Patent ID: 12227387

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The technical contents of this disclosure will become apparent with the detailed description of embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows. It is intended that the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

According toFIGS.1to6, an embodiment of this disclosure is directed to an automatic document feeding device having a main body100, a sheet feeding roller assembly210, a sheet conveying roller assembly220, a stopping assembly300, an actuating assembly400and a controller500.

According toFIGS.1,2and6, the main body100is generally arranged on a top of a copy machine or a multi-function printer to automatically convey document sheets10to the copy machine for scanning. The main body100has a sheet conveying channel101enclosed and formed therein, and the sheet conveying channel101is extended from a top of the main body100to a bottom of the main body100. The sheet conveying channel101is a flat slot of a curved shape allowing the document sheets10to pass therethrough. The sheet conveying channel101has a sheet entrance103disposed at one end thereof, according to this embodiment, the sheet entrance103is disposed at the top of the main body100. The main body100further has a tray110used for carrying the document sheets10and connected to the sheet entrance103. A thickness of a part of the sheet conveying channel101is expanded along a normal direction of the curve shape to form a buffering channel102, and the buffering channel102is disposed at a convex side of the sheet conveying channel101opposite to a center of curvature of the sheet conveying channel101. The buffering channel102formed by expansion communicates with the sheet conveying channel101and is located in front of the stopping assembly300to provide an additional space for accommodating a deformation of a sheet blocked by the stopping assembly300.

The sheet feeding roller assembly210is disposed on the main body100and a portion of the sheet feeding roller assembly210is located in the sheet conveying channel101. The sheet feeding roller assembly210has a feeding driving roller211and an idle roller212respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the sheet conveying channel101, and the feeding driving roller211is disposed at a concave side of the sheet conveying channel101where the center of curvature of the sheet conveying channel101is located. Specifically, the sheet feeding roller assembly210is disposed between the sheet entrance103and the buffering channel102along a longitudinal direction of the sheet conveying channel101. According to this embodiment, the sheet feeding roller assembly210is adjacent to the sheet entrance103, and the feeding driving roller211and the idle roller212of the sheet feeding roller assembly210contact each other, and a contact point between the feeding driving roller211and the contacted idle roller212is located in the sheet conveying channel101for clamping the document sheet10. The tray110is generally tilted so that the document sheets10in the tray110are falling into the sheet entrance103, and the document sheet10is clamped between the feeding driving roller211and the corresponding idle roller212. The document sheet10is fed into the sheet conveying channel101through the sheet entrance103when the feeding driving roller211rotates.

According toFIGS.2to6, the sheet conveying roller assembly220is disposed on the main body100and a portion of the sheet feeding roller assembly210is located in the sheet conveying channel101. The sheet conveying roller assembly220has a conveying driving roller221and an idle roller222respectively disposed at two sides of the sheet conveying channel101. Moreover, the conveying driving roller221and the idle roller222of the sheet conveying roller assembly220contact each other and a contact point between the conveying driving roller221and the contacted idle roller222is located in the sheet conveying channel101for clamping and conveying the document sheet10. The conveying driving roller221is disposed at a concave side of the sheet conveying channel101where the center of curvature of the sheet conveying channel101is located. The conveying driving roller221and the feeding driving roller211are disposed at the same side of the sheet conveying channel101, so that the conveying driving roller221and the aforementioned feeding driving roller211may be connected to a common driving component (e.g., motor) via teeth and driven commonly to simplify the mechanism. Specifically, along the longitudinal direction of the sheet conveying channel101, the buffering channel102is disposed between the sheet feeding roller assembly210and the sheet conveying roller assembly220, and the sheet conveying roller assembly220is disposed below the sheet feeding roller assembly210.

The stopping assembly300is arranged on the main body100, and the stopping assembly300is disposed at a concave side of the sheet conveying channel101where the center of curvature of the sheet conveying channel101is located. The stopping assembly300is connected pivotally to the main body100and capable of blocking the sheet conveying channel101. The stopping assembly300may be rotated to retreat from the sheet conveying channel101. Specifically, along the longitudinal direction of the sheet conveying channel101, the stopping assembly300is disposed between the sheet feeding roller assembly210and the sheet conveying roller assembly220and adjacent to the sheet conveying roller assembly220. A vertical position of the stopping assembly300is between the sheet feeding roller assembly210and the sheet conveying roller assembly220. Moreover, the buffering channel102is located between the stopping assembly300and the sheet feeding roller assembly210.

