Sheet feeding apparatus with inclined separation plane, and image forming apparatus having same
US6375183B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2405/1136
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A sheet feed roller is urged into contact with the upper surface of a sheet at the top of a stack of sheets supported on a sheet support and an inclined separation plane separates a sheet, fed forward by the sheet feed roller, from the other sheets of the stack of the sheets. A rotatable separation roller is disposed between the inclined separation plane and the sheet feed roller such that the separation roller is urged into contact with the upper surface of the sheet fed forward by the sheet feeding roller. The separation roller is movable depending on the rigidity of the sheet so that when the sheet being fed forward has low rigidity, the sheet is bent starting from a line where the sheet is in contact with the separation roller, but when the sheet being fed forward has high rigidity, the separation roller is moved upward thereby allowing the sheet is bent starting from a line where the sheet is in contact with the sheet feed roller.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.