U.S. patent application number 12/510561 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-16 for supporting plate for automatic document feeder and paper output mechanism using same.
This patent application is currently assigned to TECO IMAGE SYSTEM CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Yu-Jen Chang, Ken-Te CHOU.
Application Number | 20100314829 12/510561 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43305763 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100314829 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHOU; Ken-Te ; et
al. |
December 16, 2010 |
SUPPORTING PLATE FOR AUTOMATIC DOCUMENT FEEDER AND PAPER OUTPUT
MECHANISM USING SAME
Abstract
A supporting plate for an automatic document feeder, adapted to
configure a plurality of paper feeding rollers installed
correspondingly to a plurality of transmission wheels, and used for
transmitting a document to a paper output tray, the supporting
plate including a plate body, including a plurality of accepting
holes and adapted to install the plurality of paper feeding
rollers, the plurality of paper feeding rollers and the plurality
of transmission wheels drive the document move along a paper output
direction toward the paper output tray; and a plurality of
supporting portions, disposed at sides of the plurality of
accepting holes along the paper output direction, and used for
supporting the document to cause the document to form a curved body
while being moved. A paper output mechanism using the
aforementioned supporting plate is also disclosed here.
Inventors: |
CHOU; Ken-Te; (Taoyuan,
TW) ; Chang; Yu-Jen; (Taoyuan, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RABIN & Berdo, PC
1101 14TH STREET, NW, SUITE 500
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
TECO IMAGE SYSTEM CO., LTD.
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
43305763 |
Appl. No.: |
12/510561 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/306 ;
271/83 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 29/125 20130101;
B65H 31/02 20130101; B65H 2301/33312 20130101; B65H 29/14 20130101;
B65H 29/70 20130101; H04N 2201/0094 20130101; B65H 2405/1412
20130101; H04N 1/00631 20130101; G03G 15/605 20130101; B65H
2405/113 20130101; H04N 1/00567 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/306 ;
271/83 |
International
Class: |
B65H 29/38 20060101
B65H029/38; B65H 29/00 20060101 B65H029/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 10, 2009 |
TW |
098119361 |
Claims
1. A supporting plate for an automatic document feeder, adapted to
configure a plurality of paper feeding rollers correspondingly to a
plurality of transmission wheels, and used for transmitting a
document to a paper output tray, the supporting plate comprising: a
plate body, comprising a plurality of accepting holes and adapted
to install the plurality of paper feeding rollers, the plurality of
paper feeding rollers and the plurality of transmission wheels
drive the document to move along a paper output direction toward
the paper output tray; and a plurality of supporting portions,
disposed at sides of the plurality of accepting holes along the
paper output direction, and used for supporting the document to
cause the document to form a curved body while being moved.
2. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 1, wherein a top of the supporting portion is higher than
a top of the paper feeding roller.
3. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion comprises a first end
and a second end corresponding to each other, the height of the
second end is grater than the height of the first end.
4. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 3, wherein the second end of the supporting portion is
closer to the paper output tray than the first end thereof.
5. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion is formed by extending
the plate body.
6. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion is an elastic sheet.
7. A paper output mechanism for an automatic document feeder,
comprising: a paper output tray; a plurality of transmission
wheels; a plurality of paper feeding rollers, installed
correspondingly to the plurality of transmission wheels; a plate
body, comprising a plurality of accepting holes and adapted to
install the plurality of paper feeding rollers, the plurality of
paper feeding rollers and the plurality of transmission wheels
drive the document to move along a paper output direction toward
the paper output tray; and a plurality of supporting portions,
disposed at sides of the plurality of accepting holes along the
paper output direction, and used for supporting the document to
cause the document to form a curved body while being moved.
8. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 7, wherein a top of the supporting portion is higher than
a top of the paper feeding roller.
9. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 7, wherein the supporting portion comprises a first end
and a second end corresponding to each other, the height of the
second end is grater than the height of the first end.
10. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 9, wherein the second end of the supporting portion is
closer to the paper output tray than the first end thereof.
11. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 7, wherein the supporting portion is formed by extending
the plate body.
12. The supporting plate for an automatic document feeder according
to claim 7, wherein the supporting portion is an elastic sheet.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This non-provisional application claims priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 98119361 filed in
Taiwan, R.O.C. on Jun. 10, 2009, the entire contents of which are
hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a supporting plate, and
more particularly to a supporting plate for an automatic document
feeder and a paper output mechanism using the supporting plate.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Accompanying the progress of technology, business machines
corresponding to computer peripherals such as printers, scanners,
facsimile machines have proved so useful in increasing information
processing efficiency, that they have become extremely popular.
Furthermore, accompanying the technological development of one
machine with multiple function, more and more business machines are
provided with functions such as facsimile, scanning, photo-offset
and printing; not only ensuring that the business machines have the
capability to process multiple document types, but allowing the
volume of such machines to be reduced. In addition, the assembly
procedures thereof are simple, connecting them with a telephone
line, a network cable and power cord, and they can then be used by
collocating with a computer, all of which contributes positively to
their popularity.
[0004] A comprehensive survey of business machines such as
printers, photocopiers, scanners and facsimile machines reveals
that they are all equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF)
into which paper can be fed sheet by sheet. When a double faced
scan or photocopy is processed, the conventional automatic document
feeder drives a motor which rotates causing paper to reverse
direction and be pulled back after the scanning or photocopy of the
first face of the paper is completed, and the scanning or photocopy
operation procedures of the second face thereof are then processed.
When a double faced scan or photocopy of multiple sheets of paper
is carried out, paper will be output onto a paper output tray along
the supporting plate of the conventional automatic document feeder
after the operation procedures of the first paper are completed.
Thereafter, the scanning or photocopy operation procedures of the
second paper are carried out.
[0005] However, when the motor is driven so that it rotates, cause
the paper to reverse direction and be pulled back, the action can
easily cause the previous output paper to be pulled back together
with the current sheet, causing the paper to be stuck such that the
scan or photocopy cannot continue.
SUMMARY
[0006] To improve a paper output mechanism for an automatic
document feeder and prevent pull-back happening after paper is
output, the present invention is proposed. The present invention
proposes a supporting plate for an automatic document feeder,
installed with a plurality of paper feeding rollers corresponding
to a plurality of transmission wheels, adapted to deliver documents
to a paper output tray, where the supporting plate includes: a
plate body, including a plurality of accepting holes used for
accepting a plurality of paper feeding rollers, where the plurality
of paper feeding rollers and the plurality of transmission wheel
drive documents to move along a paper output direction toward the
paper output tray, and a plurality of supporting portions, disposed
on sides of the plurality of accepting holes along the paper output
direction and used for supporting the document, ensures that each
document forms a curved body while being moved.
[0007] The present invention also proposes a paper output mechanism
for an automatic document feeder, including: a paper output tray; a
plurality of transmission wheels; a plurality of paper feeding
rollers disposed correspondingly to the plurality of transmission
wheels; a plate body, including a plurality of accepting holes used
for accepting a plurality of paper feeding rollers, where the
plurality of paper feeding rollers and the plurality of
transmission wheels drive documents to move along a paper output
direction toward the paper output tray, and a plurality of
supporting portions, disposed on sides of the plurality of
accepting holes along the paper output direction and used for
supporting the document, ensuring that each document forms a curved
body while being moved.
[0008] Accordingly, the top end of the supporting portion is higher
than the top end of the paper feeding roller; furthermore, the
supporting portion includes a first end and a second end
corresponding to each other, and the height of the second end is
higher than the height of the first end.
[0009] The present invention disposes the plurality of supporting
portions arranged distantly on the plate body, and forms a
supported document to be a curved body while being output so that
the output document becomes stiffer in order to cause the document
to drop at a place of the paper output tray further away from the
plate body while being output; this not only prevents output
documents from being stacked together on the paper output tray in a
disorderly manner, but also solves the problem of the pull-back of
the output paper found in a conventional paper output
mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The present invention can be more fully understood by
reference to the following description and accompanying drawings,
in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic view, showing an outlook of a first
preferred embodiment according to the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a partly enlarged view, showing a portion A in
FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG.3 is a cross sectional view, showing the first
embodiment according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4A and 4B are schematic views, showing the action of
outputting documents of the first embodiment according to the
present invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic view, showing a paper output of the
first embodiment according to the present;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a schematic view, showing an outlook of a second
preferred embodiment according to the present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 7 is a partly enlarged view, showing a portion B in
FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a
paper output mechanism for an automatic document feeder of a first
preferred embodiment according to the present invention.
[0019] A paper output mechanism 1 of a automatic document feeder
includes a plate body 10, a transmission unit 20, a plurality of
paper feeding rollers 30, a plurality of supporting portions 40 and
a paper output tray 50.
