PAPER FETCHING DEVICE USING A SUCTION DISC FOR ADHERING TO PAPER

Abstract

In an image system, a suction disc is used for adhering to paper to lift up the paper. A drawing device pulls a perimeter of a flexible and deformable suction disc to deform the suction disc, and the pulling force is released when the suction disc contacts the paper, resulting in the suction disc adhering to the paper. The drawing device pulls the perimeter of the suction disc again that the adhering force between the suction disc and the paper is lost in order to drop the paper.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a paper fetching device, and more specifically, to a paper fetching device using a suction disc for adhering to paper.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A prior art image device (such as a copier, a printer, a fax machine, or a multifunction business machine) usually has a paper tray for holding a plurality of pieces of paper or photo paper. It is also required to feed paper one by one into a printing body of the image device with a paper fetching device, which can be classified into two types: roller type and vacuum type. Please refer to FIG. 1, which is an illustration of a paper fetching device using a roller according to the prior art. The paper fetching device conveys a piece of paper 12 via friction of a robber roller 10. However, the piece of paper 12 can become marked when the roller 10 contacts the piece of paper 12 and the roller 10 may not be able to convey the piece of paper 12 if the piece of paper 12 sticks too tightly to the paper or the bay below due to static electricity. Please refer to FIG. 2 for another paper fetching device 20 using a vacuum sucker. The paper fetching device 20 comprises a vacuum generator 22 and a suction disc 24. The vacuum generator 22 can be a vacuum pump or a device capable of compressing air to generate a vacuum state.

The paper fetching device 20 generates the vacuum state in a suction disc 24 with the vacuum generator 22 so that the air pressure between the suction disc 24 and the piece of paper 12 is lowered and the suction disc 24 can adhere to a side of the paper 12. Meanwhile, an air blower 26 blows a strong airflow to the side of the paper 12 and makes the side of the paper 12 float slightly on the paper below, which allows the suction disc 12 to lift the paper 12 more easily. Despite its advantages, the vacuum generator 22 is much more expensive, more complicated, and larger than the roller-type paper fetching device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The claimed invention provides a paper fetching device using a suction disc for adhering to paper. The paper patching device comprises a support rod, a suction disc fixed at one end of the support rod for adhering to a side of a first medium, and a drawing device having one end fixed at a perimeter of the suction disc for pulling the perimeter of the suction disc to deform the suction disc.

The claimed invention also provides an image system having a paper fetching device using a suction disc for adhering to paper. The image system comprises a housing, a paper fetching device using a suction disc for adhering to paper, and a fixer movably installed on the housing for pressing against a portion of the first medium when the paper fetching device is adhering to the side of the first medium. The paper fetching device comprises a support rod movably installed on the housing, a suction disc fixed at one end of the support rod for adhering to a side of a first medium, and a drawing device having one end fixed at a perimeter of the suction disc for pulling the perimeter of the suction disc to deform the suction disc.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a paper fetching device using a roller according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a paper fetching device using a vacuum sucker according to the prior art.

FIG. 3 to FIG. 7 are illustrations of the operation of a paper fetching device when adhering a paper using a suction disc according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of an image system having a paper fetching device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to FIG. 3 to FIG. 7, which are illustrations of a paper fetching device 30 when adhering a piece of paper 32 using a suction disc 34 according to the present invention. The paper fetching device 30 comprises a suction disc 34, a support rod 36, a drawing device 38, and a guiding element 40. The support rod 36 is the stem of the paper fetching device 30 with the suction disc 34 fixed at one end of the support rod 36. The suction disc 34 is an elastic deformable arc-shaped disc and is naturally downward concave. The suction disc 34 is fixed at the end of the support rod 36 with its convex surface. The drawing device 38 can be a wire or a linkage device. One end of the drawing device 38 is fixed at a perimeter of the suction disc 34 and the other end is connected with a power source (not shown in the figures). The power source supplies a pulling force that enables the drawing device 38 to pull the perimeter of the suction disc 34 and deform the suction disc 34. The guiding element 40 is installed around the support rod 36 and provides room for the drawing device 38 to be inserted through, allowing the drawing device 38 to move. The drawing device 38 can then pull the perimeter of the suction disc 34 toward the guiding element 40.

As FIG. 3 shows, when fetching paper, the drawing device 38 of the paper fetching device 30 is driven by the power source along the direction F and pulls the perimeter of the suction disc 34 to deform the suction disc 34 toward the guiding element 40. At this time, the suction disc 34 is upward concave. Then, the paper fetching device 30 moves down along a direction N, i.e., toward the piece of paper 32. When the suction disc 34 contacts a side of the piece of paper 32, as FIG. 4 shows, the pulling force along the direction F from the power source is released. Then, the suction disc 34 returns to its natural state, and the perimeter of the suction disc 34 adheres to the piece of paper 32 due to the vacuum between the suction disc 34 and the piece of paper 32. In FIG. 5, the paper fetching device 30 lifts along a direction F. Since the suction disc 34 is firmly adhered to the piece of paper 32, the the piece of paper 32 is lifted along the direction F with the suction disc 34. The piece of paper 32 is successfully lifted away from another paper by the paper fetching device 30.

