Patent ID: 7668499
Filing Date: 2010-02-23
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image reading and/or reproducing apparatus, comprising: a single sided document feeding tray and a double sided document feeding tray to each supply a stack of documents to the apparatus; a document feeding unit to selectively feed a document from a top of the stack of documents in the single sided document feeding tray, or a document from a bottom of the stack of documents in the double sided document feeding tray; an image scan unit to scan an image of the document fed by the document feeding unit; and a plurality of document convey paths to guide the documents fed from the document feeding unit to the image scan unit such that the order of the documents when the documents were loaded into the double sided document feeding tray is retained when the documents are discharged from the apparatus, and the order of the documents when the documents were loaded into the single sided document feeding tray is reversed when the documents are discharged from the apparatus, and a first side of each document that is loaded face down into the double sided document feeding tray is also face down when the document is discharged from the apparatus; a reverse unit to position the double-sided document, fed by the document feeding unit, upstream of the image scan unit as the image scan unit completes a scanning of the image on a first side of the document such that the image scan unit may scan the image on a second side of the document; a document discharge tray onto which fully scanned documents are discharged; an image scan path to guide the documents from the document convey path to the document discharge tray via the image scan unit; and a document reverse path to feed the document from the document reverse unit to the position upstream of the image scan unit; wherein the plurality of document convey paths comprise a first document convey path and a second document convey path, both of which have a U shape, intersecting at a position upstream of the image scan unit; and wherein an ending point of the first document convey path, an ending point of the second document convey path, an ending point of the document reverse path, and a starting point of the image scan path intersect at the position upstream of the image scan point.