Abstract: A copy machine is provided with a supplemental illumination source preferably fixedly mounted beneath a transparent copying plate upon which a document to be copied is placed. The illumination source can be selectively activated to allow light to pass through the document such that subject matter on the document can be viewed prior to performing a copying operation. By viewing the subject matter, the portion of the document to be actually copied can be adjusted and aligned in a desired manner such that only the desired portions of the subject matter on the document can be copied. Provisions are made for assuring that the illumination source will be de-activated during the copying operation.

Abstract: A cover assembly having a cover member and a plurality of articulated links is disclosed. One end of each link is pivotally mounted to a recessed region of a housing body and an opposed end of the link is pivotally mounted to extending legs of the rigid cover member. Articulated movement of the cover assembly enables the cover member to assume a substantially parallel disposition relative the platen regardless of the thickness of document. Another feature of the invention allows the rigid cover to remain substantially vertical in its fully raised position. The engagement of top portions of the links and flat areas on rear wall of the cover member between the extending legs stops the cover from pivoting towards the backs of the links.

Abstract: A reflective surface behind an image to be scanned on an optical image scanner, copier, facsimile machine or similar device. This reflective surface is dynamically adaptive to the item being scanned, copied or faxed to provide improvements such as reducing image bleed-through while maintaining a desirable level of dynamic range. Preferably, the reflective surface has a reflectance that is dynamically variable and controlled to be either all white, all black, all grey or some other color. The scanning or copying reflective background may also be varied in different regions, such that different regions of the reflective background may simultaneously be white, black, grey, or some other color. The background reflective surface of the scanner, facsimile or copier may be controlled directly by an operator or end user or by software or firmware of the scanner, copier or facsimile. The dynamically variable reflective surface of the scanner, facsimile or copier may be an LCD.

Abstract: The present invention provides a space-saving and compact high-operability image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes an original reading unit, a sheet supporting unit, an image forming unit and a sheet discharging unit. The original reading unit is adapted to hold an original placed on an original mount by a cover member, for reading an original image. The sheet supporting unit is placed under the original image reading unit, and supports a sheet on which an image is formed. The image forming unit is placed at the rear of the housing containing the original reading unit and the sheet supporting unit and is used to form an image on a sheet held by the sheet supporting unit. The sheet discharging unit discharges a sheet, on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit, towards and above the original reading unit.

Abstract: A platen cover assembly of an image processor includes a light source array that has a plurality of light sources arranged in a two-dimensional light source array, and a translucent white material covering at least a side of the light source array that faces a platen of the image processor. When a document is placed on a platen and covered by the platen cover assembly, a first scan of the platen is performed with a document illuminator of the digital image processor deactivated to sense light from exposed light sources of the light source array. The document illuminator is then activated, and a second scan is performed to obtain image data from the document. The obtained image data is then processed based on the size, location and/or orientation of the document, as determined from positions of the light sources detected during the first scan.

Abstract: A composite apparatus includes a business-machine main-body apparatus having at least a copying function and a printer function, and a display device, also operating as an original-pressing plate, having a flat display surface for displaying an operational function and other information. The display device is provided above an original-reading device of the main-body apparatus. By allowing an operation using the display device from a plurality of sides of the main-body apparatus, the range of selection of location of the composite apparatus is widened, and the operability of the composite apparatus is improved.

Abstract: A reproduction device includes a reproduction unit and a generally flexible cover. The generally flexible cover enables high quality image capture of three-dimensional objects. In particular, when placed over a three-dimensional object that is supported on the reproduction unit, the generally flexible cover insures that light directed onto the object from the reproduction unit is reflected onto the object and/or back to the reproduction unit. Light reflected back to the object illuminates the edges of the object to improve image capture of the object while light reflected back to the reproduction unit conserves media marking fluid and/or yields a neutral background for the image. The flexible cover has a very low profile, being generally flat prior to covering an object. In addition, the flexibility of the cover allows the cover to drape over and/or conform about the object so that the reflective surface of the cover hangs close to, or contacts, the reproduction surface.

Abstract: The present invention includes a casing for forming an upper housing of the desktop scanning device, a rectangular transparent plate for been placed thereon an object to be scanned, and a calibration strip on which light source from the desktop scanning device is projected as a calibration parameter. The calibration strip is mounted on the rectangular transparent plate so that either the upper housing or the surface of the transparent plate will not be damaged if the calibration strip has to replaced during the assembly of the scanning device. Furthermore, a darkened image generated by a gap existing between a background plate of an upper cover of the scanning device and the transparent plate can be prevented during scanning process.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder mounted removably to a computer input device having a medium receiving and supporting surface includes a plurality of interconnectable modular assemblies for defining a medium path that extends from a medium input tray to a medium output tray via the medium receiving and supporting surface of the computer input device. One of the modular assemblies is a main chassis assembly includes an integrally formed main chassis shell having a substantially planar base. The input tray extends upwardly from the base and has a document receiving surface with a concave shape in both the vertical and horizontal planes to help facilitate proper sheet stiffening and alignment for sheet loading purposes onto the receiving and supporting surface of the computer input device. A paper pick and transport mechanism is housed in the main chassis and protrudes through a set of apertures in the output tray.

