JPH0795346A - Automatic document feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To relieve the cost load of the picture reader onto the user not desiring an automatic document feeder by providing a structure of leading a draft fed automatically onto a document platen to a paper discharge reception port while the document is surely parted from the document platen only by means of the automatic document feeder. CONSTITUTION:In the automatic document feeder 18 in which a document 12 placed on a document feed section 21 is carried to a paper discharge reception port 24 via the surface of a transparent document platen 3 of a picture reader 1 by a carrier section, a document carrier path 23 formed by providing a transparent board 25 in close contact to the surface of the document platen 3 and a guide plate 26 opposite to each other at a predetermined gap inbetween is provided to a main body 20 of an automatic document reader 18, one end of the document carrier path 23 is connected to a document feed section 21, and a slope face 27 tilted slowly in a direction parted gradually from the surface of the document platen 3 toward the paper discharge reception port 24 is formed to the other end of the document carrier path 23.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder which is selectively attached to an image reading device such as a copying machine, an image scanner, an OCR (Optical Character Reader).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a copying machine, an image scanner, an O
An image reading apparatus such as a CR has a transparent document table on which a document is set, a document retainer for pressing the document set on the document table, and an optical system for reading an image of the document on the document table. There is an automatic document feeder for automatically feeding a document on the platen. When this automatic document feeder is used, a document is fed to the document table of the image reading apparatus, and the document is separated from the document table and smoothly discharged to the sheet receiving tray, or a jam occurs. For this reason, a document separating means for separating the document from the platen is provided on the image reading device side,
Further, in order to suppress the generation of static electricity that causes a jam, the document table is coated with an antistatic film.

[0003]

Conventionally, on the assumption that the automatic document feeder is mounted, the image reading device side is provided with a document separating means and is coated with an antistatic film. This also imposes an extra cost on the user of the image reading apparatus that is not mounted.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a document placed on a document feeding section is automatically conveyed by a conveying section to a paper receiving tray via a surface of a transparent platen of an image reading apparatus. In the document feeding device, a document feeding path is provided in the main body of the automatic document feeding device in which a transparent plate and a guide plate which are in close contact with the surface of the document table are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap.
One end of the document feeding path is connected to the document feeding section, and an inclined surface is formed at the other end of the document feeding path, which is gradually inclined in a direction away from the surface of the document table as it goes to the sheet receiving tray. did.

[0005]

The original document can be smoothly guided to the original table by the original document conveying path, and the original document on the original document table can be surely separated from each other by the inclined surface of the original document conveying path and guided to the discharge tray.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the structure of the image reading device 1 will be described. A transparent manuscript table 3 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 2, and a carrier 4 is reciprocally held by a carrier shaft 5 along the lower surface of the manuscript table 3. A part of an endless belt 7 wound around a plurality of pulleys 6 is fixed to the carrier 4. Then, a pinion 9 driven by a motor 8 which can rotate normally and reversely is in mesh with a gear 10 connected to one pulley 6.

Further, the carrier 4 has the document table 3
Light source 11 for illuminating the lower surface of the document, and a plurality of mirrors 13, 14, 15 for reflecting the reflected light from the document 12 on the document table 3.
And a CCD image sensor 17 for receiving the reflected light from the mirror 15 via the imaging lens 16.

Next, an automatic document feeder 18 is mounted on the upper surface of the casing 2 so as to be openable and closable. A main body 20 of the automatic document feeder 18 is held rotatably up and down around a fulcrum shaft 19, and the main body 20 includes a document supply section 21.
A reversing passage 22 for reversing the original 12 placed on the original feeding section 21 downward, a document conveying path 23 connected to the lower end of the reversing passage 22, and the document conveying path 2
A sheet discharge tray 24 connected to the end of the sheet 3 is provided.

