Abstract: A sheet separation mechanism includes a separation claw holder, a separation claw, a first coil spring and a second coil spring. The separation claw holder can be provided at a predetermined place in the image forming apparatus. The separation claw includes a separation claw base pivotally supported by the separation claw holder and a separation claw front-end pivotally supported by the separation claw base. The first coil spring is configured to apply a force to rotate the separation claw base toward an intermediate transfer belt. The second coil spring is configured to apply a force to rotate the separation claw front-end toward the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A torque limiter between a pressure roller and shaft, which is configured to allow the pressure roller to rotate in a feed-out direction of a paper-sheet P, relative to the shaft, when a torque greater than a predetermined torque T is applied to the pressure roller along a circumferential direction thereof, while interlocking the pressure roller with the shaft when the torque applied to the pressure roller along the circumferential direction thereof is less than the predetermined torque. Further, the predetermined torque is set less than frictional torque N3 directly generated between a feed roller friction part and a pressure roller friction part at a nip part N, while being set greater than both the frictional torque N1 generated between the pressure roller friction part of the pressure roller and the paper-sheet P at the nip part N and the frictional torque N4 generated between a pair of paper-sheets P at the nip part.

Abstract: A sheet feeder, including: a holding portion for holding sheets; a sheet supply portion; an inclined member disposed downstream of the holding portion and having an inclined surface for guiding each sheet in a sheet feed direction along the inclined surface; a plurality of first separation protrusions provided on and integrally with the inclined member and arranged in the sheet feed direction, each first separation protrusion protruding from the inclined surface such that its distal end is located more downstream in the sheet feed direction than its proximal end; and a plurality of second separation protrusions formed of a metal, each second separation protrusion protruding from the inclined surface through a corresponding one of openings formed in the inclined member at a position in the sheet feed direction between corresponding adjacent two of the first separation protrusions, the second separation protrusions being arranged in the sheet feed direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeder, including: a holding portion for holding sheets; a sheet supply portion; an inclined member having an inclined surface for guiding each sheet in a sheet feed direction along the inclined surface; a first separation protrusion provided integrally on the inclined member so as to protrude from the inclined surface such that its distal end is located more downstream in the sheet feed direction than its proximal end; a plurality of second separation protrusions formed of a metal and disposed more upstream in the sheet feed direction than the first separation protrusion, each second separation protrusion protruding from the inclined surface through a corresponding one of openings formed in the inclined member, the second separation protrusions being arranged in the sheet feed direction; and a fixing member by which the second separation protrusions are fixed to the inclined member on a surface thereof opposite to the inclined surface.

Abstract: A stacking apparatus includes: a cassette which accommodates a plurality of recording media in a superimposed manner; a mounting portion on which the cassette is mounted; a transportation path which is arranged at a downstream side in a direction in which the cassette is mounted on the mounting portion and on which the recording media are transported from the cassette mounted on the mounting portion; a stopper of which surface for regulating downstream side edges of the recording media regulates the side edges until the cassette is mounted on the mounting portion and of which surface for regulating the side edges of the recording media releases the regulation of the side edges with a rotational operation after the cassette is mounted on the mounting portion; and a slider which slides along a back surface of the regulating surface of the stopper for regulating the side edges.

Abstract: An image reading and recording apparatus has: a carriage for mounting a recording head; a reading unit which reads an original document; a conveying roller arranged on a conveying path which is used in common for recording paper and the original; and a platen arranged so as to face the recording head. The reading unit is movable between a reading position on an upper side of the conveying path and a retracting position on a lower side of the conveying path. The platen can relatively and independently move for the reading unit.

Abstract: A retard roller of an automatic document feeder provides a frictional force to separate plural documents from each other. The retard roller can provide a first damping torque and a second damping torque with different directions. The second damping torque is smaller than the first damping torque. As such, the frictional force exerted on the document is reduced for returning the document out of the automatic document feeder. A retard roller module having such a retard roller is also provided.

Abstract: A document feeding mechanism includes a frame, a document picking means positioned in the frame for picking up and conveying a document, a stopper means positioned in the frame for blocking the conveyance of the document, a supporting portion cooperating with the stopper means for supporting the document picking up means while the document picking up means is raised at a predetermined level, and a blocking portion restricting a rotatable angle of the stopper means for blocking the conveyance of the document while the document picking up means is raised at the predetermined level. The document feeding means is kept at the predetermined level via the cooperation of the supporting portion and the stopper means for supporting the document feeding means. Since, the document feeding mechanism has high reliability to resist shake and crash for preventing the document picking up means from being drooped.