Abstract: In an original cover closer adapted to support an original cover used on a copying machine and on which an automatic document feeder is provided, including two types of original cover closers different in construction from each other.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder mounted removably to a computer input device having a medium receiving and supporting surface includes a plurality of interconnectable modular assemblies for defining a medium path that extends from a medium input tray to a medium output tray via the medium receiving and supporting surface of the computer input device. One of the modular assemblies is a main chassis assembly includes an integrally formed main chassis shell having a substantially planar base. The input tray has a document receiving surface with a concave shape in both the vertical and horizontal planes to help facilitate proper sheet stiffening and alignment for sheet loading purposes onto the receiving and supporting surface of the computer input device. A pair of spaced apart drive rollers mounted to a spring loaded drive axle engage in seriatim individual sheets for loading and unloading them onto the supporting surface of the computer input device.

Abstract: A document feeder includes: a document detecting device arranged on the top of the copier body, for detecting a document inserted from the outside; a feed roller arranged adjacent to the document detecting device, on the top of the copier body, for feeding an inserted document into a space between the original table and the original cover, in response to the detection of a document by the document detecting device; and an original cover lifting device arranged on the top of the copier body, for lifting the original cover to create a gap between the original table and the original cover, in response to the detection of a document by the document detecting device. Alternatively, the feed roller further has a rotary cam on its shaft, so that the cam rotates to lift the original cover up as the feed roller rotates in the document feeding direction.

Abstract: According to a document feeder for an image-forming apparatus of the present invention, when a double-sided document fed from a feed paper stacker, the document with the front surface thereof having been read out by a document reader unit is inverted in a switch-back path provided between the document reader unit and a discharged paper stacker on which documents after having been read out will be stacked, and is conveyed again to the paper reader unit so that the back surface is read out. The document after its both surfaces have been read out is again inverted in the switch-back path and then discharged onto the discharged paper stacker. With such a construction, the documents after having been read out can be stacked in the order of sequence of pages of the documents. Furthermore, the size of the device can be decreased, contributing to shortening the time required for reading the double-sided document and to increasing the efficiency for forming images.

Abstract: A cover for a flatbed-type scanner is provided with a pair of supporting arms for supporting horizontal axial bodies which are captured in recesses at edges of the main body of the scanner and permitted to move vertically in the recesses so as to permit vertical movement of the cover. The cross-sections of the axial bodies have a length which is greater than the width, and the recesses have openings defined by resilient members to have a width that is greater than the length of the cross-sections and less than the width of the cross-sections to enable the axial bodies to be inserted into the recesses upon rotation of the cover and to subsequently prevent unintentional removal of the axial bodies from the recesses as the cover is moved vertically to accommodate different thicknesses of documents while maintaining a substantially horizontal orientation.

Abstract: A scanner includes a drawer, extendible outside the scanner, for loading the original into the scanner; and a drawer supporting arrangement for supporting the drawer for movement into and out of the scanner while scanning takes place during at least part of the movement. The scanner can either be a desktop unit coupled to a host computer or mounted in a drive bay of a computer, in which case the drawer is extendible outside the drive bay for loading the original into the scanner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a preliminary scanning function which is automated by detecting a selection of at least one of an automatic color selecting mode and a letter and photo mixed mode, an existence of an original document on a contact glass, and a movement of an original platen cover from an open state to a closed state. During performing the preliminary scanning function, a depression of a copy start button is not ignored but accepted, and therefore, when the copy start button is depressed, a scanning process for forming an image starts automatically upon a completion of the preliminary scanning. In addition, various instructions, such as a numeric input for instructing, as an example, a number of copies are accepted. The start of preliminary scanning may be selected by operator preference to start when detecting existence of an original document or when detecting an instruction input by the copy start key.

Abstract: A complex recording apparatus includes a housing. A platen glass is provided at an upper portion of the housing, and an exposure lamp which reads a first original put on the platen glass is provided within the housing. Furthermore, above the housing, a platen cover which holds the first original put on the platen glass and a reading head which reads a second original supplied from an outside are independently provided.

Abstract: A scanner cover including a rigid top cover component and a lower flexible cover component releasably mounted therebelow. The cover components may be coupled together for use as a single unit, or separately to allow for the placement, adjustment, viewing and/or removal of original(s) without disturbing other original(s) on the scanning surface.