JP2003051916A - Document feeder and image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low-cost document feeder that needs no separate glass. SOLUTION: The document feeder for sequentially feeding document, one by one via a prescribed read position, is provided with an upper-stream guide member 51, that forms a document carrying path to guide the document at an upper-stream of the read position in the document, carrying direction, a downstream guide member 52 that forms the document carrying path to guide the document at the upper-stream of the read position in the document carrying direction, a read white board 8 that presses the document in the read means direction at the read position, and a transparent scoop sheet 19, placed from the upper-stream guide member 51 over the downstream guide member 52 at a position facing the position of the read white board 8. The transparent scoop sheet 19 has the transparent scoop sheet 19 placed, such that the document depressed by the read white board 8 at the read position can be scooped up by the downstream guide member 52.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document feeder for sequentially feeding originals one by one and conveying the originals through a predetermined reading position, and more particularly to an image reading device such as a scanner. Alternatively, the present invention relates to a document feeder used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image reading apparatus such as a scanner, or an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile, originals are sequentially fed one by one, and the originals are fed through a predetermined reading position. A feeder is used. For example,
In the image reading apparatus provided with the document feeding device, as shown in FIG. 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-038234), the document 101 conveyed by the document conveying device 102 is read at a predetermined reading position (platen glass 105). The document reading unit 103 stopped at
It is configured to read the document set on the document 4 while scanning the document reading unit 102.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the platen glass 105 for reading the transported original and the table glass 104 for reading the fixed original are provided respectively, separate glass is required. Next to
It has been very difficult to reduce the cost of the device.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to realize a low-cost apparatus which does not require a separate glass.

[0005]

A typical structure of the present invention for achieving the above object is to feed a document one by one and feed the document through a predetermined reading position. In the apparatus, an upstream guide member that forms a document conveying path that guides a document on the upstream side of the reading position in the document conveying direction, and a downstream that forms a document conveying path that guides a document on the upstream side of the reading position in the document conveying direction. A side guide member, a pressing member that presses the document in the reading unit direction at the reading position, and a transparent sheet that extends from the upstream guide member to the downstream guide member at a position facing the pressing member. The transparent sheet is provided so as to scoop up a document pressed by the pressing member at the reading position to the downstream guide member. To.

According to the above construction, by reading the original through the transparent sheet, it is possible to realize a low-cost apparatus without the need for a separate glass.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be illustratively described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However,
The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in the following embodiments should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration and various conditions of the device to which the present invention is applied, and are particularly specific. Unless otherwise stated, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto.

[First Embodiment] A document feeding apparatus according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, an automatic sheet feeding and reading device will be described as an example of an image reading device including a document feeding device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 1 is a main sectional view showing an automatic sheet feeding and reading apparatus of the present invention. First, the structure and operation of the document reading / conveying section 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The document reading / conveying unit 1
As shown in FIG. 1, a substantially U-shaped document conveying path (hereinafter referred to as a U turn path) 12 is provided in an automatic sheet feeding pressure plate section 40 (see FIG. 2), and the U turn path 12 has a separating roller. 5, a separation pad 4, a document presence / absence sensor 16 for detecting the presence or absence of the document S, a first transport roller 6 and a second transport roller 7 for transporting the document S, and a document for detecting the front end portion and the rear end portion of the document S. The edge sensor 17 and the like are attached.

In the document reading / conveying section 1, a U-turn path 12 is provided.
A document placing tray 14 is provided so as to be connected to the upstream end side of the U-turn path 12, and a document discharging tray 18 which is also used as a pressure plate is provided at the downstream end side of the U-turn path 12. Here, a document holding surface 18a for holding the trailing end of the discharged document S is formed on the base end side of the document discharge tray 18.

On the upstream end side of the U-turn path 12,
A document stopper 20 that regulates the leading end position of the documents S stacked on the document placement tray 14, a document presence sensor 16 that detects the presence or absence of the document S, and a document stopper 20 that abuts against the topmost document S loaded A U-turn path 12 is provided with a pickup roller 3 for picking up the sheet, a separation roller 5 and a separation pad 4 that are pressed against each other for separating the document S picked up by the pickup roller 3 into one sheet.
A third conveying roller 9 for discharging the document S to the document discharge tray 18 is provided on the downstream end side of the.

Reference numeral 2 is a fixed reading unit for reading a document placed on the glass 22. Document reading and conveying section 1
The contact-type image sensor 30 arranged via the glass 22 and the glass 22 irradiates the image information surface of the document S with light from an LED array as a light source, and reflects light reflected by the image information surface with a SELFOC lens (trademark). The image information is read by forming an image on the sensor element.

The contact-type image sensor 30 is configured to be movable in the left and right directions in the figure. When reading a fixed original, the original placed on the glass 22 is read while scanning from the left side to the right side in the figure. When reading by the reading / conveying unit 1, the document is stopped at the reading position in the figure (position facing the reading white background plate 8) and the original conveyed to the reading position is read.

