Abstract: A sheet sorting device includes a plurality of trays, a tray shifter, a tray stop position detector, and circuitry. The plurality of trays is disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet. The tray shifter is configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction. The tray stop position detector is configured to detect stop positions of the plurality of trays separately. The circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray in the tray shift direction. The circuitry is configured to, while moving the plurality of trays at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the trays in directions opposite to each other.

Abstract: A sheet sorting device includes a plurality of trays, a tray shifter, a tray stop position detector, and circuitry. The plurality of trays is disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet. The tray shifter is configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction. The tray stop position detector is configured to detect stop positions of the plurality of trays separately. The circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray in the tray shift direction. The circuitry is configured to, while moving the plurality of trays at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the trays in directions opposite to each other.

Abstract: A sheet material conveying device includes: a sheet material housing unit; a sheet material conveying unit that conveys each sheet material to a predetermined conveyance target position; a separating/feeding unit that separates a sheet material from sheet materials in the sheet material housing unit and conveys the separated sheet material alone to the sheet material conveying unit; a multi-feed detecting unit that detects whether multi-feed occurs in which a plurality of sheet materials are fed from the separating/feeding unit to the sheet material conveying unit; and an internal sheet material detecting unit that detects presence of the sheet material in the sheet material conveying unit. The sheet material conveying device performs multi-feed failure detection control for detecting whether a failure occurs in the multi-feed detecting unit before notification of a detection result of the internal sheet material detecting unit.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an ADF includes: a sheet-feed cover unit; a switch unit to be switched on or off depending on whether the sheet-feed cover unit is open or closed and including a first terminal, to which a first voltage, by which a driving motor is driven, is input, and a second terminal connected to the driving motor; and an open/close-detection circuit unit that includes a first switch circuit and a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit is switched on or off based on a threshold voltage that is larger than a second voltage to be generated in the driving motor by a jammed-document removing motion and smaller than the first voltage. The open/close-detection circuit unit detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is closed when the second switch circuit is energized, but detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is open when the second switch circuit is de-energized.

Abstract: A sheet material conveying device includes: a sheet material housing unit; a sheet material conveying unit that conveys each sheet material to a predetermined conveyance target position; a separating/feeding unit that separates a sheet material from sheet materials in the sheet material housing unit and conveys the separated sheet material alone to the sheet material conveying unit; a multi-feed detecting unit that detects whether multi-feed occurs in which a plurality of sheet materials are fed from the separating/feeding unit to the sheet material conveying unit; and an internal sheet material detecting unit that detects presence of the sheet material in the sheet material conveying unit. The sheet material conveying device performs multi-feed failure detection control for detecting whether a failure occurs in the multi-feed detecting unit before notification of a detection result of the internal sheet material detecting unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device such as a feed mechanism includes a pick-up roller and a cover member. The pick-up roller feeds, into an apparatus, a sheet such as a document on a placing table such as a document placing table on which the sheet is placed. The cover member such as a pick-up cover covers the pick-up roller. The cover member is supported at both ends thereof on a shaft of the pick-up roller or on shaft bearings that receive the shaft of the pick-up roller.

