Image reading device

• US 20030053153A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Morisaki, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/498
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00525 Providing a more compact apparatus, e.g. sheet discharge tray in cover
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0057 Conveying sheets before or after scanning arrangements for conveying sheets as part of the scanning operation H04N1/04 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00681 Detecting the presence, position or size of a sheet or correcting its position before scanning H04N1/047 takes precedence; mode signalling H04N1/333; skew detection or correction in image signals H04N1/3878

Abstract

An image reading device includes a main body and an openable cover. A sheet feed path is defined inside the cover. An intermediate portion of the sheet feed path is exposed to the top surface of the main body, thereby the top surface defines a part of the sheet feed path at the intermediate portion. The cover is provided with a sheet feed mechanism. Feeding of the sheet is terminated when the cover is opened. The image reading device further includes a sheet location detection system that detects a location of the sheet when the feeding of the sheet is terminated, and a controller determines whether the sheet is to be discharged from the sheet feed path, when the cover is closed, in accordance with a location of the sheet detected by the sheet location detection system.

Claims

1. An image reading device having a main body and a cover, said cover being opened/covered a top surface of said main body, a sheet feed path being defined inside said cover, an intermediate portion of said sheet feed path facing said top surface of said main body being exposed to said top surface thereby said top surface defines said sheet feed path at said intermediate portion, said cover having a sheet feed mechanism which feeds a sheet along said sheet feed path, feeding of the sheet being terminated at least one of when said cover is opened and when a command indicating termination of sheet feed is input, said image reading device further comprising:

a sheet location detection system that detects a location of the sheet when the feeding of the sheet is terminated; and

a controller that determines whether the sheet is to be discharged from said sheet feed path, at least one of when said cover is closed and when a command indicating restart of sheet feed is input, in accordance with a location of the sheet detected by said sheet location detection system.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein said sheet location detection system includes:

a first sensor that is located at an upstream side end of said sheet feed path to detect whether a sheet is absent or present; and

a second sensor that is located at an upstream side of and close to said intermediate portion to detect whether a sheet is absent of present,

wherein said controller determines the sheet is to be discharged only when one of said first sensor and said second sensor detects presence of a sheet.

3. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the feeding of the sheet is terminated when said cover is opened, and wherein the feeding of the sheet is restarted when said cover is closed.

4. The image reading device according to claim 3, wherein an image sensor is provided on said main body at a position facing said intermediate portion of said sheet feed path.

5. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein said sheet location detection system detects a leading end of a sheet fed through said sheet feed path.

6. The image reading device according to claim 5, wherein said controller determines that the sheet is to be discharged if the leading end of the sheet, when the feeding of the sheet is terminated, is detected to be located on an upstream side of said intermediate portion.

7. The image reading device according to claim 5, further comprising a sheet discharging system located on a downstream side of said intermediate portion, said sheet discharging system feeding a sheet to discharge from the sheet feed path, wherein said controller determines that the sheet is to be discharged if the leading end of the sheet, when the feeding of the sheet is terminated, is detected to be located on a downstream side of said sheet discharging system.

8. The image reading device according to claim 5, wherein said controller determines that the sheet is not to be discharged if the leading end of the sheet, when the feeding of the sheet is terminated, is detected to be located in said intermediate portion.

9. The image reading device according to claim 5, further comprising a sheet discharging system located on a downstream side of said intermediate portion, said sheet discharging system feeding a sheet to discharge from the sheet feed path, wherein said controller determines that the sheet is not to be discharged if the leading end of the sheet, when the feeding of the sheet is terminated, is detected to be located in said intermediate portion or a downstream side thereof and on an upstream side of said sheet discharging system.

10. The image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit, said controller controls said display unit to display an error message when said controller determines that the sheet is not to be discharged.

11. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein said sheet location detection system includes:

a sensor located at an upstream side end of said sheet feed path to detect presence of a sheet; and

a feeding amount detection system that detects a feeding amount of a sheet fed by said sheet feed mechanism,

the location of the sheet being detected based on the feeding amount after said sensor detects presence of the sheet.

12. An image reading device having a main body and a cover, said cover being opened/covered a top surface of said main body, a sheet feed path being defined inside said cover, an intermediate portion of said sheet feed path facing said top surface of said main body being exposed to said top surface thereby said top surface define said sheet feed path at said intermediate portion, said cover having a sheet feed mechanism which feed a sheet along said sheet feed path, feeding of the sheet being terminated at least one of when said cover is opened and when a command indicating termination of sheet feed is input, said image reading device comprising:

a cover open sensor that detects whether said cover is closed;

a sheet location detection system that detects a location of the sheet when the cover is closed; and

a controller that determines whether the sheet is to be discharged from said sheet feed path in accordance with a location of the sheet detected by said sheet location detection system.

13. The image reading device according to claim 12, wherein said sheet location detection system detects the location of the sheet a predetermined time period after said cover open sensor detects that said cover is closed.

14. The image reading device according to claim 13, said sheet location detection system includes at least a sensor arranged in said sheet feed path to detect presence of a sheet, said sensor having a movable member to be moved by a sheet being fed through said sheet feed path, said sensor detects present of a sheet in response to movement of said movable member.

15. The image reading device according to claim 14, said at least a sensor including a first sensor located at an upstream side end of said sheet feed path.

16. A method of feeding a sheet in an image reading device having a main body and a cover, the cover being opened/covered a top surface of the main body, a sheet feed path being defined inside the cover, an intermediate portion of the sheet feed path facing the top surface of the main body being exposed to the top surface thereby the top surface define the sheet feed path at the intermediate portion, the cover having a sheet feed mechanism which feed a sheet along the sheet feed path, feeding of the sheet being terminated at least one of when the cover is opened and when a command indicating termination of sheet feed is input, the method comprising:

detecting a location of the sheet when the feeding of the sheet is terminated; and

determining whether the sheet is to be discharged from said sheet feed path, at least one of when said cover is closed and when a command indicating restart of sheet feed is input, in accordance with a location of the sheet.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

discharging the sheet when the sheet is determined to be discharged; and

displaying a predetermined message when the sheet is determined not to be discharged.