Automatic document conveying device

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device (4) for an image processor (2) has a transparent plate (8) disposed on the upper surface of a housing (6) so that a document to be processed is placed thereon. The device (4) comprises a document table (20), a document introduction passage (40) that extends from the document table (20) toward the transparent plate (8), document sending means (42) for sending a plurality of pieces of documents placed on the table (20) piece by piece onto the document introduction passage (40), document conveying means (74) for conveying the document along the transparent plate (8), a document receiving tray (94), a document delivery passage (124) that extends from the transparent plate (8) toward the document receiving tray (94), and document delivery means (16) for delivering the document onto the document receiving tray (94) through the document delivery passage (124). The document receiving tray (94) includes a document stop piece (98) with which comes in contact the leading edge of the document delivered onto the document receiving tray (94), wherein the document stop piece (98) is allowed to move in a predetermined tilted direction from the side of a predetermined reference position in the direction of width toward the central side in the direction of width facing the downstream side in the direction in which the document is delivered.

Description: Field of the Invention This invention relates to an automatic document conveying device to be applied to an image-processing machine having a transparent plate on which to place a document to be copied. Description of the Prior Art An image-processing machine such as an electrostatic copying machine is provided with a parallelepipedal housing, and a transparent plate on which to place a document to be copied is disposed on the upper surface of the housing. In recent years, an automatic document conveying device was proposed and came into commercial acceptance as a device for placing a document on a predetermined position of the transparent plate. One example of the automatic document conveying device comprises a document table, a document introduction passage extending from the document table to the transparent plate of the image-processing machine, a first document receiving tray, a second document receiving tray, a common passage extending from a transparent plate, a document delivery passage including a first branched passage extending from the downstream end of the common passage to the first document receiving tray and a second branched passage extending from the downstream end of the common passage to the second document receiving tray, and a re-introduction passage branched from the first branched passage and extending to the transparent plate. The document table has disposed therein a document delivery means for delivering a plurality of documents placed on its upper table one by one to a document introduction passage, and a document introduction means for carrying the document delivered to the transparent plate is disposed in the document introduction passage. Further, between the document introduction passage and the document delivery passage, a document conveying means is disposed for conveying the document along the transparent plate. In the document delivery passage, is disposed a document delivery means for feeding the document delivered to the document introduction passage to the first document receiving tray, the second document receiving tray or the transparent plate. At the downstream end of the common passage in the document delivery passage is disposed a branched passage switching means to be selectively held at the first branching position or a second branching position. In the first branching passage is disposed a discharging-introduction switching means to be selectively held at a discharging position or a re-introduction position. The branched passage switching means, when it is at the first branching position, brings the common passage of the document discharging passage into communication with the first branched passage, and when it is at the second branching position, brings the common passage of the document discharging passage into communication with the second branched passage. The discharging-re-introduction switching means, when it is at the discharging position, shuts off the reintroduction passage, and when it is at the re-introduction position, shuts off the first branching passage. Hence, when the branched passage switching means is at the first branched position and the discharging-re-introduction switching means is at the discharge position, the document delivered to the common passage of the document discharge passage is discharged to the first document receiving tray via the first branched passage. When the branched passage switching means is held at the first branching position and-the discharging-reintroduction switching means is at the reintroduction position, the document delivered to the common passage passes through part of the first branched passage and is positioned at the transparent plate of the image processing machine. When the branched passage switching means is at the second branching position, the document discharged into the common passage passes the second branched passage and is discharged onto the second document receiving tray. The United States Patent A-4,696,463 discloses a conventional automatic feeding apparatus comprising document sending means for supplying documents from a document table through an introduction passage to conveying means over a transparent plate. A receiving tray is located downstream of a document delivery passage which conveys the document from the transparent plate to the receiving tray. Stop means are provided in the receiving tray which are movable in the paper feed direction and which function to stop the discharge sheets to form a registered stack. In such a conventional automatic document conveying device, the following problem arises. The document stop piece that is mounted to move in the document conveying direction and is positioned at any place depending upon the size in the conveying direction of the document discharged onto the document receiving tray. The leading edge of the document discharged