Feed By Successive Approach And Retraction Patents (Class 271/118)
  • Patent number: 8505905
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device comprising a supply roller for feeding sheets mounted on a tray, a drive shaft for supporting the supply roller and rotationally driving the same, first and second supporting arms swingably supported on the drive shaft, a feed roller rotatably supported on the first and second supporting arms, a feed roller transmission mechanism for rotating the feed roller in conjunction with the rotation of the supply roller, first and second transmission mechanisms for swinging the first and second supporting arms, and first and second resilient retaining members which are capable of retaining the first and second supporting arms, the first and second transmission mechanisms shifting the timings that the respective first and second supporting arms are swung against the corresponding resilient retaining members. An automatic sheet transfer device comprising this sheet feeding device. An electrophotographic image forming device comprising this automatic sheet transfer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Motoki Takata, Keiko Toyoda, Masahiro Nonoyama
  • Patent number: 8496240
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes an upper cover, a document pick-up module, and a conveying channel. The upper cover has a first hooking element. The document pick-up module is arranged between the upper cover and the conveying channel. In addition, the document pick-up module has a second hooking element. When the automatic document feeder is operated in a standby mode, the document pick-up module is swung to a position near the upper cover and the second hooking element is engaged with the first hooking element, so that the document pick-up module is fixed on the upper cover. Since the document pick-up module is not contacted with the document when the automatic document feeder is operated in the standby mode, the possibility of causing an erroneous action of the document pick-up module will be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Primax Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tung-Wen Tu, Long-Chao Zhao
  • Patent number: 8490962
    Abstract: A recording apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes a sheet feeding cassette that can accommodate a stack of recording materials; a pick-up roller that comes into contact with the top recording material of the recording materials accommodated in the sheet feeding cassette to feed the recording material; a roller holder that is supported at a base end so as to be rotatable and has the pick-up roller at a tip, the pick-up roller being pressed against the recording material; and a lever that is supported at a base end so as to be rotatable and has a pressing portion at a tip, the pressing portion being pressed against the recording material. The lever is disposed on the roller holder and is supported coaxially with the roller holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: So Ishikawa, Toshimitsu Ohara
  • Patent number: 8480082
    Abstract: A sheet is fed to a registration roller pair by a separation-feeding unit formed by a sheet feeding roller and a separation portion, and is caused to abut a nip portion of the registration roller pair at rest to form a loop in the sheet. Then, when the registration roller pair rotates at a predetermined timing to convey the sheet, a pressurization plate is raised again to bring the sheet into press contact with the sheet feeding roller to thereby impart a conveyance force to the sheet, making it possible to feed the sheet reliably to the registration roller pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Kannari, Takeshi Suga
  • Patent number: 8480075
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a pickup roller rotated to pick up a printing medium. The image forming apparatus includes support members operated in connection with the rotation of the pickup roller, and the pickup of the printing medium is carried out under the condition that both sides of the printing medium are supported by the support members. The image forming apparatus thereby prevents jams generated in the process of picking up a deformed printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Byung Jun Lee
  • Patent number: 8465017
    Abstract: A supply device includes: a supply roller that rotates around a first axis and supplies a medium; a rotary unit that rotates around a second axis in a determined direction to move the roller from a first position to a second position; a restriction part that, when the roller is at the first position, restricts rotation of the rotary unit in the determined direction; a member that rotates around a third axis; and a swing part that, when rotation of the rotary unit in the determined direction is restricted, swings in a first direction and makes the member separate the restriction part from the rotary unit to move the roller to the second position, and that, when the roller is at the second position, swings in a second direction and rotates the rotary unit in a direction opposite to the determined direction to move the roller to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8448935
    Abstract: A pickup mechanism includes a main frame, a supporting element mounted to the main frame, and a pickup module positioned in the main frame and including a pickup arm, a transmitting element, a separation element, a pickup element and a barrel element. The separation element includes a separation shaft and a separation roller. The pickup element includes a pickup shaft and a pickup roller. The separation roller and the pickup roller are restricted in the pickup arm. The transmitting element links the separation shaft and the pickup shaft. The pickup arm is pivoted at the separation shaft. The barrel element has a base portion pivotally mounted around the pickup shaft, and a stopping block. When the pickup module swings upward or downward, the barrel element is driven to rotate along with the pickup shaft to make the stopping block against the supporting element or apart from the supporting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shao-Yang Wu, Yueh-Shing Lee
