Facsimile apparatus

• US 5,452,098 A
• Filed: 03/25/1993
• Issued: 09/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawase, Hideyuki, Narui, Youichi, Ohki, Katsuo, Suzuki, Tsuguo, Oga, Kimio, Konno, Kazutoshi, Shimizu, Akira, Otsuka, Yasuo, Seino, Taisaku, Sato, Kazutaka, Fukuda, Hiromitsu, Watanabe, Michihiro, Aoyagi, Masahisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHEUKFAN
• Application Number:
  US08/036,866
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 358/476, 358/400, 358/494, 358/496, 358/296, 358/300, 358/401, 358/498, 346/76 PH, 346/134, 346/136, 347/3, 347/108, 355/202
• US Class Current: 358/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00543 Allowing easy access, e.g. for maintenance or in case of paper jam H04N1/00538 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A facsimile apparatus has a lower structure and an upper structure which is swingable between a raised open position an a lowered closed position about a pivot located at a lower part of the rear end portion of the apparatus. A thermal print head is fixed to the front end portion of the upper structure. A recording medium conveyor roller is fixed to the front end portion of the lower structure. A linear image sensor and an original sheet conveyor roller are fixed to a central portion of the lower structure. The recording medium is placed on the lower structure at a position between the thermal print head and the linear image sensor.

Claims

1. A facsimile apparatus having a function to convert image information into electric signals and to transmit the electric signals to a communication network and a function to receive electric signals from said communication network and to convert the received electric signals into image information, and including a lower structure and an upper structure which is swingable about a pivot provided on a rear portion of the apparatus between a raised open position and a lowered closed position, said facsimile apparatus comprising:

a recording thermal print head for recording image information on a recording medium;

a recording medium conveyor roller for conveying said recording medium, said thermal print head and said recording medium conveyor roller being disposed on a front portion of said apparatus;

a linear image sensor for reading said image information carried by an original sheet; and

an original sheet conveyor roller for conveying said original sheet, said linear image sensor and said original sheet conveyor roller being disposed on a central portion of said apparatus, a supply of said recording medium being disposed between said thermal print head and said linear image sensor;

said thermal print head being fixed to said upper structure, said recording medium conveyor roller, said linear image sensor and said original conveyor roller being fixed to said lower structure;

wherein said recording medium conveyor roller conveys said recording medium from said supply of recording medium past said thermal print head and discharges said recording medium, after it has been subjected to printing, forwardly of said facsimile apparatus, and said original sheet conveyor roller conveys said original sheet past said linear image sensor and discharges said original sheet, after it has been subjected to photoelectric conversion, forwardly of said facsimile apparatus.

2. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said linear image sensor is a contact type linear image sensor having a photoelectric conversion element array of a length equal to the maximum width of the original sheet which can be handled by said facsimile apparatus.

3. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein only two conveyor rollers are disposed in said facsimile apparatus, said two conveyor rollers consisting of said recording medium conveyor roller and said original sheet conveyor roller.

5. A facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

a driving motor for driving said recording medium conveyor roller and said original sheet conveyor roller; and

a driving power transmission device for transmitting the driving power from said driving motor to said recording medium conveyor roller and said original sheet conveyor roller.

6. A facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said facsimile apparatus has a width and length not greater than those of A-4 size paper, and can transmit image information on an original of a size greater than A-4 size and can receive image information of a size greater than A-4 size.

4. A facsimile apparatus having a function to convert image information into electric signals and to transmit the electric signals to a communication network and a function to receive electric signals from said communication network and to convert the received electric signals into image information, and including a lower structure and an upper structure which is swingable about a pivot provided on a rear portion of the apparatus between a raised open position and a lowered closed position, and having only two conveyor rollers disposed in said facsimile apparatus, said facsimile apparatus comprising:

a recording thermal print head for recording said image information on a recording medium;

a recording medium conveyor roller as one of said only two conveyor rollers, for conveying said recording medium, said thermal print heat and said recording medium conveyor roller being disposed on a front portion of said apparatus;

a linear image sensor for reading said image information on an original sheet;

an original sheet conveyor roller as the other of said only two conveyor rollers, said linear image sensor and said original sheet conveyor roller being disposed on a central portion of said apparatus, a supply of said recording medium being disposed between said thermal print head and said linear image sensor;

said thermal print head being fixed to said upper structure, said recording medium conveyor roller, said linear image sensor and said original sheet conveyor roller being fixed to said lower structure.

7. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said recording medium conveyor roller conveys said recording medium from said supply of recording medium past said recording thermal print head and discharges said recording medium, after it has been subjected to printing, forwardly of said facsimile apparatus, and said original sheet conveyor roller conveys said original sheet past said linear image sensor and discharges said original sheet, after it has been subjected to photoelectric conversion, forwardly of said facsimile apparatus.