Conveyor and tray unit

A conveyor, comprising:

• a plurality of receiving trays arranged in a vertical direction and each having a receiving surface by which a medium is received;
• a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the medium such that the medium is selectively received by one of the receiving surfaces of the receiving trays;
• and
• a support supporting the receiving trays,
• wherein at least one receiving tray, except a lowermost one of the receiving trays that is disposed at the lowest position, is supported by the support so as to be selectively positioned at one of a receiving position at which the at least one receiving tray receives the medium conveyed by the conveyance mechanism and an upper position at which a height level of a downstream end of the medium in a conveyance direction thereof received by the receiving surface is higher than that when the at least one receiving tray is positioned at the receiving position,
• wherein at least one lower tray, except an uppermost one of the receiving trays that is disposed at the highest position, includes a proximal portion which defines a part of the receiving surface and a distal portion which is located downstream of the proximal portion in the conveyance direction and which defines the rest of the receiving surface,
• wherein the distal portion includes a protruding portion protruding from the rest of the receiving surface and is pivotally attached to the proximal portion so as to be selectively positioned at one of a first position and a second position at which a protrusion amount of the protruding portion from a plane along the part of the receiving surface of the proximal portion is smaller than that when the distal portion is positioned at the first position, and
• wherein the conveyor further comprises a force transmitting mechanism for effectuating at least one of (e) a distal-portion movement of the distal portion of one of the at least one lower tray caused by an upward movement of an adjacent upper tray which is disposed just above and immediately adjacent to the one of the at least one lower tray and (f) the upward movement caused by the distal-portion movement, the distal-portion movement being a movement in which the distal portion of the one of the at least one lower tray moves from the first position to the second position, the upward movement being a movement in which the adjacent upper tray moves from the receiving position to the upper position.

A tray unit for a conveyor, the conveyor comprising:

• a plurality of receiving trays arranged in a vertical direction and each having a receiving surface by which a medium is received;
• a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the medium such that medium is selectively received by one of the receiving surfaces of the receiving trays;
• and a support supporting the receiving trays, the tray unit comprising the plurality of receiving trays,
• wherein at least one receiving tray, except a lowermost one of the receiving trays that is disposed at the lowest position, is supported by the support so as to be selectively positioned at one of a receiving position at which the at least one receiving tray receives the medium conveyed by the conveyance mechanism and an upper position at which a height level of a downstream end of the medium in a conveyance direction thereof received by the receiving surface is higher than that when the at least one receiving tray is positioned at the receiving position,
• wherein at least one lower tray, except an uppermost one of the receiving trays that is disposed at the highest position, includes a tray body that forms the receiving surface and a protruding portion attached to the tray body so as to be selectively positioned at one of a protruding position at which the protruding portion protrudes from the receiving surface and a retracted position at which a protrusion amount of the protruding portion from the receiving surface is smaller than that when the protruding portion is positioned at the protruding position, and
• wherein the tray unit further comprises a force transmitting mechanism for effectuating at least one of (a) a retracting movement of the protruding portion of one of the at least one lower tray caused by an upward movement of an adjacent upper tray which is disposed just above and immediately adjacent to the one of the at least one lower tray and (b) the upward movement caused by the retracting movement, the retracting movement being a movement in which the protruding portion of the one of the at least one lower tray moves from the protruding position to the retracted position, the upward movement being a movement in which the adjacent upper tray moves from the receiving position to the upper position.

A tray unit for a conveyor, the conveyor comprising:

• a plurality of receiving trays arranged in a vertical direction and each having a receiving surface by which a medium is received;
• a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the medium such that the medium is selectively received by one of the receiving surfaces of the receiving trays;
• and a support supporting the receiving trays, the tray unit comprising the plurality of receiving trays,
• wherein at least one receiving tray, except a lowermost one of the receiving trays that is disposed at the lowest position, is supported by the support so as to be selectively positioned at one of a receiving position at which the at least one receiving tray receives the medium conveyed by the conveyance mechanism and an upper position at which a height level of a downstream end of the medium in a conveyance direction thereof received by the receiving surface is higher than that when the at least one receiving tray is positioned at the receiving position,
• wherein at least one lower tray, except an uppermost one of the receiving trays that is disposed at the highest position, includes a proximal portion which defines a part of the receiving surface and a distal portion which is located downstream of the proximal portion in the conveyance direction and which defines the rest of the receiving surface,
• wherein the distal portion includes a protruding portion protruding from the rest of the receiving surface and is pivotally attached to the proximal portion so as to be selectively positioned at one of a first position and a second position at which a protrusion amount of the protruding portion from a plane along the part of the receiving surface of the proximal portion is smaller than that when the distal portion is positioned at the first position, and
• wherein the tray unit further comprises a force transmitting mechanism for effectuating at least one of (e) a distal-portion movement of the distal portion of one of the at least one lower tray caused by an upward movement of an adjacent upper tray which is disposed just above and immediately adjacent to the one of the at least one lower tray and (f) the upward movement caused by the distal-portion movement, the distal-portion movement being a movement in which the distal portion of the one of the at least one lower tray moves from the first position to the second position, the upward movement being a movement in which the adjacent upper tray moves from the receiving position to the upper position.