The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 1996
Filed:
Oct. 17, 1994
Darren W Wilcox, San Diego, CA (US);
Dennis Sonnenburg, San Diego, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
In a scanning unit such as a facsimile machine, an automatic document feeder transports individual sheets from a stack of documents along a document path over a scanning window to an output tray. Precise co-planar referencing is provided between a pick roller mounted on a frame beneath a document path and a document separator mechanism mounted on an upper guide member which moves between an open position for allowing manual access to the document path to a closed position for scanning document sheets. An integrated sheet metal chassis on the upper guide member provides a direct reference path between a central portion of the chassis which carries the document separator mechanism as well as Z axis and Y-axis (media transport direction) reference datums on both side edges of the channels which are engaged by a rigid vertical reference arm. A latching device is located closely adjacent to the reference datums to securely hold the upper guide member in a predetermined closed position, as well as determine positioning in the X axis. A pair of pivotal arms at the post-scanning end of the chassis allow clearance in the X-axis and Y-axis while providing secondary referencing in the Z-axis.