Abstract: A document feeding mechanism includes a frame, a document picking means positioned in the frame for picking up and conveying a document, a stopper means positioned in the frame for blocking the conveyance of the document, a supporting portion cooperating with the stopper means for supporting the document picking up means while the document picking up means is raised at a predetermined level, and a blocking portion restricting a rotatable angle of the stopper means for blocking the conveyance of the document while the document picking up means is raised at the predetermined level. The document feeding means is kept at the predetermined level via the cooperation of the supporting portion and the stopper means for supporting the document feeding means. Since, the document feeding mechanism has high reliability to resist shake and crash for preventing the document picking up means from being drooped.

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.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes an upper cover, an input tray for placing plural documents, a pick-up module and a stopper module. A guide plate is disposed on the upper cover. The guide plate has a confining aperture. The confining aperture includes a fixing region and a releasing region. The stopper module has a stopping slice inserted into the confining aperture. When the automatic document feeder is enabled and the pick-up module is swung to be close to the input tray, the stopper module is moved from the fixing region of the confining aperture in response to the swinging action of the pick-up module. As such, the stopper module is released and the document is allowed to be fed into the internal portion of the automatic document feeder.

Abstract: Provided is a feed device including: a loading unit in which a plurality of sheet members is loaded in a stacked state; a delivery member which performs a feed operation in a state in which a contact surface thereof is in contact with an uppermost sheet member of the sheet members loaded on the loading unit and delivers the sheet member in a feed direction using the frictional force with the uppermost sheet member as the feeding force; a gate member which is configured to move in a direction to and or from the contact surface of the delivery member and has an inclined surface with which a front end of the sheet member delivered by the delivery member collides with; and a gate energizing member which energizes the gate member in a direction approaching to the contact surface of the delivery member.

Abstract: A sheet pick-up device of an automatic document feeder is used for feeding a sheet into a sheet feeding path. The sheet pick-up device includes a sheet pick-up module and a sustaining element. The sheet pick-up module includes a driving shaft and a sheet pick-up arm coupled to the driving shaft. The sheet pick-up arm is driven by the driving shaft to be rotated to either a standby position or a sheet feeding position. The sustaining element is pivotally coupled to the sheet pick-up arm. When a distal end of the sustaining element is rotated to be in contact with the sheet feeding path, the sheet pick-up arm stays in the standby position.

Abstract: A document feeder includes a sheet tray loaded with sheets stacked thereon in a predetermined direction, a pickup unit pulling in sheets on the sheet tray and feed the sheets, a separation unit that separates a sheet from the sheets fed through the pickup unit and feeds the separated sheet, so as to convey the sheets sequentially on a sheet-by-sheet basis, and a guide unit that forms a carrying path extending from the sheet tray to the separation unit. The guide unit has an entrance portion provided at a side of the sheet tray relative to the separation unit, as an entrance of the sheets on the sheet tray into the carrying path. The carrying path has a longer length in the predetermined direction at a downstream side in a sheet carrying direction relative to the entrance portion than a length in the predetermined direction of the entrance portion.

Abstract: An image reader is provided, which includes an intermediate feed roller that is disposed downstream relative to a separation roller on a feeding path and configured to rotate in contact with a document sheet separated and fed by the separation roller and feed the document sheet to a downstream side on the feeding path so as to restrain a variation of a tensile force applied to the document sheet, which variation may be caused when the document sheet is fed and away from the separation roller, and only a single U-turn roller that is disposed downstream relative to the intermediate feed roller on the feeding path, and configured to rotate in contact with the document sheet fed by the intermediate feed roller and feed the document sheet to a reading unit in a U-turn manner on a U-turn path curved along an outer circumferential surface of the U-turn roller.

Abstract: A method of singulating overlapping items includes receiving the overlapping items in a singulation device, the device including a first transport element configured for rotation in a first direction and a second transport element in opposing relation to the first transport element, wherein the second transport element is configured for rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The method further includes rotating the first transport element at a first transport speed, rotating the second transport element at a second transport speed substantially equal to the first transport speed, conveying the overlapping items between the transport elements along a transport path, decreasing the second transport speed to singulate the overlapping items, decreasing the first transport speed to reduce a speed of a lead item, and transporting the lead item away from the singulation device.

