Sheet separating device and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet separating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11622055-B2
Application number	US-202117532151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Nov 25, 2020
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A sheet separating device includes a stacker, a pickup member, an air supplier, and a sheet floating restraint. The stacker is configured to stack a plurality of sheets. The pickup member is configured to convey the plurality of sheets one by one from the stacker. The air supplier includes an air outlet, at a downstream side of the stacker in a sheet conveyance direction. The air supplier is configured to blow air toward a downstream end of the plurality of sheets in the sheet conveyance direction. The sheet floating restraint is configured to restrict floating of a part of the plurality of sheets separated by air blown from the air outlet. The sheet floating restraint is replaceable with another sheet floating restraint. The sheet floating restraint and said another sheet floating restraint have respective shapes different from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet separating device comprising:
a stacker configured to stack a plurality of sheets;
a pickup member configured to convey the plurality of sheets one by one from the stacker;
an air supplier including an air outlet, at a downstream side of the stacker in a sheet conveyance direction in which a sheet is conveyed from the plurality of sheets on the stacker, the air supplier being configured to blow air toward a downstream end of the plurality of sheets in the sheet conveyance direction;
a sheet floating restraint configured to restrict floating of a part of the plurality of sheets separated by air blown from the air outlet, the sheet floating restraint being replaceable with another sheet floating restraint, the sheet floating restraint and said another sheet floating restraint having respective shapes different from each other; and
a control panel including a display configured to provide a visual notification requesting a user change the sheet floating restraint to the said another sheet floating restraint in response to a determination, based on change information, that the another sheet floating restraint provides superior restriction of the floating of the part of the plurality of sheets.

2. The sheet separating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the change information includes sheet information of the plurality of sheets stacked on the stacker.

3. The sheet separating device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the sheet floating restraint has a sloped face inclined away from a surface of the sheet stacked on the stacker, toward upstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and
wherein the sheet floating restraint after being changed has a larger inclination angle of the sloped face to the surface of the sheet, as the sheet indicated by the sheet information is thicker or heavier.

4. The sheet separating device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the air supplier includes a plurality of air outlets including the air outlet, in a width direction of the plurality of sheets, and
wherein the sheet floating restraint includes a shield configured to block a part of the plurality of air outlets in a case in which the sheet indicated by the sheet information has a predetermined small size in the width direction of the sheet.

5. The sheet separating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the change information includes remaining sheet amount information of the plurality of sheets stacked on the stacker.

6. The sheet separating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet floating restraint is configured to guide air blown from the air outlet, toward downstream in the sheet conveyance direction.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet separating device according to claim 1 ; and
an image forming device configured to form an image on the sheet separated by the sheet separating device.

8. The sheet separating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to,
determine, based on the change information, whether the another sheet floating restraint provides superior restriction of the floating of the part of the plurality of sheets as compared to the sheet floating restraint currently installed in the sheet separating device, and
instruct the control panel to provide the visual notification requesting the user change the sheet floating restraint to the said another sheet floating in response to determining that the another sheet floating restraint providing superior restriction of the floating of the part of the plurality of sheets.

9. A sheet separating device comprising:
a stacker configured to stack a plurality of sheets;
a pickup member configured to convey the plurality of sheets one by one from the stacker;
an air supplier including an air outlet, at a downstream side of the stacker in a sheet conveyance direction in which a sheet is conveyed from the plurality of sheets on the stacker,
the air supplier being configured to blow air toward a downstream end of the plurality of sheets in the sheet conveyance direction;
a sheet floating restraint configured to restrict floating of a part of the plurality of sheets separated by air blown from the air outlet; and
an adjuster configured to electrically reposition the sheet floating restraint to change a shape or a posture of the sheet floating restraint, based on change information.

10. The sheet separating device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the change information includes sheet information of the plurality of sheets stacked on the stacker.

11. The sheet separating device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the sheet floating restraint has a sloped face inclined away from a surface of the sheet stacked on the stacker, toward upstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and
wherein the sheet floating restraint after being changed has a larger inclination angle of the sloped face to the surface of the sheet, as the sheet indicated by the sheet information is thicker or heavier.

12. The sheet separating device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the air supplier includes a plurality of air outlets including the air outlet, in a width direction of the plurality of sheets, and
wherein the sheet floating restraint includes a shield configured to block a part of the plurality of air outlets in a case in which the sheet indicated by the sheet information has a predetermined small size in the width direction of the sheet.

13. The sheet separating device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the change information includes remaining sheet amount information of the plurality of sheets stacked on the stacker.

14. The sheet separating device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the sheet floating restraint is configured to guide air blown from the air outlet, toward downstream in the sheet conveyance direction.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet separating device according to claim 9 ; and
an image forming device configured to form an image on the sheet separated by the sheet separating device.

16. The sheet separating device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller configured to,
determine whether to electrically reposition the sheet floating restraint based on the change information indicating that repositioning of the sheet floating restraint would provide superior restriction of the floating of the part of the plurality of sheets as compared to a current position of the sheet floating restraint, and
instruct a solenoid to move to electronically reposition the sheet floating restraint in response to determining to reposition the sheet floating restraint.

Assignees

• Tamaki Sachika
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tamaki Sachika

Classifications

• H04N1/0057 Primary

  Conveying sheets before or after scanning (arrangements for conveying sheets as part of the scanning operation H04N1/04 and subgroups) · CPC title

• H04N1/00644

  Counting or calculating, e.g. a number of remaining sheets · CPC title

• H04N1/00663

  Indicating relating to handling of media · CPC title

• H04N1/00628 Primary

  Separating, e.g. preventing feeding of two sheets at a time · CPC title

• H04N1/00631

  Ejecting or stacking (H04N1/00641 takes precedence) · CPC title