Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Separators
Reexamination Certificate
1996-10-17
2001-05-01
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Separators
C271S110000, C271S121000, C271S124000, C271S145000, C271S258010, C271S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224052
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet-material feeding device used in an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a laser-beam printer, a facsimile apparatus or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 11
, in a conventional copier, serving as an image forming apparatus, a main body
500
of the copier is divided into a lower frame
500
a
and an upper frame
500
b.
The upper frame
500
b
is supported so as to be openable/closable relative to the lower frame
500
a,
so that the main body
500
of the copier can be widely opened for the ease of jam removing processing, maintenance and the like. An automatic original-feeding device
600
is openably/closably mounted above the main body
500
of the copier. The automatic original-feeding device
600
feeds an original S placed on platen glass
501
, serving as an image reading unit, and discharges the original S after it has been read. In the automatic original-feeding device
600
, when a bundle of originals S is inserted into a sheet-feeding port
601
, and a copying button (not shown) on the main body
500
of the copier is depressed, a lifter
604
is raised by driving means (not shown), and the originals S are individually separated by a roller
605
and a pad
606
and are sequentially conveyed onto the platen glass
501
.
In the above-described conventional apparatus, there is no holding means for immobilizing the bundle of originals S by pressing it when the bundle of originals S is inserted into the sheet-feeding port
601
of the automatic original-feeding device
600
. Hence, when the main body
500
of the copier is widely opened in the above-described manner, the originals S may move in the direction of an arrow J, and in the worst case, may drop from a tray
602
.
In order to prevent such phenomena, for example, a configuration in which the angle &agr;10 made by the bundle of originals S set on the tray
602
and the horizontal line L is set to a large value, or a configuration in which a drop preventing wall
603
for regulating the rear end of the bundle of originals S can be considered. Such a configuration, however, results, for example, in an increase in the production cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems.
It is an object of the present invention to prevent the drop of a set sheet material when opening/closing the main body of an apparatus.
According to one aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a sheet-material feeding device for individually separating and sequentially feeding a bundle of sheets of a sheet material mounted on a sheet-material mount, comprising detection means for detecting the presence of the sheet material on the sheet-material mount, and pressing means for pressing the sheet material on the sheet-material mount when the presence of the sheet material has been detected by the detection means. A sheet-mounting angle of the sheet-material mount can be changed so that an upstream portion of the bundle of sheets is lower than a portion where the sheets are separated.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a sheet-material feeding device for individually separating and sequentially feeding a bundle of sheets of a sheet material mounted on a sheet mount, comprising a rotating member for feeding the sheet material, a rising member movable between a pressing position to grasp the bundle of sheets with the rotating member and a retracted position to release a state of grasping the bundle of sheets, and detection means for detecting a set state in which the bundle of sheets is set on the sheet mount. The rising member assumes the retracted position and the pressing position when the bundle of sheets is not in the set state, and is in the set state, respectively, based on detection information from the detection means.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to an image forming apparatus comprising reading means for reading an image of an original, and the above-described sheet-material feeding device as means for feeding the original to the reading means. At least a part of a main body of the apparatus including the sheet-material feeding device is rotatable between an opened position and a closed position.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming a recorded image on a sheet material, and the above-described sheet-material feeding device as means for feeding the sheet material to the reading means. At least a part of a main body of the apparatus including the sheet-material feeding device is rotatable between an opened position and a closed position.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a sheet-material feeding device for individually separating and sequentially feeding a bundle of sheets of a sheet material, comprising driving means which can change the direction of operation of a driving force, a rotating member for feeding the sheet material, a rising member movable between a pressing position to provide a state of grasping the bundle of sheets with the rotating member and a retracted position to release a state of grasping the bundle of sheets, and a switching mechanism, provided between the driving means and the rotating member and between the driving means and the rising member, for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the rotating member and the rising member. The switching mechanism comprises a switching member which moves to a first position by the driving force of the driving means in one direction and to a second position by the driving force of the driving means in another direction. According to the movement to the first position, the switching member feeds a sheet from the bundle of sheets in the grasped state by transmitting the driving force to the rotating member, and moves the rising member from the pressing position to the retracted position after a predetermined time period. According to the movement to the second position, the switching member moves the rising member from the retracted position to the pressing position.
As described above, according to the present invention, when the detection means has detected that the bundle of sheets of a sheet material has been set on the sheet mount, the rising member rises to hold the sheets by grasping them with the rotating member. Hence, even if the sheet-material feeding device is inclined, the drop of the sheet material can be prevented.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5004218 (1991-04-01), Sardano et al.
patent: 5043770 (1991-08-01), Nagano et al.
patent: 5100122 (1992-03-01), Noda et al.
patent: 5163666 (1992-11-01), Kuo
patent: 5201508 (1993-04-01), Kuo
patent: 5205551 (1993-04-01), Nagano et al.
patent: 5244191 (1993-09-01), Kanekura
patent: 5253854 (1993-10-01), Tanoue et al.
patent: 5358230 (1994-10-01), Ikemori et al.
patent: 5386983 (1995-02-01), Ando
patent: 5474287 (1995-12-01), Takahashi
patent: 4-333433 (1992-11-01), None
patent: 6-156776 (1994-06-01), None
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Ellis Christopher P.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Mackey Patrick
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