Compact auto-document feeder for an image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTakashi Taruki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact ADF (auto-document feeder) for feeding a duplex document includes, a first feeding path starting from a document setting table to an exposing area and is formed in a U-shaped state, a second feeding path starting from the exposing area to an ejecting roller, a switch-back path disposed downstream of the second feeding path and above a document ejecting tray, and an inverting path starting from an entrance of the switch-back path to the first feeding path. A switching gate is pivotally disposed downstream of the second feeding path and above the ejecting tray to selectively lead the document either to the ejecting tray, or the switch-back path, or to the inverting path each from the second feeding path.
Claims14
An auto-document feeder for an image forming apparatus having at least a platen glass and document reading means for a duplex document, the auto-document feeder comprising:
- a document setting table on which said duplex document is set in order of the pages thereof;
- a separating and feeding means for separating documents set on said document setting table and feeding said document forward from an upmost document thereon;
- a first feeding path extending from said document setting table to said platen glass for leading and turning said document;
- an ejecting tray for receiving said document after both sides of the document have been read by said document reading means;
- ejecting rollers for ejecting said document onto said ejecting tray;
- a second feeding path extending from said platen glass to said ejecting rollers;
- a switch-back path for receiving said document from said second path, the switch-back path having switch-back rollers therein;
- a switching gate for switching a feeding direction of said document to either said switch-back path or said ejecting tray;
- and
- a third feeding path for leading said document from said switch-back path to a part of said first feeding path;
- wherein said switching gate is disposed downstream of the ejecting roller and above said ejecting tray.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming machine for forming a duplex or simplex copy, the image forming machine having a slit glass platen and a wide glass platen both on top of said image forming machine and a reading means for reading a document on said slit glass platen or wide glass platen;
- an auto-document feeder for a duplex document having a document setting table on which said duplex document is set in order of the pages thereof;
- a separating and feeding means for separating documents set on said document setting table and feeding said document forward from an upmost document thereon:
- a first feeding path extending from said document setting table to said platen glass for leading and turning said document;
- an ejecting tray for receiving said document after both sides thereof have been read by said reading means;
- a pair of ejecting rollers for ejecting said document onto said ejecting tray;
- a second feeding path extending from said platen glass to said pair of ejecting rollers;
- a switch-back path for receiving said document from said second path disposed downstream of said ejecting rollers and above said ejecting tray, and which has a pair of switch-back rollers therein;
- a switching gate for switching a feeding direction of said document either to said switch-back path or said ejecting tray and which is disposed downstream of the ejecting roller and above said ejecting tray;
- and
- a third feeding path for leading said document from said switch-back path to a part of said first feeding path;
- wherein said ejecting tray, said switch-back path and said document setting table are disposed above said wide glass platen.
An auto-document feeder for a duplex document comprising:
- a document setting table on which said duplex document is set in order of pages thereof;
- a separating and feeding means for separating documents set on said document setting table and feeding said document forward from an upmost document thereon;
- a first feeding path extending from said document setting table to a platen glass for leading and turning said document;
- an ejecting tray for receiving said document after both sides thereof have been read by said reading means;
- ejecting rollers for ejecting said document onto said ejecting tray;
- a second feeding path extending from said platen glass to said ejecting rollers;
- a switch-back path for receiving said document from said second path, and which has a switch-back rollers therein;
- a first switching gate for switching a feeding direction of said document to either said switch-back path or said ejecting tray and is disposed downstream of the ejecting roller and above said ejecting tray;
- a third feeding path for leading said document from said switch-back path to a part of said second path and which is disposed around said ejecting rollers;
- and
- a second switching gate for switching a feeding direction of a document fed from said switch-back path and lead said document into said third feeding path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.