Abstract: A multi-function peripheral includes a main body and a paper feeding module. The paper feeding module includes a supporting base, a feeding element and a paper separating elastic element. The supporting base is disposed on the main body. The supporting base is suitable for supporting multiple paper sheets and defines a paper feeding path. The feeding element is disposed above the supporting base for feeding the paper sheets along the paper feeding path. The paper separating elastic element has a fixed end connected to the supporting base and a free end disposed on the paper feeding path. When the feeding element feeds the papers along the paper feeding path, the free end applies a frictional force on the paper sheets such that one paper sheet passes the paper separating element and keeps moving while the rest of the paper sheets are blocked from moving by the paper separating elastic element.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion for stacking recording sheets; a feeding roller for feeding the recording sheets from the sheet stacking portion; separating means for separating the recording sheet fed out by the feeding roller; a holder for holding the separating means, the holder being rotatably supported on a main assembly of the apparatus; first urging means for urging the holder toward the feeding roller; a preliminary regulating member, rotatably supported on the holder, for regulating a gap relative to the feeding roller; second urging means for urging the preliminary regulating member toward the feeding roller; a first regulating member, supported by the holder, for regulating rotation of the preliminary regulating member relative to the holder; and a second regulating member, provided in the main assembly of apparatus, for regulating rotation of the preliminary regulating member relative to the main assembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a first roller that draws a recording medium at a first position and feeds the recording medium; a friction pad that comes into contact with the first roller with a predetermined contact pressure at a second position that is close to and downstream of the first position in a conveying direction of the recording medium and nips the recording medium with the first roller to convey the recording medium in the conveying direction; and a second roller that comes into contact with the first roller at a third position that is close to and downstream of the second position in the conveying direction and nips the recording medium with the first roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeder comprising: a cassette; a feed roller; a sloping separation plate provided on a downstream side of the cassette in a sheet feeding direction; and a separation member that includes a first separation claw and second separation claw, the first separation claw being closer a bottom surface of the cassette than the second separation claw, the separation member and the feed roller cooperating with each other to separate and feed the sheets, sheet by sheet; wherein the sloping separation plate has openings so as to allow distal projecting portions of the first separation claw and second separation claw to project through the sloping separation plate, respectively, and wherein, a first angle formed between the distal projecting portion of the first separation claw and the sloping separation plate is larger than a second angle formed between the distal projecting portion of the second separation claw and the sloping separation plate.

Abstract: A mailpiece selector device for separating mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces and for transporting them downstream, the mailpiece selector device having a first guide followed by a second guide, both of which guides co-operate with a plurality of opposite selector rollers to select the mailpieces one-by-one and to transport them downstream, the first guide being able to pivot about a first pivot axis in opposition to first resilient returner, the second pivot axis being offset upstream relative to the first pivot axis, and the first and second guides having a driver for making it possible, above a predetermined mailpiece thickness range, for the second guide to pivot automatically when the first guide pivots.

Abstract: A friction backup roller assembly for a peripheral device, comprising an auto-compensating mechanism having a pick tire at one end, a media tray disposed adjacent to the auto-compensating mechanism, a backup roller extending through an aperture in the media tray, the backup roller having a tire, the auto-compensating mechanism pivotally positioned for engagement and disengagement of the pick tire with the backup roller, and a biasing element acting on the backup roller.

Abstract: Provided is a feed device including: a loading unit in which a plurality of recording mediums is loaded in a stacked state; a delivery mechanism which has a first outer circumferential surface set such that friction force with the recording mediums is greater than friction force generated among the plurality of recording mediums when a feed operation is performed in a state of being in contact with the recording mediums and a second outer circumferential surface having a hardness higher than that of the first outer circumferential surface, and which performs the feed operation in a state in which at least the first outer circumferential is in contact with an uppermost recording medium of the recording mediums loaded on the loading unit so as to deliver the recording medium in a feed direction; a gate member and a gate energizing member.

Abstract: A paper output mechanism for an automatic document feeder, including: a seat; a connecting shaft, passed through the seat; and a paper feeding roller, placed around the connecting shaft, and including: a shaft portion; a roller portion, placed around the shaft portion; and adapted to convey a document, and an elastic element, placed around the shaft portion, and one end thereof being connected to the seat.