The stopping assembly300has a plurality of stoppers310, and the stoppers310may be inserted into the sheet conveying channel101via a motion of the stopping assembly300so as to block the sheet conveying channel101. A calibration reference line301is defined by an arrangement of the stoppers310when the stoppers310are located in the sheet conveying channel101, and the calibration reference line301is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the sheet conveying channel101and extended along a width direction of the sheet conveying channel101. According to this embodiment shown inFIG.7, the plurality of stoppers310are disposed in the sheet conveying channel101in a straight line to define the calibration reference line301. Moreover, at least two of the stoppers310are disposed at two sides of the sheet conveying channel101. When the document sheet10is conveyed in the conveying channel101, two ends of a leading edge11of the document sheet10are stopped by the two stoppers310. When the document sheet10is conveyed with a skew state, one end of the leading edge11of the document sheet10is a leading portion along a conveying direction document sheet10, and one of the two ends of the leading edge11of the document sheet10is stopped by the stoppers310so as to optimize the calibration.

According toFIGS.4to6, the actuating assembly400is arranged on the main body100corresponding to the stopping assembly300. According to this embodiment, the stoppers310of the stopping assembly300are predeterminedly inserted into the sheet conveying channel101, and the actuating assembly400is capable of latching the stopping assembly300to fix the stopping assembly300at a position for blocking the sheet conveying channel101. According to this embodiment, the actuating assembly400has a solenoid valve410and an actuating pin420, the solenoid valve410is connected to the actuating pin420so as to actuate the actuating pin420to move to latch the stopping assembly300. This disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments.

The controller500is electrically connected to the actuating assembly400and the sheet feeding roller assembly210, and the type of the controller500is not limiting in this disclosure. In general, an embodiment of the controller500may be implemented by executing a control program via a customized circuit board. The controller500may be disposed on the main body100, or disposed externally and electrically connected to the actuating assembly400and the sheet feeding roller assembly210via wires.

According toFIGS.5to7, the controller500controls the actuating assembly400to fix the stopping assembly300for a predetermined period after actuating the sheet feeding roller assembly210. The sheet feeding roller assembly210keeps feeding the document sheet10when the actuating assembly400fixes the stopping assembly300, the leading edge11of the document sheet10abuts against the stoppers310to be aligned and calibrated, and a portion of the document sheet10between the leading edge11and the sheet feeding roller assembly210is pushed by the sheet feeding roller assembly210to cause distortion, the buffering channel102provides an additional space for the distortion of the document sheet10in the sheet conveying channel101. The stopping assembly300is fixed by the actuating assembly400during calibrating to avoid positioning deviations. The predetermined period may be defined as a period from the leading edge11of the document sheet10arriving the stopper310to the leading edge11being aligned with the calibration reference line301, and the predetermined period may be estimated according to a feeding speed of the sheet feeding roller assembly210. According toFIG.7, specifically, one end of the leading edge11of the document sheet10firstly contact the stoppers310when the document sheet10is conveyed with a skew state. The document sheet is continually fed after contacting one of the stoppers310and a portion of the document sheet behind the end of the leading edge11is distorted, and another end of the leading edge11is continually fed to contact another stopper310. Therefore, the leading edge11of the document sheet10is aligned to calibration reference line301.

According toFIGS.7to10, the controller500controls the actuating assembly400to release the stopping assembly300after the leading edge11of the document sheet10abuts against the stoppers310to be aligned with the calibration reference line301. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment, the actuating pin420of the actuating assembly400may be connected to the stopping assembly300, the controller500controls the actuating assembly400to hold the stopping assembly300for a predetermined period, and then controls the actuating assembly400to move the stoppers310of the stopping assembly300out of the sheet conveying channel101by the actuating pin420. Then, the stopping assembly300is pushed out of the sheet conveying channel101by an elastic resilience caused by the distortion of the document sheet10, so that the calibrated leading edge11of the document sheet10is clamped by the conveying driving roller221and the corresponding idle roller222for further conveying.

Specifically, a pivotal shaft of the stopping assembly300is independent from a pivotal shaft of the sheet conveying roller assembly220, and motions of the stopping assembly300is independent from that of the sheet conveying roller assembly220and the sheet feeding roller assembly210. Accordingly, the conveying motions of the sheet conveying roller assembly220and the sheet feeding roller assembly210do not influence the calibration motions of the stopping assembly300, so that the motions of the stopping assembly300are stable.

The stopping assembly300returns into the sheet conveying channel101by the following components after the document sheet10passes the sheet conveying channel101so as to block the sheet conveying channel101. In an embodiment, the actuating assembly400has an elastic restoring member431arranged on the stopping assembly300, and the elastic restoring member431presses on the stopping assembly300. The elastic restoring member431is capable of pushing the stopping assembly300back into the sheet conveying channel101after the stopping assembly300retreats from the sheet conveying channel101so as to block the sheet conveying channel101. According to this embodiment, the elastic restoring member431is a spring sheathing the pivotal shaft of the stopping assembly300, and the elastic restoring member431abuts against the main body100and the stopping assembly300.

