming unit 102 may be of an electrophotographic type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of an image bearer on the basis of data of an image to be printed, developed with toner that serves as a developer and visualized, transferred onto a sheet as one of sheet-like recording media, and a toner image is fixed on the sheet by applying heat and pressure to the sheet by a fixer. Alternatively, the image forming unit 102 may be of an ink discharge type in which an image is formed on a sheet by discharging ink droplets from an ink head on the basis of data of the image to be printed. The image forming unit 102 has an operation panel 105. The location where the operation panel 105 is provided may be not on the image forming unit 102 but on the automatic document conveying device 100.

A lower portion of the image forming unit 102 has a sheet feeder 103 in which sheets are stacked and stored. The sheet feeder 103 supplies the sheets to the image forming unit 102. A sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit 102 is discharged in a sheet ejection direction indicated by an arrow Al Then, the sheet is stacked onto a discharge tray 104 at an upper portion of the image reader 103 located in the space between the image reading device 101 and the image forming unit 102.

The automatic document conveying device 100 includes a document tray 2, a manual sheet feeding tray 7; and a sheet ejection tray 15. The document tray 2 stacks a sheet-like document P1 as a bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 serves as a sheet placing section. The sheet ejection tray 15 serves as a sheet ejector. In the present embodiment, the bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium is a document on which a character or a design is printed on paper or resin sheet, for example. The sheet-like document P1 stacked on the document tray 2 is sent into a sheet feeding direction A2 orthogonal to the sheet ejection direction A1. The sheet-like document P1 U-turns by substantially 180 degrees and is ejected onto the sheet ejection tray 15 of the automatic document conveying device 100 located below the document tray 2. In the present embodiment, the maximum size of the sheet-like document P1 and a sheet is assumed to be A3 size.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the automatic document conveying device 100 includes a conveying route 60 curved extending from a document-tray sheet feeding port 14 that serves as a first introduction section to document readers 9 and 10 (hereinafter referred to as “curved conveying route”).

The document-tray sheet feeding port 14 is formed between the document tray 2 and an end portion 100Aa of an exterior member 100A located above the document tray 2. A pickup roller 3, a feed roller 5, and a separation pad 6 are disposed in the document-tray sheet feeding port 14. In the present embodiment, for example, when a copy start button is operated on the operation panel 105 illustrated in FIG. 2, a drive motor operates and an electromagnetic clutch 51 coupled to the feed roller 5 is linked to the pickup roller 3. As a result, the pickup roller 3 linked to the feed roller 5 via a gear is driven to introduce the uppermost portion of sheet-like documents P1 of a sheet-like document bundle stacked on the document tray 2 into the apparatus. Then the introduced sheet-like documents P1 are separated one by one, and sent by the feed roller 5 and the separation pad 6.

A first document detector (hereinafter referred to as “document-setting detection sensor”) 4 is disposed between the document tray 2 and the pickup roller 3 to detect the presence or absence of a sheet-like document P1 on the document tray 2. The document-setting detection sensor 4 includes a light reflective optical sensor. The document-setting detection sensor 4 detects, at a light receiver, light emitted from a light emitter and reflected on a sheet-like document P1, to detect the presence or absence of the sheet-like document P1. In the present embodiment, the document-setting detection sensor 4 is disposed above the sheet-like document P1. However, the document-setting detection sensor 4 may be provided below the sheet-like document P1 as long as the light receiver can detect the reflected light.

The automatic document conveying device 100 includes a conveying path 61 extending linearly from the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to the sheet ejection tray 15 and inclining upward. The conveying path 61 is formed between a conveying upper face 61a and a conveying lower face 61b. The conveying upper face 61a includes an upper conveying guide member 615 and an upper conveying guide plate 617. The conveying lower face 61b includes a lower conveying guide member 616 and a lower conveying guide plate 614. The conveying upper face 61a and the conveying lower face 61b are formed extending linearly from the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to the sheet ejection tray 15. One end of the conveying path 61 is open in a housing section 100c in which the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is housed, and the other end is open on the sheet ejection tray 15 side. In the present embodiment, the opening in the housing section 100c serves as a manual sheet feeding port 13, and the opening on the sheet ejection tray 15 side serves as a discharge port 12 that discharges a sheet-like document conveyed through the conveying path 61 to the sheet ejection tray 15.

