US20040080092A1 - Sheet feed image scanning apparatus - Google Patents
Sheet feed image scanning apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040080092A1 US20040080092A1 US10/248,312 US24831203A US2004080092A1 US 20040080092 A1 US20040080092 A1 US 20040080092A1 US 24831203 A US24831203 A US 24831203A US 2004080092 A1 US2004080092 A1 US 2004080092A1
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- Prior art keywords
- sheet
- roller
- document
- document sheet
- image scanning
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- 230000000295 complement effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910044991 metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 150000004706 metal oxides Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000002950 deficient Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/00127—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
- H04N1/0032—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture with a medium handling apparatus, e.g. a sheet sorter
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H5/00—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines
- B65H5/06—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines by rollers or balls, e.g. between rollers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/00567—Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
- H04N1/00628—Separating, e.g. preventing feeding of two sheets at a time
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/00567—Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
- H04N1/00631—Ejecting or stacking
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/04—Scanning arrangements, i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versa
- H04N1/12—Scanning arrangements, i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versa using the sheet-feed movement or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement as the slow scanning component, e.g. arrangements for the main-scanning
- H04N1/121—Feeding arrangements
- H04N1/1215—Feeding using one or more cylindrical platens or rollers in the immediate vicinity of the main scanning line
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
- B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
- B65H2301/443—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material
- B65H2301/4431—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material by means with operating surfaces contacting opposite faces of material
- B65H2301/44312—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material by means with operating surfaces contacting opposite faces of material between belts and rollers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
- B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
- B65H2301/443—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material
- B65H2301/4431—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material by means with operating surfaces contacting opposite faces of material
- B65H2301/44314—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material by means with operating surfaces contacting opposite faces of material between belts and cylinder
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
- B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
- B65H2301/443—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material
- B65H2301/4431—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material by means with operating surfaces contacting opposite faces of material
- B65H2301/44318—Moving, forwarding, guiding material by acting on surface of handled material by means with operating surfaces contacting opposite faces of material between rollers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2404/00—Parts for transporting or guiding the handled material
- B65H2404/10—Rollers
- B65H2404/15—Roller assembly, particular roller arrangement
- B65H2404/153—Arrangements of rollers facing a transport surface
- B65H2404/1531—Arrangements of rollers facing a transport surface the transport surface being a cylinder
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2801/00—Application field
- B65H2801/39—Scanning
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/00127—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/00519—Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
- H04N1/00525—Providing a more compact apparatus, e.g. sheet discharge tray in cover
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/00519—Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
- H04N1/00538—Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
- H04N2201/0077—Types of the still picture apparatus
- H04N2201/0081—Image reader
Definitions
- the invention relates generally to a sheet feed image scanning apparatus and, more particularly, to a sheet feeding unit implemented in the sheet feed image scanning apparatus that is dimensionally reduced.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view that illustrates a sheet feeding apparatus known in the prior art.
- the sheet feeding apparatus 110 of the prior art comprises a casing 112 in which are mounted three pairs of conveyor rollers, a sheet separating roller 118 , a sheet separating plate 120 , a sheet pickup roller 122 and a driving motor 124 .
- the sheet pickup roller 122 engages a document sheet introduced in the sheet feeding apparatus 110 .
- the sheet separating roller 118 is mounted in a manner such that its roller surface is adjacent to the sheet separating plate 120 to ensure that only a single document sheet 150 effectively engages through the pairs of conveyor rollers.
- Each pair of conveyor rollers comprises a feeding roller 114 and an idler roller 116 .
- the pairs of conveyor rollers are placed approximately around the driving motor 124 to pinch and convey the document sheet 150 , the feeding rollers 114 being driven in rotation via the driving motor 124 .
- the sheet pickup roller 122 engages a document sheet 150 that is introduced in the casing 112 , and forwards this document sheet 150 to the sheet separating roller/plate 118 , 120 .
- the sheet separating roller/plate 118 , 120 separates one document sheet 150 if more than one document sheet has been fed, and forwards it to the conveyor rollers.
