Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Nitto Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Takashi Taruki

Makoto Tanaka

Yasushi Nakazato

Hisayo Ohshita

Hiroshi Kubo

Hitoshi Hattori

Shigeru Horiguchi

Shinji Imoto

Kenji Hashimoto

Yukitaka Nakazato

Goro Mori

Masashi Kohchi

Naoki Toda

Katuo Akimoto

Masashi Kouchi

An automatic sheet feeding apparatus method and computer readable medium capable of performing an efficient reading operation includes a sheet table, a sheet transfer mechanism, and a controller. The sheet transfer mechanism performs first, second, and third transfer operations. In the first transfer operation, a sheet is separated from the sheet table and is transferred via a first connecting path to the reading position to receive a front-face sheet feeding operation. In the second transfer operation, the sheet is transferred via the first connecting path to the reading position to receive a rear-face sheet feeding operation. In the third transfer operation, the sheet is ejected. The sheet is reversed after passing by the reading position in each of the first and second transfer operations. The controller controls the sheet transfer mechanism to perform the first transfer operation relative to a succeeding sheet at one of a time before the third transfer operation is performed relative to a preceding sheet when the sheet has a shorter length than a predetermined value in a direction parallel to a transfer direction and a time after a preceding sheet passes by the reading position during the third transfer operation relative to the preceding sheet when the sheet has a longer length than a predetermined value in a direction parallel to the transfer direction.

Sheet feed apparatus, method and computer readable medium for double-sided document sheet feed operations

An ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) for an image forming apparatus includes a drive roller and a driven roller constituting document send-out means located downstream of a contact glass for sending out a document. The driven roller is movable into and out of contact with the drive roller. The driven roller is spaced from the drive roller when a document sensor does not sense the arrival of the leading edge of the document at the document send-out means. When the document sensor senses the leading edge of the document, the driven roller is moved toward the drive roller in order to convey the document in cooperation with the drive roller. The ADF insures accurate reading of the document without varying the document conveying speed at an image reading position.

Automatic document feeder for an image forming apparatus

In an image forming apparatus, an image reading device has a first document setting section for setting a document, and a second document setting section included in an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) which is capable of supporting and processing a document independently of the first document setting section. The second document setting section allows a number of documents to be stacked thereon. A switching device selectively causes either the document of the first document setting section or that of the second document setting section to be read. A control unit interrupts, when a read request requesting a first reading operation using the first document setting section is input while a second reading operation using the second document setting section is under way, the second reading operation, then executes the first reading operation, and then resumes the second reading operation after the first reading operation.

Image reading device having two document setting sections

An automatic original document feeding device which can shorten a length of time required for refeeding sheets of the original document after a jamming of a sheet of the original document is cleared. When a trouble signal is received indicating that a sheet of the original document remains within a feed path due to an improper feeding or a jamming before the sheet is completely scanned, a side cover is opened and at the same time a driving mechanism is actuated for automatically lowering the sheets of the original document from a feeding position. If the jamming occurs at a later position in the paper path after the image has been completely scanned, the side cover does not have to be opened, the driving mechanism is not lowered, and the sheets of the original document remain in their feeding position.

Automatic original document feeding device which has different

An auto document feeder feeds and ejects original documents in order of the pages. A duplex and simplex image forming unit forms an image based upon information of the document read by a reading unit. The simplex or the duplex copy sheets are ejected into an injecting portion formed by an upper wall, a bottom wall and a side wall so that an operator can access the receiving portion from the front side of the image forming apparatus. A copy sheet inverting device between the auto document feeder and the ejection portion causes the copy sheets to be stacked on the receiving portion in order of the pages.

Image forming apparatus having paper receiving portion inside the body

A compact ADF (auto-document feeder) for feeding a duplex document includes, a first feeding path starting from a document setting table to an exposing area and is formed in a U-shaped state, a second feeding path starting from the exposing area to an ejecting roller, a switch-back path disposed downstream of the second feeding path and above a document ejecting tray, and an inverting path starting from an entrance of the switch-back path to the first feeding path. A switching gate is pivotally disposed downstream of the second feeding path and above the ejecting tray to selectively lead the document either to the ejecting tray, or the switch-back path, or to the inverting path each from the second feeding path.

Compact auto-document feeder for an image forming apparatus

In an image forming apparatus with an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder), a conveyor mechanism sequentially conveys documents from a document feeding section to a document collecting section by way of a slit for scanning the documents. The feeding section and collecting section are disposed one above the other. The ADF including the feeding section and collecting section can be bodily pulled out toward the operator away from a scanner including a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, lens, and light source.

Image reading device having an automatic document feeder with at least a

An automatic document feeder having a 2-in-1 mode which serially locates first and second documents adjacent to one another at a copying position. The document feeder includes a separating part for separating documents one by one from a bundle of documents, a document feeding part for feeding documents at a speed which is faster than the transport speed provided by a document transporting part, with the transporting part located downstream from the feeding part. Since the feeding speed is faster than the speed of the transporting part, a space controlling part is provided for controlling a space between the first and second documents, such that after said space controlling part achieves a spacing of a predetermined distance, the document feeding part and the document transporting part transport the first and second documents and the first and second documents are placed serially on the contact glass without any undesired or excessive spacing between the first and second documents.

Automatic document feeder with side by side document feeding capability

An endless conveyor belt that has a nonexpansible and noncontractive core member and an elastic laminate layer bonded to one of the core surfaces. The core member and the laminate layer are preformed as an endless belt, respectively, and bonded together to constitute an endless conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is used for conveying an original paper to a predetermined position on a contact glass where the original paper is operated a predetermined treatment. The conveyor belt is assembled within an ADF in cooperation with belt rollers to rotary drive the conveyor belt. The belt is formed by a method that includes: a core belt forming process in which an endless core belt is formed from a nonexpansible and noncontractive material; a laminate layer forming process in which a laminate layer in a form of an endless belt is formed from an elastic thermoplastic material; and a bonding process in which the laminate layer is bonded to at least one of the surfaces of the endless core belt.

Endless belt

An automatic original sheet feeding apparatus for carrying original sheets mounted on an original sheet mounting table to a predetermined work position and then through an ejection roller to an original sheet receiver, successively, is disclosed, in which the ejection roller is braked while ejecting the original sheet to thereby eject said original sheet onto a region in the vicinity of the ejection roller without substantial inertia.

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Hiratsuka, Japan

Takashi Taruki