Abstract: Provided is a feed device including: a loading unit in which a plurality of sheet members is loaded in a stacked state; a delivery member which performs a feed operation in a state in which a contact surface thereof is in contact with an uppermost sheet member of the sheet members loaded on the loading unit and delivers the sheet member in a feed direction using friction force with the uppermost sheet member as the feeding force; a gate member which is configured to move in a direction to and from the contact surface of the delivery member and has an inclined surface with which a front end of the sheet member delivered by the delivery member collides with; and a gate energizing member which energizes the gate member in a direction approaching to the contact surface of the delivery member.

Abstract: A device for singulating overlapping flat mailings in an upright position in a path of travel has several singulating sections arranged along the path of travel. Each singulating section has conveyor belts spaced apart from each other and above each other and transporting the mailings. At an opposite side of the path of travel, each singulating section has retaining elements acting on the mailings with a friction force and at a height between the conveyor belts. A speed of travel of the conveyor belts in each singulating section is higher than the speed of travel of the conveyor belts of the respective singulating section upstream in the direction of travel. Further, individually mounted deflection rollers of the conveyor belts of both adjacent singulating sections are arranged at different heights along a common axis at each transition between the singulating sections.

Abstract: A feeding device includes a mounting portion capable of having mounting a plurality of recording media mounted in a stacked state thereon, a delivering member which performs a feeding operation in a state in which its contact surface is in contact with a top recording medium of the recording media mounted on the mounting portion to perform delivery of the recording media by using the frictional force generated between the delivering member and the top recording medium as the transporting force, a separating member having an inclined surface against which the leading end of the recording medium delivered by the delivering member can hit up against, the separating member being fixed in place at a downstream side of the mounding portion in a feeding direction of the recording media, a gate member, and a gate urging member.

Abstract: A card sending device for use with cards may include a card storage part in which a plurality of cards are stacked and stored, a gate through which a card is capable of passing to an outside of the card storage part, a sending pawl which is capable of engaging with the card to send it to the gate one by one, a pawl feeding mechanism for moving the sending pawl, a sending drive roller for sending the card which is sent by the sending pawl, one drive source for driving the pawl feeding mechanism and the sending drive roller together and a transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force of the drive source to the pawl feeding mechanism and the sending drive roller so that a sending speed for the card by the sending drive roller is set to be faster than a sending speed for the card by the sending pawl.

Abstract: A sheet cassette loads and houses therein a plurality of sheets. A separating unit separates the sheets loaded in the sheet cassette one by one. The separating unit is arranged in the sheet cassette in opposite to a feeding roller that conveys the sheets from the sheet cassette. A rib is formed on a rear surface of a bottom plate of the sheet cassette. The rib is pressed by a pressing member.

Abstract: A tuned media buckler comprises a body made of a plastic material, a rib extending from the upper surface of the body with an overall flat configuration and uniform rigidity with the rib running along the upper surface and centrally lengthwise along the body, a spring force material backing the lower surface of the body opposite to the rib that compresses against the lower surface of the body in response to the generally normal force applied to the top edge surface of the rib by a media stack, and a housing having a central aperture running lengthwise of the housing such that the rib of the media buckler extends through the aperture for engagement by a media stack.

Abstract: A sheet feed device has a tray with holding surface for holding sheets, a feed unit for feeding sheets from the tray, and a separation plate. The separation plate has an inclined surface and two or more separation portions that separate a sheet from the sheets held in the tray. At least one of the separation portions projects a first distance from the inclined surface. The separation plate also has a projection positioned on the inclined surface that projects a second distance from the inclined surface. The second distance is greater than the first distance. A first of the separation portions is positioned upstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction, and a second of the separation portions positioned downstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction.

Abstract: Sheet feeding systems and methods for using such systems to feed a sheet from a stack in a document processing system are disclosed. An exemplary sheet feeding system may include a feed roll, a retard system, a trailing edge retention system and a system for automatically an selectively separating the feed roll and the retard system. The feed roll may be configured to drive a first sheet of a stack of sheets in a process direction. The retard system may be configured to prevent one or more second sheets from being driven in the process direction. The trailing edge retention system may be configured to automatically and selectively retain one or more second sheets in the stack by applying a force to a trailing portion of at least one second sheet, thus allowing the feed roll and retard system to be separated during much of the feed cycle. As a result, wear of the feed roll and/or retard system may be reduced.

Abstract: There is provided a feeding device including a pickup roller for picking up a placed medium to be transported and transporting the medium at a downstream side in a transport direction, a guide pathway for guiding the medium transported by the pickup roller, a transport driving roller that is driven by a power of a driving source and that transports the transported medium at the further downstream side in the transport direction, a retard roller that is moved to be brought into contact with and separated from the transport driving roller and that is rotated with a predetermined load.