- the document sheet 150 then travels through the conveyor rollers until it exits the sheet feeding apparatus 110 .
- the above construction usually requires the mount of the sheet separating roller/plate 118 , 120 to be at a position above the first pair of conveyor rollers to obtain an effective engagement of the document sheet 150 there through. Furthermore, to enable an effective engagement and conveyance of the document sheet, the placement of the different pairs of conveyor rollers has to follow specific design rules. This results in a conveyance structure that is relatively complex and necessitates a larger space, which increases the height of the sheet feeding apparatus. Furthermore, the engagement of the document sheet between the pairs of conveyor rollers may be deficient if, for example, a front edge of the document sheet is folded, which causes paper jams.
- An aspect of the invention is therefore to provide a sheet feeding unit that has a dimensionally reduced height.
- Another aspect of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding unit that simplifies the structure design and reduces the fabrication cost.
- another aspect of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding unit that is mounted in a sheet feed image scanning apparatus to convey a document sheet to be scanned.
- a sheet feeding unit of the invention comprises a casing in which are mounted a sheet pickup roller, a sheet separating roller, a sheet separating plate, a sheet conveyor assembly, and a driving motor.
- the casing includes a rear side and an opposite front side through which a document sheet is introduced in the sheet feeding unit and engages the sheet pickup roller.
- the sheet pickup roller forwards the document sheet to the sheet separating roller/plate.
- the sheet separating roller and the sheet separating plate are mounted facing each other with the roller surface of the sheet separating roller adjacent to the sheet separating plate. This assembly ensures that only a single document sheet, if more than one document sheet has been introduced, subsequently engages the sheet conveyor assembly.
- the sheet conveyor assembly comprises a central conveyor roller around which are mounted a plurality of idler rollers in circumferential contact with the central conveyor roller, the central conveyor roller being driven in rotation via the driving motor.
- the document sheet engages between the central conveyor roller and the idler rollers by having a sheet surface in substantial contact with the roller surface of the central conveyor roller.
- the central conveyor roller By rotation of the central conveyor roller, the document sheet is conveyed along a conveyance path that terminates at a location of the casing where the scanned document sheet is externally retrieved.
- the driving motor, the central conveyor roller, the sheet separating roller/plate, and the sheet pickup roller are mounted within the casing successively along an axis that runs from the rear side to the front side.
- the sheet conveyor assembly further comprises one or more belts that are wound around at least two idler rollers.
- the above sheet feeding unit is assembled with an image scanning unit that comprises a scanning module to which is mounted a light source.
- the casing of the sheet feeding unit further defines a scanning window that is at a location facing the conveyance path of the document sheet.
- the light source projects an incident light through the scanning window onto the document sheet being conveyed by the central conveyor roller.
- a resulting image light passes through the scanning window and is captured by the scanning module, comprising an image sensor and an adequate assembly of reflecting mirrors and objective lens, to form an image of the document sheet.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet feeding unit known in the prior art
- FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet feed image scanning apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a scanning module mounted in the sheet feed image scanning apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet feed image scanning apparatus according to a variant embodiment of the invention.
- a sheet feed image scanning apparatus 200 of the invention comprises a sheet feeding unit 210 that is assembled with an image scanning unit 260 .
- the sheet feeding unit 210 conveys a document sheet 250 to be scanned by the image scanning unit 260 .
- the construction of the sheet feeding unit 210 comprises a casing 212 in which are mounted a sheet pickup roller 222 , a sheet separating roller 218 , a sheet separating plate 220 , and a sheet conveyor assembly driven by a driving motor 224 to convey the document sheet 250 .
- the sheet conveyor assembly comprises a central conveyor roller 214 and a plurality of idler rollers 216 a , 216 b , 216 c , 216 d mounted around the central conveyor roller 214 .
- the casing 212 has a front side 230 through which a document sheet to be scanned is introduced in the sheet feeding unit 210 , and an opposite rear side 232 in the proximity of which is placed the driving motor 224 .
- the sheet pickup roller 222 is mounted proximate to the front side 230 of the casing 212 to engage a document sheet to be scanned. After the sheet pickup roller 222 , both sheet separating roller 218 and sheet separating plate 220 are mounted facing each other, with a roller surface of the sheet separating roller 218 adjacent to the sheet separating plate 220 .
- the function of the sheet separating roller/plate 218 , 220 is to ensure that only a single sheet of document 250 , if more than one document sheet has been fed through the front side 230 , engages through the sheet conveyor assembly.
- the coefficient of friction between the roller surface of the sheet separating roller 218 and a document sheet is preferably higher than that between two document sheets and higher than that between the sheet separating plate 220 and a document sheet in contact with it.
- the idler rollers 216 a , 216 b , 216 c , 216 d contact with the central conveyor roller 214 along its circumference to pinch and convey the document sheet 250 there between.
- the central conveyor roller 214 is driven in rotation via the driving motor 224 while the idler rollers 216 a , 216 b , 216 c , 216 d freely rotate.
- a document sheet 250 is inserted through the front side 230 , engages through the sheet pickup roller 222 , and passes through the sheet separating roller/plate 218 , 220 to reach the central conveyor roller 214 .
- the central conveyor roller 214 and the idler rollers 216 a ⁇ 216 d then convey the document sheet 250 along a direction that passes over a scanning window 213 and terminates over an area of the casing 212 where the scanned document sheet can be retrieved.
- the scanning window 213 may be formed through, for example, a lower wall of the casing 212 , and the conveyance path of the document sheet includes a curved portion that substantially matches the circumference of the central conveyor roller 214 to pass over the scanning window 213 .
- the driving motor 224 , the central conveyor roller 214 , the sheet separating roller/plate 218 , 220 , and the sheet pickup roller 222 are mounted within the casing 212 successively along an axis that runs from the rear side 232 to the front side 230 .
- the height of the sheet feeding unit 210 is substantially reduced.
- the assembly structure is simplified. Via a substantially large contact surface area with the central conveyor roller 214 , the document sheet 250 is further better engaged and conveyed, which enables an optimal scanning operation through the scanning window 213 .
- the image scanning unit 260 comprises a casing 262 , a transparent panel 264 , and a scanning module 266 .
- the casing 262 includes a hollow interior 263 where is received the scanning module 266 , the hollow interior 263 having an external opening over which is mounted the transparent panel 264 .
- the sheet feeding unit 210 is mounted to the image scanning unit 260 in such a manner that the scanning window 213 and the scanning module 266 are opposite to each other relative to the transparent panel 264 .
- the scanning module 266 comprises a module casing 270 , a lamp 272 , an assembly of reflecting mirrors 274 , an objective lens 276 , an image sensor 278 , and a circuit board 280 .
- the lamp 272 is mounted to the module casing 270 by means of a support base 271 placed below the transparent panel 264 .
- the assembly of reflecting mirrors 274 and the objective lens 276 are placed within the module casing 270 , and the circuit board 280 is attached to one side of the module casing 270 , the image sensor 278 being electrically connected on the circuit board 280 .
- the image sensor 278 may be, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
- the module casing 270 further includes an opening 273 through which the image light from the document sheet 250 is captured.
- the lamp 272 may be, for example, a cold cathode lamp that projects an incident light 275 through the transparent panel 264 and scanning window 213 onto the document sheet 250 .
- a resulting image light 252 from the document sheet 250 then travels through the scanning window 213 and the transparent panel 264 , penetrates the module casing 270 through an opening 273 , and via the assembly of reflecting mirrors 274 is directed to the objective lens 276 to form an image on the image sensor 278 .
- the sheet feed image scanning apparatus 200 therefore operates via progressively moving the document sheet 250 by means of the sheet feeding unit 210 while the image scanning unit 260 scans the image of the document sheet 250 through the scanning window 213 .
