U.S. patent application number 11/551731 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-26 for document feeder and image scanning device.
This patent application is currently assigned to KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Hiroyuki HARADA.
Application Number | 20070090585 11/551731 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37984618 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070090585 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HARADA; Hiroyuki |
April 26, 2007 |
DOCUMENT FEEDER AND IMAGE SCANNING DEVICE
Abstract
A document feeder includes an exterior cover that is openably
and closably attached to the body of the document feeder such that
it exposes a portion of a document transport path therein, and a
movable unit including an exposed portion on the surface thereof
that is exposed when the exterior cover is opened and an unexposed
portion on the surface thereof that is not exposed when the
exterior cover is opened, the movable unit attached to the body of
the document feeder such that it is possible to expose the
unexposed portion. The movable unit includes a handle that
protrudes from the exposed portion and has an observation hole to
allow the exposed portion to be observed from the front side of the
document feeder.
Inventors: |
HARADA; Hiroyuki; (Osaka,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GLOBAL IP COUNSELORS, LLP
1233 20TH STREET, NW, SUITE 700
WASHINGTON
DC
20036-2680
US
|
Assignee: |
KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
2-28, 1-Chome, Tamatsukuri, Chuo-ku
Osaka
JP
540-8585
|
Family ID: |
37984618 |
Appl. No.: |
11/551731 |
Filed: |
October 23, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/8.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 7/00 20130101; G03G
15/602 20130101; B65H 2601/11 20130101; B65H 2402/441 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/008.1 |
International
Class: |
B65H 11/00 20060101
B65H011/00; B65H 1/00 20060101 B65H001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 25, 2005 |
JP |
2005-309816 |
Claims
1. A document feeder, comprising: an exterior cover that is
openably and closably attached to the body of the document feeder
and configured to expose a portion of a document transport path
therein when opened; and a movable unit comprising an exposed
portion on the surface thereof that is exposed when the exterior
cover is opened and an unexposed portion on the surface thereof
that is not exposed when the exterior cover is opened, the movable
unit attached to the body of the document feeder such that the
unexposed portion can be exposed; wherein the movable unit
comprises a handle that projects from the exposed portion, the
handle having an observation hole formed therein through which the
exposed portion can be observed from the front side of the document
feeder.
2. The document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the exterior
cover comprises an exterior cover member that covers the upper
surface of the body of the document feeder and a front cover member
that covers the front surface of the body of the document
feeder.
3. The document feeder according to claim 2, further comprising
side plates that are arranged on a front portion and a rear portion
of the document feeder and which are configured to receive the
exterior cover member and the front cover member of the exterior
cover, respectively, wherein the side plate arranged on the front
portion of the document feeder comprises a cut-out configured to
receive the front cover member.
4. The document feeder according to claim 3, wherein a cover
receiver formed in the side plate arranged on the front portion of
the document feeder forms approximately the same surface as a
document transport surface.
5. The document feeder according to claim 3, wherein the handle is
arranged on an edge portion of the exposed portion located on the
front portion side of the document feeder.
6. The document feeder according to claim 5, wherein the
observation hole is configured to pass through the handle in the
anteroposterior direction of the document feeder.
7. The document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the movable
unit comprises an intermediate transport unit comprising a document
scanning unit in the unexposed portion, and the movable unit is
attached to the body of the document feeder so as to be pivotable
around a shaft arranged on the downstream side in the document
transport direction.
8. An image scanning device, comprising: a document feeder that
comprises an exterior cover that is openably and closably attached
to the body of the document feeder and configured to expose a
portion of a document transport path therein when opened; and a
movable unit comprising an exposed portion on the surface thereof
that is exposed when the exterior cover is opened, an unexposed
portion on the surface thereof that is not exposed when the
exterior cover is opened, and a handle that projects from the
exposed portion having an observation hole through which the
exposed portion can be observed from the front side of the document
feeder, the movable unit attached to the body of the document
feeder such that the unexposed portion can be exposed; and an image
scanning unit configured to scan an image on a document fed by the
document feeder.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent
Application No. 2005-309816. The entire disclosure of Japanese
Patent Application No. 2005-309816 is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a document feeder
comprising an exterior cover that allows the transport path of a
document to be exposed, and an image scanning device comprising the
same.