onto the document receiving tray comes in contact with the document - stop piece and the document is stopped on the document receiving tray. The width of the document stop piece is usually considerably smaller than the width of the document that comes into contact therewith. In a so-called one-edge reference type automatic document conveying device, on the other hand, the document is conveyed on the transparent plate and is discharged onto the document receiving tray with its one end located at a predetermined position irrespective of its size in the direction of width thereof. In such a case, the document stop piece moves in the conveying direction only while the document is discharged with its one edge located at the predetermined position irrespective of its size in the direction of width. Therefore, the document that has a considerably large size or a considerably small size in the direction of width, comes in contact with the document stop piece not at its central portion in the direction of width but at its one side portion only, whereby the document tends to be turned from the condition in which it is nearly at right angles with the conveying direction. Accordingly, an object underlying the present invention is to provide an improved automatic document conveying device having a document conveying system of a so-called one-edge reference type, in which a central portion of the leading edge of the discharged document comes into contact with a document stop piece disposed on the document receiving tray, and the discharged document is reliably prevented from turning irrespective of the size of the document in the direction of width. According to the invention, an automatic document conveying device is provided as defined in claim 1. The document stop piece disposed on the document receiving tray is adapted to move in a predetermined angled direction from the side of a predetermined one edge reference position toward the center in the direction of width and toward the downstream side in which the document is delivered. The document is introduced, delivered and conveyed with its one side edge located at a predetermined reference position in the direction of width irrespective of the dimension of width of the document. The document receiving tray includes a document stop piece which comes in contact with the leading edge of the document delivered onto the document receiving tray. The document stop piece is allowed to move in the predetermined angled direction from the side of the predetermined edge reference position. In a specific embodiment, guide means are formed to extend in the predetermined angled direction and the document stop piece is mounted to move along the guide means. Preferably, the guide means consist of a slit that extends in the predetermined angled direction. In the device of another embodiment, the document is introduced, conveyed and delivered with its longer edge being located at the predetermined edge reference position in the direction of width. A further embodiment comprises a movable main portion frame member that is mounted to move between a closed position to cover the transparent plate and an open position to expose the transparent plate, wherein the main portion frame member is constituted by a base support member and a cover member mounted on the base support member, the document conveying means are mounted on the support member, the cover member covers the document conveying means, and the document receiving tray is disposed on the upper surface of the cover member. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an electrostatic copying machine to which one specific embodiment of an automatic document conveying device in accordance with this invention is fixed. Figure 2 is a partial perspective view showing an opening-closing frame member in the automatic document conveying device in the electrostatic copying machine of Figure 1 as the opening-closing frame member is in the open state. Figure 3 is a simplified sectional view showing the automatic document conveying device of Figure 1. Preferred embodiments of the automatic document conveying device constructed in accordance with this invention which is provided in an electrostatic copying machine as one example of the image processing machine will he described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1, 2 and 3 show an electrostatic copying machine 2 and an automatic conveying device, shown generally at 4, provided in the electrostatic copying machine 2. The electrostatic copying machine 2 which may be of a known type includes a parallelepipedal housing 6. A transparent rectangular glass plate 8 (Figures 2 and 3) is disposed in the central portion of the upper surface of the housing 6. A document placing position regulating member 10 is disposed on one end edge (the left end edge in Figure 3) of the transparent plate 8. The document placing position regulating member 10 extends in a perpendicular direction in Figure 3 along the one end edge of the transparent plate 8. Although not shown, various constituent elements including a rotating drum having an electrostatic photosensitive layer on its surface are disposed in the housing 6 of the electrostatic copying machine 2. As is well known, a document to be copied is usually placed on tile transparent plate 8 with its surface to be copied directed downwardly and its one end edge abutting against the inside edge (the right end edge in Figure 3) of the document placing position regulating member 10. The under surface of the document placed on the transparent 8 is optically scanned and projected onto the rotating drum, whereby a latent electrostatic image is formed on the rotating drum. The electrostatic latent image is developed to a toner image, and the developed toner image is transferred onto a copying paper which may be an ordinary paper. The transferred toner image is fixed to the copying paper, and thus, a copy is produced. The automatic document conveying device 4 is comprised of a document introduction section 12, a central main portion 14 and a document delivering and introduction section 16. The document introduction section 12 is disposed adjacent to the one end edge of the transparent plate 8 on the downstream side (the left side in Figure 3). The document introduction