Document feeding apparatus

• US 5,118,092 A
• Filed: 02/05/1990
• Issued: 06/02/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirabayashi, Tsugio, Arai, Hiroyuki, Yamada, Yasushi, Miura, Toshihide, Okui, Susumu, Maekawa, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Schacher, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/475,146
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 271/275, 271/198
• US Class Current: 271/275
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/6264 Arrangements for moving several originals one after the other to or through an exposure station
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/60 Apparatus which relate to the handling of originals for photographic purposes in general G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00185 original at rest

Abstract

A document feeding apparatus having a conveyor belt which moves documents along a platen glass plate of a photoreproducing machine, first and second rollers which support the conveyor belt, a driving source connected to the first roller, and a member for driving the second roller so that it prevents the conveyor belt from slackening. In preferred forms of the device, the first roller is connected to the second roller by a one-way clutch and the line speed of the first or second roller on the document feed side is greater than the line speed of the first or second roller on the discharge side.

Claims

1. A document feeding apparatus comprising:

a conveyor belt for moving documents along a platen glass plate of a photoreducing machine;

first and second rollers for supporting said conveyor belt;

a driving source connected to said first roller; and

a member, separate from said belt and spaced apart therefrom, for driving said second roller whereby said second roller serves to prevent said conveyor belt from slackening.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first roller is connected to said second roller by a one-way clutch.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a line speed of said first or second roller on a document feed side is greater than a line speed of said first or second roller on a document discharge side when said conveyor belt is normally rotated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said member connects said first roller with said second roller so that said second roller is connected to said driving source through said first roller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said member comprises a belt and a one-way clutch, wherein said one-way clutch is mounted on said second roller, said belt is stretched around said first and second rollers, and said second roller is connected to said driving source through said belt and said one-way clutch.