[0004] 2. Background Information
[0005] Some image scanning devices such as a copying machine, a
facsimile machine, a scanner, and a multifunction device are
provided with a document feeder. It is possible for the image
scanning device to continuously scan a plurality of documents with
the use of a document feeder automatically transporting the
plurality of documents to an image scanning position one at a
time.
[0006] For example, Japan Patent Application Publication
JP-A-2004-099240 discloses a document feeder that comprises an
openable and closable exterior cover for the purpose of easily
coping with paper jams caused by one or more documents that have
become jammed in a document transport path. In the document feeder
disclosed in Japan Patent Application Publication JP-A-2004-099240,
an upstream side of the document transport path is opened by
opening the exterior cover. Furthermore, an intermediate frame is
pivotably attached to this document feeder in order to open a
downstream side of the document feeder as well.
[0007] However, this document feeder has a configuration in which
the intermediate frame is disposed in the interior of the document
feeder. Therefore, it is difficult to open the intermediate frame
in order to expose the downstream side of the document feeder. In
addition, it is difficult to observe the condition of the transport
path and the interior of the document feeder when seen from
directions other than a direction from above the document
feeder.
[0008] In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an
improved document feeder in which a movable unit arranged in the
interior thereof can be easily operated from the front side thereof
while visibility from the front side thereof is ensured, and an
image scanning device comprising the same. This invention addresses
this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become
apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In order to achieve the above described object, a document
feeder provided in the present invention comprises an exterior
cover that is openably and closably attached to the body of the
document feeder for exposing a portion of a document transport
path, and a movable unit comprising an exposed member on the
surface thereof that is exposed when the exterior cover is opened
and an unexposed member on the surface thereof that is not exposed
when the exterior cover is opened, the movable unit attached to the
body of the document feeder such that it is possible to expose the
unexposed portion. The movable unit comprises a handle that
projects from the exposed portion and comprises an observation hole
through which the exposed portion is visible from the front side of
the document feeder. In this document feeder, the handle is
arranged in the portion exposed when the exterior cover is opened.
Therefore, it is possible to operate the movable unit by easily
accessing the handle even from the front side of the document
feeder. In addition, the observation hole for observing the exposed
portion from the front side of the document feeder is formed in the
handle. Therefore, user's view is not blocked by the handle.
[0010] In the document feeder, the exterior cover includes an
exterior cover member that covers the upper surface of the body of
the document feeder and a front cover member that covers the front
side of the body of the document feeder. When the exterior cover is
opened, the front cover member that was located before the user's
eyes moves. Therefore, it will be possible for the user to observe
the condition of the interior of the document feeder from the front
side of the document feeder without changing his/her posture.
[0011] If the exterior cover comprises an exterior cover member and
a front cover member, side plates for receiving the exterior cover
member and the front cover member of the exterior cover,
respectively, can be arranged on a front portion and a rear portion
of the document feeder. A cut-out for receiving the front cover
member is formed in the side plate arranged on the front portion of
the document feeder.
[0012] Furthermore, a cover receiver formed in the side plate
arranged on the front portion of the document feeder forms an
approximately the same surface with a document transport surface.
When a cover receiver formed in the side plate arranged on the
front portion of the document feeder forms an approximately the
same surface with the document transport surface, if the exterior
cover is opened, it is possible for a user to observe the condition
of the transport surface from the front side of the document feeder
even if the observing point of the user is at a lower position.
[0013] In the document feeder, a handle can be arranged on an edge
portion of the exposed portion located on the front portion side of
the document feeder. With the handle arranged on the edge portion
located on the front portion side of the document feeder on the
user's side, it is possible for a user to easily operate the
movable unit using the handle. In addition, the observation hole is
formed in the handle so as to pass through the handle in the
anteroposterior direction of the document feeder, for instance.
Therefore, even if the user's observing point is positioned in an
approximately the same height as that of the handle, it is possible
to easily observe the condition of the interior of the document
feeder from the front side of the document feeder.
