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:
Jan. 19, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 08, 1997
Mita Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka-fu, JP;
Abstract
This invention relates to a drive switching mechanism for use in an image input apparatus. While a pivotable gear is set on the side of a document feeder, a displacement restricting mechanism of the drive switching mechanism restricts a displacement of the pivotable gear toward an image scanner. With this arrangement, even if the pivotable gear is caused to move toward the image scanner while set on the side of the document feeder, a stopper of the displacement restricting mechanism restricts such movement to maintain an engaged state of the pivotable gear with a drive gear of the document feeder. Accordingly, a driving force of a motor rotatable in the opposite direction (forward and backward) can securely be transmitted to the drive gear of the document feeder via a non-pivotable gear and the pivotable gear. The same operation and effect as on the side of the document feeder is obtainable on the side of the image scanner.