A multi-function printer includes a printer body and a scanner body. A printer module is disposed in the printer body. At least one first scanning module, at least one feeding roller and a sensor are disposed in the scanner body. The feeding roller and the sensor are disposed at an inlet of a sheet passage. When the sensor senses presence of a sheet medium, the first scanning module immediately performs image scanning on the sheet medium to obtain image data, and then the printer module prints out the image data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of No. 109130560 filed in Taiwan R.O.C. on Sep. 7, 2020 under 35 USC 119, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This disclosure relates a multi-function printer, and more particularly to a multi-function printer directly enabling or starting a copy mechanism.

Description of the Related Art

A conventional multi-function printer has a scanner body, which is typically disposed above a printer module and usually covers the entire printer body, and is a so-called flatbed scanner. Such the conventional multi-function printer has the too-high cost and the relatively high selling price, and has the complicated steps in use. In operation, one page image of the document is scanned after an upper cover is placed on the page. When the next page image needs to be scanned, the upper cover needs to be opened, then the document is turned over, then the upper cover is closed, and then the scan button is pressed.

If the consumer selects a printer (a peripheral without image scanning function) according to the cost consideration, then an additional computer or mobile phone is required to transmit the image to the printer because no scanner can be provided to capture the image of the sheet medium. More particularly, a wireless network or wired apparatus is required to perform the copy operation, and this is very inconvenient.

Thus, how to provide a printer having a simple copy function to be conveniently used by an ordinary consumer is a problem to be solved by this disclosure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of this disclosure is to provide a multi-function printer, wherein when a sensor senses presence of a sheet medium, a first scanning module immediately performs image scanning on the sheet medium to obtain image data, and then a printer module prints out the image data so that the above-mentioned problem can be solved.

To achieve the above-identified object, this disclosure provides a multi-function printer including a printer body and a scanner body. A printer module is disposed in the printer body. At least one first scanning module, at least one feeding roller and a sensor are disposed in the scanner body. The feeding roller and the sensor are disposed at an inlet of a sheet passage. When the sensor senses presence of a sheet medium, the first scanning module immediately performs image scanning on the sheet medium to obtain image data, and then the printer module prints out the image data.

The scanner body of the multi-function printer of this disclosure is disposed on one side of the multi-function printer to provide the slim and light properties and decrease the visual space pressure. In addition, because the sheet passage is disposed adjacent to only the first scanning module, the feeding roller and the sensor, the paper-jam possibility upon the image scanning operation can be minimized.

Further scope of the applicability of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of this disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1is a pictorial view showing a multi-function printer of this disclosure.FIG. 2is a front view showing the multi-function printer of this disclosure.FIG. 3is a cross-sectional view showing the first embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3, this disclosure provides a multi-function printer1including a printer body10and a scanner body20. A printer module16is disposed in the printer body10. At least one first scanning module23, a feeding roller25and a sensor21are disposed in the scanner body20. The feeding roller25and the sensor21are disposed at an inlet28of a sheet passage27. When the sensor21senses presence of a sheet medium M, the first scanning module23immediately performs image scanning on the sheet medium M to obtain image data representative of the sheet medium M, and then the printer module16prints out the image data. In one example, a processor (not shown) of the multi-function printer1receives a signal of the sensor21sensing the presence of the sheet medium M, and then directly enables the first scanning module23to perform image acquiring.

Because the multi-function printer1of this disclosure has the printer body10serving as a main body, the complete required functions including the copy function can be satisfied. In the multi-function printer1of this disclosure, the printer body10further includes an operation assembly17for setting various parameters or use modes. It is worth noting that the operation assembly17is for setting the parameters or use modes of the side-mounted scanner body20. The parameters may include the copy count, hue intensity and resolution, while the use modes may include the simplex copy mode, duplex copy mode or multi-page copy mode. In one example, as shown inFIG. 4, the user can operate the operation assembly17to set the simplex print mode, duplex print mode and scan-to-computer mode, so that a simplex printing indicator31, a duplex printing indicator32and a scan-to-computer indicator33of the multi-function printer1disposed on the printer body10may output indicating lights to the user, wherein the use modes which can be set by the operation assembly comprise a simplex copy mode, a duplex copy mode and a scan-to-computer mode respectively corresponding to the indicating lights outputted by the simplex printing indicator31, the duplex printing indicator32and the scan-to-computer indicator33. In the scan-to-computer mode, the first scanning module23scans an image representative of the sheet medium M to obtain image data and the multi-function printer1transmits the image data to an external device, such as a computer, a mobile phone or a server, connected to thereto. This provides a simple physical indicating manner, and is different from the displayed icons on the conventional touch screen.

