Dual-use automatic document feeder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12479679-B2
Application number	US-202418633636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2024
Priority date	Aug 15, 2023
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A dual-use automatic document feeder includes a tilted feeding path, a horizontal feeding path, a U-turn feeding path, an upper scanning unit and a movable document guider. The horizontal feeding path includes a front opening and a rear opening. The U-turn feeding path is connected between the tilted feeding path and the horizontal feeding path. The upper scanning unit is positioned between the front opening and the rear opening. 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 pivotally connected to the U-turn feeding path, a guiding arm slantwise extended downward and rearward from the pivot end 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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A dual-use automatic document feeder, comprising:
a tilted feeding path having a document inlet disposed at an upstream of the tilted feeding path;
a horizontal feeding path extending horizontally, the horizontal feeding path having 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;
a U-turn feeding path 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;
an upper scanning unit positioned between the front opening and the rear opening, and the upper scanning unit being slidably arranged in a vertical path which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path; and
a movable document guider 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 having 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,
wherein 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.

2 . The dual-use automatic document feeder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a distance from the pivot end to the blocking end of the movable document guider is greater than a vertical distance from the pivot end to the horizontal feeding path, and the blocking end is positioned at a rear lower position of the pivot end.

3 . The dual-use automatic document feeder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a first displacement distance of the actuating end in a direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path and a second displacement distance of the blocking end in the direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path is defined as a linkage ratio, the linkage ratio of the actuating end and the blocking end is greater than 0.65 and is less than 1.5.

4 . The dual-use automatic document feeder as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a lower scanning unit fixed to a lower portion of the horizontal feeding path, and the lower scanning unit being 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.

5 . The dual-use automatic document feeder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dual-use automatic document feeder includes two movable document guiders, the two movable document guiders are positioned at two junctions between the U-turn feeding path and the horizontal feeding path.

6 . A dual-use automatic document feeder, comprising:
a tilted feeding path having a document inlet disposed at an upstream of the tilted feeding path; a horizontal feeding path extending horizontally, the horizontal feeding path having 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; a U-turn feeding path 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; an upper scanning unit positioned between the front opening and the rear opening, and the upper scanning unit being slidably arranged in a vertical path which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path; a lower scanning unit fixed to a lower portion of the horizontal feeding path, and the lower scanning unit being 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; and a movable document guider 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 having 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, wherein 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.

7 . A dual-use automatic document feeder, comprising:
a tilted feeding path having a document inlet disposed at an upstream of the tilted feeding path; a horizontal feeding path extending horizontally, the horizontal feeding path having 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; a U-turn feeding path connected between a lower end of the tilted feeding path and the horizontal feeding path; an upper scanning unit positioned between the front opening and the rear opening, and the upper scanning unit being slidably arranged in a vertical path which is perpendicular to the horizontal feeding path; and a movable document guider positioned at a junction between the U-turn feeding path and the horizontal feeding path, the movable document guider having 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, wherein 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 to 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, and wherein when the document is fed from the rear

Assignees

• Foxlink Image Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Chien Hui
• Su Pai Hsien

Classifications

• B65H5/36

  Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation · CPC title

• B65H2801/39

  Scanning · CPC title

• B65H2404/632

  Wedge member · CPC title

• B65H5/26

  Duplicate, alternate, selective, or coacting feeds · CPC title

• B65H5/04 Primary

  by movable tables or carriages (rotary tables B65H5/18 {; suction gripper or gripper tables B65H5/10}) · CPC title