As is apparent from FIG. 1, the glass 22 is made of an integral glass from the original placing area when the original is fixedly read to the periphery of the reading position when the original is read and conveyed by the original reading and conveying section 1.

In the document reading / conveying unit 1, when the operator places and sets the document S on the document placing tray 14, the setting direction of the document S is reversed from the right side or the left side in the left-right direction of the apparatus. When the document S is set, the leading end position of the document S is set to the document stopper 20.
The presence or absence of the document S is detected by the document presence / absence sensor 16.

When the operator gives an instruction to start reading from an operation unit (not shown), the drive unit (not shown) rotates, the document stopper 20 is pushed down by the pickup arm 10, and the document S is picked up by the pickup roller 3 from the document stopper 20. It is sent into the inside of the U-turn path 12 through the inclined surface of. At this time, in the original reading / conveying unit 1, the originals S are separated one by one by the separating roller 5 and the separating pad 4, and the uppermost original S is separated and conveyed. Further, the separated document S is transported by the first transport roller 6 along the U-turn path 12, and further, the document S is transported by the second transport roller 7 to the reading unit of the contact image sensor 30.

In the document reading / conveying unit 1, when the leading edge of the document S is detected by the document edge sensor 17, the contact-type image sensor 3 is conveyed when a predetermined amount is conveyed from that position.
The reading of image information by 0 is started. The reading white base plate 8 is biased toward the transparent rake sheet 19 by a spring (not shown). The document transported by the second transport roller 7 passes between the reading white background plate 8 and the transparent scoop sheet 19 while being sandwiched. The document is pressed against the transparent rake sheet 19 by the reading white background plate 8 and passes while slidingly contacting both. At that time, the document is guided in a plane by the guide surface below the reading white base plate 8. After the reading is started, the leading edge of the document is guided by the transparent scooping sheet 19 so as to be scooped up on the downstream guide member 52, and the third transport roller 9
Head to. Then, the document S is detected by the document edge sensor 17.
When the rear end portion is detected, when the predetermined amount is conveyed from that position, the reading of the image information by the contact image sensor 30 is completed.

Here, the transparent rake sheet 19 will be described in detail. Document reading and conveying section 1 according to the present embodiment
Has an upstream guide member 51 that guides a document on the upstream side of the reading position in the document transport direction, and a downstream guide member 52 that guides the document on the upstream side of the reading position in the document transport direction. The upstream guide member 51 is the glass 2
It is fixed to a housing that supports 2. The downstream guide member 52 is fixed to the glass 22. The guide members 51 and 52 form the U-turn path 12 which is the above-described document conveying path.

The document reading / conveying unit 1 is supported rotatably around a shaft extending substantially horizontally on the inner side of FIG. When the document reading / conveying unit 1 is rotated upward, the portion of the U-turn path 12 where the first conveying roller 6, the second conveying roller 7, and the third conveying roller 9 are arranged and the reading white background plate 8 are integrally rotated upward. It moves and separates from the glass 22. At that time, the upstream guide member 51, the transparent rake sheet 19, and the downstream guide member 52 do not move while remaining on the glass 22 side.

A transparent rake sheet 19 is provided from the upstream guide member 51 to the downstream guide member 52 at a position opposite to the reading white background plate 8 arranged between the guide members 51 and 52. . The transparent scooping sheet 19 is provided so as to scoop up the document S pressed by the reading white background plate 8 at the reading position onto the downstream guide member 52.

More specifically, the transparent rake sheet 19 according to the present embodiment is provided so as to cover the opening 53 formed at the reading position by the upstream guide member 51 and the downstream guide member 52. There is. The upstream end of the transparent scooping sheet 19 has the glass 22 and the upstream guide member 5
1, and is fixed to the lower side of the upstream guide member 51. In addition, the downstream end of the transparent scooping sheet 19 is provided in the original conveying path formed by the downstream guide member 52 so as to cover the upstream end of the downstream guide member 52.

With such a structure, it is possible to realize a low-cost reading and conveying system without the need for a separate glass as in the conventional case.

Then, the original S from which the image information has been read as described above is conveyed by the third conveying roller 9 toward the original discharge tray 18 shared with the pressure plate, and the original discharge tray 1
It is discharged to 8. The ejected document S freely falls when its rear end passes through the third transport roller 9, moves on the inclined main surface of the document ejection tray 18, and moves to the document holding surface 1.
The rear end portion is held by 8a and is accommodated in the document discharge tray 18.

At this time, since it is difficult to take out a small document as can be seen from FIG. 2, the document placing tray 14 is made rotatable so as to be opened in the arrow direction and taken out.

