Article dispensing – With article treatment – With igniting means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-27
2003-05-20
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
With article treatment
With igniting means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564966
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus such as a scanner, a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile apparatus having means for reading an image of an original and/or forming an image on a sheet, and in particular, to a sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet which is provided in these apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a conventional sheet processing apparatus of this type, an image reading apparatus is shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
.
An image reading apparatus
40
has a configuration in which an upper original guide
46
that is a rotatable upper frame forming an upper part of a main body of the image reading apparatus
40
and a lower original guide
102
that is a fixed lower frame forming a lower part of the main body (hereinafter referred to as conveying frame) are combined and an original conveying path is formed between the upper original guide
46
and the conveying frame
102
.
The conveying frame
102
is provided with a sheet feeding roller
103
that receives driving force transmitted from a not-shown motor to feed an original D from an original tray
101
on which a sheaf of originals is stacked to a download side of an original conveying direction, a contact image-reading sensor (hereinafter referred to as CIS)
110
for reading image information on the original D, a conveying roller
107
for conveying the original D to the CIS
110
, a discharge roller
109
for discharging the original D, and the like. In addition, a separating pad
105
for coming into contact with the sheet feeding roller
103
to separate originals one by one from the sheaf of originals, a conveying roller
106
for into contact with the conveying roller
107
to convey the original D to the CIS
110
, a discharge roller
108
for coming into contact with the discharge roller
109
to discharge the original D to a discharge port
114
, and the like are arranged on the upper original guide
46
.
A plurality of pieces of originals D set with their reading surfaces facing downward on the original tray
101
are separated and conveyed one by one from the one at the bottom by the sheet feeding roller
103
and the separating pad
105
. The separated original D is conveyed to the CIS
110
by the conveying roller
107
and the conveying roller
106
. When the original D passes the CIS
110
, an image is read and the original D from which the image is read is discharged to the original discharge port
114
by the discharging roller
109
and the discharging roller
108
.
The separating pad
105
is held by a pad holder
31
, which is attached to the upper original guide
46
. The pad holder
31
is rotatable and configured to come to be in pressured contact with the sheet feeding roller
103
by a coil spring
51
at a predetermined pressure.
FIGS.
10
(
a
) and
10
(
b
) are views showing the back of the upper original guide that is removed from the image reading apparatus. A method of attaching the pad holder
31
holding the separating pad
105
to the upper original guide
46
will be described with reference to FIG.
10
. An opening
47
for embedding the pad holder
31
is formed in the center of the upper original guide
46
.
Shaft fitting portions
48
and
49
, in which outer portions of rotating shafts
32
and
33
of the pad holder
31
can be fitted are provided on both side portions of the opening
47
on the back of the upper original guide
46
.
The shafts
32
and
33
are fitted in the shaft fitting portions
48
and
49
from the back of the upper original guide
46
, whereby the pad holder
31
is attached to the upper original guide
46
.
However, in the case of the above-mentioned prior art, there are problems as described below,
A separating pad unit (a unit incorporating separating means consisting of the separating pad
105
and the pad holder
31
) is attached from the back of the upper original guide
46
in a state in which the back of the upper original guide
46
is opened by removing an armor attached to the upper original guide
46
. Thus, it is difficult to insert the separating pad unit and a worn separating pad unit is poorly replaceable.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above and other drawbacks of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeding apparatus and a sheet processing apparatus in which improvement of usability as well as improvement of sheet feeding performance are realized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus that is comprising
a sheet conveying rotational member that is rotated in a feeding direction of sheets;
a separating unit having a frictional member for abutting the sheet conveying rotational member to form a nip portion; and
a frame body having an opening in which the separating unit is accommodated and holding the separating unit,
wherein said sheets can be separated and fed one by one by the nip portion, and
which is characterized in that an insertion guide for guiding insertion of the separating unit into the opening from the sheet conveying rotational member side; and
a position regulating portion provided in the edge area of the opening and regulating a portion to be regulated, which is provided in the separating unit guided by the insertion guide to be inserted in the opening, to locate the separating unit in a position inside the opening where the separating unit should be accommodated are provided in an edge area of the opening.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5414492 (1995-05-01), Kubota
patent: 5621451 (1997-04-01), Sugiura et al.
patent: 1-117137 (1989-05-01), None
patent: 4-272060 (1992-09-01), None
Kaiga Miho
Kubota Takeshi
Bower Kenneth W
Walsh Donald P.
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