Sheet feed devices and image recording apparatus comprising such sheet feed devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10246280-B2
Application number	US-201615386581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2008
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet feed device comprising:
a tray comprising:
a holding surface configured to hold a plurality of sheets;
a pair of side guides extending in a sheet feed direction and configured to guide opposite side edges of the plurality of sheets held on the holding surface; and
a rack and pinion mechanism comprising racks each connected to a corresponding one of the side guides and a pinion located at a center of the holding surface in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feed direction, the racks being engaged with the pinion such that the side guides are slidable relative to the pinion,

a feed unit configured to contact a particular sheet of the plurality of sheets held by the holding surface of the tray and feed at least the particular sheet in the sheet feed direction; and
a separation unit disposed downstream of the holding surface in the sheet feed direction and configured to separate the particular sheet from other sheets of the plurality of sheets, the separation unit comprising:
first and second inclined surfaces immovably inclined relative to the holding surface and configured to guide the particular sheet fed by the feed unit;
a plurality of first projections arrayed in alignment with the pinion of the tray in the sheet feed direction and projecting in a projecting direction toward the feed unit relative to the first and second inclined surfaces;
a metal elastic member configured to urge the plurality of first projections in the projecting direction toward the feed unit from an opening formed between the first and second inclined surfaces;
a plurality of second projections each having a first sloping surface and a second sloping surface that are different in steepness relative to the first inclined surface, the plurality of second projections being arrayed in the sheet feed direction and projecting toward the feed unit relative to the first inclined surface that extends between and parallel to the arrayed first projections and the arrayed second projections; and
a plurality of third projections each having a first sloping surface and a second sloping surface that are different in steepness relative to the second inclined surface, the plurality of third projections being arrayed in the sheet feed direction and projecting toward the feed unit relative to the second inclined surface that extends between and parallel to the arrayed first projections and the arrayed third projections,

wherein the metal elastic member is disposed separate from the first and second inclined surfaces, the plurality of second projections, and the plurality of third projections, and the first and second inclined surfaces are closer to the feed unit in the projecting direction than the metal elastic member is to the feed unit.

2. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the feed unit comprises an arm pivotable about one end thereof and a pair of rollers supported by the other end of the arm and configured to contact the particular sheet of the plurality of sheets held by the holding surface of the tray, the rollers being located symmetrically about a line passing through the center of the holding surface in the width direction.

3. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second projections and the plurality of third projections are symmetrical relative to the plurality of first projections.

4. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second projections and the plurality of third projections comprise synthetic resin.

5. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second projections and the plurality of third projections are integrally formed with the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, respectively.

6. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second projections and the plurality of third projections are stationary relative to the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, respectively.

7. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first projections are arrayed at first intervals, and the plurality of second projections and the plurality of third projections are arrayed at second and third intervals, respectively, which are different from the first intervals.

8. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first projections project relative to the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface by a first distance, and the plurality of second projections project relative to the first inclined surface by a second distance, and the plurality of third projections project relative to the second inclined surface by a third distance, the first distance being different from the second distance and the third distance.

9. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of second projections each have the first sloping surface and the second sloping surface that is steeper relative to the first inclined surface than the first sloping surface and positioned downstream of the first sloping surface in the sheet feed direction, and
wherein the plurality of third projections each have the first sloping surface and the second sloping surface that is steeper relative to the second inclined surface than the first sloping surface and positioned downstream of the first sloping surface in the sheet feed direction.

Assignees

• Asada Tetsuo
• Shiohara Yukio
• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Asada Tetsuo
• Shiohara Yukio

Classifications

• B65H29/54

  Article strippers, e.g. for stripping from advancing elements · CPC title

• B65H2405/1132

  with stepped surface portions · CPC title

• B65H2405/141

  Reliefs, projections · CPC title

• B65H2801/06

  Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers · CPC title

• B65H5/06

  by rollers {or balls, e.g. between rollers (transport by suction rollers B65H5/226)} · CPC title