  • Patent number: 8439352
    Abstract: A one-way clutch is mounted on an outer periphery of a rotary shaft in a manner to place a clutch needle bearing in contact with the outer periphery of the rotary shaft. A rotary member is disposed on one side of the one-way clutch and engaged with the one-way clutch to be subjected to the rotation of the rotary shaft transmitted thereto. A retaining member is mounted on the outer periphery of the rotary shaft and located on the opposite side of the one-way clutch from the rotary member, while an urging unit is provided for urging the one-way clutch to abut against the retaining member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takeji Morikawa, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 8430394
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet cassette which accommodates stacked sheets. The sheet feeding device further includes a pickup roller, a separation pad, a separating roller pressing the sheet against the separating pad and a holder arm which holds the pickup roller and the separating roller. The sheet feeding device still further includes an urging member configured to urge the separating roller toward the separating pad and includes a supporting portion configured to support a specific portion of the holder arm. When the sheet cassette is removed, the support portion supports the specific portion of the holder arm at a supporting position and the pickup roller is positioned at an upper position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junji Uehara
  • Patent number: 8424867
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes: a friction pad held by a pad holder; and a separation roller that is in contact with the friction pad while in rotation. A separation nip formed between the friction pad and the separation roller separates a recording medium from a plurality of recording media fed into the separation nip, and the pad holder includes a convex portion that is provided downstream of the friction pad in a sheet feeding direction and at a middle portion in a first width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction and that is capable of coming into contact with the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Ryohei Morisaki
  • Patent number: 8387969
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion for stacking a sheet, a sheet feeding roller for feeding the sheet stacked on said sheet stacking portion, a supporting member, rotatably supported by a base member, for rotatably supporting said sheet feeding roller, and a spring stretched between the base member and an acting portion of the supporting member. The acting portion of the supporting member is located downward with respect to a rotation center of the supporting member when a sheet stacking amount is small, and the acting portion of the supporting member is located upward with respect to a rotation center of the supporting member when a sheet stacking amount is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Sonoda, Masato Izumi
  • Patent number: 8322705
    Abstract: A controller sets a pressure-contact time from memory in accordance with rigidity of a sheet and starts a feeding operation of a sheet by causing a feeding roller to be pressure contacted with sheets on a sheet stacking plate. The controller controls the feeding roller to be separated from the sheets on the sheet stacking plate after passage of the pressure-contact time. In this way, it is possible to set the optimum pressure-contact time at the time of feeding sheets in accordance with the kind of sheet being fed and realize a stable feeding operation. Since the controller controls a driving unit based on a detection signal of a sheet-surface detecting flag that detects the height of the uppermost surface of a sheet bundle, it is possible to realize the stabilization and acceleration of a contacting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Henrique Massanori Oka, Kazushi Nishikata, Kei Sawanaka
  • Patent number: 8302956
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus, in which a drive motor rotates a pickup roller, and a drive transmission portion provided between the drive motor and the pickup roller transmits a drive from the drive motor to the pickup roller. During sheet feeding, one of the drive motor and the drive transmission portion causes the pickup roller to perform an intermittent drive of iterating the drive and a stop, so that a sheet is gradually deflected between the pickup roller and separation claws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Matsushima, Yasuhiro Uchida, Hirofumi Hori, Hitomi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8302957
    Abstract: A pick-up assembly moves a sheet of recording medium from a stack of recording media. The pick-up assembly includes a pick arm having a first end and a second end. Notably, a pivotal mounting is located proximate the first end of the pick arm; and a pick-up roller is mounted proximate the second end of the pick arm. Lastly, a motor and a transmission are located inside the pick-up roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Richard A. Murray, Juan Manuel Jimenez, Wayne Edward Stiehler
  • Patent number: 8262082
