Document processing, jam detecting apparatus and process
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting a document jam in a system that moves documents, said documents having first and second broad, opposite surfaces;
- said apparatus comprising;
means located adjacent the first surface of said moving document for illuminating at least a portion of said moving document;
means located adjacent the opposite surface of said moving document for detecting the magnitude of light that passes through translucent portions of the document as it is between said illuminating means and said detecting means; and
electronic means connected to said detecting means for indicating a document jam when the translucency of said document is generally unchanged for a period of time while the document is between the illuminating means and the detecting means.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and process for detecting document jams in a document processing apparatus by detecting the translucency of the documents. The disclosed apparatus includes a transport path for guiding documents and drive wheels for moving the documents along the transport path. An LED light source located on one side of the transport path illuminates at least a portion of the moving document as it passes along the transport path. A phototransistor light detector located on the other side of the transport path detects light from the LED that passes through translucent portions of the document. Electronics connected to the light detector indicate a document jam when the translucency of a document is generally unchanged for a period of time while the document is between the light source and light detector. The electronics includes circuitry for detecting the presence of a document, circuitry for detecting the absence of rapid changes in document translucency and circuitry for remembering the absence of such rapid changes in document translucency.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting a document jam in a system that moves documents, said documents having first and second broad, opposite surfaces;
- said apparatus comprising;
means located adjacent the first surface of said moving document for illuminating at least a portion of said moving document; means located adjacent the opposite surface of said moving document for detecting the magnitude of light that passes through translucent portions of the document as it is between said illuminating means and said detecting means; and electronic means connected to said detecting means for indicating a document jam when the translucency of said document is generally unchanged for a period of time while the document is between the illuminating means and the detecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- said apparatus comprising;
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8. A document processing apparatus that processes moving documents and indicates a document jam therein, comprising:
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a transport path for guiding documents; means for moving documents along said transport path, means located on one side of said transport path for illuminating at least a portion of the moving document as it passes along said transport path; means located on the other side of said transport path for detecting light from said illuminating means that passes through translucent portions of the document as the document passes along said transport path; and electronic means connected to said detecting means for indicating a document jam when the translucency of the document is generally unchanged for a period of time while the document is between the illuminating means and the detecting means. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A process for moving documents and detecting when the documents jam, comprising:
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providing a transport path for guiding the documents; moving documents along the transport path; illuminating a portion of the document from one side the transport path; detecting light that passes through translucent portions of the document; and indicating a document jam when the translucency of the document is generally unchanged for a period of time while the document is being illuminated and the light that passes through translucent portions of the document is being detected. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification