Automatic Document Feeder Patents (Class 399/367)
  • Patent number: 11825049
    Abstract: A conveying path for a document (D) includes a first conveying path (R1) that turns back midway, and a second conveying path (R2) that does not turn back midway. When the first conveying path (R1) is used, a first side is read and the document (D) is discharged with the first side facing downward. When the second conveying path (R2) is used, a second side is read and the document (D) is discharged with the second side facing downward. When the second conveying path (R2) is used, a warning message (MS1) is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Shinichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11814259
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a conveyance guide, a driven rotary member, and a support portion. The support portion supports a shaft portion of the rotary member driven to rotate by a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit and guided by the conveyance guide. The support portion includes first and second contact portions that support the shaft portion of the driven rotary member while being in contact with the shaft portion. With respect to a cross section of the shaft portion perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft portion, the driven rotary member is disposed so that a portion, of the driven rotary member, that is on a lower side in a vertical direction relative to a horizontal line and is on one side in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical line comes into contact with the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Suga, Takuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11558518
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a first stacking unit having a stacking surface, and an abutment portion that abuts a document stacked on the stacking surface, a feeding unit, a reading unit, a second stacking unit, a detection unit, a rotating shaft, a drive unit, and a control unit. The second stacking unit receives the document fed by the feeding unit and read by the reading unit. The detection unit detects presence or absence of the document stacked on the second stacking unit. The drive unit rotates the first stacking unit around the rotating shaft rotatably supporting the first stacking unit. Based on the detection of the absence of the document on the second stacking unit by the detection unit, the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the first stacking unit in a direction with which the abutment portion is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamamoto, Takayuki Fukushima
  • Patent number: 11546481
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a first stacking unit having a stacking surface, and an abutment portion that abuts a document stacked on the stacking surface, a feeding unit, a reading unit, a second stacking unit, a first detection unit, a rotating shaft, a drive unit, and a control unit. The second stacking unit receives the document fed by the feeding unit and read by the reading unit. The first detection unit detects presence or absence of the document stacked on the first stacking unit. The drive unit rotates the first stacking unit around the rotating shaft rotatably supporting the first stacking unit. At a predetermined timing after the first detection unit detects the absence of the document on the first stacking unit, the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the first stacking unit in a direction with which the abutment portion is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamamoto, Takayuki Fukushima
  • Patent number: 11500319
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a reading device body and a document feeder that is turnably attached on the upper side of the reading device body with hinge devices. An extended portion that extends outward from a rear frame is formed on a beam frame fixing the rear frame and a front frame of the document feeder at a predetermined interval, and a third coupling portion coupled to the turning member of the hinge device is formed in the extended portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11477338
    Abstract: An original feeding device includes a pick-up roller, a separation feeding unit, a first original presence/absence detecting sensor, a second original presence/absence detecting sensor and a control unit. When an original is detected by the first and second original presence/absence detecting sensors, the control unit discriminates that the original on the original tray has a first width. When the original is detected by the first original presence/absence detecting sensor but is not detected by the second original presence/absence detecting sensor, the control unit discriminates that the original has a second width smaller than the first width. After the control unit discriminates that the original has the second width and then feeding of the original is started, and then the original is detected by the second original presence/absence detecting sensor, the control unit stops the drive of the pick-up roller and the drive of the separation feeding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Okawa, Chiaki Yoshiwara
  • Patent number: 11431864
    Abstract: This disclosure is related to a duplex scanning device. The automatic document feeder includes a paper feeder body, a paper inlet and a paper outlet. The paper cassette includes an upper paper tray and a lower paper tray adjacent to the paper inlet and the paper outlet. The cassette power module includes a motor set and a transmission part. The transmission part drives the paper cassette to move on one side of the automatic document feeder to control the lower paper tray to connect with the paper inlet or the paper outlet. Therefore, the double-sided scanning of the document is completed by two-pass duplex scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KINPO ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Po-Chih Chang, Sung-Po Lin, Tzu-Cheng Chang