    Abstract: A medium supplying unit of an image forming apparatus includes: a cassette frame; a loading plate which is movably coupled to the cassette frame, and which supports a printing medium thereon; a pickup roller which picks up the printing medium from the loading plate; and a loading plate moving unit which causes the loading plate between a knock up state in which the loading plate located to allow the printing medium can be picked up by the pickup roller and a knock down state in which the loading plate is separated from the pickup roller, the loading plate moving unit causing the loading plate to move during when the loading plate is in the knock down state so as to reduce the occurrence of multiple sheets of printing media being picked up and supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 8246043
    Abstract: A media retrieval mechanism includes a pivot shaft, a media delivery device and a driving device. The media delivery device is capable of rotating about the pivot shaft. The media delivery device includes a contact portion and a rotating arm. The contact portion is capable of engaging at least one media. The driving device is attached to the pivot shaft. The driving device is capable of being driven by the pivot shaft. The driving device includes a driving member and the driving member includes a driving arm. The driving arm is capable of directing the rotating arm to angle the media delivery device thereby elevating the contact portion from the lower position to a lift-up position for disengaging the at least one media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-Hsiu Wu
  • Patent number: 8231121
    Abstract: A paper tray of printer is provided, which includes a paper tray body, a slide shaft, a first pick arm, a second pick arm and a paper width guide. The first pick arm is fixed on the slide shaft, and the second pick arm is slidely disposed on the slide shaft. The paper width guide is disposed on the paper tray body and is connected to the second pick arm through a linkage device to drive the second pick arm, so that a position of the second pick arm varies along with a position of the paper width guide. Accordingly, an interval between the first pick arm and the second pick arm can be varied along with a size of a paper, so as to avoid paper skew when the paper is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Kinpo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Hwa Wang
  • Patent number: 8226081
    Abstract: A paper tray of printer is provided, which includes a paper tray body, a slide shaft, a first pick arm, a second pick arm and a paper width guide. The first pick arm is fixed on the slide shaft, and the second pick arm is slidely disposed on the slide shaft. The paper width guide is disposed on the paper tray body and is connected to the second pick arm through a linkage device to drive the second pick arm, so that a position of the second pick arm varies along with a position of the paper width guide. Accordingly, an interval between the first pick arm and the second pick arm can be varied along with a size of a paper, so as to avoid paper skew when the paper is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Kinpo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Hwa Wang
  • Patent number: 8215631
    Abstract: An inkjet printing system comprising a media input support and a pivotable pick arm assembly including a pick roller. The assembly is biased to pivot toward the media input support. A rotatable arm is linked to the pivotable pick arm assembly and includes a ramped feature. The printing system further includes a carriage that includes a sloped feature that is in line with the ramped feature of the rotatable arm. When the sloped feature of the carriage is engages with the ramped feature of the rotatable arm the pick arm assembly is pivoted in a direction away from the media input support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Wayne E. Stiehler, Sathiyamoorthy T. Sivanandam
  • Patent number: 8215632
    Abstract: A method of automatically pivoting a pick arm assembly away from a media support in a printer by providing a printhead carriage with a sloped feature and providing a linking assembly coupled to the pick arm assembly with a ramped feature wherein pivoting the pick arm assembly away from the media support occurs when the printhead carriage travels along the carriage scan path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Wayne E. Stiehler, Sivanandam T. Sathiyamoorthy
  • Patent number: 8205873
    Abstract: A media pick system includes a pick-up rack, a pick-up roller, a separate roller, a swing gear arm, a swing gear lever, and a part of action. While the separate roller and the swing gear arm are driven to rotate, the swing gear lever would be driven to rotate. Therefore, while the torque generated on the pick-up rack by the part of action so that the pick-up rack could be lifted up or pushed down to pick up the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignees: Silitek Electronic (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., Lite-On Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ming-Chung Chung, Ying-Jui Lee, Hsin-Chang Chen
  • Patent number: 8177220
    Abstract: A feeding device includes a pickup roller that picks up a loaded feeding medium and sends the feeding medium to a downstream side of a feeding direction and a regulator that is provided at a location different from the pickup roller in a widthwise direction of the feeding medium and regulates the posture of the feeding medium by moving relative to the pickup roller so as to contact with or separate from the feeding medium and being urged in a direction of approaching the feeding medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Yanagishita
  • Patent number: 8177219
