AUTOMATIC ORGIINAL SHEET FEEDING
APPARATUS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic original feeder, and more specifically to that of a type in which originals are continuously fed to an original sheet reader ]0 apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic original feeder of the above-mentioned type, comprises type has an original input section into which a stack of originals can be input. The originals 55 put into this input section are placed on a take-in roller, and by this roller, they are passed onto separation and paper feed rollers. The stack of the originals are separated one from another by the separation roller, and each of the originals is separately passed onto a paper 20 receiving section by the feed roller.
However, conventional techniques owe their proper operation to the fact that a stack of originals put into the input section presses the take-in roller under its own weight. Consequently when the total weight of the 25 originals is light, and/or the friction coefficient of the discharge roller decreases, the originals, in many cases, are not properly carried due to insufficient frictional force between the originals and take-in roller.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above problem inevitable in the conventional techniques, and the purpose thereof is to provide an automatic original feeder which can, if the weight of 35 originals is light, or the friction coefficient of the feed roller is low, properly feed the originals.
In order to achieve this purpose, the feeder of the present invention comprises an original input section through which a stack of originals are input, a take-in roller for carrying said originals supplied to the original input portion in a predetermined direction, a take-out roller for further carrying said originals carried by said take-in roller, a separation roller for separating said 4J originals carried by said take-out roller one from another, and a press roller for pressing the originals inserted in said original input section forcibly on said take-in roller.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention 50 will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combina- 55 tions particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illus- 60 trate a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 65
FIG. 1 shows a structure of an automatic original feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention:
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a feeding operation of the automatic original feeder shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is another illustration of a feeding operation of the automatic original feeder shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 shows a structure of an original reader comprising the automatic original feeder shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.
A structure of an original reader is shown in FIG. 4.
A main body 1 of the original reader has an upper surface on which an original placement glass 21 is provided. This original placement glass is covered/uncovered by a cover 22, provided thereon. On a top surface of which an original discharge section 23 is provided.
The main body contains an optical system 24 for reading the image on an original. The optical system 24 includes a carriage 25, which is slidably mounted on a guide rail 26.
On the carriage 25, placed are a pair of LED arrays 27 for irradiating light on original. Between the LED arrays 27, there is provided a rod lens array 28 for guiding the light reflected on the original. Further, underneath the bottom surface of the rod lens array 28, there is provided a CCD 29 for receiving the light emitted from the rod lens array 28.
In the meantime, an automatic original feeder 30 is placed on one side of the main body 1.
This automatic original feeder 30 (see FIG. 1) includes an original input section 31, the bottom surface of which serves as a receiving surface 31a for receiving the originals. Further, a take-in roller 3 is provided rotatably on this receiving surface 31a for the purpose of carrying the originals in the direction indicated by the arrow illustrated on the roller. On that side of the take-in roller to which an original is conveyed, there is provided a paper feed roller 4 serving as a take-out roller, which is rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow illustrated thereon. This paper feed roller 4 is engaged with a separation roller 5 located thereon in a surface-by-surface manner, and the separation roller 5 is rotatable in the direction opposite to that of the feed roller 4.
Between the take-in roller 3 and the paper feed roller 4, provided is a detection sensor 2 for detecting whether or not there is an original therebetween.
A self-support type solenoid 6 is located on the front side of the separation roller 5. This solenoid 6 has a plunger 6a to which a link 7 serving as the first link member is connected via an operation piece 13. This link 7 is rotatably supported by a shaft 7a.
A pick-up support arm 8 serving as the second link member is connected to the distal end of the link 7 by a pin lb. This pick-up arm 8 is rotatably supported by a pivot 8a, and a pick-up roller 9 serving as a press roller (press means) is provided at the dorsal end thereof.
The operation piece 13 is urged by a spring 10 designed for reinforcing rotation of the arm 8.
The upper side of a pin receiving portion Sb of the arm 8 is cut out such that there is an allowance for play between the pin lb of the link 7 and the pin receiving portion Sb of the arm 8.
With this structure, even if the link 7 is often rotated by a certain degree along with attraction and release thereof by the solenoid 6, the movable distance of the
