Fujitsu Corporation

Yoshihiro Takashimizu

Toshiaki Anzai

Hiroyuki Maruyama

Seigo Umeda

Masahiro Yoshida

Yoshio Tabata

Rika Nishiwaki

Tadayoshi Nakata

Toshiaki Kumagai

Toshio Saito

Noriaki Yamazaki

Hirotoshi Kakegawa

Fumiaki Harada

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.

Paper supply apparatus for image reading apparatus and image reading

A transmission-type sensor and a reflection-type sensor are provided for detecting paper at the same position of a transfer path, and a sensor mode used according to kinds, printed conditions, and the like of the paper is selected. A transmission-type sensor processing unit and a reflection-type sensor processing unit are provided according to the transmission-type sensor and reflection-type sensor. The paper pass detection unit detects presence of paper, and decides presence of double-feed for the second and later sheets of paper based on detection information of the first sheet of paper.

Transfer control apparatus for optical image reading apparatus

An image reading apparatus including a backing member arranged on the original transport path, a light source for emitting the light toward the original reading position in the original transport path in the direction of a predetermined incident optical axis, a detector capable of detecting the light reflected at the original reading position in the direction of a predetermined reading optical axis, and an image processing apparatus. The reflection surface of the backing member is configured in such a manner that the amount of the light reflected by the backing member and detected by the detector is not less than the amount of the light corresponding to a white reference value and that the amount of the light passing through the original, reflected by the backing member, re-passing through the original and detected by the detector, is not more than the amount of the light capable of preventing the imaging from the reverse side.

Image reading apparatus with specular reflection backing member arranged

An improved image reading apparatus suitable for use with an image scanner which can read a large number of paper sheets successively and rapidly and cope with various paper sizes from a small size to a large size. The image reading apparatus includes a paper supply mechanism, a paper transport mechanism, an optical image reading mechanism for optically reading information on a paper sheet being transported by the paper transport mechanism, and a paper stacking mechanism. The paper transport mechanism includes a paper transport path including an inclined transport path and a paper reversing transport path contiguous to the inclined transport path, a plurality of paper transport rollers disposed in a spaced relationship from each other by a distance smaller than the length of a paper sheet in its transportation direction along the paper transport path, a roller driving mechanism for driving the paper transport rollers, and a roller driving mechanism control apparatus for controlling the roller driving mechanism. The optical image reading mechanism includes an optical image reading unit, and an image information extraction control apparatus for controlling extraction of image information obtained by the optical image reading unit.

Image reading apparatus having a steeply inclined paper transport path

A document reading apparatus used in a printer or a facsimile. The apparatus includes a document reading confirmation mechanism for printing a character or mark on a document to allow confirmation of whether the document has been read by the document reading apparatus or not. The confirmation mechanism includes a movable guide plate and an auxiliary guide slidably engaged with and cooperating with the movable guide plate to provide together a guide surface for the entire surface of the document at all times when the movable guide plate is placed at any position. A printing head is mounted to the movable guide plate to record a document reading confirmation mark on the document while it is conveyed.

Document reading confirmation mechanism and document reading apparatus

A paper stacking apparatus for an image reading apparatus and an image reading apparatus with a paper stacking apparatus wherein paper sheets can be stacked appropriately to allow a large amount of paper sheets to be read rapidly at a time are disclosed. The paper stacking apparatus is designed to stack a paper sheet discharged from a paper transport mechanism of an image reading apparatus along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, and comprises a paper stacker including, at a bottom portion thereof, a stacker table for receiving thereon paper sheets discharged from the paper transport mechanism to stack the paper sheets, a paper stacker position variation mechanism for varying the position of the paper stacker, a paper discharge roller mechanism provided at a terminal end of the paper transport mechanism and having a projection extending into a paper transport path of the paper transport mechanism, and a paper trailing end guide mechanism disposed to extend into the paper stacker for guiding a trailing end of a paper sheet to be stacked into the paper stacker.

Paper stacking apparatus for image reading apparatus and image reading

A supply/conveyance mechanism for sheets includes: a hopper section (10) for accommodating a plurality of sheets stacked in layers; conveyer (20, 40) for picking up the sheets one by one or in groups of a predetermined number of sheets from the hopper section and conveying the sheets in an advancing direction along a predetermined passage; two detectors (60) for optically detecting a fore end of the sheet in the process of conveyance; correcting device (24, 25) for correcting a direction of the sheet in accordance with the results of detection of said detectors; and right and left guide plates (12) provided in the hopper section (10) for regulating both sides of stacked sheets. The guide plates (12) are capable of sliding in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the sheet advancing direction. The guide plates are also respectively connected with the two detectors (60), so that the detectors (60) are also capable of sliding in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the sheet together with said pair of guide plates (12).

Supply/conveyance mechanism for sheets of paper

A sheet supply/conveyance mechanism for sheets includes a hopper for accommodating a stack of plural sheets, a conveyer for picking up the sheets from the hopper and conveying the sheets in an advancing direction along a path, two detectors for optically detecting a leading edge of a sheet being conveyed, a correcting device for correcting the horizontal alignment of the sheet in accordance with the detection results of said detectors, and right and left guide plates provided in the hopper for aligning the respective, opposite sides of the stacked sheets. The guide plates are slidable in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the sheet advancing direction. The guide plates are respectively connected with the two detectors, so that the detectors are also slidable in the horizontal direction, together with the respective guide plates.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Yoshihiro Takashimizu