- FIG. 4 illustrates a variant embodiment of the sheet feeding unit 310 .
- the sheet conveyor assembly in the casing 312 may additionally include a belt 328 that is wound around, for example, idler rollers 316 a , 316 b and is in contact with the roller surface of the central conveyor roller 314 .
- the document sheet 350 to be scanned is conveyed by means of the central conveyor roller 314 successively through the belt 328 and idler rollers 316 c , 316 d .
- the document sheet 350 is securely engaged through the sheet conveyor assembly, and folding of the document sheet, causing paper jams, is further prevented.
- the coefficient of friction between the belt surface and the document sheet 350 is preferably smaller than that between the roller surface of the central conveyor roller 314 and the document sheet 350 for it to be effectively conveyed by the central conveyor roller 314 .
- the belt 328 may be wound around, for example, three idler rollers (not shown) and/or more belts may be mounted to secure the engagement of the document sheet. It will be therefore appreciated that the above sheet conveyor assembly may be modified according to different manners to achieve the same function of securely conveying the document sheet via the central conveyor roller.
- the invention therefore includes at least the following advantages.
- the total height of the sheet feed image scanning apparatus is favorably reduced.
- the document sheet more securely engages in the sheet conveyor assembly.
- the engagement and conveyance of the document sheet may also be further improved via the addition of belt elements in contact with the central conveyor roller to engage the document sheet.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no.91124656, filed on Oct. 24, 2002.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The invention relates generally to a sheet feed image scanning apparatus and, more particularly, to a sheet feeding unit implemented in the sheet feed image scanning apparatus that is dimensionally reduced.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view that illustrates a sheet feeding apparatus known in the prior art. The
sheet feeding apparatus 110 of the prior art comprises acasing 112 in which are mounted three pairs of conveyor rollers, asheet separating roller 118, asheet separating plate 120, asheet pickup roller 122 and adriving motor 124. Thesheet pickup roller 122 engages a document sheet introduced in thesheet feeding apparatus 110. Thesheet separating roller 118 is mounted in a manner such that its roller surface is adjacent to thesheet separating plate 120 to ensure that only asingle document sheet 150 effectively engages through the pairs of conveyor rollers. - Each pair of conveyor rollers comprises a
feeding roller 114 and anidler roller 116. The pairs of conveyor rollers are placed approximately around the drivingmotor 124 to pinch and convey thedocument sheet 150, thefeeding rollers 114 being driven in rotation via thedriving motor 124. - With the above construction, the
sheet pickup roller 122 engages adocument sheet 150 that is introduced in thecasing 112, and forwards thisdocument sheet 150 to the sheet separating roller/plate plate document sheet 150 if more than one document sheet has been fed, and forwards it to the conveyor rollers. Thedocument sheet 150 then travels through the conveyor rollers until it exits thesheet feeding apparatus 110. - As illustrated in FIG. 1, the above construction usually requires the mount of the sheet separating roller/
plate document sheet 150 there through. Furthermore, to enable an effective engagement and conveyance of the document sheet, the placement of the different pairs of conveyor rollers has to follow specific design rules. This results in a conveyance structure that is relatively complex and necessitates a larger space, which increases the height of the sheet feeding apparatus. Furthermore, the engagement of the document sheet between the pairs of conveyor rollers may be deficient if, for example, a front edge of the document sheet is folded, which causes paper jams. - An aspect of the invention is therefore to provide a sheet feeding unit that has a dimensionally reduced height.
- Another aspect of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding unit that simplifies the structure design and reduces the fabrication cost.
- Furthermore, another aspect of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding unit that is mounted in a sheet feed image scanning apparatus to convey a document sheet to be scanned.
