A medium conveying apparatus conveyable a passport includes a guide pair including a first guide, and a second guide located so as to sandwich a medium conveyance path together with the first guide, to regulate a vertical direction of the medium conveyance path, a light emitting element located on an outside of the medium conveyance path with one of the first guide or the second guide in between to detect the medium, a light receiving element located on an outside of the medium conveyance path with the first guide in between, to receive a light emitted by the light emitting element, and an opening provided in the first guide, to pass the light emitted from the light emitting element. A reflectivity in a periphery of the opening of the first guide is 55% or less.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet, a feeding roller for feeding the sheet by rotation thereof in a state in which the feeding roller contacts an uppermost sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion, a detecting portion for detecting a surface property of the sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion, a changing means for changing contact pressure of the feeding roller to the uppermost sheet, and a controller for controlling the changing means so as to change the contact pressure on the basis of a result of the surface property of the sheet detected by the detecting portion.

A roll type raw material supply device includes a raw material mounting unit for introducing a roll type raw material to which a tape for fixing to the end portion of a raw material is attached; a tape removal unit for clamping a non-bonding portion of the tape and separating the tape from the raw material; and a raw material conveying unit for attaching and moving the raw material. The roll type raw material supply device is capable of automatically and effectively removing the tape attached to a roll type raw material and causing the end portion of the raw material to be moved to a desired location without damage such as warping.

A card conveyance unit having a plurality of card cassettes, a carriage for a card, a carriage conveyance passage extended along a plurality of the card cassettes, a code reader for reading a code indicated on the card, and a control part for controlling a card send-out mechanism, a carriage moving mechanism, a conveying mechanism in the carriage and the code reader. The control part drives the carriage moving mechanism to arrange the carriage at a card taking-in position, drives the card send-out mechanism and the conveying mechanism to take a card into the carriage from a card cassette, drives the carriage moving mechanism to move the carriage to a reading position for the code of the card held by the carriage and controls the code reader to perform a reading operation of the code, and drives the conveying mechanism to send out the card and issued.

Method for controlling a sheet feeding device (1) comprising an elevator (2) for a stack of sheets, and an air supply system (3) configured to supply and direct one of more air streams towards an upper region (4) of the sheet feeding device for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device comprises an optical sensor (6) positioned adjacent the floated sheets for measuring light reflected from the floated sheets at a plurality of different heights, wherein the method comprises the steps of: continuously deriving from the optical sensor a density reading (DR) indicating the density of sheets floated, continuously deriving an average density (AD) based on a plurality of density readings, continuously deriving an upper density limit (UDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined upper density limit factor (UDLF), continuously deriving a lower density limit (LDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined lower density limit factor (LDLF), adjusting a first operating parameter (OP) of the sheet feeding device should the density reading exceed the upper density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to decrease the density of floated sheets, and adjusting the first operating parameter of the sheet feeding device should the density reading subceed the lower density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to increase the density of floated sheets. Also, a sheet feeding device connected to a controller configured to operate according to this method.

Method for controlling a sheet feeding device (1) comprising an elevator (2) for a stack of sheets, and an air supply system (3) configured to supply and direct one of more air streams towards an upper region (4) of the sheet feeding device for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device comprises an optical sensor (6) positioned adjacent the floated sheets for measuring light reflected from the floated sheets at a plurality of different heights, wherein the method comprises the steps of: continuously deriving from the optical sensor a density reading (DR) indicating the density of sheets floated, continuously deriving an average density (AD) based on a plurality of density readings, continuously deriving an upper density limit (UDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined upper density limit factor (UDLF), continuously deriving a lower density limit (LDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined lower density limit factor (LDLF), adjusting a first operating parameter (OP) of the sheet feeding device should the density reading exceed the upper density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to decrease the density of floated sheets, and adjusting the first operating parameter of the sheet feeding device should the density reading subceed the lower density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to increase the density of floated sheets. Also, a sheet feeding device connected to a controller configured to operate according to this method.

A document feeder includes a document placing tray on which a document is placed; a document discharging tray on which a document discharged from a document discharging port in a discharging direction is stacked; and a light source that radiates light to the document discharging tray. The document discharging tray is disposed below the document placing tray. The document discharging tray has a protruding portion protruding upward from the surrounding area. The light source is disposed within a region having a width that is the same as a document having a maximum size in the width direction.

Various embodiments disclose a method of detecting a media jam in a printer. The method includes causing a sensor unit of the printer to generate a sensor signal indicative of a reflectance characteristic associated with a surface of a roller of the printer. Further, the method includes receiving the sensor signal from the sensor unit of the printer and comparing the reflectance characteristic to a threshold reflectance characteristic associated with the roller. Furthermore, in response to the comparison, the method includes generating an output signal to indicate whether the media jam has occurred. For example, a first output signal indicates unsuccessful passage of a media along a media path of the printer, when the reflectance characteristic exceeds the threshold reflectance characteristic and a second output signal indicates successful passage of the media along the media path, when the reflectance characteristic is equal to or below the threshold reflectance characteristic.

Method for controlling a sheet feeding device (1) comprising an elevator (2) for a stack of sheets, and an air supply system (3) configured to supply and direct one of more air streams towards an upper region (4) of the sheet feeding device for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device comprises an optical sensor (6) positioned adjacent the floated sheets pot for measuring light reflected from the floated sheets at a plurality of different heights, wherein the method comprises the steps of: continuously deriving from the optical sensor a density reading (DR) indicating the density of sheets floated, continuously deriving an average density (AD) based on a plurality of density readings, continuously deriving an upper density limit (UDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined upper density limit factor (UDLF), continuously deriving a lower density limit (LDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined lower density limit factor (LDLF), adjusting a first operating parameter (OP) of the sheet feeding device should the density reading exceed the upper density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to decrease the density of floated sheets, and adjusting the first operating parameter of the sheet feeding device should the density reading subceed the lower density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to increase the density of floated sheets. Also, a sheet feeding device connected to a controller configured to operate according to this method.

Method for controlling a sheet feeding device (1) comprising an elevator (2) for a stack of sheets, and an air supply system (3) configured to supply and direct one of more air streams towards an upper region (4) of the sheet feeding device for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device comprises an optical sensor (6) positioned adjacent the floated sheets pot for measuring light reflected from the floated sheets at a plurality of different heights, wherein the method comprises the steps of: continuously deriving from the optical sensor a density reading (DR) indicating the density of sheets floated, continuously deriving an average density (AD) based on a plurality of density readings, continuously deriving an upper density limit (UDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined upper density limit factor (UDLF), continuously deriving a lower density limit (LDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined lower density limit factor (LDLF), adjusting a first operating parameter (OP) of the sheet feeding device should the density reading exceed the upper density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to decrease the density of floated sheets, and adjusting the first operating parameter of the sheet feeding device should the density reading subceed the lower density limit, wherein the adjustment of the first operating parameter is such as to increase the density of floated sheets. Also, a sheet feeding device connected to a controller configured to operate according to this method.