# US 2014/0151952 A1 · Sheet Conveyor Device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151952 A1 - Document ID: US20140151952A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/039,962 - Filed: 2013-09-27 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Daisuke Kozaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151952A1 ## CPC - B65H 3/06: Rollers or like rotary separators {(B65H3/42 takes precedence)} - B65H 3/063: {separating from the bottom of pile (B65H3/0615, B65H3/0623 take precedence)} - B65H 3/5238: {Retainers of the pad-type, e.g. friction pads} - B65H 5/062: {between rollers or balls} - B65H 29/52: Stationary guides or smoothers - G03G 15/60: {Apparatus which relate to the handling of originals (for photographic purposes in general G03B)} - G03G 15/602: {for transporting} - G03G 15/605: {Holders for originals or exposure platens (for photographic purposes in general G03B)} - H04N 1/00631: {Ejecting or stacking (H04N1/00641 takes precedence)} - H04N 1/00976: {Arrangements for regulating environment, e.g. removing static electricity} - B65H 2301/3122: U-shaped - B65H 2301/5133: Removing electrostatic charge - B65H 2402/441: movable for facilitating access to area inside the housing, e.g. pivoting or sliding - B65H 2404/1531: the transport surface being a cylinder - B65H 2404/611: arranged to form a channel - B65H 2404/612: and shaped for curvilinear transport path - B65H 2405/324: between operative position and non operative position - B65H 2405/3322: discharge tray superposed to feed tray - B65H 2801/39: Scanning - H04N 2201/0081: Image reader (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A sheet conveyor device includes a conveyor that convey a sheet along a conveyance path in a conveying direction, a sheet stack portion that receives the sheet conveyed by the conveyor, and a conducting member. The conveyor includes an ejection roller that ejects the sheet to the sheet stack portion. The conducting member includes a contact portion, disposed along the conveyance path downstream of the ejection roller, that comes into contact with the sheet conveyed by the conveyor, and a discharge portion that discharges static electricity transferred to the contact portion by contact between the sheet and the contact portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet conveyor device comprising: a conveyor configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path in a conveying direction, the conveyor comprising an ejection roller; and a sheet stack portion configured to receive the sheet conveyed by the conveyor, the ejection roller configured to eject the sheet to the sheet stack portion; a first guide surface disposed in the conveyance path and downstream of the ejection roller in the conveying direction, and configured to guide the sheet to the sheet stack portion; and a conducting member comprising: a contact portion next to the first guide surface along the conveyance path and configured to come into contact with the sheet conveyed by the conveyor; and a discharge portion configured to discharge static electricity that is transferred to the contact portion by contact between the sheet and the contact portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second guide surface disposed along the conveyance path and upstream of the contact portion in the conveying direction and facing the first guide surface to define a portion of the conveyance path, the second guide surface configured to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyor toward the contact portion and guide the sheet toward the sheet stack portion while contacting the sheet conveyed by the conveyor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 2, wherein the second guide surface comprises: a first shaped portion extending from a position downstream of the ejection roller in the conveying direction in a direction receding from the first guide surface; and a second shaped portion disposed downstream of the first shaped portion in the conveying direction, extending in a direction approaching the first guide surface, and wherein the contact portion is disposed on an imaginary line extending from a downstream end of the second shaped portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion extends evenly and continuously to the first guide surface such that the contact portion extends along the sheet conveyed by conveyor, wherein the conducting member comprises at least one of a first protruding portion and a second protruding portion, wherein the first protruding portion extends from one end of the contact portion in a direction to recede from the conveyance path and the second protruding portion extends from another end of the contact portion in the direction to recede from the conveyance path, wherein the conducting member is disposed such that the one end and the other end are positioned at an upstream position and a downstream position, respectively, in the conveying direction, and wherein the discharge portion comprises at least one of an end of the first protruding portion and an end of the second protruding portion and is configured to discharge static electricity by corona discharge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 4, wherein the conducting member further comprises the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion, and wherein the first guide surface comprises an accommodation portion configured to receive the conducting member while accommodating the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 5, further comprising a guide member comprising the first guide surface, wherein the accommodation portion is a recessed portion, and wherein the contact portion comprises a surface facing the guide member, wherein the surface is opposite to a surface that makes contact with the sheet conveyed by the conveyor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the conducting member comprises a ground connection portion that continues from the contact portion and is configured to be connected to a ground wire. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide member comprising the first guide surface, a supply portion configured to receive one or more sheets to be conveyed by the conveyor, a separating mechanism configured to separate, one by one, the one or more sheets received by the supply portion, and an urging member disposed between the guide member and the separating mechanism, wherein one end of the urging member is supported at a position overlapping the conducting member of the guide member in an up-down direction, and another end of the urging member is configured to exert an urging force on the separating mechanism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 8, wherein the guide member engages both ends of the conducting member in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the conducting member is in contact with a surface of the guide member, wherein the surface of the guide member is opposite to a surface that supports the urging member of the guide member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 8, wherein the separating mechanism comprises a separation pad and a separation roller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide member comprising the first guide surface, a supply portion configured to receive one or more sheets to be conveyed by the conveyor, means for separating, one by one, the one or more sheets received by the supply portion, and an urging member disposed between the guide member and the separating means, wherein one end of the urging member is supported at a position overlapping the conducting member of the guide member in an up-down direction, and another end of the urging member is configured to exert an urging force to the separating means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising a supply portion disposed below the sheet stack portion and configured to receive one or more sheets to be conveyed by the conveyor, wherein the conveyance path comprises an upstream portion, a curved path portion and a downstream portion, where the conveying direction of the sheet conveyed from the supply portion makes a U-turn when the sheet is conveyed from the upstream portion through the curved path portion to the downstream portion, and wherein the ejection roller ejects the one or more sheets to the sheet stack portion successively such that the ejected sheet slides under a preceding sheet that has been ejected onto the sheet stack portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising a reading unit configured to read an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the conducting member is a steel sheet. ### Claim 15 A sheet conveyor device comprising: a conveyor configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path in a conveying direction, the conveyor comprising an ejection roller; a sheet stack portion configured to receive the sheet conveyed by the conveyor, the ejection roller configured to eject the sheet to the sheet stack portion; and a conducting member comprising: a contact portion disposed along the conveyance path and downstream of the ejection roller and configured to come into contact with the sheet conveyed by the conveyor; and a discharge portion configured to discharge static electricity that is transferred to the contact portion by contact between the sheet and the contact portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 15, wherein the conducting member comprises a ground connection portion that continues from the contact portion and is configured to be connected to a ground wire. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 15, further comprising: a supply portion configured to receive one or more sheets to be conveyed by the conveyor, a separating mechanism configured to separate, one by one, the one or more sheets received by the supply portion, and an urging member disposed between the conducting member and the separating mechanism, wherein one end of the urging member is supported at a position overlapping the conducting member in an up-down direction, and another end of the urging member is configured to exert an urging force on the separating mechanism. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 17, wherein the separating mechanism comprises a separation pad and a separation roller. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 15, further comprising a supply portion disposed below the sheet stack portion and configured to receive one or more sheets to be conveyed by the conveyor, wherein the conveyance path comprises an upstream portion, a curved path and a downstream portion, where the conveying direction of the sheet conveyed from the supply portion makes a U-turn when the sheet is conveyed from the upstream portion through the curved path portion to the downstream portion, and wherein the ejection roller ejects the one or more sheets to the sheet stack portion successively such that the ejected sheet slides under a preceding sheet that has been ejected onto the sheet stack portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The sheet conveyor device according to claim 15, wherein the conducting member is a steel sheet.