Feed apparatus and image recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346637-B2
Application number	US-201514663197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

There is provided a feed apparatus including: a support unit supporting a sheet; a feed roller; a first arm; a recess portion; a second arm; a biasing member; an operation lever; and an engagement portion. The engagement portion is configured to be separated from the second arm at the first position in a case that the feed roller abuts against the support surface. The engagement portion is configured to be engaged with the second arm in a case that the first arm swings in a direction in which the feed roller is separated from the support surface. The second arm is configured to swing from the first position to the second position in conjunction with swing of the first arm in a direction in which the feed roller is further away from the support surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A feed apparatus configured to feed a sheet, comprising:
a support unit having a support surface configured to support the sheet;
a feed roller configured to feed the sheet supported by the support surface in a feed direction;
a first arm configured to rotatably support the feed roller at one end of the first arm, the first arm being swingable by using the other end of the first arm as a swing shaft;
a recess portion provided on the support surface; and
a second arm having one end positioned on an upstream side of the other end of the second arm in the feed direction, having a distance between the one end of the second arm and the support surface which is greater than a distance between the other end of the second arm and the support surface, and configured to be swingable with a side of the one end of the second arm as a swing shaft, between a first position at which the other end of the second arm is in the recess portion and a second position at which the other end of the second arm is outside the recess portion;
a biasing member configured to bias the second arm toward the first position;
an operation lever provided in the first arm; and
an engagement portion provided in the first arm and configured to abut against the second arm from a side of the support surface so as to be engaged therewith,
wherein the engagement portion is configured to be separated from the second arm at the first position in a case that the feed roller abuts against the support surface;
the engagement portion is configured to be engaged with the second arm in a case that the first arm swings in a direction in which the feed roller is separated from the support surface; and
the second arm is configured to swing from the first position to the second position in conjunction with swing of the first arm in a direction in which the feed roller is further away from the support surface.

2. The feed apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion is a protrusion protruding from the first arm.

3. The feed apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a guide surface facing the support surface is positioned on an upstream side of the feed roller in the feed direction, the guide surface being a part which is included in the second arm at the first position and which does not enter the recess portion; and
the other end of the second arm at the second position is positioned on a downstream side of the feed roller in the feed direction.

4. The feed apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second arm includes a pair of arms, and the pair of arms are arranged to interpose the feed roller therebetween in a direction orthogonal to the feed direction and extending along the support surface.

5. The feed apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a detecting unit configured to detect the second arm positioned at any one of the first position and the second position.

6. The feed apparatus according to claim 1 , a swing center of the swing shaft of the first arm coincides with a swing center of the swing shaft of the second arm.

7. An image recording apparatus, comprising:
the feed apparatus as defined in claim 1 ; and

a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet fed by the feed roller.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Uchino Yuta
• Sugiyama Wataru

Classifications

• B65H2553/61

  Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms · CPC title

• B65H7/02

  by feelers or detectors · CPC title

• B65H3/0661

  for separating inclined-stacked articles with separator rollers above the stack · CPC title

• B65H3/0684 Primary

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

• B65H2407/21

  Manual feeding · CPC title