The present application is based on, and claims priority from, China Patent Application No. 202322184197.6, filed Aug. 15, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present invention generally relates to a dual-use automatic document feeder, and more particularly to a dual-use automatic document feeder which has a simpler structure and a lower cost.
Referring to
In order to avoid the general documents being incorrectly fed to the front opening 71′ of the thick feeding path 70′ when the general documents are fed through a junction between the normal feeding path 60′ and the thick feeding path 70′, a movable document guider 80′ is provided at the junction between the normal feeding path 60′ and the thick feeding path 70′. The movable document guider 80′ is connected to a driving motor (not shown) via a torque limiter 81′, so that the movable document guider 80′ falls naturally by a gravity when the conventional dual-use automatic document feeder 100′ feeds the documents in a forward direction, and the movable document guider 80′ is lifted when the conventional dual-use automatic document feeder 100′ feeds the documents in the reverse direction to feed the thicker documents out through the front opening 71′ of the thick feeding path 70′.
However, the conventional dual-use automatic document feeder 100′ uses a plurality of transmission gears and the torque limiter 81′ for driving the movable document guider 80′, the conventional dual-use automatic document feeder 100′ has a complicated structure and a higher manufacturing cost.
Thus, it is necessary to provide a dual-use automatic document feeder with a simpler structure and a lower cost.
An object of the present invention is to provide a dual-use automatic document feeder which has a simpler structure and a lower cost. The dual-use automatic document feeder includes a tilted feeding path including a document inlet disposed at an upstream of the tilted feeding path, a horizontal feeding path extending horizontally, a U-turn feeding path, an upper scanning unit and a movable document guider. The horizontal feeding path includes a front opening located at a front of the horizontal feeding path, and a rear opening located at a rear of the horizontal feeding path. The U-turn feeding path is connected between a lower end of the tilted feeding path and the horizontal feeding path to guide a document which is to be fed from the document inlet of the tilted feeding path into the horizontal feeding path. The upper scanning unit is positioned between the front opening and the rear opening, and the upper scanning unit is slidably arranged in a vertical path which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path. The movable document guider is positioned at a junction between the U-turn feeding path and the horizontal feeding path to guide the document which is to be fed into the horizontal feeding path. The movable document guider has a pivot end pivotally connected to the U-turn feeding path to rotatably fasten the movable document guider, a guiding arm slantwise extended downward and rearward from the pivot end to the horizontal feeding path to guide the document which is to be fed into the horizontal feeding path, a blocking end positioned at a terminal end of the guiding arm to block a passage that is led from the front opening to the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path, and an actuating end positioned at a terminal end of the blocking end to contact with a housing of the upper scanning unit. When the document passes through a bottom of the upper scanning unit, the upper scanning unit is pushed by the document to make the upper scanning unit be lifted upward by the document, when the upper scanning unit is lifted, the upper scanning unit pushes the actuating end to make the blocking end depart from a junction between the front opening and the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual-use automatic document feeder. The dual-use automatic document feeder includes a tilted feeding path including a document inlet disposed at an upstream of the tilted feeding path, a horizontal feeding path extending horizontally, a U-turn feeding path, an upper scanning unit, a lower scanning unit and a movable document guider. The horizontal feeding path includes a front opening located at a front of the horizontal feeding path, and a rear opening located at a rear of the horizontal feeding path. The U-turn feeding path is connected between a lower end of the tilted feeding path and the horizontal feeding path to guide a document which is to be fed from the document inlet of the tilted feeding path into the horizontal feeding path. The upper scanning unit is positioned between the front opening and the rear opening, and the upper scanning unit is slidably arranged in a vertical path which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path. The lower scanning unit is fixed to a lower portion of the horizontal feeding path, and the lower scanning unit is positioned opposite to the upper scanning unit to make the lower scanning unit and the upper scanning unit scan both surfaces of the document which is to be fed at the same time. The movable document guider is positioned at a junction between the U-turn feeding path and the horizontal feeding path to guide the document which is to be fed into the horizontal feeding path. The movable document guider has a pivot end pivotally connected to the U-turn feeding path to rotatably fasten the movable document guider, a guiding arm slantwise extended downward and rearward from the pivot end to the horizontal feeding path to guide the document which is to be fed into the horizontal feeding path, a blocking end positioned at a terminal end of the guiding arm to block a passage that is led from the front opening to the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path, and an actuating end positioned at a terminal end of the blocking end to contact with a housing of the upper scanning unit. When the document passes through a bottom of the upper scanning unit, the upper scanning unit is pushed by the document to make the upper scanning unit be lifted upward by the document, when the upper scanning unit is lifted, the upper scanning unit pushes the actuating end to make the blocking end depart from a junction between the front opening and the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual-use automatic document feeder. The dual-use automatic document feeder includes a tilted feeding path having a document inlet disposed at an upstream of the tilted feeding path, a horizontal feeding path extending horizontally, a U-turn feeding path, an upper scanning unit and a movable document guider. The horizontal feeding path has a front opening located at a front of the horizontal feeding path, and a rear opening located at a rear of the horizontal feeding path. The U-turn feeding path is connected between a lower end of the tilted feeding path and the horizontal feeding path. The upper scanning unit is positioned between the front opening and the rear opening, and the upper scanning unit is slidably arranged in a vertical path which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path. The movable document guider is positioned at a junction between the U-turn feeding path and the horizontal feeding path. The movable document guider has a pivot end, a guiding arm slantwise extended downward and rearward from the pivot end and extended to the horizontal feeding path, a blocking end positioned at a terminal end of the guiding arm, and an actuating end positioned at a terminal end of the blocking end to contact with the upper scanning unit. When a document is fed from the document inlet of the tilted feeding path to the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path, the document is guided by the guiding arm, wherein, when the document is fed from the front opening into the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path, the document contacts with the movable document guider, the document pushes against the blocking end of the movable document guider to make the movable document guider be lifted, and then the document contacts with the upper scanning unit, the document pushes against the upper scanning unit to make the upper scanning unit be lifted, so that the document enters the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path and the upper scanning unit is slid down. When the document is fed from the rear opening to the front opening of the horizontal feeding path the document passes through a bottom of the upper scanning unit, the upper scanning unit is pushed by the document to make the upper scanning unit be lifted upward by the document, when the upper scanning unit is lifted, the upper scanning unit pushes the actuating end to make the blocking end depart from a junction between the front opening and the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path.
As described above, the dual-use automatic document feeder is provided with the tilted feeding path, the front opening and the rear opening of the horizontal feeding path, the upper scanning unit is slidably arranged in the vertical path which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path, and the movable document guider and the upper scanning unit mutually abut against each other. When the document passes through the bottom of the upper scanning unit, the upper scanning unit is pushed by the document to make the upper scanning unit be lifted upward by the document, the upper scanning unit directly drives the movable document guider to deflect by a displacement of the upper scanning unit in a vertical direction. As a result, the dual-use automatic document feeder has a simpler structure and a lower manufacturing cost.
The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
Referring to
The tilted feeding path 10 includes a document inlet 11 disposed at an upstream of the tilted feeding path 10. The document inlet 11 slantwise extends downward and frontward. The horizontal feeding path 20 extending longitudinally. The horizontal feeding path 20 includes a front opening 21 and a rear opening 22. The front opening 21 and the rear opening 22 extend horizontally. The front opening 21 is located at a front of the horizontal feeding path 20. The rear opening 22 is located at a rear of the horizontal feeding path 20.
Referring to
Referring to
The movable document guider 50 is positioned at a junction between the U-turn feeding path 30 and the horizontal feeding path 20 to guide the document 200 which is to be fed into the horizontal feeding path 20. The upper scanning unit 40 abut against the movable document guider 50. When the document 200 passes through a bottom of the upper scanning unit 40, the upper scanning unit 40 is pushed by the document 200 to make the upper scanning unit 40 be lifted upward by the document 200, the upper scanning unit 40 directly drives the movable document guider 50 to deflect by a displacement of the upper scanning unit 40 in a vertical direction.
The movable document guider 50 has a pivot end 51, a guiding arm 52, a blocking end 53 and an actuating end 54. The pivot end 51 is pivotally connected to the U-turn feeding path 30 to rotatably fasten the movable document guider 50. The guiding arm 52 is slantwise extended downward and rearward from the pivot end 51, and the guiding arm 52 is extended to the horizontal feeding path 20 to guide the document 200 which is to be fed into the horizontal feeding path 20. The blocking end 53 is positioned at a terminal end of the guiding arm 52 to block a passage 101 that is led from the front opening 21 to the rear opening 22 of the horizontal feeding path 20. The actuating end 54 is positioned at a terminal end of the blocking end 53 to contact with a housing 402 of the upper scanning unit 40. When the upper scanning unit 40 is lifted, the upper scanning unit 40 simultaneously pushes the actuating end 54 to make the blocking end 53 depart from the junction between the front opening 21 and the rear opening 22 of the horizontal feeding path 20. In the preferred embodiment, the dual-use automatic document feeder 100 includes two movable document guiders 50. The two movable document guiders 50 are positioned at two junctions between the U-turn feeding path 30 and the horizontal feeding path 20.
