# US 2014/0191461 A1 · Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191461 A1 - Document ID: US20140191461A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/144,782 - Filed: 2013-12-31 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Hiroaki UMEMOTO; Noboru Oomoto; Atsuhiko Shimoyama; Hiroshi Mizuno; Ryo Oshima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191461A1 ## CPC - B65H 3/128: {separating from the top of pile} - B65H 3/48: Air blast acting on edges of, or under, articles - B65H 7/02: by feelers or detectors - B65H 2404/264: Arrangement of side-by-side belts - B65H 2405/15: Large capacity supports arrangements - B65H 2405/312: Trolley, cart, i.e. support movable on the floor - B65H 2405/332: Superposed compartments - B65H 2406/362: adjusting or controlling distribution of vacuum transversally to the transport direction, e.g. according to the width of material - B65H 2406/3662: Fans - B65H 2511/22: Distance - B65H 2515/20: Volume; Volume flow - B65H 2553/42: Cameras - B65H 2701/1311: leading edge - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract A sheet feeding device having: a blowing device configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in a predetermined stacking direction, thereby floating at least a top sheet from the stack; a suction/transportation mechanism that includes a suction belt provided above the mounting portion and configured to attract the top sheet floated by the blowing device to transport the attracted sheet in a predetermined transportation direction; and an image pickup device configured to capture images of the top sheet and the next sheet therebelow, and disposed so as to see through an area where a side of the top sheet and the suction belt, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction, are close to each other during the floating of the top sheet, to such an extent that the side of the top sheet essentially does not hang downward. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet feeding device comprising: a mounting portion capable of accommodating a stack of sheets placed in a predetermined stacking direction; a blowing device configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in the mounting portion, thereby floating at least a top sheet from the stack; a suction/transportation mechanism that includes a suction belt provided above the mounting portion and configured to attract the top sheet floated by the blowing device to transport the attracted sheet in a predetermined transportation direction; and an image pickup device configured to capture images of the top sheet and the next sheet therebelow, and disposed so as to see through an area where a side of the top sheet and the suction belt, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction, are close to each other during the floating of the top sheet, to such an extent that the side of the top sheet essentially does not hang downward. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the images of the top sheet and the next sheet captured by the image pickup device are images of their foremost sides in the transportation direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device is capable of capturing an image of a suction surface of the suction belt if the top sheet is not being attracted to the suction belt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein an optical axis of the image pickup device, an air outlet of the blowing device, and the suction surface of the suction belt are close to one another at their positions in the stacking direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device is disposed so as not to block a flow of air blown onto the stack of sheets by the blowing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sheet feeding device according to claim 5, wherein, the blowing device includes a duct in which at least two air outlets are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other, and the image pickup device is positioned between the two air outlets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The sheet feeding device according to claim 5, wherein, the blowing device includes a duct in which an air outlet is provided, and the image pickup device is positioned near the air outlet within the duct. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The sheet feeding device according to claim 5, wherein, the blowing device includes a duct consisting of multiple tubes, including at least an external tube and an internal tube, the duct being configured such that one of two locations, either a space between the external and internal tubes or a space inside the internal tube, is used as an air outlet, and the image pickup device is positioned in the other of the two locations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The sheet feeding device according to claim 5, wherein, the blowing device includes a duct provided with an air outlet and including a transparent member, and the image pickup device is positioned near the transparent member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit configured to obtain a gap between the top sheet floated by the blowing device and the next sheet on the basis of images captured by the image pickup device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The sheet feeding device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit configured to control settings of blowing air from the blowing device, on the basis of the obtained gap. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The sheet feeding device according to claim 10, further comprising a display unit configured to present images captured by the image pickup device and/or information representing the gap obtained by the control circuit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the blowing device includes: a first blowing mechanism configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in the mounting portion, in a first direction; and a second blowing mechanism configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in the mounting portion, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein a side of the top sheet and the suction belt, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction, are close to each other during the floating of the top sheet, to such an extent that part of the side of the top sheet essentially does not hang downward. ### Claim 15 A sheet feeding device comprising: a mounting portion capable of accommodating a stack of sheets placed in a predetermined stacking direction; a blowing device configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in the mounting portion, thereby floating at least a top sheet from the stack; a suction/transportation mechanism that includes a suction belt provided above the mounting portion and configured to attract the top sheet floated by the blowing device to transport the attracted sheet in a predetermined transportation direction; a reflective member disposed so as to face an area where a side of the top sheet and the suction belt, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction, are close to each other during the floating of the top sheet, to such an extent that the side of the top sheet essentially does not hang downward; and an image pickup device configured to capture images of the top sheet and the next sheet therebelow reflected in the reflective member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus comprising a sheet feeding device of claim 1. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) An image forming apparatus comprising a sheet feeding device of claim 15.