    Abstract: A sheet feeder has a transmission mechanism which includes an output gear mesh with a transmission gear train, and a switch element, disposed between the transmission gear train and the output gear, for switching a rotational direction of the output gear. The switch element includes a movable arm, a driving gear driven by the transmission gear train, a switching gear set attached to the arm and meshing with the driving gear, and a clutch device for restricting movement of the arm to enable the switching gear set to be disengaged from the output gear. When the output gear meshes with the switching gear set, the output gear and a transmission shaft of the sheet feeding mechanism may change the direction of their rotation. When the output gear is disengaged from the switching gear set, the output gear and the transmission shaft of the sheet feeding mechanism are not driven by a power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventors: Ku-Ming Chen, Chia-Huei Lin, Sung-Po Cheng
  • Publication number: 20120092431
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a leading end gripper and a trailing end gripper provided on a drum. The leading end gripper is moved by a leading end gripper driving mechanism. The trailing end gripper switches between a standby position where this gripper is stopped relatively to the rotating drum and a grip position where this gripper rotates with the drum. The leading end gripper and a recording medium pass through an inside of the trailing end gripper stopped in the standby position. If a trailing end of the recording medium reaches the trailing end gripper, the trailing end gripper is released and switches to the grip position. Thus, the trailing end of the medium is held on the drum by the trailing end gripper. The trailing end gripper moves in a rotating direction of the drum while continuing nipping the trailing end of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hara, Satoshi Kaiho, Yasushi Kuribayashi, Nobuaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8152159
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device has: a sheet accommodating portion that accommodates a sheet stack of a plurality of sheets; a sheet carrying plate that is provided within the sheet accommodating portion and stacks the sheet stack thereon; a pickup roller that contacts an upper face of the sheet stack and dispatches a sheet on an uppermost layer of the sheet stack, an elevator mechanism that displaces the sheet carrying plate between a sheet feeding position in which the upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller, and a separating position in which the upper face of the sheet stack separates from the pickup roller by a predetermined distance; and a controller that controls an operation of the elevator mechanism such that the sheet carrying plate is lowered to the separating position after a sheet feeding operation for feeding a sheet at the sheet feeding position is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Okumura
  • Patent number: 8152158
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a top cover having a fixing structure and first attracting element, a sheet pick-up module and a second attracting element. The fixing structure and the first attracting element are disposed on an inner surface of the top cover. The sheet pick-up module includes a sheet pick-up arm. The sheet pick-up arm is rotated to either a standby position or a sheet feeding position. The second attracting element is disposed on the sheet pick-up arm. When the sheet pick-up arm is rotated to the sheet feeding position, the sheet pick-up module feeds the sheet into an internal portion of the automatic document feeder. When the sheet pick-up arm is rotated to the standby position, the first attracting element and the second attracting element are attracted by each other so that the sheet pick-up arm is fixed on the standby position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Wei-Hsun Hsu
  • Publication number: 20120057212
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a sheet loading unit; a pick-up roller that draws a sheet from a stack of sheets set on the sheet loading unit; a moving unit that causes the pick-up roller to separate from or press against a top-surface of the sheet; a feeding member; a prevention member that prevents an original from being conveyed by the feeding member; a separation unit that separates and conveys each sheet, which is fed by the pick-up roller, to downstream in a conveying direction; and a detection unit that detects whether the original moves, the detection unit being arranged in a position near the separation unit or in upstream of the separation unit in the conveying direction. At least when the stack of sheets is being set on the sheet loading unit, the detection unit is not in contact with the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hideki Tobinaga, Norio Kimura, Atsushi Kanaya, Michitaka Suzuki, Yoshito Suzuki, Kenichiro Morita, Shinya Kitaoka, Mamoru Kambayashi
  • Patent number: 8118298
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a holding unit configured to hold a stack of sheets; a pickup roller, which feeds a sheet placed on top of the stack held in the holding unit when the pickup roller comes in contact with the sheet; a holder arm having a distal end to which the pickup roller is attached, wherein the holder arm has a swing center set at a position closer to the pickup roller side than the holding unit, and wherein the distal end of the holder arm extends from the swing center to the holding unit side; and a resiliently-deformable unit, which generates a swing moment to swing the holder arm to increases contact surface pressure between the sheet held in the holding unit and the pickup roller, wherein the swing moment increases as a contact angle between an extension direction of the holder arm and the sheet increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junki Ueyama, Makoto Hattori
  • Patent number: 8118299