That is, the automatic document conveying device 100 includes an introduction end and an ejection end. An end portion 614b of the lower conveying guide plate 614 included in one end of the conveying lower face 611) serves as the introduction end. An end portion 616a of the lower conveying guide member 616 included in other end of the conveying lower face 61b serves as the ejection end.

The conveying path 61 has a pair of pre-reading rollers 611 serving as a pair of conveying rollers. A pair of post-reading rollers 612 and a pair of discharge rollers 613 are disposed on the conveying path 61 between the document reader 9 and the discharge port 12. The pair of post-reading rollers 612 and the pair of discharge rollers 613 each serve as a pair of conveying rollers.

The leading end of the curved conveying route 60 is coupled to the conveying path 61 between the manual sheet feeding port 13 and the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. That is, the curved conveying route 60 includes space formed between a guide member 602 and a guide member 603 disposed opposed to each other. The guide members 602 and 603 are disposed so as to guide a sheet-like conveyance target medium from a direction different from a conveying direction of the sheet-like conveyance target medium from the manual sheet feeding port 13, to the lower conveying guide member 616 and the upper conveying guide member 615 forming the conveying path 61. In other words, the curved conveying route 60 forms a conveying route through which the sheet-like document P1 is conveyed from the other direction, to the conveying path 61. The document readers 9 and 10 each include a contact image sensor (CIS) that serves as an image sensor including a light source, a light receiving element, and a lens integrally formed, for example. The document reader 9 detects the front face of the sheet-like document P1, and the document reader 10 detects the back face of the sheet-like document P1.

A pair of pull-out rollers 601 that serves as a pair of conveying rollers is disposed on the curved conveying route 60. The pair of pull-out rollers 601 conveys the sheet-like document P1 sent from the document tray 2, toward the conveying path 61.

The lower conveying guide plate 614 disposed between the manual sheet feeding port 13 and the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 serves as a wall face for a sheet-like document to be manually fed. In addition, a guide face 617a of the upper conveying guide plate 617 disposed opposed to the lower conveying guide plate 614 serves a wall surface for the sheet-like document to be manually fed. The lower conveying guide plate 614 and the upper conveying guide plate 617 extend in the width direction W (see FIG. 7) intersecting a conveying direction indicated by an arrow B. The lower conveying guide plate 614 and the upper conveying guide plate 617 guide a sheet-like document to be introduced from the manual sheet feeding port 13, from the manual sheet feeding port 13 to the pair of pre-reading rollers 611.

The sheet-like document P1 conveyed through the curved conveying route 60 is introduced into the conveying path 61 from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet-like document P1 by the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. The sheet-like document P1 passes through the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. Then, in a simplex reading mode, the document reader 9 reads an image of the front face of the document, and in a duplex reading mode, the document reader 9 and the document reader 10 read respective images of the both faces of the document. The sheet-like document P1 of which the image has been read is conveyed from the discharge port 12 to the outside of the medium conveying device by the pair of post-reading rollers 612 and the pair of discharge rollers 613, discharged to the sheet ejection tray 15, and then stacked on the sheet ejection tray 15.