  • Patent number: 11414284
    Abstract: An accommodating device includes: a main body portion; a pulling-out portion on which recording media are loaded, the pulling-out portion being capable of being pulled out from the main body portion; a prevention portion configured to prevent the pulling-out portion from being pulled out by being locked to the main body portion in a state where the pulling-out portion is housed in the main body portion; and a fixing portion configured to fix the pulling-out portion to the main body portion in the state where the pulling-out portion is housed in the main body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Teruki Naganuma, Yohei Onoue, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11345171
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus having a recorder, a first driving device, a second driving device, a driving-force transmission device, a sensor, a memory, and a controller to conduct a conveying process and a recording process alternately and repetitively, is provided. In the conveying process, on condition that a rotationally driven amount of the first driving device exceeded a target rotation amount, the controller conducts feedback control on the first driving device to rotate reversely. On condition that the first driving device was rotationally driven reversely under the feedback control, the controller stores a maximum value and a stopping value in the memory, determines a correction value, and determines a post-correction rotation amount based on the target rotation amount and an amount corresponding to the correction value, and in the conveying process, the controller drives the first driving device rotationally by the post-correction rotation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuta Arakawa, Gakuro Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 11310385
    Abstract: A divider separates an enclosure into separate compartments that are shaped and sized to maintain sheets of media. A connector is positioned at a first end of the enclosure and the connector is shaped to connect to a document handler. The compartments are positioned to supply and receive the sheets of media to and from the document handler when the enclosure is connected to the document handler. A cover is positioned at the first end of the enclosure. The cover is adapted to open and close and allows access to the compartments. A lock is connected to the cover. The lock maintains the cover in a closed position when locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Srinivasarao Bindana, Dara N. Lubin
  • Patent number: 11252294
    Abstract: A document conveyance apparatus includes a first conveyance path, a first image reading part, a second conveyance path, a third conveyance path and a branch guide. The first conveyance path extends linearly. The first image reading part reads an image on one face of the document conveyed along the first conveyance path. The second conveyance path branches from the first conveyance path at a branch point on a downstream side of the first reading part in a conveyance direction of the document and is formed to be curved. The third conveyance path branches from the first conveyance path at the branch point and extends linearly in a same extending direction as an extending direction of the first conveyance path. The branch guide is provided at the branch point and guides the document to the second conveyance path or to the third conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Nakagawa, Yoshiaki Tashiro, Kenichiro Kawasaki, Yoshitaka Tokoro, Hirofumi Hagihara
  • Patent number: 11060550
    Abstract: A handle mounted to a shaft with a fixing member has a first surface that comes in contact with the shaft and receives an operation force applied to the handle and a second surface in which the fixing member is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Hino
  • Patent number: 11061352
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding part, a sheet conveying path, an image forming unit, a document feeding part, a document conveying path, an image reading unit, and a common discharge part. The sheet conveying path extends from the sheet feeding part to a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. The image forming unit is disposed on the sheet conveying path. The document feeding part is disposed at a different position from the sheet feeding part, to send out a document. The document conveying path extends from the document feeding part to a downstream side in the document conveying direction. The image reading unit is disposed on the document conveying path. The common discharge part is disposed at a junction of the sheet conveying path and the document conveying path, to discharge the sheet after image formation and the document after reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nguyen Danh Chien
  • Patent number: 10530947
    Abstract: An image reading device includes an image reader movable along an image reading face, a casing to house the image reader, including a restraint holder, and a restraint to be held by the restraint holder of the casing and configured to restrict movement of the image reader. The restraint includes an operation portion to be disposed outside the casing. The operation portion is operated to move the restraint, in the restraint holder, to: a restricting position to restrict movement of the image reader; a first unlock position to cancel restriction of movement of the image reader; and a second unlock position at which movement of the image reader is not restricted. At the first unlock position, movement of the restraint to the restricting position is allowed. From the second unlock position, movement to the restricting position is less smooth than movement from the first unlock position to the restricting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuji Kawai, Yoshiaki Nagao, Yohei Osanai
  • Patent number: 10447876
