JP2992715B2 - Document feeder - Google Patents

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 automatically sending a document to a platen (document setting surface) of an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, an image reader, and a facsimile, and discharging the document after image processing. In particular, the present invention relates to a so-called half-belt type in which a part of a platen is covered by a transport belt, and another part of the platen is covered by cover means provided adjacent to the transport belt.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image processing apparatus, for example, a document feeder of a copying machine has a transfer belt that covers the entire surface of a platen on which a document is placed and exposed, and the drive belt drives the document to carry it onto the platen. It is discharged from the platen after copying.

In such a document transport apparatus, the size of the transport belt is adapted to a document of the maximum size (for example, A3 size).

However, the size of the original to be copied is usually smaller than the maximum size (for example, A4 size or B size).
5 sizes). Therefore, for example, if a document of A4 size is sent to a platen formed for A3 size to be exposed, the document is transported by a distance corresponding to twice the size of the document itself, and the transport time is increased. The length of the sheet becomes longer, which causes problems such as a poor posture of the document and unnecessary charging. In addition, the configuration of the conveying means becomes large, resulting in high cost and waste.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a so-called half-belt type in which the conveying belt is sized to cover almost half of the platen and the other half is covered by a mere plate-like cover means. This is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-158728.

The document feeder disclosed in this publication is shown in FIG.
A conveyor belt 905 stretched over a pair of pulleys 903 and 904 and a cover means 906 that can move up and down are arranged side by side on a platen 902 of the copying machine 901 as shown in FIG.
7 is fed onto a platen 902 via a paper feed path 911, and then the transport belt 905 is set to a stop reference position on a stopper 913 which is protruded by reversing the original to copy. Do. After copying, the stopper 913 is retracted, the paper feed path 911 is shut off by the swing guide 914, and the original is supplied to the paper discharge path 912 and discharged to the paper discharge tray 910.

However, when the original is a small-sized original such as A4, the original is sandwiched between the transport belt 905 and the platen 902 and exposed, and when the original is a large-sized original such as A3, the cover 906 is used. Exposure is performed by inserting it below.

[0008]

In such a document feeder, the entire paper feed tray 907 protrudes from the copying machine 901, and the size of the apparatus is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a document feeder which can be reduced in size even if the transfer means and the cover means are arranged side by side on a document set surface.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is applied to an image processing apparatus having an original set surface and performing image processing of an original placed at a reference position on the original set surface. And covers a part of the original set surface,
A transport unit for transporting the original along the original setting surface, which can be rotated forward and backward, and a cover unit that is arranged in parallel in the original transport direction of the transport unit and covers a portion of the original setting surface that is not covered by the transport unit. A document feeder provided above the transporting means, for storing a document to be fed, and a document stored in the document receiving section for feeding the document to the cover means side of the transporting means. Sheet feeding means for supplying a document between the conveyance means and the document setting surface from the opposite side, sheet discharging means for discharging a document from between the conveyance means and the cover means, the conveyance means and the cover means, Switching means for switching between guiding the document on the document setting surface to the paper discharging means and guiding the document under the cover means, and the paper discharging means provided above the cover means. By It provided a paper discharge document storage portion for storing the issued document.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. <Construction> As shown in FIG. 1, the document feeder 10 is mounted on a platen (document setting surface) P of the image processing apparatus C, and a transfer means 50 that covers approximately one half of the platen P; A cover unit 40 for covering the remaining portion of the document, a sheet-supplying document storage unit (sheet-supply tray) 11 provided above the conveyance unit 50 for storing a document-to-be-supplied,
Separation feeding section 20 for separating and feeding the original set in 1
Discharging means for discharging a document between the conveying means 50 and the cover means 40 via the paper discharge path 32, for example, paper discharge rollers 61 and 62; and image processing provided on the cover means 40 (in the case of a copying machine, Is a discharged document storage unit (discharge tray) that stores a document discharged from the platen P after the copying operation).
13, switching means 63 provided between the transport means 50 and the cover means 40 for switching between supplying the original on the platen P to the paper discharge rollers 61 and 62 or guiding the original under the cover means 40; And control means not shown.

Document feeder 11 and paper feeder 13
Are partially overlapped in the up-down direction, and at least a part of the discharged document accommodating section 13 is provided on the platen P.

The separating / feeding section 20 includes sheet feeding guides 21 and 22 which constitute a sheet feeding path 31 from the sheet feeding section 11 to the platen P.

The separation feeding section 20 is provided with a pickup roller 23 which contacts the uppermost sheet of the documents stacked on the sheet feeding section 11 in a timely manner and feeds the same, and separates and feeds the fed document. Roller 2 that rotates in the paper feeding direction
4 and a separation roller 25 that rotates to push back the original document on the upstream side, and further regulates the leading end of the original document on the downstream side so as to adjust the feeding posture, and to take a timing of transferring the original to the conveying unit 50. 26 and pressing roller 27
Are provided.

The paper feed roller 2 is moved along the paper feed path 31.
An empty sensor S1 for detecting the presence or absence of a document on the fed document storage unit 11 is provided on the upstream side of the registration roller 2.
Immediately before 6, a registration sensor S2 is provided.

