Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-02
2003-01-28
Coles, Edward (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C271S003140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512602
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to paper feeders for facsimile machine, printers, scanner, etc., in particular to a paper guide for automatic paper feeders.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Traditional automatic paper feeder for a scanner is shown in
FIG. 1. A
sheet of paper P to be scanned is fed from the left side through a continuous paper guide, having an upper surface
11
U, a lower surface with two supporting blades
11
L and
11
R and a resilient transparent thin film auxiliary scan window
10
. The scanned light beam
13
is reflected from the paper to an image sensor
12
. The scanned paper then recoils out of the lower right-hand blade
11
R of the guide. Below the guide section
99
houses the main frame of the scanner
88
, which has a larger transparent scan window
14
used for flat-bed scanning. The first scanning section F provides enough area for the automatic paper feed scanning function. The second scanning section S provides adequate scanning area for flat-bed scanning. Papers are fed intermittently from the left-hand side through the guide blade
11
L, resilient film
10
and guide blade
11
R automatically.
In such a traditional guide section, the transparent film
10
is constantly being rubbed during scanning operation. After long periods of time, the transparent film becomes blurred due to constant rubbing and the quality of the image deteriorates. Then the film
10
must be replaced. At the same time, since the left-hand guide blade
11
L, the film
10
and the right guide blade
11
R form a unitary structure which is inaccessible, the dirt residing on the film
10
cannot be wiped off easily.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a guide for an automatic paper feeder which provides smooth passage of the paper being scanned. Another object of this invention is to provide a paper guide which can easily be cleaned.
These objects are achieved by using separate lower blades for the paper guide, which are separated from the scan window. At the same time the scan window is made of durable glass.
When the scanner is used for both flat-bed scanning and automatic paper feed scanning, the image sensor position should be changed to accommodate for the difference in distance from the image sensor from the scanned paper. Due to the extra scan window used for the automatic paper feeding mechanism, the paper is scanned at a plane higher than that for the flat-bed window. If the extra scan window is thick, provision is made to move the image sensor up so that the light beam reflected from scanned paper has equal length for both the automatic paper feed scanning and the flat-bed scanning. When the extra scan is very thin, it may not be necessary to change the elevation of the image sensor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4972235 (1990-11-01), Iwamoto et al.
patent: 5379095 (1995-01-01), Oishi
patent: 5610731 (1997-03-01), Itoh
patent: 410186535 (1998-07-01), None
Lin Shein-Chi
Sheng Thomas
Avision Inc.
Coles Edward
Lin H. C.
Safaipour Houshang
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