It is to be noted that the multi-function printer1of this disclosure is a multi-function printer having the operation assembly17without any execution button, wherein the execution button may include, for example, a start button or copy button. Because the printer body10of this disclosure serves as the main body mounted with the additional apparatus having the scan function, the user intuitively needs the copy function when the user uses the scanner body20to scan the sheet medium. So, when the sensor21senses presence of a sheet medium, the process of the copy function (scan and print) is triggered by the sensing signal of the sensor21and is not triggered by the start button or copy button. In one example, the multi-function printer1has no start button, no copy button and/or no display, such as LED display or OLED display, for displaying information, so that cost of the multi-function printer1can be decreased.

Furthermore, because the printer is a peripheral product for the computer, and the user would not simply use the printer, and an external document source provider or image source provider is required. The print parameters are set from the source provider, and then the execution button on the source provider is pressed to perform the printing. The source provider usually means the computer, mobile phone or server. In this disclosure, in order to enhance the flexibility of using the printer without confusing the user's habit and way of using the printer, no modification is made to the discharge tray and operation interface of the printer satisfying the user's habit. Instead, the simple scan member (scanner body) is mounted to one side of the printer, and provides a vertical sheet-fed scan mode, so that the top-view surface area of the scanner body is significantly smaller than the top-view surface area of the printer. The same properties are applied to the front view, wherein the front-view surface area of the scanner body is also significantly smaller than the front-view surface area of the printer body. Therefore, the user's product perception of the original use of the printer (document or image printing) is not affected, and the convenience of flexible print adjustment in use can be obtained because the image or document printing can be achieved without the computer.

If the operation assembly17of the multi-function printer1of this disclosure has a touch panel (not shown) or an ordinary display panel (not shown), then the touch panel or ordinary display panel also functions for inputting or setting of various parameters or use modes, but has no execution button or icon, which is to be pressed after various parameters or use modes have been inputted or set. That is, no start icon or copy icon for starting a copy operation is configured on the touch screen. The copy function is executed mainly according to the trigger instruction generated when the sensor21of the scanner body20senses presence of the sheet medium.

In the multi-function printer1of this disclosure, the scanner body20is disposed on one side of the printer body10, and the width of the side of the multi-function printer1is slightly greater than the width of the scanner body20, wherein the side may be the front, rear, left or right sidewall of the multi-function printer1.

A discharge tray13of the printer body10is an upper member of the multi-function printer1of this disclosure. This configuration can provide the maximum spatial availability (no discharge tray projecting beyond the body needs to be provided), and further facilitate the user in taking out the printed and copied sheet medium. A print supply tray15of the multi-function printer1of this disclosure is disposed under the printer body10, and this is convenient to the configuration of one or multiple print supply trays under the print supply tray15according to various user requirements.

The multi-function printer1of this disclosure is designed from the spatial availability of the slim and light product, and is further adapted to a desktop printer, which is a printer applicable to the sheet medium of the A4 or LETTER size according to the current market specification. The side-mounted scanner body20may have a scan discharge tray according to the requirement, and may also have no discharge tray because the sheet medium being scanned can directly fall on the desktop, so that the user needs not to worry about the condition that the sheet medium falls on the floor and gets dirty. When the multi-function printer1of this disclosure is disposed on a table or a cabinet, it can function as a desktop multi-function printer at the preferred level without exceeding one meter, so that the technical design enables the user to see the copied result when the user sits on the chair. In one example, when the multi-function printer1is disposed on the table or cabinet, the total height or level of the multi-function printer1from the floor, which supports the table or cabinet, does not exceed one meter. In one example, the height of the table or cabinet ranges from 70 cm to 80 cm. So, the total height of the multi-function printer1from the table or cabinet does not exceed 20 cm or 30 cm. In another example, when the scanner body20is detached from the printer body10and the printer module16is disconnected from the first scanning module23and the sensor21by the user, the operation assembly17automatically switches to the printer mode, in which the simplex printing indicator31, the duplex printing indicator32and the scan-to-computer indicator33are automatically disabled from outputting the indicating lights to the user, and the multi-function printer1is ready for receiving print data from the external device connected thereto. When the scanner body20is attached to the printer body10and the printer module16is electrically connected to the first scanning module23and the sensor21by the user through connectors, such as USB connectors, the operation assembly17automatically switches to the copy mode, in which one, two or all of the simplex printing indicator31, the duplex printing indicator32and the scan-to-computer indicator33are automatically enabled to output the indicating lights to the user.

