Sheet feeding apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021198060-A1
Application number	US-202017130747-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Jul 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet. The sheet feeding apparatus includes: a feeding roller that feeds a sheet; and a moving mechanism that moves the feeding roller to a feeding position where the feeding roller contacts the sheet, to a first retracting position where the feeding roller is separated from the sheet, and to a second retracting position lying between the feeding position and the first retracting position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet, comprising:
a storage part that stores a sheet; a feeding roller that feeds the sheet stored in the sheet storage part; a moving mechanism that moves the feeding roller from a first retracting position where the feeding roller is separated from the sheet stored in the storage part toward a feeding position where the feeding roller contacts the sheet; and a holding mechanism that holds the feeding roller at a second retracting position lying between the first retracting position and the feeding position when the moving mechanism moves the feeding roller from the first retracting position toward the feeding position.

2 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the holding mechanism stops and holds the feeding roller moved by the moving mechanism at the second retracting position and releases the hold of the feeding roller after a drive of the moving mechanism is stopped.

3 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a support member that supports the feeding roller and moves together with the feeding roller, wherein
the moving mechanism has a drive motor and an engagement member, the engagement member having an engagement part which is engaged with a part of the support member by a reverse rotation of the drive motor to move the feeding roller from the feeding position to the first retracting position, and when the drive motor normally rotates in a state where the holding mechanism holds the feeding roller at the second retracting position, the engagement between the engagement part of the engagement member and the part of the support member is released to allow the feeding roller to move to the feeding position.

4 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a lock mechanism capable of locking the feeding roller at the first retracting position, wherein
the holding mechanism has a holding member that is switched between a holding position where it holds the feeding roller at the second retracting position and a holding release position where it releases the hold of the feeding roller, and the lock mechanism releases the lock of the feeding roller by the switching operation of the holding member of the holding mechanism to the holding position.

5 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an enclosure from and into which the storage part is withdrawn and inserted; and a drive motor provided in the enclosure and configured to normally and reversely rotate, wherein the moving mechanism has a connection part that connects the drive motor and the feeding roller in a state where the storage part is inserted into the enclosure so as to allow a drive of the drive motor to be transmitted to the feeding roller and releases the drive connection between the drive motor and the feeding roller when the storage part is withdrawn from the enclosure.

6 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an operation part for withdrawing the storage part; and a control part for controlling the moving mechanism, wherein upon the operation on the operation part, the control part reversely rotates the drive motor before the storage part is withdrawn to move the feeding roller from the feeding position to the first retracting position.

7 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the moving mechanism has the drive motor configured to normally and reversely rotate and an engagement member that rotates normally and reversely by the normal and reverse rotation of the drive motor, and the engagement member reversely rotates to move the feeding roller from the feeding position to the first retracting position and normally rotates to move the feeding roller from the first retracting position to the feeding position.

8 . A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet, comprising:
a feeding roller that contacts the upper surface of a sheet to feed the sheet; a moving mechanism that moves the feeding roller to a feeding position where the feeding roller contacts the sheet, to a first retracting position where the feeding roller is separated from the sheet, and to a second retracting position lying between the feeding position and the first retracting position.

9 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the moving mechanism moves the feeding roller from the first retracting position to the second retracting position by means of a drive motor and moves the feeding roller from the second retracting position to the feeding position by the weight of the feeding roller itself.

10 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a support member that supports the feeding roller; and an engagement member that is engaged with the support member to move the feeding roller from the feeding position to the first retracting position and from the first retracting position to the second retracting position and releases the engagement with the support member to move the feeding roller from the second retracting position to the feeding position by the weight of the feeding roller itself.

11 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a holding member that holds the feeding roller at the second retracting position, wherein
the holding member holds the feeding roller at the second retracting position until the engagement between the engagement member and the support member is released.

Assignees

• Akiyama Hiroto
• Canon Finetech Nisca Inc

Inventors

• Akiyama Hiroto

Classifications

• B65H3/0684

  on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile · CPC title

• B65H2801/06

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

• B65H2601/11

  Clearing faulty handling, e.g. jams · CPC title

• B65H2404/1521

  rotating, pivoting or oscillating around an axis, e.g. parallel to the roller axis · CPC title

• B65H2404/16

  Details of driving · CPC title