The automatic document conveying device 100 is disposed such that the manual sheet feeding tray 7 can be housed in the housing section 100c on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the manual sheet feeding port 13. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 is supported pivotally by a casing 100B that serves as a base of the automatic document conveying device 100. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 is disposed so as to occupy a housing position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1 and an operation position indicated by a solid line and a two-dot chain line. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 blocks the manual sheet feeding port 13 at the housing position where the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is housed in the housing section 100c, to block insertion of a sheet-like document into the manual sheet feeding port 13. The manual sheet feeding tray 7 releases the manual sheet feeding port 13 at the operation position to allow a sheet-like document on the manual sheet feeding tray 7 and the manual sheet feeding port 13 to communicate with each other.

In the present embodiment, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is disposed so as to occupy, at the operation position, different positions of a position that is linear with respect to the conveying path 61 indicated by a solid line and a position that bends with respect to the conveying path 61 indicated by a two-dot chain line. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 4, among sheet-like conveyance target mediums, sheet-like documents (unbendable conveyance objects) P2 and P3 that are not conveyable from the document tray 2 through the curved conveying route 60 each are placed and set on a placing face 7b of the manual sheet feeding tray 7.

That is, the sheet-like documents (unbendable conveyance objects) P2 and P3 that are not conveyable are sheet-like conveyance target mediums that do not bend or may not preferably be bent, physically. Examples of a sheet-like medium (unbendable conveyance object) that is not conveyable include a card-like paper medium such as a business card; a post card; or resin cards such as a cash card and various credit cards. In addition, the sheet-like conveyance target mediums to be set on the manual sheet feeding tray 7 include a sheet-like conveyance target medium having a non-rectangular shape, an irregular size, or a surface with unevenness deeper than a plain paper copier, such as Japanese paper, although having bendability.

In the present embodiment, reference sign P2 represents a bendable sheet-like document having an irregular shape, and a reference sign P3 represents a sheet-like document that is a card containing resin and having a business card size.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a second document detector (hereinafter referred to as “manual-setting detection sensor”) 8 is disposed between the manual sheet feeding port 13 and the pair of pre-reading rollers 611, to detect the presence or absent of a sheet-like document placed on the manual sheet feeding tray 7. For the automatic document conveying device 100, when a predetermined time has elapsed after detection by the manual-setting sheet detection sensor 8, the pair of pre-reading roller 611 rotates by a minute amount and a sheet-like document is held at the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611, so that the sheet-like document can be pre-fed. The sheet-like document is inserted until abutting against the nip, so that the sheet-like document is held by the pair of pre-reading rollers 611.

Then, when the copy start button is operated on the operation panel 105 (see FIG. 2), the drive motor rotates and the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 rotates to send the sheet-like document to the back of the conveying path 61. The sheet-like document is conveyed through the conveying path 61 by the pair of pre-reading rollers 611, and an image of the sheet-like document is read by the document reader 9 or the document reader 9 and the document reader 10. The sheet-like document of which the image has been read is conveyed from the discharge port 12 to the outside of the medium conveying device by the pair of post-reading rollers 612 and the pair of discharge rollers 613, and is discharged to the sheet ejection tray 15.

Next, switching of the position (posture) of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. The automatic document conveying device 100 has a protrusion 80 serving as a displacement member provided below the manual sheet feeding tray 7 so as to be able to abut against a lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the protrusion 80 is housed in housing space 1B formed, for example, between the casing 100B and an end portion of the lower conveying guide plate 614 of the automatic document conveying device 100. The protrusion 80 is provided movably between an abutting position (see FIG. 3) where the protrusion 80 protrudes from the housing space 1B to abut against the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 and a separation position (see FIG. 4) where the protrusion 80 is housed in the housing space 1B and not in contact with the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7. The reference sign D in the figures represents a forward and backward direction of the protrusion 80.

The manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupies the second position in abutting against the protrusion 80 as illustrated in FIG. 3, and the first position away from the protrusion 80 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The first position and the second position each are taken when the manual sheet feeding tray 7 moves between the housing position and the operation position.