The original conveying path 23 has a transparent plate 25 which is in close contact with the surface of the original table 3 and a guide plate 26 which faces the transparent plate 25 with a predetermined gap therebetween. The transparent plate 25 and the guide plate 26 are formed with an inclined surface 27 that is gently inclined in a direction in which the transparent plate 25 and the guide plate 26 gradually move away from the document table 3 toward the paper discharge tray 24. The transparent plate 25 and the guide plate 26 are formed of a synthetic resin sheet such as polyester having a small friction coefficient and elasticity.

Further, in the main body 20, there is provided a conveying section 28 for conveying the original 12 placed on the original supply section 21 toward the discharge tray 24, and a motor 29 for driving the conveying section 28. It is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport unit 28 includes a paper feed roller 30 provided at an end of the document supply unit 21, a transport roller 31 provided in the reversing path 22, and an entrance of the paper discharge tray 24. And a pressing roller 33, 34, 35 pressed against the rollers 30, 31, 32, respectively.

In such a structure, when the start button (not shown) is pressed, the motor 29 is driven, so that the original 12 placed on the original supply section 21 is pulled out by the paper feed roller 30 and conveyed. The sheet is conveyed onto the document table 3 by the roller 31 and is ejected to the sheet ejection tray 24 by the sheet ejection roller 32. In the process in which the original 12 is conveyed on the original table 3 as described above, the image forming surface of the lower surface of the original 12 is illuminated by the light source 11 of the image reading apparatus 1, and the image of the original 12 is reflected by the mirrors 13, 14, 15. Imaging lens 16 that is sequentially reflected
Then, an image is formed on the CCD image sensor 17. In this case, the carrier 4 is maintained in a stopped state.

Since the image of the original 12 may be read many times, the leading end may be uneven, but the original 1
2 is smoothly conveyed between the transparent plate 25 having a small friction coefficient and the guide plate 26, and also has an inclined surface 27 that gently inclines.
Thus, it is reliably separated from the document table 3 and guided to the paper discharge tray 24.

For a user who does not need the automatic document feeder 18, a document retainer (not shown) having a simple structure is attached to the housing 2 by a fulcrum shaft 19 in place of the automatic document feeder 18. Become. In this case, the document retainer is lifted and the document 12 is manually set on the document table 3, and then the document 12 on the document table 3 is retained by the document retainer, and the motor 8
The belt 7 is driven by this to reciprocate the carrier 4, and in this process, the image of the original 12 is read by the optical system on the carrier 4. After reading the image, the document holder is lifted and the document 12 on the document table 3 is removed by hand.

As described above, the original conveying path 23 having the inclined surface 27 for separating the original 12 from the original table 3 is
Since the automatic document feeder 18 is provided, it is necessary to take measures for separating the original 12 from the document table 3 on the side of the image reading apparatus 1 used by the user who does not need the automatic document feeder 18. It is possible to lose it.

In the present embodiment, the automatic document feeder 1
8 is used, the carrier 4 is stopped together with the optical system to read the image of the original 12 in the original moving type usage mode. However, when the automatic original feeder 18 is not used, the original table 3 of the original table 3 is used. The original is temporarily stopped and the carrier 4 is moved together with the optical system to read the image of the original 12 in a stationary original type.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. An automatic document feeder 36 is mounted on the upper surface of the housing 2 so as to be openable and closable. A main body 37 of the automatic document feeder 36 is held rotatably up and down about a fulcrum shaft 19, and the main body 37 is provided with a document supply section 21 and a document 12 placed on the document supply section 21 downward. A reversing path 22 for reversing the sheet, a document conveying path 38 connected to the lower end of the reversing path 22, and a paper discharge tray 24 connected to an end of the document conveying path 38 are provided.

The original conveying path 38 has a transparent plate 39 which is in close contact with the surface of the original table 3 and a guide plate 40 which faces the transparent plate 39 with a predetermined gap therebetween. On the left side of the transparent plate 39 and the guide plate 40, an inclined surface 41 is formed which gradually inclines in a direction away from the document table 3 as it goes to the left, and the upper portion of the inclined surface 41 is the paper receiving tray. It is curved in a U shape toward 24. The transparent plate 39 and the guide plate 40 are formed of a synthetic resin sheet such as polyester having a small friction coefficient and elasticity.

