Image reading apparatus and multi-function apparatus having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9694998-B2
Application number	US-201514716133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes a document tray, and an automatic document feeding unit disposed at an upper side of the document tray to transport documents as to pass through the upper side of the document tray. The automatic document feeding unit includes a body; a document supplying tray having a first width corresponding to a width of a first document to be scanned and at which the first document to be scanned is loaded; and an auxiliary guide having a second width that is smaller than the first width to correspond to a second document having a width smaller than the width of the first document and is installed at the document supplying tray. The auxiliary guide includes a guide portion to support both widthwise sides of the document to be scanned while entered toward an upper side of the mounting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image reading apparatus, comprising:
a document tray; and
an automatic document feeding unit disposed at an upper side of the document tray to transport documents to pass through the upper side of the document tray,
wherein the automatic document feeding unit comprises a body; a document supplying tray having a first width corresponding to a width of a first document to be scanned and at which the first document to be scanned is loaded; and an auxiliary guide having a second width that is smaller than the first width to correspond to a second document having a width smaller than the width of the first document and installed at the document supplying tray,
the body comprises a pick-up roller to pick up documents to be scanned; and a mounting unit provided at a lower portion of the pick-up roller and at which front ends of the documents loaded at the document supplying tray are mounted,
the auxiliary guide comprises a guide portion to support both widthwise sides of the document to be scanned, the guide portion extending into the mounting unit past a leading edge of the pick-up roller,
the document supplying tray is rotatably installed at the body,
the auxiliary guide is separably installed at the document supplying tray, and
the auxiliary guide is configured to be detached from the document supplying tray when rotating the document supplying tray.

2. The image reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a document outlet unit provided at a lower side of the document supplying tray and at which scanned documents are loaded.

3. The image reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary guide comprises a loading unit at which the second document is loaded, and a pair of supporting units to support both widthwise sides of the second document while extended upward from both widthwise sides of the loading unit, and
the guide portion is integrally extended from at least one of the loading unit and the pair of supporting units.

4. The image reading apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary guide comprises a coupling protrusion separably coupled to the document supplying tray while protruded from a lower surface of the loading unit.

5. The image reading apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the auxiliary guide comprises a position determining member separably fixed to the loading unit, and
the coupling protrusion is formed at the position determining member.

6. The image reading apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a pair of moving guides to support the both widthwise sides of the first document to be scanned while installed as to be movable in the width direction of the document supplying tray, and
the document supplying tray comprises a pair of guide slots to guide widthwise movement of the pair of moving guides, respectively, while extended widthwise along the document supplying tray, and
the coupling protrusion comprises a pair of coupling protrusions separably coupled to the pair of guide slots.

7. The image reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the automatic document feeding unit further comprises a sensor to confirm whether the auxiliary guide is installed at the document supplying tray.

8. The image reading apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the auxiliary guide comprises a magnet, and
the sensor comprises a magnetic sensor to detect a magnetic field generated at the magnet.

9. The image reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the document tray comprises a transparent window and a first scanner module to scan one side of the document, the first scanner module being disposed at a lower side of the transparent window, and
the automatic document feeding unit comprises a second scanner module to scan the other side of the document being transported, the second scanner module being provided at an inside the body.

10. A multi-function apparatus, comprising:
a document tray; and
an automatic document feeding unit disposed at an upper side of the document tray to transport documents to pass through the upper side of the document tray,
wherein the automatic document feeding unit comprises a body; a document supplying tray having a width corresponding to a width of a document to be scanned and at which the document to be scanned is loaded; a pair of moving guides to support both widthwise sides of the document to be scanned while installed to be movable in a width direction of the document supplying tray; and a pair of auxiliary guides installed at the pair of moving guides, respectively,
the body comprises a pick-up roller to pick up the document to be scanned; and a mounting unit provided at a lower portion of the pick-up roller, and at which front ends of the documents loaded on the document supplying tray are mounted,
each of the pair of auxiliary guides comprises a guide portion to support both widthwise sides of the document to be scanned, the guide portion extending into the mounting unit past a leading edge of the pick-up roller,
the document supplying tray is rotatably installed at the body, and
the pair of auxiliary guides each include a socket unit having a socket,
the socket unit has a part adjacent to the document that is spaced apart from a side of the document supplying tray on which the document is mounted, and
the pair of moving guides each is provided with a protrusion that protrudes from a side thereof adjacent to the document such that the part of the socket unit adjacent to the document is mounted on the protrusion.

11. The multi-function apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the body comprises a document outlet unit provided at a lower side of the document supplying tray and at which scanned documents are loaded.

12. The multi-function apparatus of claim 10 , wherein hinge holes are provided at each of the pair of auxiliary guides and the pair of moving guides are provided at corresponding positions to each other, and rivets are penetrated and fixed to the hinge holes.

13. A document feeding unit comprising:
a body;
a document supplying tray having a first width corresponding to a width of a first document; and
an auxiliary guide installed on the document supplying tray, the auxiliary guide having a second width that is smaller than the first width to correspond to a second document having a width smaller than the width of the first document,
wherein the body comprises a pick-up roller to pick up documents and a mounting unit provided at a lower portion of the pick-up roller at which front ends of the documents loaded at the document supplying tray are mounted,
the auxiliary guide comprises a guide portion to support both widthwise sides of the document to be picked up by the pick-up roller, the guide portion extending into while entered toward an upper side of the mounting unit past a leading edge of the pick-up roller,
the auxiliary guide is removably installed on the document supplying tray,
the document supplying tray is rotatably installed at the body, and
the auxiliary guide is configured to be detached from the document supplying tray when rotating the document supplying tray.

14. The document feeding unit of claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary guide comprises a loading unit at which the second document is loaded, and a pair of supporting units to support both widthwise sides of the second document while extended upward from both widthwise sides of the loading unit, and
the guide portion is integrally extended from at least one of the loading unit and the pair of supporting units.

15. The document feeding unit of claim 14 , wherein the auxiliary guide comprises a coupling protrusion separably coupled to the document supplying

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• S Printing Solution Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jung Hoon

Classifications

• B65H2511/10

  Size; Dimensions · CPC title

• B65H2511/12

  Width · CPC title

• H04N1/2323

  according to characteristics of the reproducing medium, e.g. type, size or availability · CPC title

• H04N1/00623

  Selectively inputting media from one of a plurality of input sources, e.g. input trays · CPC title

• B65H1/266

  Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence) · CPC title