In the present embodiment, when the manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupies the first position, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the placing face 7b of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is substantially parallel to the conveying lower face 61b of the conveying path 61. As a result, there is formed a linear conveying route K1 on which the conveying lower face 6th of the conveying path 61 and the placing face 7b of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 are linearly disposed. That is, the linear conveying route K1 is formed by the placing face 7b and the conveying lower face 61b of the conveying path 61. On the other hand, when the manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupies the second position, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the placing face 7b of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is substantially horizontal. As a result, there is formed a bent conveying route K2 unlike the first position at which the conveying lower face 61b of the conveying path 61 and the placing face 7b of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 are disposed having an angle.

For the bent conveying route K2 of FIGS. 3 and 6, the protrusion 80 protruding upward from the housing space 1B and occupying the abutting position supports the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 such that the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is horizontal. That is, the protrusion 80 also serves as a stopper that regulates a pivoting range of the manual sheet feeding tray 7.

For the linear conveying route K1 of FIGS. 4 and 5, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupies the first position and is parallel to the conveying path 61, in a state of extending obliquely upward toward the manual sheet feeding port 13. The placing face 7b is located on substantially the same linear line as a conveying face 614a of the lower conveying guide plate 614 included in a portion of the conveying lower face 61b of the conveying path 61. More particularly, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the placing face 7b of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 and the conveying face 614a have a slight angle. Similar to the bent conveying route K2, this is to reliably send the sheet-like document to the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 on the downstream side in the conveying direction. At this time, the protrusion 80 is still housed in the housing space 1B.

That is, as described in FIG. 1, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is pivotable between the housing position and the first position where the linear conveying route K1 is formed. The protrusion 80 protrudes from the housing space 1B to occupy the abutting position, so that the pivoting range is narrowed and the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is held at the second position (see FIG. 3). That is, the protrusion 80 protrudes from the housing space 1B with the manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupying the first position (see FIG. 4) and moves upward. As a result, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is pushed up by the protrusion 80 and held at the second position.

In addition, when the protrusion 80 protrudes from the housing space 1B with the manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupying the housing position and the protrusion 80 is located at the abutting position, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is difficult to pivot and move to the first position. As a result, the pivoting range is regulated and the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is held at the second position.

As described above, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, abutting of the protrusion 80 against the manual sheet feeding tray 7 brings the manual sheet feeding tray 7 into the second posture. In the second posture, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is horizontal, and even if the sheet-like document P2 is set onto the manual sheet feeding tray 7 and the user loses the user's hold on the sheet-like document P2 before pre-feeding, the sheet-like document P2 remains on the manual sheet feeding tray 7. Thus, the sheet-like document P2 does not fall and the setting performance is improved. At this time, if the manual sheet feeding tray 7 can extend the placing face outside the pivot trajectory of an end of the manual sheet feeding tray 7, the setting performance for placement is further improved. Furthermore, the sheet-like document P2 passes through the bent conveying route K2, so that the document front end P2a of the sheet-like document P2 is conveyed toward the pair of pre-reading rollers 611, while bringing into contact with the lower conveying guide plate 614 as the lower side in the vertical direction of the bent conveying route K2.

In particular, for a curled document having both ends of the document width in the conveying direction of the sheet-like document P2 warped upward, a central portion of the sheet-like document P2 comes into contact with the lower conveying guide plate 614 bent in advance. Thus, the lower conveying guide plate 614 corrects the document warp and reliably sends the sheet-like document to the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611.

On the other hand, for a curled document having both ends warped downward, the lower conveying guide plate 614 and the guide face 617a of the upper conveying guide plate 617 on the upper side opposed to the lower conveying guide plate 614, in advance, are tapered narrowing toward the conveying direction. As a result, the guide face 617a corrects the document warp and reliably sends the sheet-like document P2 to the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. Note that if a figure indicating pressing of the center of a document is applied in addition on the document placing face side of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to prompt the user to press the center of the document on the manual sheet feeding tray 7 and send the document, the both ends and the center of the sheet-like documents P2 are pressed against the lower conveying guide plate 614. As a result, the sheet-like document P2 is directed to the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 and more reliably sent to the nip. Therefore, an entry position and an angle at the position of the front end of the document to the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 are stable. As a result, occurrence of damage to the front end can be reduced and holding failure of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 can be avoided.

