US 2006/0220301 A1 · Paper feeding apparatus

Abstract

A paper feeding apparatus is provided for use in an image forming apparatus. Such a paper feeding apparatus comprises a knock-up plate rotating upwardly and downwardly with a first end thereof provided as a hinge shaft, a driving motor and a paper feeding roller assembly to withdraw a single sheet of paper stacked on the knock-up plate by a driving a force from the driving motor, and further comprises a lift gear unit to upwardly rotate the knock-up plate by the driving force intermittently transmitted from the driving motor through a connecting means; a position sensor arranged to detect whether the sheets of paper stacked on the knock-up plate reaches a predetermined height proper to be fed to the paper feeding roller assembly; and a controller arranged to control the connecting means to be turned on and off based on a signal detected from the position sensor. As a result, a single driving motor is utilized to feed papers and drive a knock-up plate, thereby reducing production costs and enhancing internal space efficiency.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A paper feeding apparatus comprising:

a knock-up plate for rotating upwardly and downwardly with a first end thereof provided as a hinge shaft;
a driving motor;
a paper feeding roller assembly for feeding each individual sheet of paper stacked on the knock-up plate by a driving a force from the driving motor;
a lift gear unit arranged to upwardly rotate the knock-up plate by the driving force intermittently transmitted from the driving motor through connecting means;
a position sensor arranged to detect whether the individual sheets of paper stacked on the knock-up plate reaches a predetermined height suitable to be fed to the paper feeding roller assembly;
and
a controller arranged to control operation of the connecting means based on a signal detected from the position sensor so as to enable transmission of the driving force from the driving motor to the lift gear unit.

4 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image former arranged to form an image on each individual sheet of print media fed from the knock-up plate;
a paper feeding cassette having a knock-up plate arranged to support print media and to rotate about a distal end in an upward/downward direction, and a lift gear assembly arranged to lift the knock-up plate in an upward direction;
a feed roller assembly arranged to pick-up and feed each individual sheet of print media stacked on the knock-up plate into the image former;
and
a main driving motor arranged to drive both the feed roller assembly and the lift gear assembly.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Paper feeding apparatus

Life of this patent

Paper feeding apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20