section 12 includes a frame member 18 mounted on the upper surface of the housing 6 of the electrostatic copying machine 2 and a document table 20 extending toward the upstream side. As clearly shown in Figure 3, the document table 20 extends slightly upwardly inclined toward the upstream side (the left side in Figure 3). An upstanding stationary document regulating wall 22 is disposed in the rear edge of the document table 20. Furthermore, in the document table 20, a movable document regulating member 24 (Figures 1 and 2) which may be of a known type is mounted so that it is movable reciprocally. The movable document regulating member 24 has an upstanding wall 26. A document placed on the document table 20 is positioned between the stationary document regulating wall 22 and the upstanding wall 26 of the movable document regulating member 24. The frame member 18 includes a front supporting member 28, a rear supporting member 30 and a cover member 32 disposed between the supporting members 28 and 30. As shown clearly in Figure 3, between the front supporting member 28 and the rear supporting member 30 and within a space below the covering member 32, one lower regulating plate 33 and three upper regulating plates 34, 36 and 38 are disposed, and between the lower regulating plate 33 and the upper regulating plates 34, 36 and 38, a document introduction passage 40 is defined. Again with reference to Figure 3, a document delivering means 42 for delivering a plurality of documents placed on the document table 20 one by one into the document introduction passage 40, and a document introduction means 44 for delivering the documents delivered to the document introduction passage 40 onto the transparent plate 8 are also disposed between the front supporting member 28 and the rear supporting member 30. The document delivery means 42 includes a document delivery roller 46 and a document separation roller pair 48. The document delivery roller 46 is selectively lowered from a non-acting position shown by a solid line as shown by a two-dot chain line, and is caused to abut against the upper surface of the upperstream end portion of the uppermost document among a plurality of documents placed on the document table 20, and rotated in the direction shown by an arrow 50. Thus, the document placed on the document table 20 is delivered toward the document introduction passage 40. The document separation roller pair 48 is comprised of a feed roller 52 and a reversal roller 54. The reversal roller 54 is selectively held at a non-acting position shown by a solid line or an acting position shown by a two-dot chain line. When held at the non-acting position, the reversal roller 54 is isolated downwardly from the feed roller 52. When held at the acting position, the reversal roller 54 abuts with the feed roller 52 and cooperatively acts with it. The feed roller 52 is rotated in the direction shown by an arrow 56, and the reversal roller 54 is rotated in the direction shown by an arrow 58. Such a document separation roller pair 48, if a plurality of documents are delivered simultaneously from the document table 20 by the document delivering roller 46, separates only the uppermost document from the other documents and carries the document into the document introduction passage 40 while it hampers the introduction of the other documents. The document introduction means 44 comprise an upper roller 60 and a lower roller 62 which act cooperatively. The upper roller 60 and the lower roller 62 are rotated in the direction shown by an arrow to introduce the document carried into the document introduction passage 40 onto the transparent plate 8. The structures of the document delivering means 42 (document delivery roller 46 and the document separation roller pair 48) and the document introduction means 44 (the upper roller 60 and the lower roller 62) may be, for example, of the form shown in the specification and drawings of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication JP-A-100939/1990. Accordingly, a detailed description of these structures will be omitted. The central main portion 14 in the automatic document conveying device 4 is provided with an opening-closing frame member 70. The opening-closing frame member 70 is mounted on the upper surface of the housing 6 of the electrostatic copying machine 2 via a pair of mounting mechanism 72 disposed at the rear of the transparent plate 8, and can be opened or closed by hand between a closed position shown in Figures 1 and 3 and an opened position shown in Figure 2. When the opening-closing frame member 70 is held at the closed position, the transparent plate 8 is covered by the opening-closing frame member 70, and when the opening-closing frame member 70 is held at the opened position, the transparent plate 8 is exposed to view. The main portion of the opening-closing frame member 70, which covers the transparent plate 8 at the closed position is of a box-like shape with its open under-surface. As clearly shown in Figure 3, a document conveying means 74 for conveying a document onto the transparent plate 8 is disposed in the box-like main portion of the opening-closing frame member 70. The document conveying means 74 is constructed of a conveyor belt mechanism comprised of driven roller 78, driven follower rollers 76, guiding rollers 80, 82, 84 and 86 and an endless belt 88 wrapped about these rollers which are arranged at intervals in the document conveying direction (in the left-right direction in Figure 3). The document conveying means 74 is driven selectively in a normal rotating conveying direction shown by an arrow 90 and a reverse conveying direction shown by an arrow 92 by a rotary drive source which may be a reversible direct-current electric motor. The upper surface of the box-like main portion of the opening-closing frame member 70 constitutes a first document receiving tray 94 for receiving documents to be discharged through the document delivering and re-introducing section 16. The first document receiving tray 94 has provided therein a document front edge regulating member 98 which is movable along a slit 96 and extends frontwardly inclinedly toward the upstream side (Figure 1). The front edge of a document to be discharged onto the first document receiving tray 94 abuts with