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US5335837A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Automatic document feeder responsive to paper jam

Assignee: Ricoh Co Ltd
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Filing: 1993-07-14
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Granted: 1994-08-09
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Expires: 2013-07-14
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Abstract

Abstract An automatic document feeder for use with an electrophotographic copier, digital copier or similar image recorder capable of transporting ordinary documents in the form of separate sheets and a continuous document in the form of computer form (CF) paper which is formed with equally spaced sprocket holes, as desired. A sprocket hole sensor is disposed on an imaginary line along which the sprocket holes of the CF paper are moved. A control device reversibly controls the transport of the CF paper to a predetermined reference position on a glass platen in association with the number of sprocket holes being counted. The document feeder is capable of not only copying a desired page of the CF paper but also implementing jam recovery in the event when a paper sheet jams the image recorder.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shirou Saeki
  • 👤 Yukitaka Nakazato
  • 👤 Kenji Hashimoto
  • 👤 Tadashi Ikoma

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 14:27
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/60; B; B65; B65H; B65H20/00; B65H20/20; B65H23/00; B65H23/04; B65H23/18; B65H23/188; B65H23/1882; B65H26/00; B65H26/02; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00172; G03G2215/00206; G03G2215/0021

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 270 words
An automatic document feeder for an image recorder having a top open platen comprising: sheet-like document feeding means for feeding to said platen sheet-like documents having a predetermined size; a separate inlet provided independent of said sheet-like document feeding means for feeding to the platen a continuous document, constituted by a sequence of continuous pages and having a plurality of equally spaced holes; document transporting means located to face the platen for transporting any of the sheet-like or continuous documents placed on and along said platen; document discharging means for discharging any of the sheet-like or continuous documents from said platen; first sensor means located upstream of the platen with respect to an intended direction of transport of the continuous document for generating pulses by sensing the holes of the continuous document; second sensor means located upstream of the platen with respect to the intended direction of transport of the continuous document for sensing transport of the continuous document; and control means for controlling said document transporting means and said document discharging means, said control means producing a return signal for reversing a transport direction of the document transporting means such that said continuous document is driven in a reverse transport direction which is opposite to a direction in which the continuous document is fed to the platen from the inlet, with said control means causing said document transporting means to drive in the reverse transport direction in response to a paper jam and to drive said continuous document in the reverse transport direction until a number of holes in the continuous document have been counted during the reverse transport.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 270 words
An automatic document feeder for an image recorder having a top open platen comprising: sheet-like document feeding means for feeding to said platen sheet-like documents having a predetermined size; a separate inlet provided independent of said sheet-like document feeding means for feeding to the platen a continuous document, constituted by a sequence of continuous pages and having a plurality of equally spaced holes; document transporting means located to face the platen for transporting any of the sheet-like or continuous documents placed on and along said platen; document discharging means for discharging any of the sheet-like or continuous documents from said platen; first sensor means located upstream of the platen with respect to an intended direction of transport of the continuous document for generating pulses by sensing the holes of the continuous document; second sensor means located upstream of the platen with respect to the intended direction of transport of the continuous document for sensing transport of the continuous document; and control means for controlling said document transporting means and said document discharging means, said control means producing a return signal for reversing a transport direction of the document transporting means such that said continuous document is driven in a reverse transport direction which is opposite to a direction in which the continuous document is fed to the platen from the inlet, with said control means causing said document transporting means to drive in the reverse transport direction in response to a paper jam and to drive said continuous document in the reverse transport direction until a number of holes in the continuous document have been counted during the reverse transport.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 202 words
An automatic document feeder for an image recorder having top open platen comprising: an inlet for feeding to the platen a continuous document constituted by a sequence of continuous pages and having a plurality of equally spaced holes; document transporting means located to face the platen for transporting a continuous document onto and along said platen; document discharging means for discharging said continuous document from said platen; first sensor means for generating pulses by sensing the holes of the continuous document; second sensor means for sensing transport of the continuous document; and control means for controlling said document transporting means and said document discharging means, said control means producing a return signal for reversing a transport direction of the document transporting means such that said continuous document is driven in a reverse transport direction which is opposite to a direction in which the continuous document is fed to the platen from the inlet, with said control means causing said document transporting means to drive in the reverse transport direction in response to a paper jam and to drive said continuous document in the reverse transport direction until a number of holes in the continuous document have been counted during the reverse transport.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 202 words
An automatic document feeder for an image recorder having top open platen comprising: an inlet for feeding to the platen a continuous document constituted by a sequence of continuous pages and having a plurality of equally spaced holes; document transporting means located to face the platen for transporting a continuous document onto and along said platen; document discharging means for discharging said continuous document from said platen; first sensor means for generating pulses by sensing the holes of the continuous document; second sensor means for sensing transport of the continuous document; and control means for controlling said document transporting means and said document discharging means, said control means producing a return signal for reversing a transport direction of the document transporting means such that said continuous document is driven in a reverse transport direction which is opposite to a direction in which the continuous document is fed to the platen from the inlet, with said control means causing said document transporting means to drive in the reverse transport direction in response to a paper jam and to drive said continuous document in the reverse transport direction until a number of holes in the continuous document have been counted during the reverse transport.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE2912656A1 Cited
US4485949A Cited
US4834277A Cited
GB2188618A Cited
US5158221A Cited
US4928948A Cited
US5259544A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-08-08 1998-02-07 1998-08-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-08-08 2002-02-07 2002-08-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-08-08 2006-02-07 2006-08-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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