Abstract: In a feeding device, a first friction pad and a second friction pad are disposed on a circumferential surface of a pick roller so that a first contact area and a second contact area overlap each other. Thus, to a conveyance-target medium, which is either one of a conveyed medium and a separation-target medium, pressing forces are successively applied by the first friction pad or the second friction pad over the first contact area to the second contact area. Therefore, the conveyance-target medium, which is either one of the conveyed medium and the separation-target medium, successively receives a separation force in a total contact area wider than an area when receiving a separation force only in either one of the first contact area and the second contact area. With this, the capability of separating the conveyed medium and the separation-target medium can be increased.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device comprises a pick roller; a push-up board; a first friction member located in a position on the push-up board opposed to the pick roller with the sheet bundle interposed therebetween; and a second friction member located in a position on the push-up board upstream in a sheet transferring direction and not opposed to the pick roller. In the sheet feeding device, the second friction member has a most protruding part which protrudes to the sheet bundle more than a sheet bundle side surface of the first friction member, and a dynamic friction coefficient of the second friction member to the sheet is larger than that of the first friction member and smaller than that of the pick roller. Accordingly, double-paper feeding can be prevented and even the last one sheet can be fed regardless types of sheets.

Abstract: The present application is directed to embodiments for moving a media sheet within a scanning device. The methods include moving the media sheet through a separation mechanism that prevents multiple media sheets from being moved simultaneously along the media path. Further, a buckle is formed in the sheet at a point upstream from a scanner. The buckle acts as a buffer to absorb any load release that could occur as the media sheet exits the separation mechanism. The load release could cause a change in the velocity of the media sheet as it moves across the scanner.

Abstract: A laser printer forms images on a recording sheet fed from a paper cassette. A conveying gap between consecutively fed recording sheets is adjusted such that a conveying gap between consecutively fed thin sheets is larger than a conveying gap between consecutively fed thick sheets.

Abstract: A drive roll/idler roll nip release mechanism utilizes the motor used for the drive nip, coupled with one-way clutches, to power the nip release as a sheet is handed off to a downstream nip. A drive shaft is coupled to a first one-way clutch in one direction and an idler cam shaft is coupled to a second one-way clutch in the opposite direction. This allows the idler cam shaft to be driven only when the motor is reversed, and the drive shaft to be driven only when the motor is moving forward. The one-way clutch on the drive shaft allows the drive wheels to freewheel when the motor is reversed in order to engage the nip release. Thus, the nip release is activated while the drive nip continues to rotate in the direction of sheet motion.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a sheet tray, a feed roller, a separating pad, a feed motor, a conveying roller pair, and a deformation prevention member. The feed roller picks up and feeds first and second sheets from the sheet tray. The separating pad separates the first sheet from the second sheet together with the feed roller. The deformation prevention member is provided to prevent deformation of a head of the second sheet caused by the feed roller and the separating pad nipping the second sheet.

Abstract: A paper feeder disposed on a casing for feeding a paper is provided. The paper feeder includes a feeding axle and a paper stopper. The feeding axle has a first engaging portion. The paper stopper includes a blocking plate and a second engaging portion. The paper stopper is co-axially and rotatably disposed on the feeding axle. When the feeding axle rotates in a first direction to engage the second engaging portion with the first engaging portion, the feeding axle drives the paper stopper to rotate in the first direction until the blocking plate blocks the paper. When the feeding axle rotates in a second direction to detach the second engaging portion from the first engaging portion, the feeding axle is able to feed a paper.

Abstract: In a feeding apparatus, a control device determines whether a brake roller is rotating based on the result of detection by a rotating-state detection sensor while a medium is being transferred by a separator roller. When determining that the brake roller is not rotating, the control device sets a pickup roller to non-contact state where the pickup roller is not in contact with a medium on a feed tray while a medium is not being transferred by the separator roller.

