Multifunctional printer

Claim 2

A multifunctional device for reading and printing on a medium having opposite sides, comprising: an enclosed medium carrying passage forming a path that closes upon itself at a predetermined feed position and having opposite first and second directions, one of said first and second directions being a clockwise direction, the other of the first and second directions being a counterclockwise direction; feed port means for feeding the medium onto said path at the predetermined feed position; guiding means for guiding the medium along said path, including first guiding means for guiding the medium along said path in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, successively toward, past and away from the predetermined feed position; transporting means for transporting the medium in said passage on said path, in the opposite clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said transporting means cooperating with said guiding means to transport the medium on the path, in said one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, successively toward, past and away from the predetermined position, while continuously maintaining the entire medium on the path; a printing portion on the path for printing data on the medium transported; and a reading portion on the path for reading data on the medium transported.

Claim 3

A multifunctional device according to claim 1, wherein the printing portion comprises an electrophotographic record portion.

Claim 4

A multifunctional printer according to claim 1, wherein the reversing portion comprises rollers, switching blades and detecting sensors for detecting the presence of the medium.

Claim 5

A multifunctional device according to claim 1, wherein the printing portion comprises an electrophotographic record portion including a photoconductor body.

Claim 6

A multifunctional device according to claim 4, wherein the reading portion includes a light-emitting portion, and wherein an exposing portion of the electrophotographic record portion is turnably attached to the enclosed medium carrying passage and serves also as the light-emitting portion.

Claim 7

A multifunctional device according to claim 5, wherein the electrophotographic record portion has a structure that light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements are integrally formed in an array form.

Claim 8

A multifunctional device according to claim 1, further comprising discharge port means, opposite said feed port means with respect to said passage, for discharging the medium from said passage to the exterior of the device a predetermined discharge position.

Claim 9

A multifunctional device according to claim 7, wherein said guiding means further comprises a second guiding means for guiding the medium along said path in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, successively toward, past and away from the predetermined discharge position, further comprising a control unit for controlling said transporting means and said guiding means to turn the medium transported upside down.

Claim 10

A multifunctional device according to claim 8, wherein said second guiding means is positioned in said passage so as to receive the medium transported in said passage from either of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said transporting means comprising means for transporting the medium to said second guiding means from either of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said controlling means including means for controlling said second guiding means and said transporting means to turn upside down the medium transported in the clockwise direction and the medium transported in the counterclockwise direction.

Claim 11

A multifunctional device according to claim 9, wherein said control unit comprises means for controlling said guiding means and said transporting means alternatively to turn upside down the medium transported in the first direction, and then transport the upside down medium in the second direction, and turn upside down the medium transported in the second direction, and then transport the upside down medium in the first direction.

Claim 12

A multifunctional device according to claim 10, wherein said feed port means comprises first and second feed ports and said discharge port means includes first and second discharge ports, said path including a first segment extending between said first feed port and said first discharge port and a second segment extending between said second feed port and said second discharge port, said printing portion on said first segment, said reading portion on said second segment.

Claim 13

A multifunctional device according to claim 11, wherein said first and second segments are straight and parallel to each other.

Claim 14

A multifunctional device according to claim 12, wherein for double-sided printing by said printing portion, said controlling means controls said transporting means to transport the medium in a predetermined direction from said second insertion port toward said second discharge port along said second segment past said printing portion, and thereafter said guiding means and said transporting means turn the medium upside down and said transporting means transports the medium in said predetermined direction along a remainder of said path, terminating at said second discharge port.

Claim 15

A multifunctional device according to claim 13, wherein said first segment extends from said first feed port to said first discharge port in the first direction, said second segment extending from said second feed port to said second discharge port in the second direction, said path including a third segment connecting said second discharge port to said first discharge port, said first guiding means positioned in said passage; at said first discharge port, so as to receive the medium transported in the first direction by way of said first segment and to receive the medium transported in the second direction by way of said second and third segments, said first guiding means including means for turning upside down the medium transported in the first direction and the medium transported in the second direction, said transporting means comprising means for transporting the medium to said first guiding means from said first feed port in the first direction and for transporting the medium to said first guiding means from said second feed port in the second direction.

Claim 16

A multifunctional device according to claim 11, further comprising means for controlling said transporting means, said printing portion and said reading portion, for performing double-sided reading and double-sided printing, such that for double-sided reading, said transporting means transports the medium from said first feed port toward said first discharge port along said first segment past said reading portion, and thereafter said guiding means and said transporting means turn the medium transported upside down and said transporting means transports the medium toward said first feed port along said first segment past said reading portion.

Claim 17

A multifunctional device according to claim 15, wherein said first segment extends from said first feed port to said first discharge port in the first direction, and wherein said transporting means transports the medium from said first insertion port in the first direction along said first segment past said reading portion, and thereafter turns the transported medium upside down, and then, while maintaining the upside down medium continuously on said path, successively transports the upside down medium twice past said reading portion along said first segment, once in the second direction and then again in the first direction.

Claim 18

A multifunctional device according to claim 1, wherein said printing portion is surrounded by said path, said reading portion outside of said path, further comprising a control unit for controlling said transporting means, said guiding means and the reading and printing portions, to continuously transport the same medium along said path past said reading portion and said printing portion and to consecutively read from one side of the medium transported and then print on the opposite side of the medium transported.

Claim 19

A multifunctional device according to claim 1, wherein said printing portion and said reading portion are surrounded by said path, further comprising a control unit for controlling said transporting means and said guiding means for turning the medium upside down, said control unit controlling said transporting means, said reading portion and said printing portion, to continuously transport the same medium in said passage past said reading portion and said printing portion without turning the medium upside down, while consecutively performing single-sided reading and single-sided printing on the same side of the same medium.

Claim 20

A multifunctional device for reading and printing on a medium having opposite sides, comprising: an enclosed medium carrying passage forming a path that closes upon itself and having opposite clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said passage including a predetermined plural number of successive passage segments connected end-to-end in a closed loop, a plurality of ports, equal in number to the predetermined number of passage segments, for accessing said path only where the passage segments connect, each port for at least feeding the medium onto or discharging the medium from said path; a plurality of guiding means, equal in number to the predetermined number, respectively disposed at each end-to-end connection of successive passage segments, for guiding the medium between the end-to-end connected passage segments, with the medium remaining entirely on said path; means for transporting the medium in said passage on said path, in the opposite clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said transporting means including means, operative for each end-to-end connection of successive passage segments, and cooperating with the guiding means disposed at the end-to-end connection, for transporting the medium on the path from one of the successive end-to-end connected passage segments to the other, while maintaining the entire medium continuously on the path and without being discharged through one of the ports; a printing portion on the path for printing data on the medium transported; and a reading portion on the path for reading data on the medium transported.

Claim 21

A multifunctional device for reading and printing on a medium having opposite sides, comprising: an enclosed medium carrying passage forming a path that closes upon itself and having opposite clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said passage including a predetermined plural number of successive passage segments connected end-to-end in a closed loop, a plurality of ports, equal in number to the predetermined number of passage segments, for accessing said path only where the passage segments connect, each port for at least feeding the medium onto or discharging the medium from said path; a plurality of guiding means, equal in number to the predetermined number, respectively disposed at each end-to-end connection of successive passage segments, for guiding the medium between the end-to-end connected passage segments, with the medium remaining entirely on said path; means for transporting the medium in said passage on said path, in the opposite clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said transporting means including means, operative for each end-to-end connection of successive passage segments, and cooperating with the guiding means disposed at the end-to-end connection, for transporting the medium on the path from one of the successive end-to-end connected passage segments to the other, while maintaining the entire medium continuously on the path and without being discharged through one of the ports; a printing portion on the path for printing data on the medium transported; and a reading portion on the path for reading data on the medium transported.

Claim 22

A multifunctional device according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said guiding means comprises a switching blade.

Claim 23

A multifunctional device according to claim 19, wherein one of said guiding means comprises a curved fixed wall of said passage.

Claim 24

A multifunctional device according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined number is four, and said passage has a shape a rectangular, with respective ones of the guiding means and ports at each corner of the rectangle and a respective one of the passage segments along each side of the rectangle.