Recirculating document feeder
AssigneeMinolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKenshi Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A recirculating document feeder adapted to transport each document sheet from a stack of such sheets to an exposure position through a circulation path. After printing, the sheets are returned to a sheet support portion with the front ends thereof brought to a specified position irrespective of the size of the sheets so as to be re-feedable properly. For this purpose, a sheet rear end guide for delivering the sheet to the support portion from a rear portion thereof is made movable longitudinally of the feeder to an adjusted position. A return guide is provided under the support portion toward its rear end for returning the sheet to the support portion through one of sheet delivery openings formed in the bottom plate of the support portion.
Claims10
A recirculating document feeder adapted to circulate each document sheet from a stack of such sheets to an exposure position, said feeder comprising:
- means for supporting the stack of sheets,
- means for sending out the sheets from the front end of said supporting means one by one,
- sheet transport means for transporting the sent-out sheet to the exposure position and returning the sheet from the exposure position toward said supporting means after exposure,
- sheet discharge means for receiving the returned sheet from said transport means, moving the sheet through a passage under a rear portion of said supporting means and thereafter delivering the sheet from said passage to said supporting means thereabove, said sheet discharge means having a plurality of sheet delivery openings arranged longitudinally of said feeder at different positions, and
- means for guiding the sheet traveling through said passage so as to discharge the sheet from one of said sheet delivery openings.
A recirculating document feeder adapted to circulate each document sheet from a stack of such sheets to an exposure position, said feeder comprising:
- means for supporting the stack of sheets,
- means for sending out the sheets from the front end of said supporting means one by one,
- sheet transport means for transporting the sent-out sheet to the exposure position and returning the sheet from the exposure position toward said supporting means after exposure,
- delivery means for receiving the returning sheet from said transport means and delivering the sheet to said supporting means from a rear portion thereof, said delivery means being movable longitudinally of said feeder and settable in position according to the size of the sheet,
- sheet discharge means for receiving the returned sheet from said transport means, moving the sheet through a passage under a rear portion of said supporting means and thereafter delivering the sheet from said passage to said supporting means thereabove, said sheet discharge means having a plurality of sheet delivery openings arranged longitudinally of said feeder at different positions, and
- means for guiding the sheet traveling through said passage so as to discharge the sheet from one of said sheet delivery openings,
- said sheet transport means including a sheet returning portion positioned at the terminal end thereof and providing a movable transport channel, said movable transport channel being selectively connectable to one of said delivery means and said sheet discharge means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.