Fujitsu Corporation

Toshiaki Kumagai

Yoshihiro Takashimizu

Hiroyuki Maruyama

Toshiaki Anzai

Seigo Umeda

Tadayoshi Nakata

Rika Nishiwaki

The invention provides a paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus, an image reading apparatus with a paper supply apparatus and a paper supply apparatus which can be used suitably with an image scanner wherein a large amount of paper sheets can be taken out one by one with certainty and read successively and rapidly. The paper supply apparatus successively supplies paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, and comprises a paper supply hopper, a paper supply roller located above the paper supply hopper for forwarding the paper sheets accommodated in the paper supply hopper, a paper supply roller driving mechanism for rotating the paper supply roller, and a paper separation mechanism for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by the paper supply roller from being sent to the paper transport mechanism. The paper separation mechanism includes a paper skew prevention mechanism for holding down a passing paper sheet with a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet but with lower paper holding down forces at the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Toshiaki Kumagai