    Abstract: A manual sheet feeder including a pickup roller; a pickup arm; a sheet stopper; a rotation regulation member; a solenoid including a movable core having a straight line motion; a solenoid link rotatively coupled to the movable core; and a first spring to bias the pickup arm in a direction in which the pickup arm is rotated downward. At start of sheet feeding operation, the pickup arm is rotated by the first spring in a direction in which the pickup roller is moved downward in conjunction with rotation of the solenoid link caused by the straight line motion of the movable core in one direction, and the rotation regulation member is rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the solenoid link caused by the straight line motion of the movable core in the one direction to release regulation of rotation of the sheet stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Sato
  • Patent number: 8116673
    Abstract: A printing medium supplying unit comprises a printing medium loading plate configured to move up and down based on an amount of printing medium loaded on the printing medium loading plate and an elevation control unit configured to adjust an elevation height of the printing medium loading plate such that a standby position of the printing medium loading plate can vary based on an amount of the printing medium loaded on the printing medium loading plate, wherein the standby position of the printing medium loading plate is a position in which the printing medium loading plate does not supply the printing medium to an image forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung-Won Yoon, Hyun-Ki Cho, Tae-Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 8109500
    Abstract: A medium supply unit of an image forming apparatus, the medium supply unit may include: a main body housing; a tray connected to the main body housing and loading a printing-target medium therein; an activating shaft connected to the main body housing and being rotated in a predetermined direction by an activating force of an activating source; an intermediate member supported by one end of the activating shaft to deliver a rotating force of the activating shaft; a first elastic member having one end connected to the intermediate member and the other end supported by the activating shaft; and elastically biasing the intermediate member in a direction facing the printing-target medium according to a rotation of the activating shaft; and a roller unit having a roller unit housing that is attachable to the intermediate member and at least one roller that is supported by the roller unit housing and picks up and supplies printing-target media loaded in the tray; and configured to deliver to the roller(s) an elasti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-hyup Shin, Hyun-soo Kim
  • Patent number: 8052137
    Abstract: A sheet stopping mechanism includes a guiding element, a sheet stopping element and a guiding slot. The guiding element includes a sheathing part and an extension arm. The sheathing part is sheathed around an axle of the sheet pick-up roller. The sheet stopping element includes a stopping part, a protrusion part and a contact part. The extension arm of the guiding element is upwardly sustained against at the contact part of the sheet stopping element. The protrusion part of the sheet stopping element is accommodated within the guiding slot. When the sheet pick-up roller is moved toward a sheet input tray, the guiding element is uplifted. As a result, the protrusion part of the sheet stopping element is shifted and rotated in the guiding slot, and a front edge of the paper sheet is no longer hindered by the stopping part of the sheet stopping element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Teco Image System Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming-Chieh Chung, Ming-Hung Chung
  • Patent number: 8052138
    Abstract: A paper tray of printer is provided, which includes a paper tray body, a slide shaft, a first pick arm, a second pick arm and a paper width guide. The first pick arm is fixed on the slide shaft, and the second pick arm is slidely disposed on the slide shaft. The paper width guide is disposed on the paper tray body and is connected to the second pick arm through a linkage device to drive the second pick arm, so that a position of the second pick arm varies along with a position of the paper width guide. Accordingly, an interval between the first pick arm and the second pick arm can be varied along with a size of a paper, so as to avoid paper skew when the paper is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Kinpo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Hwa Wang
  • Patent number: 8016284
    Abstract: An operation of a pickup roller to be performed upon powering on or after paper jam elimination is adjusted according the presence or absence of a document on a document sheet support. When the document is absent on the sheet support, the pickup roller is moved down sufficiently and then moved up by a first distance to assume an upper limit position. When the document is present on the sheet support, the pickup roller is moved up by a second distance which is shorter than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Tanaka, Hideyuki Hiro
  • Patent number: 8002262
    Abstract: A method for applying a pick retry using a modified pick roller force includes operating an actuator in a first duty cycle to cause a pick roller to impose a first force on a media stack ordinarily sufficient to pick and feed a top sheet from the media stack to a media path, sensing whether or not the sheet arrives in the media path, and retrying the actuator in a second duty cycle different than the first duty cycle to cause the pick roller to impose a second force on the media stack different from the first force in response to not sensing the arrival of the sheet in the media path. The second force may be greater than the first force. The second duty cycle may be longer than the first duty cycle. Also, the method includes rotating the pick roller concurrently with or subsequently to operating the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Christopher Kelty, Charles Brandon Langrel
