Image scanner

Claim 2

An image scanner comprising: a convey path for a document sheet, said convey path having first and second ends, one of said ends including a document sheet inserting and collecting region; a plurality of convey rollers for moving the document sheet along said convey path; image sensing means, disposed at a position between the first and second ends of said convey path, for reading an image from said document sheet while said document sheet passes in front of said image sensing means; and driving means for driving said convey rollers to move the document sheet toward the second end of said convey path and past said image sensing means when the document sheet is initially set at said inserting and collecting region of said convey path, and for driving said convey rollers and to move the document sheet back past said image sensing means and back to said inserting and collecting region of said convey path after the document sheet has passed said image sensing means; said plurality of convey rollers including a pair of rollers disposed at a position between said image sensing means and the second end of said convey path and cooperatively coupled with each other to prevent an idle movement of said document sheet; said driving means including control means for causing a rotational direction of said convey rollers to be reversed while a trailing edge of said document sheet is moved between said image sensing means and the pair of said rollers.

Claim 3

An image scanner according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a position sensor disposed at a position between said image sensing means and the pair of said rollers for generating an output signal indicating the presence or absence of said document sheet, and a checking circuit means for repeatedly checking the output signal of said position sensor means after a period required for said document sheet to be moved from said end region to the position of said position sensor means has elapsed, thereby detecting that the trailing edge of said document sheet has passed said position sensor means.

Claim 4

An image scanner comprising: a convey path for a document sheet, said convey path having first and second ends, one of said ends including a document sheet inserting and collecting region; a plurality of convey rollers for moving the document sheet along said convey path; image sensing means, disposed at a position between the first and second ends of said convey path, for reading an image from said document sheet while said document sheet passes in front of said image sensing means; driving means for driving said convey rollers to move the document sheet toward the second end of said convey path and past said image sensing means when the document sheet is initially set at said inserting and collecting region of said convey path, and for driving said convey rollers and to move the document sheet back past said image sensing means and back to said inserting and collecting region of said convey path after the document sheet has passed said image sensing means; a cylindrical document storage section which includes a wall having an axis substantially perpendicular to the document convey direction and a horizontally elongated opening formed in part of said wall and communicating with the second end of said convey path; and said driving means including control means for causing a rotational direction of said convey rollers to be reversed while a trailing edge of said document sheet is moved between said image sensing means and the second end of said convey path.

Claim 5

An image scanner comprising: a convey path for a document sheet, said convey path having first and second ends, one of said ends including a document sheet inserting and collecting region; a plurality of convey rollers for moving the document sheet along said convey path; image sensing means, disposed at a position between the first and second ends of said convey path, for reading an image from said document sheet while said document sheet passes in front of said image sensing means; driving means for driving said convey rollers to move the document sheet toward the second end of said convey path and past said image sensing means when the document sheet is initially set at said inserting and collecting region of said convey path, and for driving said convey rollers and to move the document sheet back past said image sensing means and back to said inserting and collecting region of said convey path after the document sheet has passed said image sensing means; a cylindrical document storage section which includes a wall having an axis substantially perpendicular to the document convey direction and a horizontally elongated opening formed in part of said wall and communicating with the second end of said convey path; and said driving means including control means for causing a rotational direction of said convey rollers to be reversed while a trailing edge of said document sheet is moved between said image sensing means and the second end of said convey path.

Claim 6

An image scanner according to claim 3, wherein said document storage section further includes a guide surface extending spirally toward said axis so as to be continuous with said wall.

Claim 7

An image scanner according to claim 3, wherein said control means includes a position sensor means disposed at a position between said image sensing means and the second end of said convey path for generating an output signal indicating the presence or absence of said document sheet, and a checking circuit means for repeatedly checking the output signal of said position sensor means after a period required for said document sheet to be moved from said end region to the position of said position sensor means has elapsed, thereby detecting that the trailing edge of said document sheet has passed said position sensor means.