Paper stacking apparatus for image reading apparatus and image reading apparatus with paper stacking apparatus

An image reading apparatus with a paper stacking apparatus, comprising:

• a paper transport mechanism for successively transporting paper sheets set in position;
• an optical reading mechanism for optically reading information on a paper sheet being transported by said paper transport mechanism;
• and
• a paper stacker apparatus for stacking a paper sheet discharged from said paper transport mechanism,
• said paper stacker apparatus including a paper stacker including, at a bottom portion thereof, a stacker table for receiving thereon paper sheets discharged from said paper transport mechanism to stack the paper sheets, a paper stacker position variation mechanism for varying the position of said stacker table, a paper discharge roller mechanism provided at a terminal end of said paper transport mechanism and having a projection extending into a paper transport path of said paper transport mechanism, a paper trailing end guide mechanism disposed to extend into said paper stacker for guiding a trailing end of a paper sheet being stacked into said paper stacker, a paper side edge guide mechanism for guiding side edges of a paper sheet being stacked into said paper stacker, and a paper leading end control mechanism for controlling a movement of a leading end of a paper sheet being stacked into said paper stacker.

A paper stacking apparatus for an image reading apparatus for stacking a paper sheet discharged from a paper transport mechanism of said image reading apparatus along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper stacker including, at a bottom portion thereof, a stacker table for receiving thereon paper sheets discharged from said paper transport mechanism to stack the paper sheets;
• a paper stacker position variation mechanism for varying the position of said paper stacker;
• a paper discharge roller mechanism provided at a terminal end of said paper transport mechanism and having a projection extending into a paper transport path of said paper transport mechanism;
• a paper trailing end guide mechanism disposed to extend into said paper stacker for guiding a trailing end of a paper sheet to be stacked into said paper stacker,
• said paper stacker position variation mechanism being constructed so as to allow the position of said paper stacker thereof to be adjusted in advance;
• paper stacker position detection means for detecting the position of said paper stacker adjusted in advance;
• allowable paper supply amount calculation means for calculating an allowable paper supply amount based on the position of said paper stacker detected by said paper stacker position detection means;
• storage means for storing the allowable paper supply amount calculated by said allowable paper supply amount calculation means;
• transport amount detection means for detecting an amount of paper sheets transported by said paper transport mechanism;
• stacked amount excess instruction means for detecting whether or not the amount detected by said transport amount detection means exceeds the allowable paper supply amount stored in said storage means;
• and
• notification means for notifying, when said stacked amount excess instruction means detects that the amount detected by said transport amount detection means exceeds the allowable paper supply amount stored in said storage means, such excess.

A paper stacking apparatus for an image reading apparatus for stacking a paper sheet discharged from a paper transport mechanism of said image reading apparatus along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper stacker including, at a bottom portion thereof, a stacker table for receiving thereon paper sheets discharged from said paper transport mechanism to stack the paper sheets;
• a paper stacker position variation mechanism for varying the position of said paper stacker;
• a paper discharge roller mechanism provided at a terminal end of said paper transport mechanism and having a projection extending into a paper transport path of said paper transport mechanism;
• a paper trailing end guide mechanism disposed to extend into said paper stacker for guiding a trailing end of a paper sheet to be stacked into said paper stacker,
• said paper stacker position variation mechanism being constructed so as to allow the position of said paper stacker thereof to be adjusted in advance and a paper supply hopper provided in a paper supply mechanism of said image reading apparatus for accommodating paper sheets therein is constructed for movement to a position corresponding to the amount of paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• paper stacker position detection means for detecting the position of said paper stacker adjusted in advance;
• storage means for storing an allowable vertical movement amount of said paper supply hopper calculated based on the position of said paper stacker detected by said paper stacker position detection means;
• hopper vertical movement amount detection means for detecting a vertical movement amount of said paper supply hopper;
• and
• notification means for notifying, when the vertical movement amount detected by said hopper vertical movement amount detection means exceeds the allowable vertical movement amount stored in said storage means, such excess.

A paper stacking apparatus for an image reading apparatus for stacking a paper sheet discharged from a paper transport mechanism of said image reading apparatus along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper stacker including, at a bottom portion thereof, a stacker table for receiving thereon paper sheets discharged from said paper transport mechanism to stack the paper sheets;
• a paper stacker position variation mechanism for varying the position of said paper stacker;
• a paper discharge roller mechanism provided at a terminal end of said paper transport mechanism and having a projection extending into a paper transport path of said paper transport mechanism;
• a paper trailing end guide mechanism disposed to extend into said paper stacker for guiding a trailing end of a paper sheet to be stacked into said paper stacker;
• paper stacker position detection means for detecting the position of said paper stacker;
• transport amount detection means for detecting an amount of paper sheets transported by said paper transport mechanism;
• paper characteristic detection means for detecting a characteristic of a paper sheet transported by said paper transport mechanism, and
• stacker position control means for controlling said paper stacker position variation mechanism to adjust the position of said paper stacker in response to results of detection by said paper stacker position detection means, said transport amount detection means and said paper characteristic detection means so as to correspond to the transported amount and the paper characteristic.

A paper stacking apparatus for an image reading apparatus for stacking a paper sheet discharged from a paper transport mechanism of said image reading apparatus along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper stacker including, at a bottom portion thereof, a stacker table for receiving thereon paper sheets discharged from said paper transport mechanism to stack the paper sheets;
• a paper stacker position variation mechanism for varying the position of said paper stacker;
• a paper discharge roller mechanism provided at a terminal end of said paper transport mechanism and having a projection extending into a paper transport path of said paper transport mechanism;
• a paper trailing end guide mechanism disposed to extend into said paper stacker for guiding a trailing end of a paper sheet to be stacked into said paper stacker;
• paper stacker position detection,means for detecting the position of said paper stacker;
• transport amount detection means for detecting an amount of paper sheets transported by said paper transport mechanism;
• paper size detection means for detecting the size of a paper sheet transported by said paper transport mechanism;
• paper thickness detection means for detecting the thickness of a paper sheet transported by said paper transport mechanism;
• and
• stacker position control means for controlling said paper stacker position variation mechanism to adjust the position of said paper stacker in response to results of detection of said paper stacker position detection means, said transport amount detection means, said paper size detection means and said paper thickness detection means so as to correspond to the transported paper amount, the paper size and the paper thickness.

A paper stacking apparatus for an image reading apparatus for stacking a paper sheet discharged from a paper transport mechanism of said image reading apparatus along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper stacker including, at a bottom portion thereof, a stacker table for receiving thereon paper sheets discharged from said paper transport mechanism to stack the paper sheets;
• a paper stacker position variation mechanism for varying the position of said paper stacker;
• a paper discharge roller mechanism provided at a terminal end of said paper transport mechanism and having a projection extending into a paper transport path of said paper transport mechanism;
• a paper trailing end guide mechanism disposed to extend into said paper stacker for guiding a trailing end of a paper sheet to be stacked into said paper stacker;
• and
• interlocking means for operating said paper stacker position variation mechanism in an interlocking relationship with the paper supply position adjusting operation of a paper supply mechanism for supplying a paper sheet to said paper transport mechanism.