In a second embodiment, this disclosure further provides a multi-function printer having a scanner body20, which is a duplex document scanning device having the first scanning module23and a second scanning module (not shown but may be clearly understood according to a second scanning module24in the followingFIG. 5) disposed opposite the first scanning module23on two sides of the sheet passage27, two sets of the feeding rollers25(input and output rollers) and at least one sensor21, wherein the first scanning module23, the second scanning module, the two sets of the feeding rollers25(input and output rollers) and the at least one sensor21are closely disposed to possibly shorten the travelling distance of the sheet medium in the sheet passage, thereby minimizing the paper jam risk. The two scanning modules scan two sides of the sheet medium M to obtain duplex image data. The more detailed explanations will be provided in the following. The two sets of the feeding rollers25(input and output rollers) in the sheet passage27are respectively disposed on two sides of the first scanning module23and the second scanning module at positions very close to the first scanning module23and the second scanning module disposed on two sides of the sheet passage27, so that the neighboring positional configurations are provided. Such the technical design makes the multi-function printer of this disclosure small and cute, and the user clearly sees the sheet inlet (inlet28, seeFIG. 3) of the scanner body20and a sheet outlet18(seeFIG. 1) of the printer body10from the top at a glance.

FIG. 5is a schematic side view showing a modified scanner body20, which may also be applied to the first and second embodiments. Referring toFIG. 5, this disclosure further provides the scanner body20, which is a duplex document scanning device having the first scanning module23and the second scanning module24disposed opposite the first scanning module23(the scanning modules23and24are disposed on two sides of the sheet passage27), feeding rollers25and at least one sensor21, which are closely disposed to possibly shorten the travelling distance of the sheet medium in the sheet passage, thereby minimizing the paper jam risk. In this example, there is only one shaft26mounted with one feeding roller25or multiple feeding rollers, wherein the feeding roller cooperate with the first scanning module23to feed the sheet medium M, and this configuration may also be clearly seen inFIG. 3. Therefore, the user may place the sheet medium M into the inlet28, and the sheet medium M falls down into the sheet passage27and reaches the nip between the feeding roller25and the first scanning module23. The feeding roller25starts to feed the sheet medium M downwards and then the first scanning module23performs image scanning. Then, the second scanning module24cooperates with the lower feeding roller25to perform image scanning. Thus, no feeding roller set needs to be disposed at the sheet inlet28or a sheet outlet29of the sheet passage27, and the cost can be decreased. It is noted that when only one scanning module is disposed in the scanner body, the further advantage is further provided. In addition, the lower feeding roller25may also be replaced by a pressing element.

This disclosure enables the user to obtain the copy function extended from the printer, and the user only needs to use one single button to set the desired use mode (simplex copy/multi-page copy), and then place the sheet medium into the sheet inlet on one side to complete the desired work. The user needs not to understand the setting and operation details of the conventional peripheral. This is an important stage of the new technology design of printers.

The multi-function printer1of this disclosure has the technical design mainly based on the printer body10, the top view area of the printer body10is larger than that of the scanner body20, and the user can clearly identify the additional usage of the side-mounted scanner body20. The user only needs to place the sheet medium into the scanner body20, and the feeding roller25can be triggered to rotate when the sensor21senses the presence of the sheet medium. Then, the first scanning module23acquires the image. If the second scanning module is provided, then the second scanning module is also triggered to acquire another image, so that the images can be transmitted to the printer body10and printed out.

While this disclosure has been described by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications.