IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,649,637
Granted Patent B2
US 12,649,637 · App. 18/435,435 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Medium transport device and image reading apparatus

Inventors: Masaki Namiki (Kitakyushu, JP); Yuhei Hamada (Kitakyushu, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
B65H9/004B65H5/062B65H2301/31B65H2301/544B65H2403/50B65H2551/21B65H2701/112
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,649,637
App. No.
18/435,435
Granted
Jun 9, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A medium transport device includes a drive source, a transport path through which a medium is transported in a transport direction between a first path surface and a second path surface located away from the first path surface, a plurality of projecting portions that projects from the first path surface and is arranged in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, and a moving portion that changes a projecting amount of the projecting portions with respect to the first path surface by power of the drive source between the first path surface and the second path surface.

Claims (69)

1 . A medium transport device comprising:

a drive source;

a transport path through which a medium is transported in a transport direction between a first path surface and a second path surface located away from the first path surface;

a plurality of projecting portions that projects from the first path surface and is arranged in a width direction intersecting the transport direction; and

a moving portion that receives power transmitted from the drive source and that changes a projecting amount of the projecting portions with respect to the first path surface between the first path surface and the second path surface, wherein

the moving portion includes an abutting portion configured to abut against the projecting portions,

the projecting portions include a plurality of projections provided in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, a supporting portion that supports the projections, and an abutted portion against which the abutting portion abuts, and

at least part of the moving portion overlaps the drive source when viewed in the transport direction.

2 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting portions are fixed at least at two positions in a projecting direction.

3 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transport roller that transports the medium, wherein

the transport roller has a region where at least five projections are disposed, the region being inside both end portions of the transport roller.

4 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transport roller that transports the medium, wherein

the projections include

a first projection having a first length in the transport direction, and

a second projection having a second length longer than the first length, and

part of the second projection overlaps the transport roller when viewed in a rotation axis direction of the transport roller.

5 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the respective projections include an inclined surface that guides a leading end of the medium at an upstream position of a leading end surface in the transport direction, the leading end surface facing the second path surface, and

when the projections are moved further in a direction of increasing the projecting amount, the inclined surface is exposed more.

6 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the abutting portion includes a first abutting portion and a second abutting portion,

the abutted portion includes a first abutted portion and a second abutted portion, an

the first abutting portion and the first abutted portion are provided opposite the second abutting portion and the second abutted portion with respect to a reference position in the width direction.

7 . An image reading apparatus, comprising:

the medium transport device according to claim 1 ; and

a reading unit that is located downstream of the projecting portions in the transport direction and reads a medium transported.

8 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a separation unit that separates one sheet of a medium from the medium that is double-fed; and

a medium thickness detection unit located between the separation unit and the reading unit in the transport direction.

9 . The image reading apparatus according to claim 7 , the apparatus configured to be coupled to an external terminal, the apparatus further comprising:

a control unit configured to control a plurality of reading modes corresponding to types of the medium, wherein

the control unit notifies the external terminal of a specific reading mode, among the plurality of reading modes, corresponding to a state in which the projecting portions are located according to a type of the medium, and the specific reading mode is displayed on a display screen of the external terminal.

10 . A medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

the respective projecting portions are configured to be displaceable between a first position for transporting a first medium and a second position for transporting a second medium having a thickness greater than that of the first medium, and

when the respective projecting portions are in the first position, an amount by which the respective projecting portions protrude from the first path surface is greater than an amount by which the respective projecting portions protrude from the first path surface when the protrusion is in the second position.

11 . A medium transport device comprising:

a drive source;

a transport path through which a medium is transported in a transport direction between a first path surface and a second path surface located away from the first path surface;

a plurality of projecting portions that projects from the first path surface and is arranged in a width direction intersecting the transport direction;

a moving portion that receives power transmitted from the drive source and that changes a projecting amount of the projecting portions with respect to the first path surface between the first path surface and the second path surface;

a first path through which the medium is transported in the transport direction without being curved and reversed;

a second path through which the medium is curved and reversed, and transported in the transport direction; and

a switching unit that switches between the first path and the second path, wherein

the projecting portions are fixed at least at two positions in a projecting direction,

when the respective projecting portions are at a position of transporting a first medium, the switching unit is in a position where the first medium is configured to be transported through the second path, and

when the respective projecting portions are at a position of transporting a second medium thicker than the first medium, the switching unit is in a position where the second medium is configured to be transported through the first path.

12 . The medium transport device according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a power transmission unit that transmits power of the drive source to the switching unit, wherein

when the drive source rotates in one direction,

the respective projecting portions move to the position of transporting the first medium, and

the switching unit is switched to the position where the first medium is configured to be transported through the second path, and

when the drive source rotates in another direction,

the respective projecting portions move to the position of transporting the second medium, and

the switching unit is switched to the position where the second medium is configured to be transported through the first path.

13 . The medium transport device according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a switching gear disposed at a position, in the power transmission unit, of transmitting power to the switching unit;

a pressing portion provided in the switching gear; and

a pressed portion provided in the switching unit, wherein

at normal time, the switching unit is in the position where the first medium is configured to be transported through the second path, and

when the second medium is transported, the switching unit is switched to the position where the second medium is configured to be transported through the first path after the power is transmitted to rotate the switching gear, and the pressed portion is pressed by the pressing portion and rotates.

14 . The medium transport device according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a separation unit that separates one sheet of a medium from the medium that is double-fed; and

a medium thickness detection unit located between the separation unit and the switching unit in the transport direction, wherein

the medium thickness detection unit detects information on thickness of the medium separated by the separation unit,

when a detection result of the medium thickness detection unit is equal to or more than a threshold, the switching unit is switched to a position where the medium is configured to be transported through the first path, and

when the detection result of the medium thickness detection unit is less than the threshold, the switching unit is switched to a position where the medium is configured to be transported through the second path.

15 . The medium transport device according to claim 14 , further comprising

a control unit that controls the drive source, wherein

when “automatic” is selected as a type of the medium, in a case in which a detection result of the medium thickness detection unit does not correspond to a transport path, the control unit stops transporting of the medium, and resumes transporting after the transport path is switched.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2024
From: NAMIKI, MASAKI; HAMADA, YUHEI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066416/0715 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-018876 · Feb 10, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240270526A1 · Aug 15, 2024
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