  • Patent number: 7980549
    Abstract: A document feeder configured to feed a document in a first direction includes a tray configured to load a document or a set of documents on a loading surface thereof, first and second contact portions disposed to contact the document on the loading surface, and a detecting unit configured detect whether a document is loaded on the loading surface, the detecting unit including an actuator provided between the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the actuator projecting upward from the loading surface and being configured to be moved down due to contact with the document on the loading surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Hamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7980548
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion for stacking thereon a sheet, a sheet feeding portion for axially supporting a sheet feeding roller, and a spring portion actable on the sheet feeding portion. The spring portion acts on the sheet feeding portion so that the sheet feeding roller is pressed against the sheet with a pressing force when a sheet stacking amount is large and so that the pressing force is decreased by canceling moment created by a weight of the sheet feeding portion when the sheet stacking amount is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Sonoda, Masato Izumi
  • Patent number: 7971868
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a middle plate, a lifter mechanism, and a sheet-feed roller. The sheet-feed roller can move to a first position retracted from the sheet, a second position lower than the first position for feeding the sheet, and a third position lower than the second position. The sheet feeding apparatus has a position control mode in which when a sheet is fed, the sheet-feed roller is moved from the first position to the third position and stopped there, the middle plate is moved toward the sheet-feed roller by the lifter mechanism, the sheet stacked on the middle plate is brought into abutment against the sheet-feed roller, the middle plate is moved until a position detection sensor outputs the detection signal that the sheet-feed roller is in the second position, and a height of the sheet is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Matsushima, Minoru Kawanishi, Yasuhiro Uchida, Eiji Wakiyama
  • Patent number: 7963519
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for picking print media are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kevin Bokelman, Glenn W. Gaarder, Ryan M. Smith
  • Patent number: 7946572
    Abstract: A paper pick-up mechanism for a feeder includes a pick-up roller, a pick-up roller shaft, a separation roller, a transmission shaft, a gear set and a transmission gear shaft. Two one-way clutches are respectively coupled to the transmission shaft and the transmission gear shaft in parallel. When the transmission shaft is rotated in a direction opposite to a sheet-feeding direction, the gear set, through the cooperation of the two one-way clutches are used as a planetary gear set to lift up the pick-up roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Sheng, Sung-Po Cheng, Ku-Ming Chen
  • Patent number: 7918445
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device to feed a sheet in a sheet stack into a sheet feeding path is provided. the sheet feeding device includes a feed roller configured to contact the sheet stack and feed the sheet in a feeding direction, a guide member, having a guide surface, which is configured to contact a side of the sheet fed by the feeding roller, to guide the sheet being fed along a guiding direction, and a shifting unit to shift the feed roller in a direction toward the guide surface before the feed roller is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsugio Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7905479
    Abstract: A feeder unit to feed sheets is provided. The feeder unit includes a main frame, being swingably supported at a pivotal end by a first shaft, and arranged to extend from the first shaft toward an upper level of a tray, a rotary member, which is rotatably supported, and is arranged to come in contact with a topmost surface of the sheets, a pair of opposing walls, formed in the main frame, a secondary frame, having a pair of supporting walls which come to face the opposing walls, a gear train to transmit rotation force to the rotary member, a positioning system to situate the secondary frame in a predetermined position, and a detachment restricting system to restrict the secondary frame from being detached from the main frame. The secondary frame is situated in the predetermined position when the rotary member rotates in a direction to feed the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 7891656
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet releasing mechanism, a casing, a sheet feeding channel, a sheet pick-up module and a driving shaft. The sheet releasing mechanism includes a control lever and a base. The control lever includes a protruding part. The base includes a first restriction groove and a second restriction groove. When the protruding part is accommodated within the first restriction groove, the sheet releasing mechanism is in a sheet-holding status. When the protruding part is accommodated within the second restriction groove, the sheet releasing mechanism is in a sheet-releasing status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Hsun Hsu, Wen-An Huang, Chao-Min Yang, Chung-Kai Wang
  • Patent number: 7857303
