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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9807267-B2
Application number	US-201514972784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

An automatic document feeder includes: a recording-medium set unit, on which a recording medium is set; a recording-medium set detecting unit that detects whether the recording medium is set on the recording-medium set unit; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium; a sheet-feeding cover section that constitutes part of the conveying unit and that includes an openable and closable sheet feeding cover; and a control unit that separately receives a power-on signal, which is output when a power source of an image forming device including the automatic document feeder is turned on, and an energy-saving return signal, which is output when a return is made from an energy saving state where a power source of part of the device is disconnected. When the power-on signal is received, the control unit performs an initialization operation to initialize each unit of the automatic document feeder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic document feeder comprising:
a recording-medium tray, on which a recording medium is set;
a recording-medium set detector configured to detect whether the recording medium is set on the recording-medium set unit;
a conveying device configured to convey the recording medium set on the recording-medium set unit;
a sheet-feeding cover section that includes a sheet feeding cover having a position that varies between an open position and a closed position; and
a controller configured to,
receive a power-on signal, if a power source of an image forming device is turned on,
receive an energy-saving return signal, if the image forming apparatus returns from an energy saving state,
perform an initialization operation to initialize each unit of the automatic document feeder, if the controller receives the power-on signal,
determine whether to skip the initialization operation when the image forming apparatus returns from the energy saving state based on whether the image forming apparatus returned from the energy savings state due to a change in the position of the sheet feeding cover, and
skip the initialization operation when the image forming apparatus returns from the energy saving state, if the image forming apparatus returned from the energy savings state due to the change in the position of the sheet feeding cover.

2. The automatic document feeder according to claim 1 , wherein, the controller is configured to receive the energy-saving return signal and perform the initialization operation, if the sheet feeding cover changes from an open state to a closed state while the image forming apparatus is in the energy saving state.

3. The automatic document feeder according to claim 1 , wherein, the controller is configured to receive the energy-saving return signal and not perform the initialization operation, if the recording medium set detector detects that the recording medium is set while the sheet feeding cover is closed in the energy saving state.

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

5. An image forming device comprising:
the image reading device according to claim 4 .

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

7. An automatic document feeder comprising:
a sheet stacking tray, on which a document sheet is stacked;
a sheet separating device configured to separate and individually feed the document sheet;
a conveying device including conveying rollers configured to convey the document sheet to a read position;
a scanner configured to read an image on the document sheet;
a sheet ejection device including sheet ejection rollers configured to eject the document sheet, and
a plurality of sensors configured to detect a position of the document sheet as the document sheet is conveyed by the conveying rollers and ejected by the sheet ejection rollers, the plurality of sensors including a downstream sensor provided furthest downstream in a conveying direction of the document sheet among the plurality of sensors and the downstream sensor being located upstream of a downstream roller furthest downstream in the conveying direction among the conveying rollers and the ejection rollers; and
a controller configured to,
perform an initialization operation to initialize each unit of the automatic document feeder, and
perform a remaining-sheet treatment to discharge a previous document sheet that remains from a previous job by rotating the downstream roller after the initialization operation is complete such that the remaining-sheet treatment is performed, after a state where an image is readable is established for a current job, the previous job being a job preceding the current job.

8. The automatic document feeder according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to complete the remaining-sheet treatment before a leading edge of a first one of the document sheets reaches the read position, if the conveying device conveys the first one of the document sheets after the power source of the automatic document feeder is turned on.

9. The automatic document feeder according to claim 7 , wherein, during the remaining-sheet treatment, the controller is configured to perform control such that ones of the plurality of rollers that are located downstream of the downstream sensor, operate at an identical conveying speed.

10. The automatic document feeder according to claim 7 , wherein, during the remaining-sheet treatment, the controller is configured to perform control such that a conveying distance of the downstream roller is equal to or greater than a distance from the downstream sensor.

11. The automatic document feeder according to claim 7 , wherein, when a number of a driving source of the downstream roller is one, the controller is configured not to perform the remaining-sheet treatment.

12. The automatic document feeder according to claim 7 , wherein, the controller is configured to cause at least the downstream roller to operate at a higher speed than a conveying speed in the conveying operation, if the conveying device is conveying a first one of the document sheets after the power source of the automatic document feeder is turned on.

13. The automatic document feeder according to claim 12 , wherein the controllers causes the downstream roller and a second most downstream roller among the plurality of rollers to operate at a higher speed than the conveying speed in the conveying operation.

14. The automatic document feeder according to claim 7 , wherein, the controller is configured to cause at least the downstream roller to operate in a direction opposite to the conveying direction in the conveying operation, if the conveying device is conveying a first one of the document sheets after the power source of the automatic document feeder is turned on.

15. The automatic document feeder according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the downstream roller and a second most downstream roller among the plurality of rollers to operate in the direction opposite to the conveying direction in the conveying operation.

16. An image reading device comprising:
the automatic document feeder according to claim 7 .

17. An image forming device comprising:
the image reading device according to claim 16 .

18. An image forming device comprising:
the automatic document feeder according to claim 7 .

Assignees

• Kubo Hiroshi
• Kimura Norio
• Kitaoka Shinya
• Kanaya Atsushi
• Suzuki Yoshito
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kubo Hiroshi
• Kimura Norio
• Kitaoka Shinya
• Kanaya Atsushi
• Suzuki Yoshito

Classifications

• H04N1/0032

  with a medium handling apparatus, e.g. a sheet sorter (handling thin or filamentary material, e.g. sheets B65H) · CPC title

• H04N1/00748

  Detecting edges, e.g. of a stationary sheet · CPC title

• H04N1/0057

  Conveying sheets before or after scanning (arrangements for conveying sheets as part of the scanning operation H04N1/04 and subgroups) · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• H04N1/00896 Primary

  using a low-power mode, e.g. standby · CPC title