Automatic document feeder, image reading device, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016170355-A1
Application number	US-201514948501-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An automatic document feeder comprises: a first conveyance portion through which documents from a bundle of documents placed on a paper feeding tray are separated from one another and conveyed to a reading position; a second conveyance portion through which a document having been conveyed to the reading position is ejected onto a paper ejection tray; a detector that detects any one mode from a productivity mode and a silent mode; and a controller that controls, when the detector has detected the productivity mode, the first conveyance portion so as to bring a conveyance speed in the first conveyance portion to a first conveyance speed, and, when the detector has detected the silent mode, controls the first conveyance portion so as to bring a conveyance speed in the first conveyance portion to a second conveyance speed that is slower than the first conveyance speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An automatic document feeder comprising:
a first conveyance portion through which documents from a bundle of documents placed on a paper feeding tray are separated from one another and conveyed to a reading position; a second conveyance portion through which a document having been conveyed to the reading position is ejected onto a paper ejection tray; a detector that detects any one mode from a productivity mode and a silent mode; and a controller that controls, when the detector has detected the productivity mode, the first conveyance portion so as to bring a conveyance speed in the first conveyance portion to a first conveyance speed, and, when the detector has detected the silent mode, controls the first conveyance portion so as to bring a conveyance speed in the first conveyance portion to a second conveyance speed that is slower than the first conveyance speed.

2 . The automatic document feeder according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller sets the silent mode as a default mode.

3 . The automatic document feeder according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to, when the detector has detected the productivity mode, control the second conveyance portion so as to bring a conveyance speed in the second conveyance portion to the first conveyance speed, and, when the detector has detected the silent mode, control the second conveyance portion so as to bring a conveyance speed in the second conveyance portion to the second conveyance speed.

4 . The automatic document feeder according to claim 3 , wherein,
on a conveyance route from the paper feeding tray to the paper ejection tray, the controller changes, from the first conveyance speed to the second conveyance speed and vice versa, each of the conveyance speeds in the first conveyance portion and the second conveyance portion in sections other than sections in each of which the documents are present at least at the reading position.

5 . The automatic document feeder according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller changes, from the first conveyance speed to the second conveyance speed and vice versa, a conveyance speed of each roller other than rollers that are nipping the documents at the reading position.

6 . An image reading device comprising the automatic document feeder according to claim 1 .

7 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the automatic document feeder according to claim 1 ; and an apparatus main body having a copy function, wherein the detector acquires, from a main body controller of the apparatus main body, information on whether the automatic document feeder is in the productivity mode or in the silent mode.

8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the main body controller performs control that causes a display unit of the apparatus main body to display which of the productivity mode and the silent mode the automatic document feeder is in.

9 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the automatic document feeder according to claim 1 ; and an apparatus main body having a copy function, wherein the automatic document feeder comprises a receiving unit that receives model information on the apparatus main body, and the controller controls at least one of the first conveyance speed and the second conveyance speed so as to bring the at least one of the first conveyance speed and the second conveyance speed to a conveyance speed or conveyance speeds previously set in accordance with the model information received by the receiving unit.

10 . An image forming system comprising:
the image forming apparatus according to claim 7 ; and a finisher that performs a post-process on recording paper on which image fixing has been completed.

11 . An image forming system comprising:
the image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ; and a finisher that performs a post-process on recording paper on which image fixing has been completed.

Assignees

• Heishi Fumiyuki
• Akai Takeshi
• Kanaya Atsushi
• Suzuki Yoshito
• Kubo Hiroshi
• Kitaoka Shinya
• Kimura Norio
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Heishi Fumiyuki
• Akai Takeshi
• Kanaya Atsushi
• Suzuki Yoshito
• Kubo Hiroshi
• Kitaoka Shinya
• Kimura Norio

Classifications

• G03G15/5008 Primary

  Driving control for rotary photosensitive medium, e.g. speed control, stop position control · CPC title

• G03G15/602 Primary

  for transporting · CPC title

• B65H7/20 Primary

  Controlling associated apparatus · CPC title