When the protrusion 80 does not protrude from the housing space 1B, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is located below the second position and pivots to the first position parallel to the conveying path 61. Then, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 abuts against the casing 100B to be held at the second position. Therefore, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, when an unbendable sheet-like document such as the sheet-like document P3, for example, a card, passes through, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 is set to the first position (first posture). As a result, the conveying route formed by the placing face 7b and the conveying path 61 becomes the linear conveying route K1 that can convey the unbendable document.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the manual sheet feeding tray 7 serving as a placing table on which the sheet-like document as a sheet-like conveyance target medium is placed occupies the first position away from the protrusion 80 or the second position in abutting against the protrusion 80. For occupation of the first position, the linear conveying route K1 is formed, and for occupation of the second position, the bent conveying route K2 unlike the first position is formed. Therefore, irrespective of the bendability of the sheet-like documents P2 and P3, there can be improved the setting performance for the sheet-like document P2 and the conveyability for the sheet-like document P3 on the manual sheet feeding tray 7.

Furthermore, setting of the sheet-like document P1 on the horizontal manual sheet feeding tray 7 occupying the second position prevents the sheet-like document P1 from falling from the manual sheet feeding tray 7 or slipping down in a direction away from the pair of pre-reading rollers 611. Therefore, the positional relationship between the document front end P1a and the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 is stable. As a result, damage on the document front end P1a can also be reduced.

Furthermore, when the manual sheet feeding tray 7 moves from the first position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 to the second position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, the conveying route is switched to the bent conveying route K2 of which the range from the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to the manual sheet feeding port 13 is horizontally held. As a result, the sheet-like document P1 is set while being pressed against the lower conveying guide plate 614 as the wall face of the bent conveying route K2. Therefore, the positional relationship with the nip of the pair of pre-reading rollers 611 is more stable and damage on the document front end P1a can also be further reduced.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, there will be described the configuration of the switching section that moves the protrusion 80 (see FIG. 3) that switches the manual sheet feeding tray 7 between the first position and the second position.

FIG. 7 is an external view of the automatic document conveying device 100. A switching section 90 moves the protrusion 80 in a forward and backward direction D by operation of an operation section 91. As illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the switching section 90 includes the operation section 91 and a link lever 92. The operation section 91 is exposed outside the casing 100B (see FIG. 8) and provided so as to be operable from the outside, and the link lever 92 has the protrusion 80. The link lever 92 is supported slidably in an elongated groove 1C in the casing 100B. An upper portion 1Ca of the elongated groove 1C has the housing space 1B having a width in a range of a sliding direction of the link lever 92 indicated by an arrow C. A bottom 1Cb of the elongated groove 1C has a groove 1E recessed downward in the figures (retracting direction of the protrusion 80).

The link lever 92 extends in the same direction as the elongated groove 1C and engages with the operation section 91 at one end 92A of the link lever 92 with play and is movable in the sliding direction C in conjunction with operation of the operation section 91. An upper face 92b of the link lever 92 has the protrusion 80. A lower face 92c of the link lever 92 has a protrusion 92E protruding downward in the figures (retracting direction of the protrusion 80) and engaging with the bottom 1Cb.

When the operation section 91 is operated in the sliding direction C, the protrusion 92E falls from the bottom 1Cb into the groove 1E having a divergent inclination 1F provided on the bottom 1Cb, or the protrusion 92E lifts from the groove 1E to the bottom 1Cb. The opposite side of the divergent inclination 1F of the groove 1E is rectangular, and restricts, with the housing space 1B corresponding to the protrusion 92E, the movement of the link lever 92.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, when the protrusion 92E falls in the groove 1E, the protrusion 80 is placed at a separation position located in the housing space 1B. As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the protrusion 92E is guided by the groove 1E to move to the bottom 1Cb, an end portion 80a of the protrusion 80 protrudes from the housing space 1B and occupies an abutting position where the end portion 80a abuts against the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7.

As described above, providing of the switching section 90 that moves the position of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 between the first position and the second position allows the user to slide and operate the operation section 91 of the switching section 90, in accordance with the type of the sheet-like documents P2 and P3 that are to be used. As a result, the protrusion 80 abuts against or separates from the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7. Therefore, the position (posture) of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 can be easily changed and the operability is improved.

In the present embodiment, there are provided, on the automatic document conveying device 100 side, the protrusion 80 serving as the displacement member that displaces the position of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 between the first position to the second position, and the operation section 91. However, the arrangement is not limited to such a mode. For example, the protrusion 80 and the operation section 91 may be provided on the manual sheet feeding tray 7 side such that the protrusion 80 protrudes from the lower face 7a of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to abut against the casing 100B and the manual sheet feeding tray 7 takes the second position, and such that the protrusion 80 is housed on the lower face 7a side of the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to allow the manual sheet feeding tray 7 to take the first position.

The medium conveying device according to the present embodiment has been described as the automatic document conveying device 100 equipped in the image forming apparatus 1. However, the applicable field is not limited to an image forming apparatus. The medium conveying device according to the present embodiment is applicable to any field as long as the application is for conveying a bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium and an unbendable sheet-like conveyance target medium.

Furthermore, the automatic document conveying device 100 according to the present embodiment includes the document readers 9 and 10. However, the automatic document conveying device 100 may also be a document conveying device with which the document readers 9 and 10 and an image reading function are not equipped.

In addition to the sheets (paper) described in the embodiments, examples of the bendable sheet-like conveyance target medium as a sheet-like medium on which an image is to be formed, include a coated sheet, a resin film (overhead projector (OHP) sheet), a plastic film, a prepreg, and a copper foil, in the embodiments.

The effects described in the embodiments of this disclosure merely detail the most favorable effects arising from this disclosure, and the effects of this disclosure are not limited to the effects described in the embodiments of this disclosure. Numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the above teachings, the present disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. With some embodiments having thus been described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims.

Claims

1. A medium conveying device comprising:

a conveying lower face having an introduction end and an ejection end and inclining upward and extending linearly from the introduction end to the ejection end; and

a placing table provided pivotally on an introduction end side and displaced between a first position and a second position to place a sheet-like conveyance target medium to be introduced from the introduction end,

the placing table forming a linear conveying route when occupying the first position and forming a bent conveying route when occupying the second position.

2. The medium conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a displacement member to displace the placing table between the first position and the second position.

3. The medium conveying device according to claim 1;

wherein the placing table is horizontal on the bent conveying route.

4. The medium conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the bent conveying route has a guide face opposed to a conveying guide member, on the introduction end side.

5. The medium conveying device according to claim 4,

wherein the guide face is provided extending in a width direction of the sheet-like conveyance target medium intersecting a conveying direction of the sheet-like conveyance target medium to be conveyed from the placing table.

6. The medium conveying device according to claims 1,

wherein the introduction end forms an introduction port to introduce the sheet-like conveyance target medium.

7. The medium conveying device according to claim

wherein the displacement member is provided movably between a separation position where the displacement member does not contact the placing table and an abutting position where the displacement member is in contact with the placing table,

wherein the linear conveying route is formed by the displacement member occupying the separation position, and

wherein the bent conveying route is formed by the displacement member occupying the abutting position.

8. The medium conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a guide member to guide, to a conveying guide member, the sheet-like conveyance target medium from a direction different from a conveying direction of the sheet-like conveyance target medium from the introduction end side.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising the medium conveying device according to claim 1.