Abstract: A document conveying device includes a document table on which a stack of document sheets is placed; a rotating shaft member detachably provided on a main body of the document conveying device; a feeding member configured to contact and feed a topmost sheet of the stack of document sheets, the feeding member being attached to the rotating shaft member via a driving force transmitting member; a separating unit configured to separate the topmost sheet from one or more sheets that are fed together with the topmost sheet, rotating members rotatably attached to the rotating shaft member; a holding member configured to hold the feeding member and the driving force transmitting member; and a rotating member position restricting unit configured to restrict a position of the rotating members other than the holding member to a given predetermined position with reference to a position of the holding member.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a sheet housing unit that houses a sheet; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheet; a sheet detection unit that detects presence or absence of the sheet in the sheet housing unit; a sheet nipping unit that nips the sheet housed in the sheet housing unit; and a control unit. The control unit controls the sheet nipping unit to reach a nipping state to nip the sheet in the sheet housing unit upon the sheet detection unit detecting a sheet-present state, executes a power saving mode to stop supplying power to at least a part of the electric mechanisms when no drive command is input for a predetermined time, and controls the sheet nipping unit to cancel the nipping state before execution of the power saving mode.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a document stack unit; a conveying unit configured to separate a document from the documents stacked on the document stack unit and convey the document to a scanning position through a conveying path; document detecting units configured to detect the document; an upstream document detecting unit configured to detect the document, the upstream document detecting unit being arranged in the conveying path at an uppermost stream in a document conveying direction with respect to the document detecting units; and a determining unit configured to determine a passage of a trailing end of the document at positions of the document detecting units and the upstream document detecting unit and determine a presence of a hole on the document, based on the detection results. A detection range of the upstream document detecting unit is set to be wider than detection ranges of the document detecting units.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device such as a feed mechanism includes a pick-up roller and a cover member. The pick-up roller feeds, into an apparatus, a sheet such as a document on a placing table such as a document placing table on which the sheet is placed. The cover member such as a pick-up cover covers the pick-up roller. The cover member is supported at both ends thereof on a shaft of the pick-up roller or on shaft bearings that receive the shaft of the pick-up roller.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an ADF includes: a sheet-feed cover unit; a switch unit to be switched on or off depending on whether the sheet-feed cover unit is open or closed and including a first terminal, to which a first voltage, by which a driving motor is driven, is input, and a second terminal connected to the driving motor; and an open/close-detection circuit unit that includes a first switch circuit and a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit is switched on or off based on a threshold voltage that is larger than a second voltage to be generated in the driving motor by a jammed-document removing motion and smaller than the first voltage. The open/close-detection circuit unit detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is closed when the second switch circuit is energized, but detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is open when the second switch circuit is de-energized.

Abstract: A document conveying device includes a document table on which a stack of document sheets is placed; a rotating shaft member detachably provided on a main body of the document conveying device; a feeding member configured to contact and feed a topmost sheet of the stack of document sheets, the feeding member being attached to the rotating shaft member via a driving force transmitting member; a separating unit configured to separate the topmost sheet from one or more sheets that are fed together with the topmost sheet, rotating members rotatably attached to the rotating shaft member; a holding member configured to hold the feeding member and the driving force transmitting member; and a rotating member position restricting unit configured to restrict a position of the rotating members other than the holding member to a given predetermined position with reference to a position of the holding member.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a sheet housing unit that houses a sheet; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheet; a sheet detection unit that detects presence or absence of the sheet in the sheet housing unit; a sheet nipping unit that nips the sheet housed in the sheet housing unit; and a control unit. The control unit controls the sheet nipping unit to reach a nipping state to nip the sheet in the sheet housing unit upon the sheet detection unit detecting a sheet-present state, executes a power saving mode to stop supplying power to at least a part of the electric mechanisms when no drive command is input for a predetermined time, and controls the sheet nipping unit to cancel the nipping state before execution of the power saving mode.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes an air separating unit includes a floating air blowing unit and a separating air blowing unit that blow air to leading edges of a bundle of sheets in a paper feeding direction to float and separate upper sheets, and a side air blowing unit that blows air to both side edges of the sheet bundle to separate each of the sheets in the bundle, an air suctioning unit that suctions the air to suction a top sheet thus separated, a sheet feeding unit that feeds the sheet thus suctioned and retained, and a control unit that controls to blow floating air, to blow separating air, to blow side air, and to suction the air all at different operational timings.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes an air separating unit includes a floating air blowing unit and a separating air blowing unit that blow air to leading edges of a bundle of sheets in a paper feeding direction to float and separate upper sheets, and a side air blowing unit that blows air to both side edges of the sheet bundle to separate each of the sheets in the bundle, an air suctioning unit that suctions the air to suction a top sheet thus separated, a sheet feeding unit that feeds the sheet thus suctioned and retained, and a control unit that controls to blow floating air, to blow separating air, to blow side air, and to suction the air all at different operational timings.