Abstract: A separation roller includes a body, a shaft assembly and two friction roller assemblies. The shaft assembly is connected to the body. The friction roller assembly is mounted on two ends of the shaft assembly and located on two sides of the body. The friction roller assembly contacts a sheet, and the body is separated from the sheet. The body provides a limiting torque to the friction roller assemblies through the shaft assembly to limit movement of the sheet. A sheet separating mechanism using the separation roller is also disclosed.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a feed tray including a bottom plate configured to hold a sheet, a feed roller configured to feed the sheet in a first direction from the feed tray to a first conveying path, and a pressing member configured to press the sheet in the feed tray against the bottom plate of the feed tray. The pressing member includes a contact portion configured to contact the sheet in the feed tray, and a first guide positioned at a downstream end of the pressing member in the first direction. The first guide extends between the downstream end and the contact portion obliquely with respect to the bottom plate, such that a distance between the bottom plate and the first guide increases along the first direction. The first guide is positioned upstream of the feed roller in the first direction.

Abstract: An attachment assist device includes an engaging member, an engaged member, a drawing-force generator, biasing members, and rotational members. The engaging member is provided at one of a main unit and a sub unit detachably attached to the main unit. The engaged member is engaged by the engaging member and provided at the other of the main unit and the sub unit. The drawing-force generator generates a drawing force to draw the sub unit into an interior of the main unit. The biasing members are provided at the drawing-force generator to generate biasing forces in different directions. The rotational members are provided rotatably around support points at the drawing-force generator and engaged with the biasing members. The biasing members are serially connected with the rotational members to convert the biasing forces of the biasing members to the drawing force.

Abstract: A separating roller includes a sleeve having a first hollow cylinder, an arm protruding from an outer surface of the sleeve, a shaft assembly having a middle section, disposed inside the sleeve, and two ends on two sides of the middle section, a torque limiting element and two friction rollers. The sleeve and the shaft assembly are hung from a body by the arm. The torque limiting element coils around the middle section and contacts the shaft assembly, and is accommodated within the first hollow cylinder. One portion of the torque limiting element is fixed to an inner surface of the first hollow cylinder to provide a limiting torque to the shaft assembly and to limit rotation of the shaft assembly. The friction rollers are respectively fixed to the two ends of the shaft assembly. Each friction roller has an outer diameter greater than that of the sleeve.

Abstract: A paper feeding module including a first shaft, a first ring-shape structure, a paper picking roller and a paper feeding roller is provided. The first shaft has a first stopping block. The first ring-shape structure rotatably covers the first shaft and has a second stopping block and a third stopping block, wherein the first shaft drives the first ring-shape structure to rotate while the second stopping block is pushed by the first stopping block. The paper picking roller rotatably covers the first shaft and is located on the paper feeding path, and has a fourth stopping block, wherein the first ring-shape structure drives the paper picking roller to rotate while the fourth stopping block is pushed by the third stopping block. The paper feeding roller is disposed on the paper feeding path.

Abstract: When a retard roller is rotating in a sheet feeding direction, the rotation is transmitted to a pickup roller and the pickup roller rotates in a direction for conveying the sheet. When the retard roller is rotating in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction or is stationary, the pickup roller does not feed the sheet. Therefore, in a successive feeding operation, the sheet to be fed next is always conveyed such that the leading end thereof reaches a nip position between a feed roller and the retard roller. Therefore, the intervals between the sheets are uniform in the successive feeding operation.

Abstract: A media pick system includes a media support, a pick roller, disposed above media support, configured to selectively contact and pick sheets of media disposed upon the media support, and clearance means, associated with the media support, for providing contact-free clearance around the pick roller during a media out condition.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve separability with respect to other sheet without damaging sheets in a sheet-feeding mechanism used in an image forming apparatus. For the purpose of accomplishing the object, the sheet-feeding mechanism includes: a feeding roller (10) which rotates in a sheet-conveying direction, at least a contact member (12) is made of material having elasticity; and a retard roller (20) having a plurality of press-contact rollers (21) which comes in contact with the feeding roller (10) at a predetermined pressure to form a plurality of press-contact surfaces (311), and a hardness of the contact member (12) of the feeding roller (10) is different from that of the press-contact roller (21) of the retard roller (20).

Abstract: A media feeder is provided, which includes: a raisable and lowerable hopper on which multiple media are stacked; an elevator moving the hopper to a raised or lowered position; a pick-up roller picking up an upper media stacked on the hopper by rotating while contacting the uppermost media when the hopper is at the raised position; a friction member disposed on the upper surface of the hopper, at a position facing the pick-up roller; and a projecting member disposed below the hopper. The hopper includes a window hole formed in the vicinity of the friction member. When the hopper is at the lowered position, the projecting member projects from the upper surface of the hoper through the window hole. Thus, when media are placed in the feeder, even the lowermost medium does not come into contact with the friction member, thereby facilitating the placement and positional adjustment of the media.