- To accomplish the above and other objectives, a sheet feeding unit of the invention comprises a casing in which are mounted a sheet pickup roller, a sheet separating roller, a sheet separating plate, a sheet conveyor assembly, and a driving motor. The casing includes a rear side and an opposite front side through which a document sheet is introduced in the sheet feeding unit and engages the sheet pickup roller. The sheet pickup roller forwards the document sheet to the sheet separating roller/plate. The sheet separating roller and the sheet separating plate are mounted facing each other with the roller surface of the sheet separating roller adjacent to the sheet separating plate. This assembly ensures that only a single document sheet, if more than one document sheet has been introduced, subsequently engages the sheet conveyor assembly. The sheet conveyor assembly comprises a central conveyor roller around which are mounted a plurality of idler rollers in circumferential contact with the central conveyor roller, the central conveyor roller being driven in rotation via the driving motor. After the sheet separating roller/plate, the document sheet engages between the central conveyor roller and the idler rollers by having a sheet surface in substantial contact with the roller surface of the central conveyor roller. By rotation of the central conveyor roller, the document sheet is conveyed along a conveyance path that terminates at a location of the casing where the scanned document sheet is externally retrieved.
- According to a preferred embodiment, the driving motor, the central conveyor roller, the sheet separating roller/plate, and the sheet pickup roller are mounted within the casing successively along an axis that runs from the rear side to the front side.
- According to a variant embodiment, the sheet conveyor assembly further comprises one or more belts that are wound around at least two idler rollers.
- Implemented in a sheet feed image scanning apparatus, the above sheet feeding unit is assembled with an image scanning unit that comprises a scanning module to which is mounted a light source. The casing of the sheet feeding unit further defines a scanning window that is at a location facing the conveyance path of the document sheet. The light source projects an incident light through the scanning window onto the document sheet being conveyed by the central conveyor roller. A resulting image light passes through the scanning window and is captured by the scanning module, comprising an image sensor and an adequate assembly of reflecting mirrors and objective lens, to form an image of the document sheet.
- It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed: description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
- The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet feeding unit known in the prior art;
- FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet feed image scanning apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;
- FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a scanning module mounted in the sheet feed image scanning apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; and
- FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet feed image scanning apparatus according to a variant embodiment of the invention.
- The following detailed description of the embodiments and examples of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings is only illustrative and not limiting. Furthermore, wherever possible in the description, the same reference symbols will refer to similar elements and parts unless otherwise illustrated in the drawings.
- Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic view illustrates a sheet feed image scanning apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, a sheet feed
image scanning apparatus 200 of the invention comprises asheet feeding unit 210 that is assembled with animage scanning unit 260. Thesheet feeding unit 210 conveys adocument sheet 250 to be scanned by theimage scanning unit 260. - The construction of the
sheet feeding unit 210 comprises acasing 212 in which are mounted asheet pickup roller 222, asheet separating roller 218, asheet separating plate 220, and a sheet conveyor assembly driven by adriving motor 224 to convey thedocument sheet 250. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheet conveyor assembly comprises acentral conveyor roller 214 and a plurality ofidler rollers central conveyor roller 214. Thecasing 212 has afront side 230 through which a document sheet to be scanned is introduced in thesheet feeding unit 210, and an oppositerear side 232 in the proximity of which is placed thedriving motor 224. - The
sheet pickup roller 222 is mounted proximate to thefront side 230 of thecasing 212 to engage a document sheet to be scanned. After thesheet pickup roller 222, bothsheet separating roller 218 andsheet separating plate 220 are mounted facing each other, with a roller surface of thesheet separating roller 218 adjacent to thesheet separating plate 220. The function of the sheet separating roller/plate document 250, if more than one document sheet has been fed through thefront side 230, engages through the sheet conveyor assembly. For this purpose, the coefficient of friction between the roller surface of thesheet separating roller 218 and a document sheet is preferably higher than that between two document sheets and higher than that between thesheet separating plate 220 and a document sheet in contact with it. Thereby, if more than one document sheet are fed, thesheet separating roller 218 will separate and forward onesingle document sheet 250 to thecentral conveyor roller 214. - The
