# US 8,740,216 B2 · Document conveying apparatus and document conveying method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,740,216 B2
- Document ID: US8740216B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/534,931
- Filed: 2012-06-27
- Published: 2013-01-03
- Granted: 2014-06-03
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-28
- Assignees: NEC AccessTechnica, Ltd.; NEC Engineering, Ltd.
- Applicants: Naoto Ota; Yoshio Idogawa
- Inventors: Naoto Ota; Yoshio Idogawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8740216B2

## CPC

- B65H 85/00: Recirculating articles, i.e. feeding each article to, and delivering it from, the same machine work-station more than once
- G03G 15/23: specially adapted for copying both sides of an original or for copying on both sides of a recording or image-receiving material
- G03G 15/602: {for transporting}
- H04N 1/00578: {using at least part of a loop, e.g. using a return loop}
- H04N 1/0058: {using at least one dead-end path, e.g. using a sheet ejection path}
- H04N 1/00602: {Feed rollers}
- H04N 1/00631: {Ejecting or stacking (H04N1/00641 takes precedence)}
- H04N 1/00702: {Position}
- H04N 1/00745: {Detecting the leading or trailing ends of a moving sheet}
- B65H 2404/144: with relative movement of the rollers to / from each other
- B65H 2404/152: Arrangement of roller on a movable frame
- B65H 2701/11312: large formats, i.e. above A3
- B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers
- B65H 2801/39: Scanning
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Disclosed is a document conveying apparatus including: a reading unit which read image information on a surface of a document; a driving-side discharge unit which conveys the document in a first direction in contact with the first surface, and discharges at least a part of the document; a driven-side discharge unit which receives transmission of a rotative force from the driving-side discharge unit, when being in contact with the driving-side discharge unit; a specific-direction conveying unit which conveys the document in an opposite direction to the first direction; a pressing force applying unit which applies a force in a third direction to the driven-side discharge unit so as to be in contact with the driving-side discharge unit; and a movement control unit which moves the driven-side discharge unit in an opposite direction to the third direction, when the document is in contact with the driven-side discharge unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A document conveying apparatus comprising:
a reading unit, which reads image information on a surface of a sheet-like document; a driving-side discharge unit, which conveys a document in a first direction, first image information on a first surface of the document having been read by said reading unit, in contact with said first surface of said document, and discharges at least a part of said document from said document conveying apparatus;
a driven-side discharge unit, which is arranged so as to face said driving-side discharge unit, and receives transmission of a rotative force from said driving-side discharge unit, when being in contact with said driving-side discharge unit;
a specific-direction conveying unit, which conveys the document conveyed from said driving-side discharge unit in a second direction, which is opposite to said first direction, so that said reading unit reads second image information on a second surface of the document, wherein:
said specific-direction conveying unit includes a pair of conveying rollers, and
said fourth direction and a direction from a position of contact, between said driving roller and said driven roller, toward a position of contact, between said pair of conveying rollers, form an acute angle;
a pressing force applying unit, which applies a force in a third direction to said driven-side discharge unit so that said driven-side discharge unit is in contact with said driving-side discharge unit; wherein:
said driving-side discharge unit includes a driving roller,
said driven-side discharge unit includes a driven roller, and
said movement control unit moves a rotary shaft of said driven roller in said third direction and in said fourth direction;
a movement control unit, which moves said driven-side discharge unit in a fourth direction, which is opposite to said third direction, when said document conveyed by said specific-direction conveying unit is in contact with said driven-side discharge unit; and
a torque limiting unit, which detects a torque exerted on said driving-side discharge unit, and restricts the transmission of said rotative force, when said torque is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
said driving-side discharge unit includes a driving roller,
said driven-side discharge unit includes a driven roller, and
said movement control unit moves a rotary shaft of said driven roller in said third direction and in said fourth direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The document conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
said specific-direction conveying unit includes a pair of conveying rollers, and
said fourth direction and a direction from a position of contact, between said driving roller and said driven roller, toward a position of contact, between said pair of conveying rollers, form an acute angle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The document conveying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said pair of conveying rollers are in contact with each other at a position higher than a position of contact between said driving roller and said driven roller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The document conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said movement control unit includes:
a bearing unit, which bears the rotary shaft of said driven roller; and
a rail unit, on which said bearing unit slides in said third direction and in fourth direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The document conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a surface of said driven roller includes a material with a friction coefficient which is larger than a friction coefficient of a material on a surface of said driving roller.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said driving-side discharge unit conveys said document in the second direction, said specific-direction conveying unit conveys the document faster than a speed, at which said driving-side discharge unit conveys the document.

### Claim 8

A document conveying method for conveying a sheet-like document in a document conveying apparatus, the method comprising:
reading first image information on a first surface of said document;
conveying said document in a first direction, and discharging at least a part of said document from said document conveying apparatus by means of a driving roller and a driven roller;
detecting a trailing edge of said document conveyed in the first direction;
reversing a conveying direction of said document, and conveying said document in a second direction, which is opposite to said first direction, on a basis of said detecting the trailing edge;
applying a tensile force to said document in a document conveying direction;
moving said driven roller, which applies a pressing force in a third direction to said driving roller, in a fourth direction, which is opposite to the third direction, so that said pressing force is reduced;
reading second image information on a second surface of said document;
detecting torque exerted on said driving roller, when the tensile force is applied to said document in the document conveying direction; and
controlling a rotary shaft of said driving roller, so that said torque is equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The document conveying method according to claim 8, wherein
the tensile force in said conveying direction is applied to said document by a pair of conveying rollers; and
said fourth direction and a direction from a position of contact, between said driving roller and said driven roller, toward a position of contact, between said pair of conveying rollers, form an acute angle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The document conveying method according to claim 9, wherein said pair of conveying rollers are in contact with each other at a position higher than a position of contact between said driving roller and said driven roller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The document conveying method according to claim 10, wherein when conveying said document in the second direction, said document is conveyed by said pair of conveying rollers faster than a speed, at which said driving roller conveys the document.