The conveying means 50 includes a wide conveying belt 53 stretched between a driving pulley 51 and a driven pulley 52.
And a plurality of press rollers 54 for pressing the transport belt 53 onto the platen P surface. A paper discharge sensor S3 is provided between the driven pulley 52 and the paper discharge roller 61.

The drive motor M1 is a pickup roller 2
3. The paper feed roller 24 and the separation roller 25 are connected to drive. When the drive motor M1 rotates forward, the pickup roller 23, the paper feed roller 24, and the separation roller 25 rotate clockwise in the drawing, and furthermore, the pickup roller 23 is swingably supported via a spring clutch (not shown). By swinging the arm member, the pickup roller 23 is pressed on the original surface, and conversely, at the time of reverse rotation,
By swinging the arm member in the opposite direction, the pickup roller 23 is separated from the document surface.

On the other hand, the drive motor M2 is
6, the drive-side pulley 51 of the conveying means 50, and the discharge roller 61
And are linked to

The cover means 40 includes a platen cover 41 for covering the original, and a drive means for moving the platen cover 41 up and down, for example, a solenoid 43. The platen cover 41 has a surface corresponding to the platen P made of a flat white resin material or a metal flat plate with high reflectivity, and has a base end rotatably supported about a support shaft 42. When the document is supplied between the platen P and the platen cover 41, the solenoid 43 raises the platen cover 41 to increase the distance between the platen P and the platen cover 41 when the document is supplied below the platen cover 41. It is designed to descend. Note that the platen cover 41 does not adhere to the platen P even when it is lowered, and a slight gap is secured.

The switching means 63 includes a thin sheet-shaped switching guide 64 and a driving means for switching the switching guide 64, for example, a solenoid, and switches the transport path according to the length of the document and at the time of discharging. ing. <Operation> When a document is placed on the fed document storage unit 11,
The empty sensor S1 detects this, and the required initial settings are made.

Next, when the start button of the image processing apparatus C is pressed, the drive motor M
1 starts normal rotation. By this forward rotation, the pickup roller 23 falls on the uppermost sheet of the stacked documents and rolls,
Take this out. The fed top sheet usually accompanies a plurality of originals below the top sheet.
, Only the top sheet is fed.

One fed original is registered with a registration sensor S
Immediately after the detection, the tip abuts between the registration roller 26 and the pressure roller 27. At this point, the drive motor M2 has stopped, and the registration roller 26 has also stopped. However, the drive motor M1 takes a very short time T1 from the time when the registration sensor S2 detects the leading edge of the document.
The rotation is continued, the original is curved, and a so-called registration loop is formed, whereby the leading end registration is corrected.

After the elapse of the minute time T, the drive motor M1 stops, and at the same time, the drive motor M2 starts. Then, the original is sent out along the paper feed path 31 and is simultaneously delivered to the operating conveying means 50 and sent on the platen P.

The control means measures the elapsed time after the start of the motor M2, and determines whether the time t until the trailing edge of the document is detected is within the predetermined time T2 or more. If the required time t is equal to or less than the predetermined time T2 (t <T2), the document is determined to be an S (small) size document.
> T2) is determined to be an L (large) size original.

When it is determined that the original is an S original, the switching guide 64 is driven to the position shown in FIG.

After the registration sensor S2 detects the rear end of the original, the original is conveyed by a predetermined amount based on the rotation amount and time of the motor M2, and the rear end of the original coincides with the exposure reference position P1 on the platen P. The motor M2 is stopped according to the amount of rotation of the solder and the time. Then, image processing by the image processing apparatus C is performed at this position.

When the image processing is completed, the motor M2 is started, and the conveying means 50 and the paper discharge roller 61 are driven. Thereby, the original is conveyed to the right in FIG. 1 by the conveying means 50, scooped up from the platen P by the switching guide 64, and discharged by the discharge rollers 61 and 62.
3

When it is determined that the document is an L document, the switching guide 64 is driven upward as shown in FIG. 2, and the platen cover 41 is raised by the solenoid 43, so that the platen P and the platen cover 41 Is opened.

On the other hand, the original sent out from the paper feed path 31 is conveyed on the platen P by the conveying means 50, and the leading end of the original passes under the switching guide 64 and enters between the platen P and the platen cover 41. . When the document is conveyed by a predetermined amount after the trailing edge of the document is detected by the registration sensor
Stops, and the rear end of the document stops at the exposure reference position P1. Then, the platen cover 41 is lowered, and the image processing apparatus C
Image processing.

When the image processing is completed, the driving motor M2 is rotated in the reverse direction. As a result, the conveying means 50 conveys the document to the left in FIG. The original is conveyed while being in contact with the switching guide 64, and the right end of the original is
When the motor M2 is driven by a predetermined amount that will pass through the motor 4, the motor M2 is stopped and rotates forward. For this reason, the document is conveyed rightward again, but is scooped up by the switching guide 64, guided to the paper discharge path 32, and discharged to the discharged document storage unit 13 by the paper discharge rollers 61 and 62.

