SHEET READING APPARATUS, DOCUMENT READING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20200137262A1
• Filed: 10/16/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: KUBO, Hiroshi, YANAGISAWA, Kimiharu, TSUKAHARA, Hajime, NAGAO, Yoshiaki, ITOH, Masahiro, OZAKI, Tatsuya, ONO, Tomohiko, NAKADA, Yuuki, SHIRADO, Hiroki, HASHIMOTO, Ayumu
• Granted Patent: US 11,102,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00572 with refeeding for double-sided scanning, e.g. using one scanning head for both sides of a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00588 to the scanning position H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00602 Feed rollers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00633 selectively to one of a plurality of output trays H04N1/00641 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00737 using the scanning elements as detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1061 Details relating to flat picture-bearing surfaces, e.g. transparent platen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3878 Skew detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A sheet reading apparatus includes a sheet table on which a sheet is placed, a conveyor configured to convey the sheet, a reading guide configured to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyor, and a reading device configured to read a shadow of the sheet conveyed by the conveyor, for detection of an inclination of the sheet. The sheet reading apparatus further includes a transparent member disposed at a position on a reading line of the reading device. The position on the reading line is withdrawn from the sheet and adjacent to the reading guide.

Claims

1. A sheet reading apparatus comprising:

a sheet table on which a sheet is placed;

a conveyor configured to convey the sheet;

a reading guide configured to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyor;

a reading device configured to read a shadow of the sheet conveyed by the conveyor, for detection of an inclination of the sheet;

a transparent member disposed at a position on a reading line of the reading device, the position on the reading line being withdrawn from the sheet and adjacent to the reading guide.

2. The sheet reading apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the reading guide includes a recess disposed opposite the reading device, and

wherein the transparent member is disposed in the recess.

3. The sheet reading apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a reading table disposed opposite the reading guide,

wherein the reading guide is disposed opposite the reading device and includes a guide face parallel to the reading table.

4. The sheet reading apparatus according to claim 2,

further comprising a white sheet member disposed between the transparent member and the reading guide.

5. The sheet reading apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the reading guide including the recess is made of metal.

6. The sheet reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sheet detector configured to detect presence or absence of the sheet on the sheet table;

a sheet nip assembly configured to nip the sheet on the sheet table; and

a driver configured to apply a conveyance force to the sheet nip assembly nipping the sheet, to convey the sheet toward the conveyor.

7. The sheet reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a skew amount detector configured to detect, based on the shadow of the sheet projected on the reading guide, a skew amount of an image of the sheet read by the reading device; and

circuitry configured to correct an inclination of the image read by the reading device based on the skew amount.

8. The sheet reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is a document sheet.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the sheet reading apparatus according to claim 1; and

an image forming device configured to form an image.