idler rollers central conveyor roller 214 along its circumference to pinch and convey thedocument sheet 250 there between. Thecentral conveyor roller 214 is driven in rotation via thedriving motor 224 while theidler rollers - To perform scanning, a
document sheet 250 is inserted through thefront side 230, engages through thesheet pickup roller 222, and passes through the sheet separating roller/plate central conveyor roller 214. Thecentral conveyor roller 214 and theidler rollers 216 a˜216 d then convey thedocument sheet 250 along a direction that passes over ascanning window 213 and terminates over an area of thecasing 212 where the scanned document sheet can be retrieved. As illustrated, thescanning window 213 may be formed through, for example, a lower wall of thecasing 212, and the conveyance path of the document sheet includes a curved portion that substantially matches the circumference of thecentral conveyor roller 214 to pass over thescanning window 213. - According to a preferred configuration, the driving
motor 224, thecentral conveyor roller 214, the sheet separating roller/plate sheet pickup roller 222 are mounted within thecasing 212 successively along an axis that runs from therear side 232 to thefront side 230. By means of this lengthwise mount, the height of thesheet feeding unit 210 is substantially reduced. Furthermore, by using a single central conveyor roller assisted with idler rollers to convey the document sheet, the assembly structure is simplified. Via a substantially large contact surface area with thecentral conveyor roller 214, thedocument sheet 250 is further better engaged and conveyed, which enables an optimal scanning operation through thescanning window 213. - As illustrated in FIG. 2, the
image scanning unit 260 comprises acasing 262, atransparent panel 264, and ascanning module 266. Thecasing 262 includes ahollow interior 263 where is received thescanning module 266, thehollow interior 263 having an external opening over which is mounted thetransparent panel 264. Thesheet feeding unit 210 is mounted to theimage scanning unit 260 in such a manner that thescanning window 213 and thescanning module 266 are opposite to each other relative to thetransparent panel 264. - Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic view illustrates the principal structure of a scanning module according to an embodiment of the invention. The
scanning module 266 comprises amodule casing 270, alamp 272, an assembly of reflectingmirrors 274, anobjective lens 276, animage sensor 278, and acircuit board 280. Thelamp 272 is mounted to themodule casing 270 by means of asupport base 271 placed below thetransparent panel 264. The assembly of reflectingmirrors 274 and theobjective lens 276 are placed within themodule casing 270, and thecircuit board 280 is attached to one side of themodule casing 270, theimage sensor 278 being electrically connected on thecircuit board 280. Theimage sensor 278 may be, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. Themodule casing 270 further includes anopening 273 through which the image light from thedocument sheet 250 is captured. - The
lamp 272 may be, for example, a cold cathode lamp that projects anincident light 275 through thetransparent panel 264 andscanning window 213 onto thedocument sheet 250. A resulting image light 252 from thedocument sheet 250 then travels through thescanning window 213 and thetransparent panel 264, penetrates themodule casing 270 through anopening 273, and via the assembly of reflectingmirrors 274 is directed to theobjective lens 276 to form an image on theimage sensor 278. The sheet feedimage scanning apparatus 200 therefore operates via progressively moving thedocument sheet 250 by means of thesheet feeding unit 210 while theimage scanning unit 260 scans the image of thedocument sheet 250 through thescanning window 213. - FIG. 4 illustrates a variant embodiment of the
sheet feeding unit 310. As illustrated, the sheet conveyor assembly in thecasing 312 may additionally include abelt 328 that is wound around, for example,idler rollers 316 a, 316 b and is in contact with the roller surface of thecentral conveyor roller 314. After the sheet separating roller/plate document sheet 350 to be scanned is conveyed by means of thecentral conveyor roller 314 successively through thebelt 328 andidler rollers belt 328, thedocument sheet 350 is securely engaged through the sheet conveyor assembly, and folding of the document sheet, causing paper jams, is further prevented. The coefficient of friction between the belt surface and thedocument sheet 350 is preferably smaller than that between the roller surface of thecentral conveyor roller 314 and thedocument sheet 350 for it to be effectively conveyed by thecentral conveyor roller 314. - In a variant arrangement, the
belt 328 may be wound around, for example, three idler rollers (not shown) and/or more belts may be mounted to secure the engagement of the document sheet. It will be therefore appreciated that the above sheet conveyor assembly may be modified according to different manners to achieve the same function of securely conveying the document sheet via the central conveyor roller. - As described above, the invention therefore includes at least the following advantages. By achieving a lengthwise mounting, the total height of the sheet feed image scanning apparatus is favorably reduced. Furthermore, via an enlarged contact surface area with the roller surface of the central conveyor roller, the document sheet more securely engages in the sheet conveyor assembly. The engagement and conveyance of the document sheet may also be further improved via the addition of belt elements in contact with the central conveyor roller to engage the document sheet.
- It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that other structures that are obtained from various modifications and variations of different parts of the above-described structure of the invention would be possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as illustrated herein. Therefore, the above description of embodiments and examples only illustrates specific ways of making and performing the invention that, consequently, should cover variations and modifications thereof, provided they fall within the inventive concepts as defined in the following claims.
Claims (16)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
TW091124656A TW579641B (en) | 2002-10-24 | 2002-10-24 | Apparatus for conveying and scanning a document |
TW91124656 | 2002-10-24 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20040080092A1 true US20040080092A1 (en) | 2004-04-29 |
Family
ID=32105835
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/248,312 Abandoned US20040080092A1 (en) | 2002-10-24 | 2003-01-08 | Sheet feed image scanning apparatus |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20040080092A1 (en) |
TW (1) | TW579641B (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2010094333A1 (en) * | 2009-02-19 | 2010-08-26 | Contex A/S | Document conveying device for use in a scanner or the like |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
TWI384860B (en) * | 2008-08-22 | 2013-02-01 | Primax Electronics Ltd | Scanning apparatus for preventing out of focus |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4320963A (en) * | 1978-12-19 | 1982-03-23 | Ricoh Co., Ltd. | Original feeding system |
US5564686A (en) * | 1995-08-01 | 1996-10-15 | Acer Peripherals, Inc. | Automatic document feeder for an image forming apparatus |
US5887865A (en) * | 1996-06-10 | 1999-03-30 | Konica Corporation | Document feeder for image-forming apparatus and image-forming apparatus, using the same |
US20030006544A1 (en) * | 2001-06-18 | 2003-01-09 | Makoto Iino | Document feeder and image reading apparatus |
US6612561B2 (en) * | 2000-11-13 | 2003-09-02 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Sheet feeder with mechanism for protecting input and discharge openings and image reading device including the same |
-
2002
- 2002-10-24 TW TW091124656A patent/TW579641B/en active
-
2003
- 2003-01-08 US US10/248,312 patent/US20040080092A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4320963A (en) * | 1978-12-19 | 1982-03-23 | Ricoh Co., Ltd. | Original feeding system |
US5564686A (en) * | 1995-08-01 | 1996-10-15 | Acer Peripherals, Inc. | Automatic document feeder for an image forming apparatus |
US5887865A (en) * | 1996-06-10 | 1999-03-30 | Konica Corporation | Document feeder for image-forming apparatus and image-forming apparatus, using the same |
US6612561B2 (en) * | 2000-11-13 | 2003-09-02 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Sheet feeder with mechanism for protecting input and discharge openings and image reading device including the same |
US20030006544A1 (en) * | 2001-06-18 | 2003-01-09 | Makoto Iino | Document feeder and image reading apparatus |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2010094333A1 (en) * | 2009-02-19 | 2010-08-26 | Contex A/S | Document conveying device for use in a scanner or the like |
US8675264B2 (en) | 2009-02-19 | 2014-03-18 | Contex A/S | Document conveying device for use in a scanner or the like |
CN102326378B (en) * | 2009-02-19 | 2014-05-21 | 肯特克斯有限公司 | Document conveying device for use in a scanner or the like |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
TW579641B (en) | 2004-03-11 |
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