Please refer to FIG. 6. The piece of paper 32 is suspended in the air by the suction disc 34 of the paper fetching device 30 and is totally separate from paper below. After the paper fetching device 30 picks up the piece of paper 32, the paper fetching device 30 has to drop the piece of paper 32 for being conveyed into a printer by a paper feeding device. As FIG. 7 shows, when the suction between the suction disc 34 and the piece of paper 32 is removed, the piece of paper 32 is separated from the paper fetching device 30. This can be done when the power source again drives the drawing device 38 along the direction F, and the drawing device 38 pulls and deforms the perimeter of the suction disc 34 toward the guiding element 40. When the suction disc 34 turns upward concave again, the suction between the suction disc 34 and the piece of paper 32 is lost, and the paper fetching device 30 moves along the direction F and drops the piece of paper 32.

The paper fetching device according to the present invention can be applied to an image system 50, as FIG. 8 shows. FIG. 8 is an illustration of the image system 50 having a paper fetching device 30. The paper fetching device 30 is the same as those in FIG. 3 to FIG. 7. The image system 50 further comprises a housing 44 and a fixer 42, which is movably installed on the housing 44. One end of the support rod 36 of the paper fetching device 30 is fixed with the suction disc 34 and the other end of the support rod 36 is installed on the housing 44. Also, one end of the drawing device 38 is fixed at the perimeter of the suction disc 34 and the other end is connected to a power source (not shown in FIG. 8), where the power source is installed on the housing 44. The fixer 42 of the image system 50 is for pressing against a portion of the piece of paper 32 when the paper fetching device 30 is adhered to the side of the piece of paper 32. The portion of the piece of paper 32 pressed by the fixer 42 can be the center part of the piece of paper 32 or the other side (relative to the side adhered by the paper fetching device 30) of the piece of paper 32. The rigidity of the piece of paper 32 (generally a photo paper) ensures that when the paper fetching device 30 adheres to one side of the piece of paper 32 and the fixer 44 presses against the other side of the piece of paper 32 at the same time, the piece of paper 32 can be separated from the paper below. Moreover, the image system 50 according to the present invention can be a copier, a printer, a fax machine, or a multifunction business machine.

The paper fetching device according to the present invention uses a drawing device for pulling a perimeter of a flexible and deformable suction disc to deform the suction disc. The pulling force is released when the suction disc contacts a piece of paper, resulting in the suction disc adhering to the piece of paper. The drawing device pulls the perimeter of the suction disc again so that the adhering force between the suction disc and the piece of paper is lost in order to drop the paper.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A paper fetching device using a suction disc for adhering to paper, comprising:

a support rod;

a suction disc fixed at one end of the support rod for adhering to a side of a first medium; and

a drawing device having one end fixed at a perimeter of the suction disc for pulling the perimeter of the suction disc to deform the suction disc.

2. The paper fetching device of claim 1 further comprising a guiding element installed around the support rod, wherein the drawing device is inserted through the guiding element for pulling the perimeter of the suction disc toward the guiding element.

3. The paper fetching device of claim 2 wherein the guiding element is a retainer ring.

4. The paper fetching device of claim 1 wherein the drawing device is a wire.

5. The paper fetching device of claim 1 wherein the drawing device is a linkage device.

6. An image system having a paper fetching device using a suction disc for adhering to paper, comprising:

a housing;

a paper fetching device using a suction disc for adhering to paper, comprising: a support rod movably installed on the housing; a suction disc fixed at one end of the support rod for adhering to a side of a first medium; and a drawing device having one end fixed at a perimeter of the suction disc for pulling the perimeter of the suction disc to deform the suction disc; and

a fixer movably installed on the housing for pressing against a portion of the first medium when the paper fetching device is adhering to the side of the first medium.

7. The image system of claim 6 wherein the paper fetching device further comprising a guiding element installed around the support rod, where the drawing device is inserted through the guiding element for pulling the perimeter of the suction disc toward the guiding element.

8. The image system of claim 7 wherein the guiding element is a retainer ring.

9. The image system of claim 6 wherein the drawing device comprises a wire.

10. The image system of claim 6 wherein the drawing device comprises a linkage device.

11. The image system of claim 6 wherein a portion of the first medium pressed by the fixer is a region different from the side of the first medium.