the upstanding wall of the document front edge regulating member 98 and is stopped at a required position on the first document receiving tray 94. The document delivering and re-introducing section 16 in the automatic document conveying device 4 is disposed adjacent to the other end edge of the transparent plate 8 on the downstream side (the right side in Figure 3). The document delivering and re-introducing section 16 is provided with a frame member 100 mounted on the upper surface of the housing 6 of the electrostatic copying machine 2, and the frame member 100 includes a front supporting member 102, a rear supporting member 104, and an intermediate supporting member 106 interposed between the supporting members 102 and 104. As shown in Figure 3, three regulating plates 108, 110 and 112 are disposed between the front supporting member 102 and the rear supporting member 104 and in the inside space of the central supporting member 106. A document delivering moans 114 is also disposed between the front supporting member 102 and the rear supporting member 104. The document delivering means 114 includes a delivery main roller 116 disposed in a space defined in the regulating plates 108, 110 and 112, and a delivery auxiliary roller 118 and a re-introduction auxiliary roller 120 which cooperates with the delivery main roller 116. A document delivery passage is defined around the delivery main roller 116 rotating in the direction shown by an arrow 122. The document delivery passage has a common passage 124 extending from the other end edge of the transparent plate 8 to the peripheral surface of the delivery main roller 116, the first branched passage 126 extending along the peripheral surface of the delivery main roller 116 from the downstream end of the common passage 124 toward the left in Figure 3 to the first document receiving tray 94, and the second branched passage 130 extending from the lower end of the common passage 124 toward the right in Figure 3 to the second document receiving tray 128 (to be described). Furthermore, a re-introduction passage 132 for guiding the document branched from the first branched passage 126 again onto the transparent plate 8 extends up to the other end portion of the transparent plate 8. In the vicinity of the other end portion of the transparent plate 8, is disposed a delivery re-introduction switching means 134. It is selectively held at a delivery position shown by a solid line or at a re-introduction position shown by a two-dot chain line in Figure 3. The delivery re-introduction switching means 134 is held at the delivery position when a document on the transparent plate 8 is to be delivered to the document delivery passage, and is held at the re-introduction position when the document is again held on the transparent plate 8 through the reintroduction passage 132 from the first branched passage 126. At the downstream end of the common passage 124 of the document delivery passage, a branched passage switching means 136 is disposed which is to be selectively held at a first branched position shown by a solid line or a second branched position shown by a two-dot chain line in Figure 3. The branched passage switching means 136 is held at the first branched position when it is to direct the document into the first branched passage 126, and is held at the second branched position when it is to direct the document into the second branched passage 130. At a predetermined site of the first branched passage 126, a discharge re-introduction switching means 138 is disposed which is selectively held at a re-introduction position shown by a solid line and a discharge position shown by a two-dot chain line in Figure 3. The discharge re-introduction switching means 138 is held at the discharge position when the document introduced into the first branched passage 126 is to be discharged to the first document receiving tray 94, and is held at the re-introduction position when the document introduced into the first branched passage 126 is positioned again on the transparent plate 8 through the re-introduction passage 132. In the downstream ends of the first branched passage 126 and the second branched passage 130 of the document delivery passage, there are provided a first document discharge roller 140 and a second document discharge roller 142 for discharging the document to the first document receiving tray and the second document receiving tray 128. The second document receiving tray 128 is disposed on the right side of the document delivery and re-introduction section 16. In the specific embodiment, on both end portions of the right end wall 144 of the intermediate supporting member 106 in the document delivery and reintroduction section 16, bent portions 146 projecting to the right in Figure 3 were provided. Inwardly projecting supporting pins 148 are implanted in the bent portions 146 (only one of which is shown in Figure 3). The second document receiving tray 128 is provided with a substantially flat bottom wall 150, and an end wall 152 is provided in the base end of the bottom wall 150. On both side edges of the bottom wall 150, side walls 154 and 156 (Figures 1 and 2) are provided. One end portion of each of the side walls 154 and 156 projects upwardly toward the upper edge of the end wall 152, and a long slit 158 is formed in the projecting portion. The second document receiving tray 128 is mounted pivotably up-and downwardly on the document delivering and re-introduction portion 16 by positioning a pair of supporting pins 148 within the long slit 158 of the side walls 154 and 156. The second document receiving tray 128 is selectively held at a receiving position shown by a solid line (the position shown in Figures 1 to 3) or an escape position. At the receiving position, an abutting projecting portion 160 provided at one end of the bottom wall 150 of the second document receiving tray 128 is positioned in a corner portion defined in the lower end portion of the right end wall 144 in the document delivering and re-introduction section 16, namely, a corner portion formed between the lower end portion of the right end wall 144 and a lower bent portion 162 defined by bending the lower end portion of the right end wall 144 toward the second document receiving tray 128. Hence, by abutting the