A paper sheet accommodating apparatus includes: a reel configured to supply a winded belt-like member; a drum configured to roll up a paper sheet together with the belt-like member supplied from the reel; and a transmission unit configured to transmit, at a time of roll-up of the belt-like member that is caused by rotation of the drum, rotation of the reel co-rotating with the roll-up, to the drum, to assist rotation of the drum.

A transmission device includes a driving motor, a separation roller module, a correction roller module, a discharging roller module, a first clutch, a second clutch, a third clutch and a plurality of sensors which are mounted to an automatic sheet feeder. The first clutch is disposed between the driving motor and the separation roller module. The second clutch is disposed between the driving motor and the correction roller module. The third clutch is disposed between the driving motor and the discharging roller module. The plurality of the sensors sense signal variations at the time of a leading end or a tail end of each of the documents passing through the plurality of the sensors, and the plurality of the sensors transmit the signal variations to the first clutch, the second clutch and the third clutch.

The joint mechanism includes an engagement pin; a first coupling having a pair of projections with engagement recessed portions formed respectively, the engagement recessed portions with which both end portions of the engagement pin are freely engaged or disengaged; a second coupling including a circumferential wall having an opening portion and a pair of projecting pieces; and a biasing member. The pair of projecting pieces are arranged in the engagement recessed portions so as to be opposed, on an upstream side in a rotation direction, to opening defining surfaces of the pair of projections, with the second coupling attached to the first coupling. Both end portions of the engagement pins are engaged with the engagement recessed portions so as to be each sandwiched between each of the pair of projecting pieces being applied a biasing force of the biasing member and each opening defining surface of the pair of projections.

A drive transmitting device includes a first gear; a second gear in engagement with the first gear; wherein a first tooth which is at least one of teeth of the first gear has a tooth surface contacting a tooth of the second gear, wherein the tooth surface has such a shape that a contact point of the first tooth of the first gear to the tooth of the second gear is in a region of a first gear side with respect to a line of action which is formed by movement of a contact point between a tooth of the second gear and a second tooth of the first gear immediately before the first tooth with respect to a rotational moving direction of the first gear.

A bidirectional media supporting system includes a first and second rollers configured to rotate to feed media in forward and reverse feed modes; a first clutch bearing set, and a second clutch bearing set configured to engage with the first clutch bearing set; and a gear transmission assembly configured to transfer a driving force from the first roller to the second roller. A method for reversing direction of printing media includes advancing media while maintaining a rotational speed of a platen roller assembly above that of a feeding roller assembly; receiving a signal to reverse the direction of advancing media; and adjusting operation by reversing a direction of rotation of a transmission gear coupled to the feeding and platen roller assemblies, and by rotating the roller assemblies in an opposite direction, while maintaining the rotational speed of the platen roller assembly below that of the feeding roller assembly.

A document feeder constituting an image forming apparatus includes a paper feeder to supply a document to a document transport path, a first transporter to transport the document toward image reading positions, and a second transporter to transport the document toward the document discharging tray while supplying the document to the image reading positions. Furthermore, the document feeder includes a motor provided on the first frame, a first driver provided on the first frame and to transmit driving force generated by the motor to the paper feeder and the first transporter, a second driver provided on the second frame and to transmit the driving force generated by the motor to the second transporter, and a second driver to transmit the driving force generated by the motor to the second transporter, and a relay transmission member to transmit the driving force generated by the motor to the second driver.

A sheet feeding device includes a tray, a feeding member, a conveying member, a separation member, a transmission unit, and a biasing member. The separation member abuts the conveying member and separates a single sheet from sheets fed by the feeding member. The transmission unit includes first and second portions respectively having first and second transmission surfaces. Where the first and second transmission surfaces abut each other, the first portion drives the second portion that drives the feeding member. The biasing member biases either of the first and second portions so that the first and second transmission surfaces move away from each other. The conveying member is driven in a state where the separation member abuts the conveying member and the feeding member abuts the sheet stacked on the tray and is stopped. Thereafter, the first and second transmission surfaces abut each other, and the feeding member is driven.

A card reader may include a card conveying passage; and a card conveying mechanism. The card conveying mechanism may include a motor; a conveying roller; and a power transmission mechanism. The power transmission mechanism may include a first gear, a second gear, a third gear, a fourth gear, a first support shaft structured to support the first gear and the third gear in a rotatable manner; and a second support shaft structured to support the second gear and the fourth gear in a rotatable manner. An axial direction of the first support shaft coincides with the first direction, and an axial direction of the second support shaft coincides with the first direction. The first gear and third gear overlap each other in the axial direction of the first support shaft, and the second gear and fourth gear overlap each other in the axial direction of the second support shaft.

A document conveying apparatus includes a first conveying roller for conveying a document stacked on the document tray, a second conveying roller, provided at a downstream side with respect to the first conveying roller, for conveying a document stacked on the document tray, a separation roller, provided at a downstream side with respect to the second conveying roller, for performing separation operation of the document, a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to a driving shaft of the first conveying roller, a driving shaft of the second conveying roller, and a driving shaft of the separation roller, and a first blocking mechanism, provided between the first conveying roller and the driving shaft of the first conveying roller, for blocking a driving force transmitted to the driving shaft of the first conveying roller, for a first certain period of time.

The joint mechanism includes an engagement pin; a first coupling having a pair of projections with engagement recessed portions formed respectively, the engagement recessed portions with which both end portions of the engagement pin are freely engaged or disengaged; a second coupling including a circumferential wall having an opening portion and a pair of projecting pieces; and a biasing member. The pair of projecting pieces are arranged in the engagement recessed portions so as to be opposed, on an upstream side in a rotation direction, to opening defining surfaces of the pair of projections, with the second coupling attached to the first coupling. Both end portions of the engagement pins are engaged with the engagement recessed portions so as to be each sandwiched between each of the pair of projecting pieces being applied a biasing force of the biasing member and each opening defining surface of the pair of projections.