[0014] The movable unit comprises an intermediate transport unit
that comprises a document scanning unit in the unexposed portion
and is attached to the body of the document feeder so that it can
pivot around a shaft arranged on the downstream side in the
document transport direction. When operating a portion of the
intermediate transport unit on the upstream side in the document
transport direction, it is possible to easily operate the
intermediate transport unit using the handle even if there is an
object in the vicinity of the intermediate transport unit that is
an obstacle when operating the intermediate transport unit.
Therefore, even if one or more document(s) is/are jammed in the
vicinity of the document scanning unit, it is possible to easily
remove the jammed paper.
[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the
present invention provides an image scanning device comprising the
above described document feeder. Because of this, it is possible to
enhance the convenience of the operation of the image scanning
device.
[0016] According to the present invention, with the above described
configuration, it is possible to easily operate the movable unit
arranged in the interior of the document feeder while ensuring the
visibility of the interior of the document feeder from the front
side of the document feeder.
[0017] These and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages
of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in
the art from the following detailed description, which taken in
conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of
this original disclosure:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration
of a copying machine;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a document
feeder;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a more detailed diagram showing the overall
configuration of the document feeder;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a paper jam in the document
feeder;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the document feeder with the
exterior cover opened;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the document feeder with the
exterior cover opened when seen from a lower observation point;
[0025] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the document feeder with the
exterior cover and an intermediate transport unit opened;
[0026] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a document feeder comprising a
reversal guide, with the exterior cover opened; and
[0027] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the document feeder with the
exterior cover and the reversal guide opened.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be
explained with reference to the attached drawings to understand the
present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art
from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the
embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration
only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined
by the appended claims and their equivalents. In the present
embodiment, the present invention is embodied as a digital copying
machine including a document feeder.
[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration
of a copying machine 101. The copying machine 101 comprises an
image scanning unit 102 and an image forming unit 103. The image
scanning unit 102 scans an image of a document, and generates
digital data thereof. The image scanning unit 102 comprises a
document table 104, which is like a contact glass, on the upper
surface of a chassis thereof. A document can be placed on the
document table 104. A scanning optical system 105 is disposed below
the document table 104. The scanning optical system 105 comprises a
first carriage 106, a second carriage 107, and a focusing lens 108.
A linear light source 109 and a mirror 110 are arranged in the
first carriage 106. On the other hand, mirrors 111 and 112 are
arranged in the second carriage 107. The light source 109
illuminates a document. The mirrors 110, 111, and 112 guide the
reflection from the document to the focusing lens 108, and the
focusing lens 108 focuses the light of the reflection onto a
receptor surface of a line image sensor 113. In the scanning
optical system 105, the first carriage 106 and the second carriage
107 are disposed so that they can reciprocate in a sub-scanning
direction 114. It is possible for the line image sensor 113 to scan
an image of the document placed on the document table 104 by means
of the movement of the first and second carriages 106 and 107 in
the sub-scanning direction. The line image sensor 113 generates
document image data based on the light falling onto the receptor
surface.
[0030] The image forming unit 103 prints out the image data
obtained by the image scanning unit 102 and the image data received
from other equipments through a network on one or more sheets of
paper or other recording media. A photosensitive drum 115 is
disposed in the image forming unit 103. The photosensitive drum 115
rotates at a constant speed in a direction indicated by arrow 116.
An electrostatic charging unit 117, an exposing unit 118, a
developing unit 119, a transfer unit 120, and the like are arranged
sequentially around the photosensitive drum 115 from the upstream
side of the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum
115.
[0031] The electrostatic charging unit 117 uniformly charges the
surface of the photosensitive drum 115. The exposing unit 118
exposes the uniformly and electrostatically charged surface of the
photosensitive drum 115 to light in accordance with the image data
for each color, and thus an electrostatic latent image is formed on
the photosensitive drum 115. The developing unit 119 attaches toner
of each color to the electrostatic latent image, and a toner image
is formed on the photosensitive drum 115. The transfer unit 120
transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 115
onto a sheet of paper.
[0032] The image forming unit 103 feeds a sheet of paper to a
transfer portion located between the photosensitive drum 115 and
the transfer unit 120 from a manual paper feeding tray 121, paper
supply cassettes 122 and 123, and the like. Various sizes of paper
can be put on the manual paper feeding tray 121 and also can be
accommodated in the paper supply cassettes 122 and 123. The image
forming unit 103 selects a sheet of paper based on the
automatically detected document size, and draws the selected type
of paper from the manual paper feeding tray 121, the paper supply
cassette 122, or the paper supply cassette 123 through one or more
feeding roller(s) 124. The drawn paper is sent to the transfer
portion through one or more transport roller(s) 125 and resist
roller(s) 126. The paper on which the toner image is transferred is
transported to a fixing unit 127. The fixing unit 127 comprises a
fixing roller 128 and a pressure roller 129, and fixes the toner
image onto the paper by means of heat and pressure. The image
forming unit 103 discharges the paper that passed through the
fixing unit 127 to a discharge tray 130 or a discharge tray 131.
The switching claw 132 controls the place to which the paper is
discharged, that is, either the discharge tray 130 or the discharge
tray 131. One or more discharge roller(s) 133 or discharge
roller(s) 134 will discharge the paper onto one of the discharge
trays.
[0033] In the copying machine 101 with this configuration, a
document feeder 135 is openably and closably attached to the upper
side of the image scanning unit 102. The document feeder 135
comprises a document tray 136, a transport path 137, and a
discharge tray 138. A user will place a document on the document
table 104 or place one or more document(s) in the document feeder
135. The document feeder 135 sends the one or more document(s) set
on the document tray 136 to the transport path 137 one at a time.
An image scanning position 139 is positioned on the transport path
137. A scanning glass 140 that is disposed to correspond to the
image scanning position 139 is also arranged on the upper surface
of the chassis of the image scanning unit 102. When the image
scanning unit 102 scans the image of the document set in the
document feeder 135, it temporarily holds the first carriage 106
and the second carriage 107 in place so that they are aligned with
the image scanning position 139. When the document passes through
the image scanning position 139, the document is illuminated
through the scanning glass 140, and the image of the document is
scanned. The document passed through the image scanning position
139 will be discharged onto the discharge tray 138.
[0034] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of the document
feeder 135. In this document feeder 135, an elevating plate 203
including document cursor 202 is attached to a portion of the
document tray 136 on the downstream side in a document transport
direction 201 such that the elevating plate 203 can move up and
down. The document cursor 202 is disposed so that it can
reciprocate in a document width direction 204. It is possible to
align the center of the document in the width direction with the
machine by adjusting the position of the document placed on the
document tray 136 in the width direction using the document cursor
202. The elevating plate 203 and the document tray 136 form a
surface on which one or more document(s) is/are placed (hereinafter
referred to as a document-set surface), and pushes up the end
portion of the one or more document(s) in order to send the bundle
of documents set on the document-set surface to the transport path
one at a time.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a cross-section diagram for providing additional
details about the overall configuration of the document feeder 135.
The document feeder 135 comprises one or more pickup roller(s) 301,
a feeding belt 302, and one or more separation roller(s) 303, all
of which are used for separating the bundle of documents placed on
the document tray 136 from each other. When the elevating plate 203
is moved up, the end portion of a document that is placed on the
top of the bundle of documents is pressed against the one or more
pickup roller(s) 301. In this state, the document is drawn from the
bundle of documents by driving the one or more pickup roller(s)
301. Even if two or more documents are drawn from the bundle of
documents, the feeding belt 302 and the one or more separation
roller(s) 303 separate the first document from the other drawn
document(s), and then transport it to the downstream side of the
transport path 137. The one or more resist roller(s) 304 and
transport roller(s) 305 are disposed on the downstream side. The
timing of the transport of the document to the image scanning
position 139 is adjusted by the one or more resist roller(s) 304,
and the one or more transport roller(s) 305 transport(s) the
document to the image scanning position 139. The image on one side
of the document is scanned in the image scanning position 139. In
the document feeder 135, a document scanning unit 306 in which a
contact-type optical system is employed is disposed downstream of
the image scanning position 139. When images on both sides of the
document are to be scanned, the image on the other side is scanned
by the document scanning unit 306. The document passed through the
image scanning unit 306 will be transported to one or more
discharge roller(s) 308 through one or more intermediate transport
roller(s) 307, and then discharged to the discharge tray 138
through the one or more discharge roller(s) 308.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a paper jam in the document
feeder 135. As shown in FIG. 4, a document 401 that is long in the
document transport direction is set on the document tray 136 of the
document feeder 135, and the end portion of the document 401 is
jammed in the interior of the document feeder 135. The document
feeder 135 is provided with an openable and closable exterior cover
402 for the purpose of resolving a paper jam like this. The
exterior cover 402 is supported by a shaft disposed on a downstream
edge 403 of the document feeder body on the downstream side in the
document transport direction 201, in a way that the exterior cover
402 is able to pivot around the shaft. The exterior cover 402
includes a top cover member 404 that covers the upper surface of
the document feeder 135 and a front cover member 405. A side plate
406 on the rear portion of the document feeder 135 receives the top
cover member 404, and a side plate 407 on the front portion of the
document feeder 135 receives the front cover member 405. When the
exterior cover 402 is opened, the top cover member 404 and the side
plate 406 are separated by a division line 408, and the front cover
member 405 and the side plate 407 are separated by a division line
409. The exterior cover 402 is opened by using a switch 410
arranged on the top cover member 404. When the exterior cover 402
is closed, it is engaged with the document feeder body. The
exterior cover 402 is disengaged from the document feeder body by
operating the switch 410, and thus the exterior cover 402 can be
opened.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the document feeder 135 with the
exterior cover 402 opened. In the document feeder 135, the upstream
side of the transport path 137 is exposed when the exterior cover
402 is opened. If a paper jam has occurred in this portion, it is
possible to easily remove the jammed paper from this portion by
opening the exterior cover 402.
[0038] The upper surface of the transport path 137 exposed when the
exterior cover 402 is opened is comprised of an inner surface plate
501 of the exterior cover 402. A pickup roller 301 and a feeding
belt 302 are arranged in the inner surface plate 501. Furthermore,
resist rollers 304, each of which comprises one of a pair of resist
rollers 304, and transport rollers 305, each of which comprises one
of a pair of transport rollers 305, are arranged therein. L-shaped
interlocking pieces 503 are attached to each of inner surfaces 502
of the exterior cover 402. The pivotable interlocking pieces 503
are elastically urged to the inner surfaces 502, and contact
interlocking pieces 504 arranged in the document feeder body,
respectively, immediately before the exterior cover 402 is closed.
When the exterior cover 402 is closed by resisting the urging
force, a bent portion of the interlocking piece 503 engages with
the bar-shaped interlocking piece 504, and thus the exterior cover
402 is engaged with the document feeder body.
[0039] The lower surface of the transport path 137 exposed when the
exterior cover 402 is opened is formed by an upper surface (exposed
portion) of an intermediate transport unit 505. The resist rollers
304, each of which is the other of a pair of resist rollers 304,
the transport roller 305, each of which is the other of a pair of
transport rollers 305, and the one or more division roller(s) 303
are arranged on the upper surface of the intermediate transport
unit 505.
[0040] The intermediate transport unit 505 is attached to the
document feeder body so that it can pivot around a shaft 309
arranged on the downstream side of the document transport direction
201. The rest of the transport path 137 can be exposed by opening
the intermediate transport unit 505. The document scanning unit and
one or more intermediate transport roller(s) are also arranged on
the surface (unexposed portion) on the opposite side of the
intermediate transport unit 505. Therefore, that portion will not
be exposed only by opening the exterior cover 402. Therefore, when
a paper jam occurs on the downstream side in the transport path
137, the intermediate transport unit 505 is opened, and thus the
portion is exposed.
[0041] In the document feeder 135 in accordance with the present
embodiment, a handle 506 for easily operating the intermediate
transport unit 505 is arranged on the upper surface of the
intermediate transport unit 505 to project outward therefrom. In
this document feeder 135, the handle is an edge portion of the
upper surface of the intermediate transport unit 505 that is
located on the front portion side of the document feeder 135 and
exposed when the exterior cover 402 is opened. Therefore, it is
especially easy to operate the intermediate transport unit 505 from
the front side of the document feeder.
[0042] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the document feeder 135 with the
exterior cover 402 opened when seen from a lower observation point.
As described above, in the document feeder 135, the exterior cover
402 comprises the front cover member 405. A cut-out 602
corresponding to the front cover member 405 is formed in a cover
receiver 601 of the upper surface of the side plate 407. Because of
this, when the exterior cover 402 is opened, the upper surface of
the intermediate transport unit 505 can be observed from the front
portion of the document feeder 135 even when seen from a position
that is almost the same height as that of the document feeder 135.
In particular, in this document feeder 135, the cover receiver 601
of the side plate 407 of the front portion of the document feeder
135 is formed to be approximately the same as the transport surface
of the document. Therefore, blind spots are not produced by the
side plate 407. Thus, it is possible to observe approximately the
entire upper surface of the intermediate transport unit 505 from
the front portion of the document feeder 135. In this document
feeder 135, a cover receiver 603 of the upper surface of the side
plate 406 of the rear portion of the document feeder 135 is not
formed to be approximately the same as the transport surface of the
document and no cut-out is formed therein, because the visibility
of the other elements from the front side of the document feeder
135 will not be inhibited thereby. In addition, an observation hole
604 is formed in the handle 506 arranged on the edge portion of the
intermediate transport unit 505 in the front portion of the
document feeder 135. Here, the observation hole 604 passes through
the handle 506 in the anteroposterior direction of the document
feeder 135. Because of this, visibility is not impaired even if the
handle 506 exists. A user opens the intermediate transport unit 505
by holding the handle 506 from the front portion of the document
feeder 135 if necessary.
[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the document feeder 135 with the
exterior cover 402 and the intermediate transport unit 505 opened.
If the intermediate transport unit 505 is opened after the exterior
cover 402 is opened, the intermediate transport unit 505 stands
approximately upright. In this state, a portion 701 located on the
lower side of the intermediate transport unit 505 is exposed.
Therefore, even if a paper jam occurs in the portion 701, it is
possible to easily remove the jammed document. In addition, when
cleaning units arranged in the portion 701 (e.g., a document
scanning unit), it is possible to easily operate the intermediate
transport unit 505 by using the handle 506. If the handle 506 is
used, it will not be necessary to operate the intermediate
transport unit 505 by placing one's hand on a portion of the
intermediate transport unit 505 on the upstream side in the
document transport direction 201, for instance. Even if there is an
object in the vicinity thereof that hinders the operation of the
intermediate transport unit 505, it is possible to easily open and
close the intermediate transport unit 505 by using the handle
506.
[0044] As described above, in the document feeder arranged in the
copying machine in accordance with the present embodiment, the
handle is arranged on the upper surface of the intermediate
transport unit to project outward therefrom, and the observation
hole is formed in the handle. Therefore, it is possible to easily
operate the intermediate transport unit arranged in the interior of
the document feeder from the front side of the document feeder
while ensuring visibility from the front side of the document
feeder. Therefore, even if a user's observation point is positioned
at a lower point (e.g., the observation point of a person in a
wheelchair), it is possible to easily observe the condition of the
document feeder and maintain the document feeder.
[0045] Note that the above described embodiment does not limit the
technical scope of the present invention, and a variety of changes
and modifications, other than the above described details, can be
performed within the scope of the invention.
[0046] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a document feeder 801 comprising
a reversal guide 803 with the exterior cover 802 opened. The
present invention can also be applied to a document feeder
comprising a movable unit such as a reversal guide other than an
intermediate transport unit. In the document feeder 801, the upper
surface of the reversal guide 803 is exposed when the exterior
cover 802 is opened. The upper surface of the reversal guide 803 is
used as a transport path for transporting one or more document(s)
set on a document tray 804 one at a time. The lower surface of the
reversal guide 803 is used for reversing the transport direction of
the document. A document passes through an image scanning position,
and then the transport direction of the document is reversed. Then,
the document is sent to the image scanning position again, and thus
the images on both sides of the document are scanned. The lower
surface of the reversal guide 803 forms a transport path for this
purpose. A handle 805 is arranged on the reversal guide 803 to
project outward therefrom. The reversal guide 803 is openably and
closably attached to the document feeder 801, and the reversal
guide 803 can be easily opened and closed using the handle 805.
[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the document feeder 801 with the
exterior cover 802 and the reverse guide 803 opened. If the
reversal guide 803 is opened after the exterior cover 802 is opened
in the document feeder 801, the reversal guide 803 stands
approximately upright. In this state, a transport path 901 is
exposed that is located below the reversal guide 803 and used as a
path to reverse the transport direction of a document. Therefore,
even if a paper jam has occurred when the transport direction is
reversed, it is possible to easily remove the jammed document using
the handle 805.
[0048] In addition, in the above described embodiment, the cover
receiver of the side plate in the front portion of the document
feeder is formed to be approximately the same as the transport
surface of the document. However, the present invention is not
limited to this configuration. For example, the height of the cover
receiver and that of the transport surface may be formed to be
different from each other as long as the side plate of the front
portion of the document feeder will not be an obstacle, or as long
as a blind spot produced by the side plate will not be a
problem.
[0049] In addition, in the above described embodiment, the cut-out
that has a length approximately the same as that of the
intermediate transport unit in the document transport direction is
formed in the side plate of the front portion of the document
feeder. However, the present invention is not limited to this
configuration. However, a cut-out having a width that is shorter
than the length of the movable unit in the document transport
direction may be disposed in the side plate of the front portion of
the document feeder.
[0050] Furthermore, a plurality of handles may be arranged on the
surface of the movable unit to project outward therefrom. For
example, handles may be arranged on edge portions of the movable
unit on the front and rear portion sides of the document feeder,
respectively, which will not hinder the transportation of the
document. Here, the handle disposed on the edge portion on the rear
portion side of the document feeder does not impair visibility from
the front side of the document feeder. Therefore, it is not
necessary for the handle to include an observation hole. In
addition, the handle arranged on the edge portion in the front
portion side of the document feeder may be formed to have a shape
and a size, both of which are different from those of the handle
arranged on the edge portion in the rear portion side of the
document feeder.
[0051] In the above described embodiment, the intermediate
transport unit is pivotably attached to the document feeder.
However, the present invention is not limited to this
configuration. For example, the movable unit may be detachable from
the document feeder. In this case, a portion that is unexposed when
the exterior cover is opened can be exposed by detaching the
movable unit from the document feeder.
[0052] In the above described embodiment, the present invention is
embodied as a digital copying machine comprising a document feeder.
However, the present invention can be applied to other types of
image scanning devices such as a facsimile machine, a scanner, and
a multifunction device.
[0053] According to the document feeder and the image scanning
device comprising the same in accordance with the present
invention, it is possible to easily operate the movable unit
arranged in the interior of the document feeder from the front side
of the document feeder while visibility of the interior of the
document feeder from the front side of the document feeder is
ensured. Therefore, they are useful for a variety of machines such
as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a scanner, and a
multifunction device.
General Interpretation
[0054] In understanding the scope of the present invention, the
term "configured" as used herein to describe a component, section
or part of a device includes hardware and/or software that is
constructed and/or programmed to carry out the desired function. In
understanding the scope of the present invention, the term
"comprising" and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to
be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated
features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but
do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements,
components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also
applied to words having similar meanings such as the terms,
"including," "having," and their derivatives. Also, the term
"part," "section," "portion," "member," or "element" when used in
the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a
plurality of parts. Finally, terms of degree such as
"substantially," "about," and "approximately" as used herein mean a
reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the
end result is not significantly changed. For example, these terms
can be construed as including a deviation of at least .+-.5% of the
modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the
word it modifies.
[0055] While only selected embodiments have been chosen to
illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and
modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope
of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore,
the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the
present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for
the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended
claims and their equivalents. Thus, the scope of the invention is
not limited to the disclosed embodiments.
* * * * *