[0020] the plate body 10 is approximately a rectangular sheet; it
is bent and then extended in a perpendicular direction to a main
body of the sheet from one end thereof; viewing the whole, the
plate body 10 is approximately an L-shaped body, and is disposed
with a plurality of accepting holes 11 distantly at bent
extensions
[0021] The transmission unit 20 is installed at the side of the
plate body 10, and disposed with a plurality of transmission wheels
21 capable of transmitting documents 8.
[0022] The plurality of paper feeding rollers 30 are respectively
installed in the plurality of accepting holes 11 of the plate body
10, and correspondingly to the plurality of transmission wheels 21,
where the plurality of paper feeding rollers 30 and the plurality
of transmission wheels 21 drive documents 8 to move along a paper
output direction.
[0023] The plurality of supporting portions 40 are installed at the
sides of the plurality of accepting holes 11 of the plate body 10
along the paper output direction, where the supporting portion 40
has a first end 40a and a second end 40b corresponding to each
other, and the second end 40b of the supporting portion 40 is
positioned at the bent extension of the plate body 10. Moreover,
the height of the second end 40b of the supporting portion 40 may
preferably be greater than the height of the first end 40a as FIG.
2 shows, and the top of the second end 40b may preferably be higher
than the top of the paper feeding roller 30 as FIG. 3 shows and
close to the transmission wheel 21 of the transmission unit 20,
where the supporting portion 40 may preferably be a projecting rib
structure formed by extending the plate body 10 directly, but it is
not limited to this according to the present invention.
[0024] The paper output tray 50 is approximately a rectangular
groove installed beside the plate body 10, and the position thereof
is close to the second end 40b and the plurality of paper feeding
rollers 30 of the supporting portion 40; the paper feeding tray 50
is used for supporting documents 8 transmitted by the plurality of
paper feeding rollers 30 and the plurality of transmission wheels
21, where the paper output tray 50 may be disposed with supporting
ribs 51 to support the documents 8 depending on a practical
need.
[0025] Please refer to FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5. The document 8 is moved
along a paper output direction when the transmission wheel 21 of
the transmission unit 20 and the paper feeding rollers 30 cause the
document 8 to move. Parts of the document 8 are supported by the
plate body 10, and other parts thereof are supported by the second
end 40b of the supporting portions 40 such that the document 8
forms a continuous wave-typed curved body while being moved as FIG.
5 shows, so as to allow the document 8 to be stiffer while being
output, ensuring that the document 8 can be dropped at a position
of the paper output tray 50 further away from the plate body 10
while being expelled as FIG. 4B shows; this not only prevents
output documents from being stacked together on the paper output
tray in a disorderly manner, but solves the problem of the
pull-back of the output paper found in the conventional paper
output mechanism.
[0026] Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic
views, showing a paper output mechanism for an automatic document
feeder of a second preferred embodiment according to the present
invention. The difference between the present embodiment and the
first embodiment is in the structure of the supporting portion. In
the present embodiment, the supporting portion 40 may be an elastic
sheet 41; it is an independent element and is not formed by
extending the plate body 10, where the elastic sheet 41 is a long
strip type body, having a first end 41a and a second end 41b
corresponding to each other. The first end 41a of the elastic sheet
41 is fixed on the plate body 10, and the second 41b is raised and
not attached on the plate body 10, where the height of the second
end 41b may preferably be greater than the height of the first end
41a, the top of the second end 41b may preferably be higher than
the top of the paper feeding roller 30 to be close to the
transmission wheel 21 of the transmission unit 30. Therefore, parts
of the document 8 are supported by the plate body 10 and other
parts thereof are supported by the second end 41b of the elastic
sheet 41 during the transmission of the document 8 such that the
document 8 forms a continuous wave-typed curved body while being
moved as FIG. 5 shows.
[0027] The present invention is constituted by a very simple
supporting portion structure, and uses a plate body and a
supporting portion to support a document simultaneously, causing
the document to form a curved body during transmission, ensuring
that the output document is stiffer and can be dropped at a
position of the a paper output tray further away from the plate
body while being expelled; this not only allows the output
documents to be stacked on the paper output tray more neatly, but
also prevents the output paper from being pulled back when the
document is reversed and pulled back.
[0028] While the present invention has been described by the way of
example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed
embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various
modifications and similar arrangements. Therefore, the scope of the
appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so
as to encompass all such modifications and similar
arrangements.
* * * * *