    Abstract: An over-stack protective portion is provided on a stopper member. When a sheet feeding device is in a standby position, the over-stack protective portion is held in a position in which the over-stack protective portion is in pressure contact with sheets having the maximum stacking height capable of being fed and supported by a sheet supporting portion. Also, when the sheets are to be fed, the pressure contact of the over-stack protective portion with the sheets having the maximum stacking height is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Oomori, Masao Amano, Eiichiro Kimizuka, Daisuke Aoki
  • Patent number: 7802784
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a liftable stacking member on which a sheet is stacked, a feeding member which feeds the sheet in abutment against the uppermost one of the sheets placed on the stacking member, the feeding member moving from a separation position to an abutment position, a driving portion which lifts the stacking member, a sensor to detect that an uppermost sheet is below a predetermined position, and a control portion configured to control the driving portion so as to lift the stacking member when a signal from the sensor is received in sequence a plurality of times, which the control portion receives from a sensor due to the feeding member moving from the separation position to the abutment position repeatedly, indicate that the uppermost one of the sheets placed on the stacking member is located below a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7798483
    Abstract: When a sheet reaches a sheet separator, an operation mechanism rocks a pick arm, thereby separating a paper feed roller from the sheet. At that time, a roller presses another roller and a separation pad holder through a separation roller and a sheet which is separated by the separation pad, and a pressure welding pressure between the separation roller and the separation pad is reduced. With this, the separation roller and the separation pad can be separated from each other with a small and simple mechanism, and a back tension when a sheet is fed can be reduced inexpensively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Oomori
  • Patent number: 7758038
    Abstract: A printer comprising: a support frame; and a sheet media pick-up device pivotally mounted to the support frame so as to be pivotable relative to a supply of sheet media, the pick-up device comprising: a driven roller arranged to be rotated so as to contact and pick-up sheet media from the supply of sheet media and deliver the picked sheet media to a sheet media transport mechanism of the printer; and a motor for rotatably driving the roller, wherein the motor and driven roller are arranged to pivot with the pick-up device, the pick-up device being configured to pivot so that the driven roller is consistently positioned to contact and pick-up the sheet media as the supply of sheet media is successively depleted after each pick-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King, Gregory Michael Tow, Attila Bertok, Geoffrey Philip Dyer, Robert John Brice, Paul Ian Mackey, Christopher Hibbard
  • Patent number: 7753362
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet feeding apparatus capable of easily changing an amount of conveyance of sheet materials without increasing the costs. A sheet feeding roller body is constructed of a cylindrical sheet feeding roller support member provided with a sheet feeding roller and a gear on both sides thereof. A support portion of a sheet feeding shaft is inserted with a gap through a through-hole of the sheet feeding roller body, whereby the sheet feeding roller is rotatably supported by the sheet feeding shaft. The sheet feeding shaft receives a driving force via a sheet feeding shaft gear and thus rotates. The sheet feeding roller of the sheet feeding roller body receives a driving force via the gear from an ASF control gear and thus rotates, whereby the sheet feeding shaft and the sheet feeding roller can be rotated with different numbers of rotations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Hanabusa
  • Patent number: 7731176
    Abstract: A sheet picking system for picking a sheet of media includes a power source having a driveshaft. A first housing arm containing a drive gear is drivably coupled to the driveshaft. The drive gear defines a first pivot axis for the first housing arm, wherein the drive gear is driven by the driveshaft to rotate about the first pivot axis. A second housing arm contains an intermediate gear, a transmission device, and a pick roller. The transmission device is configured to rotatably couple the intermediate gear to the pick roller. The intermediate gear is positioned to be meshed with the drive gear. The intermediate gear defines a second pivot axis for the second housing arm. A link mechanism pivotably couples the first housing arm at the first pivot axis to the second housing arm at the second pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark Internatinoal, Inc.
    Inventors: Jessíe Mondoñdo Bato-on, Gil Alfredo Vargas
  • Patent number: 7708266
    Abstract: A sheet feeder comprising: a feed roller which feeds sheet by rotating in contact with the sheet; a separation roller which is disposed at a downstream side of a sheet feeding direction; a supporting member which supports the feed roller and the separation roller, the supporting member is supported so as to be swingable around the rotation axis of the separation roller; a drive source which drives the supporting member so as to swing; an arm pivot which is disposed between the drive source and the supporting member; a first arm which is disposed at a side of the drive source; and a second arm which is disposed at a side of the supporting member, the second arm is able to be separated from the first arm; wherein the first arm and the second arm are integrally swung around the arm pivot by the drive source, thereby the supporting member swinging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose