# US 2021/0243317 A1 · Image reading apparatus

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- Number: US 2021/0243317 A1
- Document ID: US20210243317A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/145,062
- Filed: 2021-01-08
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Masahito Ikeda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243317A1

## CPC

- H04N 1/00602: {Feed rollers}
- H04N 1/00588: {to the scanning position (H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence)}
- H04N 1/00795: {Reading arrangements (details of scanning heads H04N1/024; scanning arrangements therefor H04N1/04)}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes an opening/closing unit, an output gear, an apparatus main body having an image reading unit, a retard roller, and an input gear, and includes an opening/closing unit having a pickup roller, a feed roller, a feed roller shaft, a drive shaft, and an adjustment support portion. The feed roller shaft supports the feed roller. The drive shaft is connected at one end side thereof to the feed roller shaft via a coupling. The feed roller shaft is removable from the drive shaft. The input gear meshes with the output gear to transmit a driving force to the feed roller where the opening/closing unit is closed, and is separated from the output gear where the opening/closing unit is opened. The adjustment support portion supports the other end side of the drive shaft to adjust a position for supporting the drive shaft.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image reading apparatus comprising:
an apparatus main body;
an opening/closing unit configured to open and close relative to the apparatus main body;
an image reading unit included in the apparatus main body and configured to read an image of a document conveyed on a conveyance path formed in a state where the opening/closing unit is closed;
a pickup roller included in the opening/closing unit and configured to abut on a top surface of the document on a document tray and feed the document toward the conveyance path;
a feed roller included in the opening/closing unit and configured to convey the document fed by the pickup roller;
a retard roller included in the apparatus main body and configured to nip the document with the feed roller and separate documents fed by the pickup roller, one by one, with the feed roller;
a feed roller shaft included in the opening/closing unit and configured to support the feed roller;
a drive shaft included in the opening/closing unit and connected at one end side thereof to the feed roller shaft via a coupling, wherein the feed roller shaft is configured to be removable from the drive shaft;
an output gear fixed to another end side of the drive shaft and configured to transmit a driving force to the feed roller;
an input gear included in the apparatus main body and configured to mesh with the output gear to transmit a driving force to the feed roller in a case where the opening/closing unit is closed, and configured to be separated from the output gear in a case where the opening/closing unit is opened; and
an adjustment support portion included in the opening/closing unit and supporting the other end side of the drive shaft, wherein the adjustment support portion is configured to adjust a position for supporting the drive shaft.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is supported by a fixed support portion provided between the output gear and the coupling in an axial direction and by the adjustment support portion, wherein the fixed support portion is configured not to move relative to the opening/closing unit, and the adjustment support portion is configured to move relative to the opening/closing unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment support portion is configured of sheet metal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed roller shaft is supported by a fixed support portion fixed to the opening/closing unit and by the coupling.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is supported by a fixed support portion fixed to the opening/closing unit and by the coupling.