abutting protruding portion 160 against the corner portion, the pivoting movement of the second document receiving tray 128 beyond the receiving position is hampered (at this receiving position, the supporting pin 148 is positioned at the lower end portion of the long slit 158 formed in the side walls 154 and 156). Where the second document receiving tray 128 is maintained at the receiving position, its bottom wall 150 inclines relatively gently in an upwardly right direction in Figure 3 and its other end portion, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is positioned up to above the opening-closing cover 164 provided on the upper surface of the housing 6 of the electrostatic copying machine 2. Below the opening-closing cover 164 is disposed a toner accommodating container (not shown) for supplying a toner to the developing chamber of the developing device (not shown). By opening the opening-closing cover 164, a fresh toner may be supplied. Accordingly when the second document receiving tray 128 is held at the receiving position, since the bottom wall 150 inclines relatively gently, the document discharged through the second branched passage 130 is discharged as required in position onto the document receiving tray 128 and stocked in a stacked state. However, since the bottom wall 150 covers the opening-closing cover 164, the opening-closing cover 164 is difficult to open. In contrast, at the above escape position, the abutting protruding portion 160 of the second document receiving tray 128 gets out of the corner portion and is positioned at the right side of the free end of the lower bent portion 162 in the right end wall. Accordingly, when the abutting projecting portion 160 abuts against the free end of the lower bent portion, the pivoting movement of the second document receiving tray 128 beyond the escape position is hampered (at this escape position, the second document receiving tray 128 is supported by a pair of supporting pins 148, and the supporting pins 148 rest at the upper end of the long slit 158). When the second document receiving tray 128 is held at the escape position, its bottom wall 150 extends at a relatively large inclination in a right upward direction in Figure 3 and its other end portion does not substantially cover the opening-closing cover 164. Hence, the opening-closing cover 164 can easily be opened or closed by positioning the second document receiving tray 128 at the escape position. By opening the opening-closing cover 164, a fresh toner can be supplied to the toner accommodating container through an opening formed. When the document is desired to be discharged while the second document receiving tray 128 is held at the escape position, the following problem arises. Specifically, when the document has a relatively high stiffness, it curves greatly, and the document itself is likely to be bent.

Claims: An automatic document conveying device for use with an image-processor (2) having a transparent plate (8) disposed on the upper surface of a housing (6), the document to be processed while on the transparent plate, said conveying device comprising: a document table (20), a document introduction passage (40) extending from the document table (20) to the transparent plate (8), document sending means (42) for sending a plurality of documents placed on the document table (20) one by one into the document introduction passage (40), document conveying means (74) for conveying the document along the transparent plate (8), a document receiving tray (94), a document delivery passage (124) extending from the transparent plate (8) to the document receiving tray (94), and document delivery means (16) for delivering the document onto the document receiving tray (94) through the document delivery passage (124), a document stop piece (98) movably mounted in said document receiving tray (94) and adapted to contact the leading edge and stop the document when delivered into the document receiving tray (94), characterized in that reference position means (22) are provided for introducing, conveying and delivering the document along a feed path with one side edge of the document maintained at a predetermined side edge position, said side edge position being independent of the edge-to-edge width of the document in the direction perpendicular to the feed path, said document stop piece (98) adapted to move at a predetermined angle with respect to the feed path direction from said one side edge toward the other side edge in said width direction to thereby adjust the stop piece position in width direction to accommodate documents of different size. The automatic document conveying device according to Claim 1, further comprising guide means (96) formed to extend in said predetermined angled direction, wherein the document stop piece (98) is mounted to move along the guide means (96). The automatic document conveying device according to Claim 2, wherein the guide means (96) comprise a slit (96) extending in said predetermined angled direction. The automatic document conveying device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the document is introduced, conveyed and delivered with its longer side edge being located at the predetermined edge reference position in the direction of width. The automatic document conveying device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, further comprising a movable main portion frame member (70) mounted to move between a closed position to cover the transparent plate (8) and an open position to expose the transparent plate (8), the main portion frame member (70) being constituted by a base support member (72), and a cover member mounted on the base support member (72), wherein the document conveying means (74) are mounted to the support member (72), the cover member covers the document conveying means (74), and the document receiving tray (94) is disposed on the upper surface of the cover member.

Inventors: IRIE YOICHIRO, KIDA YASUHIKO, NAGAO TSUYOSHI TAIHOMIDORIBASH, TAKEDA YOSHIYUKI, IRIE,YOICHIRO, KIDA, YASUHIKO, NAGAO, TSUYOSHI, TAKEDA,YOSHIYUKI, NAGAO, TSUYOSHI, TAIHOMIDORIBASHI CT SQUARE, Takeda,Yoshiyuki,c/o MITA INDUSTRIAL CO.LTD.
Applicants: MITA INDUSTRIAL CO LTD, MITA INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B41J13
IPC codes: G03G15