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including: a first distance detector configured to measure a first distance of the original conveyed after a sensor is changed from a first state detecting the original to a second state not detecting the original; a second distance detector configured to measure a second distance of the original conveyed after the second state is changed to the first state; and a controller configured to control a conveyor so that the conveyor starts a conveyance of a succeeding original when the second distance reaches a conveyance permission distance before the first distance reaches a hole detection distance and the conveyor stops the succeeding original when the second state is changed to the first state before the first distance reaches the hole detection distance, and thereafter starts the conveyance of the succeeding original when the first distance reaches the hole detection distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaoru Hamada, Yushi Oka, Masato Furukawa, Seiji Shibaki
  • Patent number: 10440215
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus, having a housing, a feed tray, and a reader sensor, is provided. The housing includes a reversing guide, a discharge tray, and an opening. The reversing guide is configured to reverse a first face and a second face of a sheet and guide the sheet from a first position toward a second position in a direction from a rear side toward a front side at the first position and in a direction from the front side toward, the rear side at the second position. The discharge tray is arranged at a position lower than the reversing guide and is configured to support the sheet discharged from the conveyer path. The opening is formed between the reversing guide and the discharge tray and is configured to expose the sheet supported by the discharge tray so that the sheet is removed through the front side of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuo Ito
  • Patent number: 10362182
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus transmits a sheet feeding request to the sheet feeding device, obtains a sheet through a receiving device and performs image formation on the sheet. The receiving device comprises an inlet sensor for detecting a sheet fed from the sheet feeding device. The image forming apparatus transmits the sheet feeding request to the sheet feeding device again in a case where the inlet sensor does not detect a sheet within a predetermined time after the sheet feeding device starts to feed a sheet and no signal indicating an abnormality with regard to a sheet is received from the sheet feeding device. If the number of times the sheet feeding request is transmitted exceeds a predetermined number of times, the image forming apparatus stops operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Yumoto, Satoru Yamamoto, Akinobu Nishikata, Takashi Yokoya, Akihiro Kawakita
  • Patent number: 9771229
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus pertaining to scanning or copying documents are provided. Sheet media are individually transported away from an input location. Optical scanning of the sheet media is initiated in accordance with detecting the passage of leading edges of the sheet media. Electronic signals resulting from the scanning are automatically analyzed to detect trailing edges of overlapping sheet media. A user notification is issued if a multiple sheet pick event is detected. A user can resume scanning or copying of a multiple sheet document at the location where the multiple sheet pick occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Boo Siong Lim, Shyh Chije Leong, Phey Hong Soh
  • Patent number: 9522796
    Abstract: A scanning device and an image forming apparatus are provided. The scanning device includes document feeding rollers to convey a document along a document feeding path, a scanning member provided on the document feeding path to read images from the document, a cover to open and close a part of the document feeding path, a knob to manually rotate the document feeding rollers, and a clutch unit to selectively connect at least one of the document feeding rollers to the knob in correspondence with opening and closing operations of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jung-hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 9517906
    Abstract: A conveying guide includes: a plate having a guide surface which guides a sheet; a recess portion provided on the plate and recessed from the guide surface; and a bend portion bent from the recess portion in a direction away from the guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yutaka Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9369598
    Abstract: A reading apparatus includes an auto document feeder configured to be openable and closable around a hinge with respect to a unit including an image sensor. The auto document feeder includes a roller configured to move a document relative to the image sensor, a motor, a gear train configured to transmit a rotation of a rotational shaft of the motor to the roller, and an encoder unit configured to detect rotation information of the motor, and including a sensor and a code wheel. An orientation of the rotational shaft is substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the hinge, and the gear train is arrayed in a direction of an extension of the rotational shaft. A gear that is a part of the gear train is attached to one end of the rotational shaft, and the code wheel is attached to the other end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Tomoda, Masahiro Kawanishi, Takashi Awai, Tadashi Hanabusa, Haruo Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 9363399
    Abstract: An image reading device includes: a supplying tray on which a document is placed; a document conveyer that successively conveys the document placed on the supplying tray toward a reading position; a plurality of detection sensors that are disposed in a plurality of positions in a width direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the document, and detect a front edge of the document in the conveyance direction when the document is placed on the supplying tray; and a document reading portion that reads an image on the document passing the reading position, and generates an image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mabara, Keisuke Uchiyama, Akira Yamazaki, Kazuyuki Koda
  • Patent number: 9199815
    Abstract: A paper conveying device includes: a registration roller pair provided along a paper conveying path; a pick-up roller, a paper feed roller and a separation roller for feeding sheets of paper to the paper conveying path; and a controller controlling conveyance of sheets of paper such that when a preceding sheet is stopped at the registration roller pair, a following, succeeding sheet is temporarily stopped at a prescribed position G downstream of a conveying roller in the paper conveying direction, and the succeeding sheet is re-conveyed toward the registration roller pair at a prescribed timing. The controller changes the timing to start re-conveyance of the succeeding sheet in accordance with paper length of the conveyed sheet of paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norichika Katsura, Kohji Aoki, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Haruhisa Furumoto
  • Patent number: 9179025
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a reading portion, a document type specifying device, and a feed controller. At the reading portion, one side of a document is read. The document type specifying device is configured to specify whether the document is a first type document or a second type document of which length in a feed direction is longer than the first type document. The feed controller is configured or programmed to perform a U-turn control and a switchback control. In the U-turn control, after reading a first side of the first type document at the reading portion, the first type document is fed in a U-turn manner without switching back, and a second side of the first type document is read at the reading portion. In the switchback control, after reading a first side of the second type document at the reading portion, the second type document is caused to switch back, and then a second side of the second type document is read at the reading portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Otsuki, Yoshitaka Nose, Satoshi Washida
  • Patent number: 9132990
    Abstract: When a size of a reversing unit is smaller than that of a printing medium, errors can be detected without adding any other mechanism, and if such errors are not caused by a paper jam, the printing can be continued. A printing apparatus is provided with: an reversing unit provided with an reversing roller; a sensor; and a control unit configured to, if when the detecting unit detects a load equal to or more than a predetermined value, a conveyance amount of the printing medium after the sensor has detected the fore end is longer than a threshold value that is a distance from a position of the fore end at the time of being detected by the sensor to a position of the fore end at the time of exiting from the conveyance path of the reversing unit, perform control to continue conveyance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Hoshino
  • Patent number: 9085425
    Abstract: A multifunction peripheral is provided that includes an ADF unit and a main body unit, the ADF unit including a driving motor disposed within a range corresponding to a width of a feeding path in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction, at an outer side relative to a curved part in the first direction, the main body unit including an accommodation unit configured to accommodate a recording sheet with long sides thereof along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Katsuro Miura
  • Patent number: 9065945
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a conveying unit, an upper support portion, a lower support portion, and a read unit. The upper support portion and the lower support portion are positioned so as to at least partially overlap and be spaced apart from each other vertically. The upper support portion has a first upper support farthest from the conveying unit, a second upper support closer to the conveying unit than the first upper support, and a third upper support closer to the conveying unit than the second upper support. The second upper support is movable between a closed position and an open position, positioned to support a sheet in the closed position and to expose at least a part of the lower support portion in the open position, and having an upper surface in the closed position that lacks a sheet guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Arisa Sakakibara, Takayuki Akimatsu
  • Patent number: 9041975
    Abstract: A printer device has a two-sided printing function and a circulatory transporting path for transporting a printing medium. The printer device is configured such that after creating a set of print data for a first recording surface to be printed with two-sided printing, the printer device adds a set of dummy print data for a second recording surface corresponding to a back side of the first recording surface to the set of print data for the first recording surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Arazaki
  • Patent number: 9013763
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a transmitting glass; and a step member that is located upstream of a reading position, at which an image of a conveyed document is read by a reading unit via a transmitting glass, in a conveying direction of the document, and has a document guiding surface at a position away from a surface of a transmitting glass by a prescribed distance and forms a step between the document guiding surface and the transmitting glass. The step member is provided with a protrusion protruding downstream in the conveying direction of the document to form space between the transmitting glass and a downstream part of the step member in the conveying direction of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubo, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Atsushi Kanaya, Shinya Kitaoka, Takeshi Akai, Fumiyuki Heishi, Takehisa Shimazu, Koki Sakano, Takuya Sano
  • Patent number: 9008523
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of distinguishing whether paper material retained in a sheet conveying path is an original or a recording material. An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit that reads an original, a photosensitive drum that forms an image on a recording sheet, and a main motor and a double-sided-printing drive motor which convey the original and the recording sheet. Paper sheet sensors detect an occurrence of a jam of the original or the recording sheet. When a paper jam is detected, a CPU controls a display section to display a plurality of sheets retained in a conveying path, in a manner distinguishing between the original and the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20150098742
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first conveying path guiding a sheet such that the sheet passes through the image forming portion, a second conveying path guiding the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion to the first conveying path. A document is fed to the second conveying path and the image forming apparatus includes a first drive transmission portion transmitting a drive force to the image forming portion and a second drive transmission portion transmitting the drive force to a document feeding portion, a conveyance portion and a document discharge portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Daisuke Kaneko, Ichiro Yasumaru, Atsushi Ogata, Kazushi Ino, Hiroshi Kato, Tomoyuki Iwakoshi, Masaru Aoki
  • Patent number: 8995028
    Abstract: A reading apparatus including: a first conveyance path in which a sheet is conveyed; a second conveyance path different from the first conveyance path, the second conveyance path allowing the sheet switched back after having passed through the first conveyance path to be conveyed therein; a reading unit configured to read the sheet, the reading unit being movable to a first position where a first surface of the sheet in the first conveyance path is read, a second position where a second surface as a back surface of the first surface of the sheet in the second conveyance path is read, and a third position different from the first position and the second position; and a reference portion that the reading unit reads for correcting information read by the reading unit, the reference portion being read by the reading unit moved to the third position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kato, Ichiro Yasumaru, Atsushi Ogata, Kazushi Ino, Tomoyuki Iwakoshi, Daisuke Kaneko, Masaru Aoki
  • Patent number: 8989648
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium; a tray for supporting the recording medium recorded by the recording unit; a conveyor mechanism for conveying the recorded medium to the tray; and an alignment mechanism for aligning a plurality of recording media stacked on the tray, by application of an external force. In a period from a start to an end of recording based on one recording job, the alignment mechanism aligns the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is not performed, and the alignment mechanism does not align the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keita Koyama
  • Patent number: 8983359
    Abstract: The present invention prevents units from becoming unbalanced and falling over when an image-capturing unit is opened over an image-forming unit when an image-forming unit, image-capturing unit and document-feeding unit are stacked over each other in order. The image-capturing unit is rotatably linked to the top of the image-forming unit by a first hinge means, and the document-feeding unit having document-feeding means is rotatably linked to the top of the image-capturing unit by second hinge means. Locking means for checking rotation (opening operation of the document-feeding unit) of the second hinge means is disposed on an opposite side of the second hinge means sandwiching the document-feeding means. The locking means is composed to check the opening operation of the second hinge means when the first hinge means is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Hirokawa
  • Patent number: 8967613
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a main body including a document table; a document cover that includes a rear end portion supported by the main body, and a front end portion configured to be movable with respect to the main body; a conveyer that is disposed in the document cover and is configured to feed a document; and a reader that is provided in the main body. The document cover includes a lower layer portion having a wall surrounding front, rear, left and right of the conveyer and an upper layer portion covering over the conveyer. The lower layer portion includes a bottom having a shape covering the document table. The wall extends upward from an outer periphery of the bottom. The upper layer portion includes a grip portion which protrudes frontward from the upper layer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ai Oyamada, Toshiya Inada
  • Patent number: 8970922
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprising: a housing; an image formation unit configured to form an image on a recording medium; a stacking tray configured such that the recording medium on which an image has been formed by the image formation unit is stacked; a discharge unit configured to discharge, to the stacking tray, the recording medium on which an image has been formed by the image formation unit; and a reading device comprising a reading unit configured to read out an image formed on a document and a reversing unit configured to reverse a conveying direction of the document, and wherein the reading device is disposed on a lower side in a vertical direction with respect to the stacking tray and on a downstream side in a discharging direction of the recording medium discharged from the discharge unit with respect to the discharge unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Mori
  • Patent number: 8964263
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a housing with a sheet conveyor situated in the housing. An interlock mechanism includes a first engagement member extending from a second surface of a first cover; and a second engagement member extending from a second surface of a second cover. One of the first and second engagement members is engagable with the other of the first and second engagement members. When the first cover moves from a first position to a second position, the first and second engagement members engage to move one end portion of the second cover in response to a movement of the first engagement member away from the second cover, and when the first cover moves from the second position to the first position, the first engagement member engages the second engagement member to move the second cover to a first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Arisa Sakakibara, Takayuki Akimatsu
  • Patent number: 8965266
    Abstract: Automatic document feeder includes a transport path member having a transport path surface configuring a transport path in a device body, a latching member that is mounted on a rotating shaft provided in the other end side, is urged in a first rotation direction latched to a latched portion, and holds the transport path member in closed transport path, and an operating member that is rotated up to an operating position by own weight thereof or urging force in a second rotation direction when the device body moves to an exposed position of the transport path member, and is mounted with allowance so that the latching member is rotated in the second rotation direction according to a further rotating operation in the second rotation direction from the operating position and the latching member is detached from the latched portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Yamazaki, Hyundeok Ha, Senggyu Cho
  • Patent number: 8958136
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus configured to read images of both surfaces of a document is provided. The image reading apparatus may include a first image reading device configured to read an image of a first surface of a document, a second image reading device configured to read an image of a second surface of the document, and a document conveying mechanism configured to convey the document from the second image reading device to the first image reading device. The first image reading device has a first reading range, and the second image reading device has a second reading range, which is smaller than the first reading range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Takeuchi, Katsuro Miura, Takashi Fujiwara, Takayuki Akimatsu
  • Patent number: 8953230
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus is provided with a registration roller configured such that a downstream end in a sheet feeding direction of a sheet abut to correct a skew of the sheet, and a pulling roller that conveys the sheet to the registration roller. The pulling roller is disposed such that a center of an arrangement in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction of the pulling roller is located on a side of the first restricting plate from a widthwise center of the sheet conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiichiro Adachi
  • Patent number: 8953231
    Abstract: Provided is a document reading apparatus capable of suppressing a shock that may occur when a trailing edge of a tabbed sheet passes through a roller pair. In an image reading section, when a document to be read is the tabbed sheet, a timing to start separation of the roller pair in response to detection of a trailing edge of the document is delayed by a time period corresponding to a tab length with respect to the timing to start separation when a document other than the tabbed sheet is conveyed. Thus, it is possible to prevent the shock when the trailing edge of the tabbed sheet passes through the roller pair, and to thereby suppress image reading failure due to the shock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Asahiro Nakayoshi, Kenji Morita, Yohei Katto, Akiko Kanno, Hidenori Sunada, Satoshi Seki
  • Patent number: 8950743
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an ADF that feeds and conveys original document sheets one sheet by one sheet from a tray unit to a read position on a document glass by motive power from a driving motor includes: an opening/closing unit operable to open and close relative to the document glass; an open/close detection sensor that detects an open/closed state of the opening/closing unit; a first interlock switch, which is arranged between a power source and the driving motor, that is on when the opening/closing unit is closed, and vice versa; and a control circuit that determines the open/closed state of the opening/closing unit based on detection outputs of the first interlock switch and the open/close detection sensor. The control circuit determines that the opening/closing unit is in the closed state when the first interlock switch is on and the open/close detection sensor is detecting the closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Koki Sakano, Hiroshi Kubo, Shinya Kitaoka, Takeshi Akai, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Atsushi Kanaya, Fumiyuki Heishi, Takuya Sano
  • Patent number: 8948678
    Abstract: A scanning apparatus and an image forming apparatus having the same. The scanning apparatus includes: a main body having a scanning unit; a cover to open and close upon an upper surface of the main body; a hinge unit disposed on one of the main body and the cover so that the cover is rotatable with respect to the main body; a hinge accommodating unit disposed on the other of the main body and the cover to accommodate the hinge unit so that the cover is movable in an upward and downward direction with respect to the upper surface of the main body; and a movement restricting unit disposed on at least one of the hinge unit and the hinge accommodating unit to restrict a movement of the cover in the upward and downward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae-Lim Shin
  • Patent number: 8934148
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus comprises a reading unit including a movable sensor, a first reading mechanism which moves the reading unit to read an original placed on a platen, a second reading mechanism which conveys the original relative to the reading unit to read the original, a common driving source which drives the first reading mechanism and the second reading mechanism, a transfer unit which transfers a driving force from the driving source to the first reading mechanism and the second reading mechanism, and a switching unit which switches rotation used to drive the second reading mechanism to one of forward rotation and reverse rotation with respect to rotation of the driving source in one direction, the switching unit operating as the reading unit moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaneto Tokuyama, Kazuyuki Morinaga
  • Patent number: 8934830
    Abstract: This invention provides a looped item or device attached to a document cover of a xerographic copier so that a wheelchair occupant can pull the document cover down over the platen glass. Better copies are obtained when the cover is down and the automatic document feeder is not accessible until the document cover is down over the platen glass. This invention provides a simple but effective way for a wheelchair occupant to easily use the automatic document feeder even when a previous user of the copier leaves the document cover up away from the platen glass. The loop provided in the looped item (lanyard or handle) is important to this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Charles Raymond Brewer, III
  • Patent number: 8928954
    Abstract: Once the number of successive occurrences of document feed errors during execution of fed reading has reached a predetermined number of times, an image reading control portion of the image reading device performs stationary reading in cases in which a stationary-reading document detection portion detects the presence of the document, even when a document set detection portion detects that the document is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hideyuki Teramoto
  • Patent number: 8928959
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a conveyance unit, a carriage, a motor, a motor gear, a conveyance gear, a carriage gear, a switching gear, and a control device. The conveyance unit is configured to convey a document from a document tray. The switching gear is configured to be placed in either one of a first position where the motor gear is communicated with the conveyance gear and a second position where the motor gear is communicated with the carriage gear. The control device is configured to: control the motor to rotate the motor gear in a first direction to have the switching gear free from the conveyance gear in response to a determination that the document jam has occurred; and control the motor to rotate the motor gear in a second direction to have the switching gear communicate with the conveyance gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroko Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8922801
    Abstract: A reading apparatus includes an auto document feeder configured to be openable and closable around a hinge with respect to a unit including an image sensor. The auto document feeder includes a roller configured to move a document relative to the image sensor, a motor, a gear train configured to transmit a rotation of a rotational shaft of the motor to the roller, and an encoder unit configured to detect rotation information of the motor, and including a sensor and a code wheel. An orientation of the rotational shaft is substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the hinge, and the gear train is arrayed in a direction of an extension of the rotational shaft. A gear that is a part of the gear train is attached to one end of the rotational shaft, and the code wheel is attached to the other end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Tomoda, Masahiro Kawanishi, Takashi Awai, Tadashi Hanabusa, Haruo Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8902478
    Abstract: An image scanning device includes a bottom wall, a surrounding wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, a frame connected to the surrounding wall and having a first side plate, and a transparent panel fixed to the frame and having a lateral side supported by an upper part of the first side plate. A contact image sensor module is disposed on the bottom wall transverse to the first side plate, and includes a housing having a first short side wall spaced apart from the first side plate by a first distance less than or equal to 2 mm, and a plurality of sensors, one of which that is closest to the first short side wall is spaced apart from an outer surface of the first short side wall by a second distance less than or equal to 2.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Lite-On Electronics (Guangzhou) Limited, Lite-On Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chun-Liang Liu, Ta-Yi Lee
  • Patent number: 8896891
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Heishi, Hiroshi Kubo, Takashi Fujii, Shinya Kitaoka, Takeshi Akai, Takehisa Shimazu, Takuma Ariga, Michitaka Suzuki, Yoshito Suzuki, Jun Yamada, Satoshi Saito, Kenichiro Morita, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Kenji Hayasaka, Hiroaki Utagawa