Modular automatic document feeder for a flat bed input device

• US 6,022,012 A
• Filed: 03/12/1998
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Worley, A. Justine
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWER, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US09/041,844
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 271/3.14, 271/4.01, 271/4.08, 271/4.1, 271/10.01, 271/10.09, 271/10.11, 271/145, 271/161, 271/207, 271/209, 399/110, 399/124, 399/367, 399/369, 399/379, 399/365, 399/377, 399/361
• US Class Current: 271/3.14
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/00 Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated carriers used for associating, collating, or gathering articles B65H39/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/10 Modular constructions, e.g. using preformed elements or profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/51 Joints, e.g. riveted or magnetic joints
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/31 Supports for sheets fully removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/33125 Feed tray juxtaposed to discharge tray
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00519 Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00538 Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• 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 1/00588 to the scanning position H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00591 from the scanning position H04N1/00572 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00594 along at least a part of the same path as transport to the scanning position H04N1/00575 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00602 Feed rollers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/10 using flat picture-bearing surfaces H04N1/113, H04N1/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44299 Pivoted member also slides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32057 Angular and linear

Abstract

An automatic document feeder is constructed of three chassis. A main chassis carries the active components, such as paper pick and drive mechanisms for sequentially picking and delivering said sheets to and from a flat bed scanner, motors, and transmissions for driving said paper pick and drive mechanisms, a document backing assembly, and electronic controller equipment. Moreover, the main chassis provides a document input tray. A lower chassis forms a low height form factor output tray, using paper stiffness caused by predetermined bending to register the document sheets without having to support the full length thereof. When assembled with an upper chassis, the three chassis provide the entire paper path. The lower chassis carries an attachment hinge mechanism for mounting the automatic document feeder appropriately to a flat bed scanner apparatus. The paper loading and unloading drive mechanism provides a balance normal force from a plurality of paper drive rollers. The paper loading and unloading drive mechanism is used to lift the document backing assembly from the flat bed scanner during loading and unloading of document sheets.

Claims

1. An automatic document feeder system for a flat bed computer input device having a horizontal document receiving surface and a horizontal supporting surface for the document feeder system, comprising:

a main chassis detachably mounted to said supporting surface;

said main chassis including a substantially vertical document input tray that is integral in one piece with main chassis;

said main chassis including in one piece means for defining an input paper path extending from said input tray to a document receiving area on the horizontal document receiving surface of the flat bed input device;

means mounted within said main chassis for transporting print media sheets along said input path;

a self aligning subjacent chassis for nesting with said main chassis to facilitate the positioning of a substantially vertical output tray that is integral in one piece with said subjacent chassis, said document output tray being substantially parallel to the input tray; and

said subjacent chassis including means for defining an output paper path extending from the horizontal document receiving surface of the flat bed computer input device and vertically upward into said output tray.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

said means for transporting print media sheets is positioned for transporting print media sheets along said output paper path.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

a third chassis mounted on top of said main chassis frontally of said input tray, said third chassis including means for defining said input paper path in combination with said main chassis.

4. A removably mounted automatic document sheet feeder system for a flat bed scanning station, comprising:

a first unitary chassis, including an upstanding document input tray that is integral in one piece with said first unitary chassis;

a second unitary chassis mounted to said first unitary chassis forming a document sheet input paper path there between;

a third unitary chassis mounted to said first unitary chassis forming a document sheet output paper path there between;

an upstanding document output tray integral in one piece with said third unitary chassis;

wherein said output paper path and said input paper path are both substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the flat bed scanning station; and

wherein said first unitary chassis, said second unitary chassis, and said third unitary chassis in combination form a complete automat document feeder input-output paper path.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

said input tray and said output tray each have a substantially vertical orientation for receiving document sheets along a lateral edge thereof.

6. The system as set forth in claim 4, comprising:

said input tray and said output tray are in a substantially parallel substantially vertical orientation to each other.

7. The system as set forth in claim 4, comprising:

said first chassis including mountings for all paper pick and paper drive mechanisms for sequentially picking document sheets from the input tray and delivering document sheets to and from the scanning station, and all mountings for motors and transmissions for driving said paper pick and paper drive mechanisms.

8. The system as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

said first chassis having an aperture subjacent said input tray, and

said second chassis is a unitary input paper path chassis mounted superiorly adjacent said aperture and in combination with said first chassis providing further input paper path definition.

9. The system as set forth in claim 4, the first chassis further comprising:

structural features formed for mounting a document backing assembly to the first chassis.