Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Separators
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2001-01-30
Skaggs, H. Grant (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Separators
C271S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179282
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method, for supplying paper in a printer, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method, for supplying paper in a printer having an improved structure for supplying sheets of paper placed in a cassette to a printing unit in the printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general device such as a printer or a photocopier includes a paper supplying apparatus for receiving a plurality of sheets of paper and sequentially supplying the received sheets of paper to a printing unit of the device.
A paper supplying apparatus in a conventional printer, as shown in
FIG. 1
, includes a cassette
20
and a pickup roller
13
. The cassette
20
is attachable and detachable along guide rails
12
and
14
provided in a printer main body
10
, and receives paper. The pickup roller
13
is rotatably installed within the printer main body
10
and is closely in contact with the leading end of paper placed in the cassette
20
.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, when paper
1
loaded in the cassette
20
is supplied to a printing unit (not shown), the pickup roller
13
supplies the paper
1
in close contact with the pickup roller is in the direction indicated by arrow B while descending by a pivoting means (not shown) and simultaneously rotating by a rotating means (not shown). Here, since the corners
27
and
28
, of the paper
1
are constrained respectively by finger members
25
and
26
, a leading end C of the paper
1
is raised, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG.
2
. Thus, the paper
1
is separated from the other sheets of paper below the paper
1
and supplied to the printing unit.
However, in the conventional paper supplying apparatus having such a configuration, the pickup roller
13
rotates and pivots at the same time, and thus may not be horizontally in contact with the paper
1
during pivoting. At this time, a portion of the leading end C of the paper
1
previously in contact with the pickup roller
13
proceed, before the other portion of the leading end C of the paper
1
, thereby skewly supplying paper to the printing unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problem, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a paper supplying apparatus and method, for a printer having an improved structure delays the rotation of a pickup roller until the pickup roller is completely in contact with a sheet of paper.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a paper supplying apparatus and method, in a printer for supplying paper loaded in a cassette to a printing unit in a printer main body, the apparatus comprising: a pickup roller pivotally installed on the printer main body so as to be closely in contact with the paper, for picking up the paper while rotating in contact with the paper; means for pivoting and rotating the pickup roller installed on the printer main body; and a rotation delay means for delaying the initial rotation of the pickup roller for a predetermined time.
The pivoting/rotating means comprises: a first gear member rotatably installed on the printer main body; a shaft with which the pickup roller is slidably combined, the shaft being movably coupled to the printer main body; and a second gear member which pivots in engagement with and with respect to the first gear member together with the shaft and is installed on the shaft so as to transmit the rotating force of the first gear member to the shaft.
The rotation delay means comprises: a protrusion formed on the side surface of the second gear member; and a guide groove formed in a predetermined shape on the side surface of the pickup roller so that the protrusion can slide during the initial rotation of the first gear member, and the rotating force of the second gear member can be transmitted to the pickup roller by the protrusion contacting the leading end of the guide groove.
Alternatively, the rotation delay may comprise: a protrusion formed on the side surface of the pickup roller; and a guide groove formed in a predetermined shape on the side surface of the second gear member so that the protrusion can slide during the initial rotation of the first gear member, and the rotating force of the second gear member can be transmitted to the pickup roller by the protrusion contacting the leading end of the guide groove.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4934686 (1990-06-01), Ono et al.
patent: 5624109 (1997-04-01), Tanaka
patent: 5755435 (1998-05-01), Fujiwara
patent: 002664247A (1992-01-01), None
patent: 0011438 (1983-01-01), None
patent: 3-177239 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 404094334A (1992-03-01), None
patent: 10-120200 (1998-05-01), None
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Skaggs H. Grant
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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