During the image processing, the driving operation of the driving motor M1 performs the advance operation of the next original.

When the leading edge of the original is detected by the paper ejection sensor S3 during the above-described ejecting operation and the sheet is advanced by a predetermined time T3, the feeding of the next original already advanced to the registration roller 26 is started. Be started. <Modifications> Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, the following modifications are possible. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the platen cover 41 does not adhere to the platen P even when it is lowered, and a small gap is secured. However, the platen cover 41 may adhere. However, in this case, when the original supplied under the platen cover 41 is transported leftward in FIG. 1, it is necessary to raise the platen cover 41 by a driving device. (2) In the above-described embodiment, the platen cover 41 is configured to move up and down. Is formed, the platen cover 41 may be fixed to the platen P by forming a predetermined gap. (3) In the above embodiment, when the L original supplied under the platen cover 41 is transported leftward, the switching guide 64 is used.
1 is conveyed in a state of contact with the document while being lowered as shown in FIG. In this case, when discharging the L original, the switching guide 64 needs to be lowered again. (4) In the above embodiment, the length of the original is detected by the time from when the motor M2 starts to when the registration sensor S2 detects the trailing end of the original. Alternatively, the detection may be performed based on the rotation amount of the motor M2 until the registration sensor S2 detects the trailing edge of the document. (5) In the above embodiment, the stop timing of the motor M2 is performed based on the time from when the sensor detects the end of the document, but may be performed in accordance with the rotation amount of the motor M2.

[0033]

According to the present invention, a part of the original set surface is attached to an image processing apparatus having an original set surface and performing image processing of an original placed on a reference position of the original set surface. Forward / reversely rotatable conveying means for conveying an original along the original setting surface, and cover means for juxtaposing a portion of the original setting surface which is not covered by the conveying means and arranged in parallel in the original conveying direction of the conveying means. A document feeder provided above the transporting means and containing a document to be fed, and the cover means of the transporting means for transporting the document contained in the document feeder. Paper feeding means for supplying a document between the transport means and the document setting surface from a side opposite to the paper side; paper discharging means for discharging a document from between the transport means and the cover means; Between the cover means Switching means for switching between guiding the document on the document set surface to the paper discharge means and guiding the document under the cover means, and provided above the cover means and discharged by the paper discharge means. The paper feed document storage section is provided above the transport means, even if the transport means and the cover means are arranged side by side on the document set surface because the output document storage section for storing the In addition, since the discharged document storage portion is disposed above the cover means, the amount of protrusion of the fed document storage portion and the discharged document storage portion from the image processing apparatus is small, and the size can be reduced.

Further, since the fed document storage portion and the discharged document storage portion are arranged so as to partially overlap each other in the vertical direction, the amount of protrusion of the discharged document storage portion from the image processing apparatus can be further reduced.

Further, since at least a portion of the discharged original storage portion is located on the original set surface, the entire discharged original storage portion does not protrude from the image processing device as in the related art, and the size of the device can be reduced. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a document feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an operation state of the document feeder according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Document feeder 11 Paper feed document storage unit 13 Document discharge paper storage unit 20 Separation / feed unit 21 Paper feed guide 22 Paper feed guide 23 Pickup roller 24 Paper feed roller 25 Separation roller 26 Registration roller 31 Paper feed path 32 Paper discharge path 41 Platen Cover 50 Conveying Means 53 Conveying Belt M1 Drive Motor M2 Drive Motor S1 Empty Sensor S2 Registration Sensor S3 Discharge Sensor C Image Processing Device P Platen P1 Image Processing Reference Position

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An image processing device that has an original set surface and performs image processing on an original placed at a reference position on the original set surface, and covers a part of the original set surface; A document transporter comprising: a forward / reversely rotatable transport unit that transports an original along a surface; and a cover unit that is arranged in parallel in the original transport direction of the transport unit and covers a portion of the original setting surface that is not covered by the transport unit. In the apparatus, a paper-supplying document storage portion provided above the transporting device and configured to store a paper-feeding document, and a document stored in the paper-feeding document storage portion may be provided from a side opposite to the cover unit side of the transporting device. Paper feeding means for supplying between the transport means and the document setting surface; paper discharging means for discharging a document from between the transport means and the cover means; and between the transport means and the cover means Provided the manuscript Switching means for switching between guiding the document on the set surface to the paper discharge means and guiding the document under the cover means; provided above the cover means for accommodating the document discharged by the paper discharge means. A document transport device comprising a discharged document storage unit. 2. A detecting means for detecting a length of a document fed by the feeding means, and when the length of the document detected by the detecting means is shorter than a predetermined length, the detecting means detects the length of the document. When the original is supplied to the paper discharging means by rotation in the direction, and is longer than a predetermined length,
2. The document feeder according to claim 1, further comprising control means for supplying a document to said paper discharge means by forward / reverse rotation of said feed means. 3. The document feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said sheet feeding document accommodating portion and said sheet ejecting document accommodating portion partially overlap each other in a vertical direction. 4. The document feeding device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the discharged document storage portion is provided on a document setting surface.