Further, the main body 37 is provided with a carrying section 42 for carrying the original 12 placed on the original supply section 21 toward the discharge tray 24. This transport section 4
Reference numeral 2 denotes a paper feed roller 30 provided at the end of the document supply section 21 and a conveyance roller 3 provided at the reversing path 22.
1, a discharge roller 32 provided at the entrance of the discharge receiver 24, pressing rollers 33, 34 and 35 pressed against the rollers 30, 31, and 32, and an intermediate portion of the document conveying path 38. And an intermediate roller 43 provided in the section.

In such a structure, when the start button is pressed, the motor 29 is driven, the original 12 placed on the original supply section 21 is pulled out by the paper feed roller 30, and the original is conveyed by the conveying roller 31 and the intermediate roller 43. It is transported onto the table 3. In this state, the motor 29 is temporarily stopped. Then, the image of the original 12 is read by reciprocally moving the carrier 4 together with the optical system. After that, since the motor 29 is driven again, the document 12 on the document table 3 is discharged to the discharge receiver 24 by the discharge roller 32. This is a stationary document type, but it is used as a movable document type in which an image is read while the carrier 4 is stationary at a fixed position and the document 12 is continuously conveyed on the document table 3 without being temporarily stopped. You may do it.

Also in the case of the present embodiment, the original 12 is smoothly conveyed between the transparent plate 39 and the guide plate 40 having a small friction coefficient, and the inclined surface 41 which is gently inclined surely moves from the original table 3. The paper is separated and guided to the paper discharge tray 24.

For a user who does not need the automatic document feeder 36, a document holder (not shown) having a simple structure is used instead of the automatic document feeder 18 as in the above embodiment.
It is attached to the housing 2 by the fulcrum shaft 19. In this case, the document retainer is lifted and manually set on the document table 3, and then the document on the document table 3 is held by the document retainer, and the belt 8 is driven by the motor 8 to reciprocate the carrier 4. , In this process, the original 12 by the optical system on the carrier 4
Read the image. After scanning the image, lift the document holder,
The original 12 on the original table 3 is manually removed.

[0022]

According to the present invention, as described above, the original conveying path formed by the transparent plate and the guide plate, which are in close contact with the surface of the original table, facing each other with a predetermined gap therebetween is provided in the main body of the automatic document feeder. Since one end of this document feeding path is connected to the document feeding portion, and the other end of the document feeding path is formed with an inclined surface that gradually inclines in a direction away from the surface of the document table as it goes to the sheet receiving tray. , The originals are guided smoothly to the platen by the original conveyance path, and the originals on the originals can be reliably separated and guided to the discharge tray by the inclined surface of the originals conveyance path. Since an original document feeding path having an inclined surface for is provided in the automatic document feeder,
Since it is not necessary to provide the image reading device with a measure for separating the document from the platen, it is possible to reduce the cost burden on the user of the image reading device which does not require the automatic document feeding device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional side view.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional side view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Image Reading Device 3 Document Plate 12 Documents 18 Automatic Document Feeding Device 20 Main Body 21 Document Feeding Unit 23 Document Feeding Path 24 Paper Ejecting Receiver 25 Transparent Plate 26 Guide Plate 27 Sloping Surface 28 Transporting Unit 36 Automatic Document Feeding Device 37 Main Body 38 Documents Transport path 39 Transparent plate 40 Guide plate 41 Inclined surface 42 Transport section

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI Technical display location G06K 9/20 310 J

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic document feeder in which a document placed on a document supply section is transported by a transport section to a sheet discharge tray via the surface of a transparent platen of an image reading apparatus,
A document transport path is provided in the main body of the automatic document feeder, in which a transparent plate and a guide plate, which are in close contact with the surface of the document table, face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween, and one end of the document transport path is used to feed the document. And an inclined surface that is gradually inclined in a direction away from the surface of the platen toward the discharge receiver at the other end of the document conveying path. .