In this way, in the document reading / conveying section 1,
The above-described reading operation is repeated until the document presence sensor 16 detects the absence of the document.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the automatic sheet feeder of the present invention. 1 is a document reading / conveying unit, 2 is a fixed reading unit,
Reference numeral 40 denotes an automatic paper feed pressure plate portion that opens and closes for fixed reading.

Next, the arrangement of the rollers and the reading unit will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in Figure 1,
The separation roller 5 is located between the second conveyance roller 7 and the third conveyance roller 9, and is arranged so that the distances A and B in the figure are almost the same. As a result, it is possible to easily perform the optimum arrangement of the rollers, which is the basis of the separation / conveyance reading, and also to reduce the size. Further, the reading position is located between the separation roller 5 and the first transport roller 6, and is arranged so that the distances C and D in the figure are almost the same. As a result, it is possible to read at the optimum position on the transport path. Further, the second carrying roller 7 is located between the first carrying roller 6 and the reading surface, and is arranged so that the distances E and F in the figure are almost the same. As a result, the second conveying roller 7 can be moved to the right (the reading unit direction) in the drawing, and the lateral size of the device can be reduced. Further, the first to third transport rollers are arranged inside the document transport path. As a result, the drive system of the transport roller can be made compact.

By arranging these optimal arrangements having regularity, it is possible to achieve downsizing of the apparatus and fine document transportation.

[Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment,
Although the image reading apparatus is exemplified, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile apparatus, and the present invention is not limited to the document feeding apparatus used in the image forming apparatus. Similar effects can be obtained by applying the invention.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A low-cost document feeder that does not require a separate glass can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view of an automatic paper feeder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an automatic sheet feeding and reading device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional automatic sheet feeding / reading device.

[Explanation of symbols]

A, B, C, D, E, F ... Distance S ... manuscript 1 ... Original reading / transporting unit 2 ... Fixed reading section 3 ... Pickup roller 4 ... Separation pad 5 ... Separation roller 6 ... First transport roller 7 ... Second transport roller 8 ... Read white background 9 ... Third transport roller 10 ... Pickup arm 12 ... U Turn Pass 14 ... Original tray 16 ... Document presence sensor 17 ... Original Edge Sensor 18 ... Original discharge tray 18a ... Original holding surface 19 ... Transparent scooping sheet 20 ... Document stopper 22 ... Glass 30 ... Contact image sensor 40 ... Automatic paper feed pressure plate 51 ... Upstream guide member 52 ... Downstream guide member 53 ... Opening

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Masakatsu Yamada             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Toshiyuki Takano             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Yasushi Ishida             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Shigeyuki Sugiyama             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation F-term (reference) 2H076 AA04 BA17 BA21 BA24 BA35                       BA36                 3F101 FA02 FB11 LA02 LA05 LB02                 5C062 AA02 AA05 AB17 AB32 BA01                 5C072 AA01 BA02 NA01 XA01

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An original feeding device for feeding originals one by one and conveying the originals through a predetermined reading position, wherein an original feeding path for guiding the originals upstream of the reading position in the original feeding direction. An upstream guide member that forms a document, a downstream guide member that forms a document conveyance path that guides a document on the upstream side of the reading position in the document conveyance direction, and a pressing member that presses the document in the reading unit direction at the reading position. A transparent sheet provided between the upstream guide member and the downstream guide member at a position facing the pressing member, wherein the transparent sheet is a document pressed by the pressing member at the reading position. An original feeding device provided so as to be picked up by the downstream guide member. 2. The transparent sheet is provided so as to cover an opening formed at the reading position by the upstream guide member and the downstream guide member, and a downstream end portion of the transparent sheet has the downstream side. The document feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document feeding device is provided in a document feeding path formed by the downstream guide member so as to cover the upstream end of the guide member. 3. The document feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member has a guide surface that guides the document while slidingly contacting the document in a flat shape at a portion facing the transparent sheet. apparatus. 4. The pressing member is supported so as to be separable from the upstream guide member, the downstream guide member, and the transparent sheet which are fixedly provided at the reading position. The document feeder according to claim 1. 5. The document feeder according to claim 1, further comprising a reading unit that reads a document conveyed by the document feeder at a predetermined reading position. Image reading device. 6. A document feeder for feeding documents one by one, and feeding the documents through a predetermined reading position.
An upstream guide member that forms a document conveying path that guides a document on the upstream side of the reading position in the document conveying direction, and a downstream guide member that forms a document conveying path that guides the document on the upstream side of the reading position in the document conveying direction. A transparent sheet provided between the upstream guide member and the downstream guide member at a position facing the pressing member, and the transparent sheet. The sheet is a document feeding device provided to scoop up a document pressed by the pressing member at the reading position to the downstream guide member, and a document conveyed by the document feeding device is read in a predetermined manner. A reading unit for reading at a position or for scanning a document set on a transparent glass while scanning the document. That the image reading apparatus.