Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-11-20
Eickholt, Eugene (Department: 2854)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Medium and processing means
C400S624000, C271S010090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318855
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet material feeding apparatus mounted in a recording apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a photocopier, a printer, and so on and, more particularly, to a sheet material feeding apparatus for automatically feeding a sheet material sheet by sheet in a separated manner.
2. Description of Related Art
As methods for feeding sheet materials used in a recording apparatus., conventionally known are to manually feed the sheet materials sheet by sheet and to automatically and successively feed the sheet materials using an automatic feeding apparatus.
When the sheet materials are automatically and successively fed sheet by sheet using such an automatic feeding apparatus, a pawl separation method in which a separation pawl clamps front end corners of the sheet materials, a frictional separation method in which friction between the sheet materials and a sheet material stacking means renders the sheet materials separated, and the like are widely used as a separation method for sheet materials. In such a conventional method, various devises are made to reduce oblique feeding of the sheet materials during separation and feeding of the sheet materials.
Meanwhile in Japan, postcards such as New Year greeting cards, direct mails, various receipts in simpler forms, and the like are used in a large volume as communication means. The volume of those printed matters is so huge, while many recording apparatuses as of inkjet recording apparatuses are put in the market with photographic printing quality. Therefore, it is desirable for feeding apparatuses to feed postcards accurately.
For example, in an art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. Heisei 7-165,338 (first prior art), the sheet materials are corrected from fed obliquely by partially separating a feeding roller from the sheet material during feeding of the sheet materials. In an art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. Heisei 6-305,585 (second prior art), guide members are provided in corresponding to sizes of the sheet materials to eliminate occurrence of oblique feeding regardless size of the sheet materials.
However, with respect to the above prior arts, in the first prior art in which the sheet materials are corrected from fed obliquely by partially separating a feeding roller from the sheet material during feeding of the sheet materials, the separation means may create pressing traces on the sheet materials during separation operation of the feeding roller and the sheet materials, thereby raising a problem on quality in recording. In a case that the sheet material is a postcard, since the card is fed by a single feeding roller, separation of the feeding roller does not so work, and therefore the oblique feeding cannot be prevented enough.
In the second prior art in which the guide members are formed in corresponding to sizes of the sheet materials, a user has to manipulate different guide members according to the sizes of the sheet materials, and this mechanism renders usage of the apparatus worse and may invite improper manipulation.
This invention is to solve the above problems. It is an object of the invention to provide a sheet material feeding apparatus easily used in preventing any sheet material including a postcard from fed obliquely without adding any pressing trace and to provide a recording apparatus incorporating this feeding apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A representative structure of a sheet material feeding apparatus according to the invention to accomplish the above objects includes a sheet material stacking means for stacking sheet materials; a sheet material feeding means for feeding the sheet materials stacked on the sheet material stacking means; a separation means for separating the sheet materials sheet by sheet; and a guide member for guiding one side end of the sheet material, wherein the sheet material feeding means includes first, second, and third feeding rotary members, which are respectively formed with a sheet material contacting surface made of a high frictional material, coaxially positioned in this order from a location closer to the guide member, wherein an outer diameter of one portion of each of the first and second rotary members is different from an outer diameter of other portion of each of the first and second rotary members, and wherein a maximum outer diameter of the second rotary member is larger than a maximum outer diameter of the first rotary member.
According to the above structure, because the maximum outer diameter of the second rotary member located at a far side from the guide member is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the first rotary member located at a near side to the guide member, the feeding amount of the sheet material by the second feeding rotary member is more than the feeding amount of the sheet material by the first feeding rotary member, so that this apparatus can prevent the sheet material from fed obliquely by eliminating operation that the sheet material is fed by the separation means in a direction that the front end of the sheet material moves away from the guide member. Therefore, the sheet material can avoid from being fed obliquely without sacrificing usage of the apparatus as well as forming any pressing trace on the sheet material even in a case that the sheet material is in a size of a postcard or postal card.
When an outer diameter of one portion of the third rotary member is different from an outer diameter of other portion of the third rotary member, and when a maximum outer diameter of the first rotary member is larger than a maximum outer diameter of the third rotary member, because the maximum outer diameter of the first rotary member located at the near side from the guide member is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the third rotary member located at a far side to the guide member, the feeding amount of the sheet material by the first feeding rotary member is more than the feeding amount of the sheet material by the third feeding rotary member, so that the apparatus can prevent the sheet material from fed obliquely by suppressing, where no separation means is provided on the opposite side to the guide member, and where front ends of the sheet materials are set in a hanging manner on a side that the separation means does not exist, the feeding amount of the sheet material by the hanging amount of the front ends of the sheet materials. Therefore, the apparatus can prevent sheet materials such as plain paper or the like other than a postcard from fed obliquely in the same way.
Another representative structure of a sheet material feeding apparatus according to the invention includes a sheet material stacking means for stacking sheet materials; a sheet material feeding means for feeding the sheet materials stacked on the sheet material stacking means; a separation means for separating the sheet materials sheet by sheet; and a guide member for guiding one side end of the sheet material, wherein the sheet material feeding means includes first, second, and third feeding rotary members, which are respectively formed with a sheet material contacting surface made of a high frictional material, coaxially positioned in this order from a location closer to the guide member, and wherein a frictional coefficient of the second rotary member is higher than a frictional coefficient of the first rotary member.
According to the above structure, because the frictional coefficient of the second rotary member located at a far side from the guide member is larger than the frictional coefficient of the first rotary member located at a near side to the guide member, the feeding amount of the sheet material by the second feeding rotary member is consequently more than the feeding amount of the sheet material by the first feeding rotary member since the feeding force of the sheet material by the second feeding rotary member is larger than the feeding force of the sheet material by the first feeding rotary member, so that this
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Eickholt Eugene
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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