In another embodiment, the actuating assembly400has a gravity restoring member432arranged on the stopping assembly300, the gravity restoring member432is capable of pushing the stopping assembly300back into the sheet conveying channel101after the stopping assembly300retreats from the sheet conveying channel101. The aforementioned component may be used alone or in combination. According to this embodiment, the gravity restoring member432is a counterweight structure disposed on a side of the pivotal shaft of the stopping assembly300opposite to the stoppers310.

In another embodiment, the actuating assembly400may hold the stopping assembly300by the elastic restoring member431or the gravity restoring member432to make the stoppers310of the stopping assembly300be predeterminedly located in the sheet conveying channel101, the actuating pin420of the actuating assembly400is connected with the stopping assembly300, the controller500is capable of controlling the actuating assembly400to move the stoppers310of the stopping assembly300out of the sheet conveying channel101via the actuating pin420. According to the automatic document feeding device of this disclosure, the stopping assembly300is disposed between the sheet feeding roller assembly210and the sheet conveying roller assembly220and adjacent to the sheet conveying roller assembly220. The controller500controls the actuating assembly400to hold the stopping assembly300for the predetermined period after actuating the sheet feeding roller assembly210, and then controls the actuating assembly400to release the stopping assembly300. Therefore, the sheet feeding process and the calibration of the mechanism are controlled together, so the skew of the sheet conveying may be calibrated stably via a simple mechanism.

According toFIGS.11and12, another embodiment of this disclosure provides an automatic document feeding device having a main body100, a sheet feeding roller assembly210, a sheet conveying roller assembly220, a stopping assembly300, an actuating assembly400and a controller500. In this embodiment, the main body100, the sheet feeding roller assembly210, the sheet conveying roller assembly220and the controller500have structures similar to aforementioned embodiment, and here is omitted for brevity. The differences between this embodiment and the aforementioned embodiment are described in detail below.

According to this embodiment shown inFIGS.11,13and14, the stopping assembly300is arranged on the main body100and capable of moving in the main body100, the stopping assembly300is disposed at a concave side of the sheet conveying channel101where the center of curvature of the sheet conveying channel is located. The stoppers310of the stopping assembly300are predeterminedly located outside the sheet conveying channel101as shown inFIG.14, and the stopping assembly300is capable of moving from a position shown inFIG.13to another position shown inFIG.12so as to block the sheet conveying channel101.

According toFIGS.11and12, the stopping assembly300has a plurality of stoppers310, the stoppers310may be inserted into the sheet conveying channel101via a motion of the stopping assembly300so as to block the sheet conveying channel101. A calibration reference line301is defined by an arrangement of the stoppers310when the stoppers310are located in the sheet conveying channel101. The calibration reference line301is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the sheet conveying channel101and extended along a width direction of the sheet conveying channel101. According to this embodiment, the plurality of stoppers310are disposed in the sheet conveying channel101in a straight line to define the calibration reference line301.

According to this embodiment shown inFIGS.11and12, the actuating assembly400is arranged on the main body100corresponding to the stopping assembly300, and the actuating assembly400is capable of actuating the stopping assembly300to rotate so as to hold the stopping assembly300at a position for blocking the sheet conveying channel101. According to this embodiment, the actuating assembly400has a solenoid valve410and an actuating pin420, the solenoid valve410is connected to the actuating pin420so as to move the actuating pin420to shift the stopping assembly300to block the sheet conveying channel101.

According toFIGS.13and14, in an embodiment, an elastic restoring member431is arranged on the stopping assembly300, the elastic restoring member431is connected to the stopping assembly300and a fixed object (such as any portion of the main body100or another fixed component in the main body100), when the actuating assembly400releases the stopping assembly300, the elastic restoring member431holds the stopping assembly300to be out of the sheet conveying channel101. According to this embodiment, the elastic restoring member431is a spring connected to the stopping assembly300, and the elastic restoring member431may be compressed to retreat the stopping assembly300from the sheet conveying channel101. The scope of this disclosure is not be limited to the aforementioned embodiment. The actuating assembly400may hold the stopping assembly300via the elastic restoring member431to make the stoppers310be predeterminedly located in the sheet conveying channel101. The actuating pin420of the actuating assembly400is connected to the stopping assembly300. The controller500is capable of controlling the actuating assembly400to move the stoppers310of the stopping assembly300out of the sheet conveying channel101by the actuating pin420.

While this disclosure has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure set forth in the claims.