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:
Aug. 08, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1998
Takao Araki, Kasuga, JP;
Yoshihiro Ito, Fukuoka, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A document feeder comprises a hopper table on which documents are to be mounted, a feeding roller for transporting the documents mounted on the hopper table, and lifting system for raising and lowering the hopper table to position the topmost sheet of the documents mounted on the hopper table at a level of the feeding roller. The lifting system includes a hopper motor, and a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the hopper table by means of the driving force. The drive mechanism swings the hopper table when the hopper table is located between an lower limit position and a switching position above the lower limit position, or moves the hopper table vertically with maintaining its posture horizontally when the hopper table is located between the switching position and an upper limit position above the switching position. In addition, the height and the slant angle of the feeding roller sequentially conform to the movement of the hopper table in order to prevent jamming.