Paper supply apparatus for image reading apparatus and image reading apparatus with paper supply apparatus as well as paper supply apparatus

A paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• and
• a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism for holding down a paper sheet or sheets, which pass said paper skew prevention mechanism, with a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets but with lower paper holding down forces at the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets, wherein said paper separation mechanism includes a separation roller, a rotary member disposed in an opposing relationship to said separation roller, and a separation roller driving mechanism for driving said separation roller to rotate, and said paper skew prevention mechanism includes a pair of movable guide members mounted on a rotary shaft of said separation roller on the opposite left and right sides of said separation roller, each of said movable guide members being shaped so as to provide, at a portion thereof adjacent said separation roller, a higher paper holding down force but provide, at another portion thereof remote from said separation roller, a lower paper holding down force.

A paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper wherein said paper supply hopper is mounted for pivotal motion around a fixed point, a paper supply hopper driving mechanism for pivoting said paper supply hopper, said paper supply roller being mounted for rocking motion around another fixed point so as to be moved by a paper sheet or sheets in said paper supply hopper when said paper supply hopper is pivoted, paper supply position detection means for detecting a paper supply position of said paper supply hopper from a pivoted position of said paper supply hopper or a rocked position of said paper supply roller, and paper supply roller driving mechanism control means for controlling said paper supply roller driving mechanism in response to a result of detection of said paper supply position detection means;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• and
• a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism for holding down a paper sheet or sheets, which pass said paper skew prevention mechanism, with a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets but with and lower paper holding down forces at the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

A paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate including a rotary shaft having said separation roller provided at a central portion thereof, said rotary shaft being supported on a bearing which is capable of being removed by a movement of said separation roller in a radial direction, and a rotary shaft locking mechanism provided at said bearing for normally preventing such movement of said rotary shaft;
• and
• a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism for holding down a paper sheet or sheets, which pass said paper skew prevention mechanism, with a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets but with lower paper holding down forces at the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

A paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• and
• a paper separation mechanism including a separation roller located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism, a rotary member disposed adjacent an apparatus body with respect to said separation roller in an opposing relationship to said separation roller, said rotary member including a rotary shaft supported for rotation on a bearing which is capable of being removed by a movement thereof in a radial direction of said rotary member;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism for holding down a paper sheet or sheets, which pass said paper skew prevention mechanism, with a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets but with lower paper holding down forces at the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

A paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein including a tiltable paper edge guide member for guiding side edges of paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper, said tiltable paper edge guide member being mounted for sliding movement in a widthwise direction of the paper sheets in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• and
• a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism for holding down a paper sheet or sheets, which pass said paper said paper skew prevention mechanism, with a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets but with lower paper holding down forces at gradually toward the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

A paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein, including a paper trailing edge guide member for guiding rear end edges of paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper and a plurality of mounting portions for mounting said paper trailing edge guide member, said paper trailing edge guide member being capable of being mounted at one of said mounting portions in accordance with a magnitude of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• and
• a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism having means forming a guide surface disposed above said paper sheet or sheets and being upwardly and outwardly inclined from a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets from a central location adjacent said paper separation mechanism, said paper skew prevention mechanism being operative to provide a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets and lower paper holding down forces gradually toward the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

A paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism along which an optical image reading mechanism is disposed, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• a paper supply roller retraction mechanism for moving said paper supply roller upwardly when paper sheets are to be accommodated into said paper supply hopper, and
• a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism for holding down a paper sheet or sheets, which pass said paper skew prevention mechanism, with a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets but with lower paper holding down forces at the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

An image reading apparatus with a paper supply apparatus, comprising:

• a paper supply mechanism for accommodating paper sheets therein and successively supplying the paper sheets;
• a paper transport mechanism for transporting a paper sheet supplied thereto from said paper supply mechanism;
• and
• an optical image reading mechanism for optically reading information on the paper sheet being transported by said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper supply mechanism including a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein, a paper supply roller located above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper toward said paper transport mechanism, a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate, and a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism, said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism having means forming a guide surface disposed above said paper sheet or sheets and being upwardly and outwardly inclined from a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets from a central location adjacent said paper separation mechanism, said paper skew prevention mechanism being operative to provide a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets and lower paper holding down forces gradually toward the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

A paper supply apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• and
• a paper separation mechanism located on the downstream side in the transportation sense of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing tow or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper separation mechanism including a paper skew prevention mechanism having means forming a guide surface disposed above said paper sheet or sheets and being upwardly and outwardly inclined from a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets from a central location adjacent said paper separation mechanism, said paper skew prevention mechanism being operative to provide a higher paper holding down force at a central location in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets and lower paper holding down forces gradually toward the opposite end locations in the widthwise direction of the paper sheet or sheets.

A paper supply apparatus for successively supplying paper sheets accommodated therein to a paper transport mechanism, comprising:

• a paper supply hopper for accommodating paper sheets therein;
• a paper supply roller located at a central location in a widthwise direction of and above said paper supply hopper for forwarding one of the paper sheets accommodated in said paper supply hopper;
• a paper supply roller driving mechanism for driving said paper supply roller to rotate;
• a separation roller located on the downstream side in transportation of a paper sheet by said paper transport mechanism with respect to said paper supply roller for preventing two or more paper sheets forwarded by said paper supply roller from being sent to said paper transport mechanism;
• said paper supply roller including a left paper supply roller and a right paper supply roller paired with each other;
• a left arm member supported on a rotary shaft for said separation roller for rocking movement to move an end portion thereof in a thicknesswise direction of a paper sheet forwarded by said paper supply mechanism and having said left paper supply roller for rotation at the end thereof;
• a right arm member supported on said rotary shaft for said separation roller for rocking movement to move an end portion thereof in the thicknesswise direction of the paper sheet independently of the rocking movement of said left arm member and having said right paper supply roller for rotation at the end thereof;
• and
• a resilient member interposed between said left arm member and said right arm member for exerting a resilient force to the relative motion of the end portions of said left arm member and said right arm member in the thicknesswise direction of the paper sheet.