Referring to
Referring to
When the document 200 is fed from the front opening 21 into the rear opening 22 of the horizontal feeding path 20, the document 200 contacts with the movable document guider 50, the document 200 pushes against the blocking end 53 of the movable document guider 50 to make the movable document guider 50 be lifted, so that the document 200 enters the rear opening 22 of the horizontal feeding path 20 without the obstruction. The document 200 passes through the bottom of the upper scanning unit 40. The document 200 is located between the upper scanning unit 40 and the lower scanning unit 41. The upper scanning unit 40 is pushed by the document 200 to make the upper scanning unit 40 be lifted upward by the document 200. The upper scanning unit 40 is lifted by the document 200, and the upper scanning unit 40 brings along the movable document guider 50 to be lifted to a highest position. When the upper scanning unit 40 is lifted, the upper scanning unit 40 pushes the actuating end 54 to make the blocking end 53 depart from the junction between the front opening 21 and the rear opening 22 of the horizontal feeding path 20.
Referring to
Referring to
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When the movable document guider 50 rotates, a ratio between a first displacement distance (A1) of the actuating end 54 in the direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path 20 and a second displacement distance (A2) of the blocking end 53 in the direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path 20 is defined as a linkage ratio (A2/A1). In the preferred embodiment, the linkage ratio of the actuating end 54 and the blocking end 53 is greater than 0.65 and is less than 1.5. And in order to make the linkage ratio be greater than 0.65 and be less than 1.5, a first linear distance (B2) from the blocking end 53 to the pivot end 51 is approximately the same as a second linear distance (B1) from the actuating end 54 to the pivot end 51. When the movable document guider 50 is without being lifted by the upper scanning unit 40, the actuating end 54 is located at a first inclined upper rear direction of the pivot end 51. The first inclined upper rear direction of the pivot end 51 slantwise extends frontward and downward to form an angle of approximately twelve degrees between the first inclined upper rear direction of the pivot end 51 and a horizontal direction. The blocking end 53 is located at a first inclined lower rear direction of the pivot end 51. The first inclined lower rear direction of the pivot end 51 slantwise extends rearward and downward to form an angle of approximately forty-eight degrees between the first inclined lower rear direction of the pivot end 51 and the horizontal direction, so that when the movable document guider 50 is lifted by the upper scanning unit 40, the linkage ratio is approximately 0.684.
When the movable document guider 50 is lifted to the highest position by the upper scanning unit 40, the actuating end 54 is positioned at a second inclined upper rear direction of the pivot end 51. The second inclined upper rear direction of the pivot end 51 slantwise extends frontward and downward to form an angle of approximately twenty degrees between the second inclined upper rear direction of the pivot end 51 and the horizontal direction. The blocking end 53 is located at a second inclined lower rear direction of the pivot end 51. The second inclined lower rear direction of the pivot end 51 slantwise extends rearward and downward to form an angle of approximately forty degrees between the second inclined lower rear direction of the pivot end 51 and the horizontal direction, so that when the movable document guider 50 is lifted by the upper scanning unit 40, the linkage ratio is about 0.806. And in this preferred embodiment, the upper scanning unit 40 and the actuating end 54 are cumulatively lifted by 1.66 mm and the blocking end 53 is cumulatively lifted by 1.5 mm during the whole lifting process, an overall average linkage ratio is 0.903.
As described above, the dual-use automatic document feeder 100 is provided with the tilted feeding path 10, the front opening 21 and the rear opening 22 of the horizontal feeding path 20, the upper scanning unit 40 is slidably arranged in the vertical path 401 which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path 20, and the upper scanning unit 40 abut against the movable document guider 50. When the document 200 passes through the bottom of the upper scanning unit 40, the upper scanning unit 40 is pushed by the document 200 to make the upper scanning unit 40 be lifted upward by the document 200, the upper scanning unit 40 directly drives the movable document guider 50 to deflect by the displacement of the upper scanning unit 40 in the vertical direction. As a result, the dual-use automatic document feeder 100 has a simpler structure and a lower manufacturing cost.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202322184197.6 | Aug 2023 | CN | national |