Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus incorporating same
US8523170B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 2011 |
| Grant date | Sep 3, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 13, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2515/31
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A sheet feeder attracts an uppermost sheet of a sheet stack of a plurality of stacked sheets, and feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction. The sheet feeder includes an endless belt, a charging device, and a control device. The endless belt is made of a dielectric material, passes over upstream and downstream rollers, and is disposed above the sheet stack to face the sheet stack. The charging device applies an alternating voltage to an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt to form thereon alternating charge patterns. The control device separately controls the respective rotation states of the upstream and downstream rollers to make a sheet contact surface of the endless belt go slack in sheet attraction and make the sheet contact surface of the endless belt taut with tension into a substantially flat surface in sheet conveyance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.