# US 2014/0197591 A1 · Sheet feeding apparatus 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 2014/0197591 A1 - Document ID: US20140197591A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/146,088 - Filed: 2014-01-02 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tomonari Inoue; Yasuhito Fujinuma; Motohiro Furusawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197591A1 ## CPC - B65H 3/5223: {Retainers of the pad-type, e.g. friction pads} - B65H 1/14: comprising positively-acting mechanical devices {(B65H1/025 takes precedence)} - B65H 3/0684: {on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile} - B65H 3/56: Elements, e.g. scrapers, fingers, needles, brushes, acting on separated article or on edge of the pile {(B65H3/52 takes precedence)} - B65H 3/68: immovable in operation - B65H 7/04: responsive to absence of articles, e.g. exhaustion of pile (B65H7/14 takes precedence) - B65H 2402/46: Table apparatus - B65H 2402/54: Springs, e.g. helical or leaf springs - B65H 2405/1134: movable, e.g. pivotable - B65H 2405/1136: inclined, i.e. forming an angle different from 90 with the bottom - B65H 2511/515: Absence - B65H 2513/40: Movement - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract The sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet tray on which sheets are stacked, a feeding roller which contacts a top sheet on the sheet tray and feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction, and a pair of intermediate conveying rollers which receives the fed sheet and conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction. The sheet feeding apparatus further includes a fixed slope portion, a sheet separation member, and an opposite member. The fixed slope portion includes a separation slope which is inclined in downstream of the sheet feeding direction as it is closer to the pair of intermediate conveying rollers, so as to abut against the sheet fed by the feeding roller and separate the sheet one by one. The sheet separation member and the opposite member have a separation nip portion which separates the sheet having passed through the separation slope one by one. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet stacking unit on which sheets are stacked; a feeding unit which contacts a top sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction; a conveying unit which receives the sheet fed by the feeding unit and conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction; a first separating unit which is disposed between the feeding unit and the conveying unit, and includes a separation slope inclined to be located in downstream in the sheet feeding direction as going to upside, so as to abut against a front edge of the sheet fed by the feeding unit and separate the sheet one by one; and a second separating unit which is disposed between the first separating unit and the feeding unit, and includes a separation nip portion which separates the sheet having passed through the separation slope one by one. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second separating unit includes a sheet separation member and an opposite member disposed to face the sheet separation member, the sheet separation member and the opposite member mutually abutting to form the separation nip portion, and a biasing unit which biases at least one of the sheet separation portion and the opposite member against the other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sheet separation member is biased by the biasing unit which is movable to a protruding position forming a part of the separation slope and a retracted position retracted from the separation slope, and the sheet separation member abuts against the opposite member at the protruding position to form the separation nip portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opposite member has a curved surface which guides a sheet moving the separation nip portion by sliding contact. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opposite member includes a rotating member which rotates with respect to a sheet moving the separation nip portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the separation slope extends in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, and the separation member is disposed in a notch portion formed in a center of the separation slope in the sheet width direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet stacking unit is fixed, the feeding unit includes: a feeding roller which feeds a sheet by rotating while abutting against a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit; and a pivot frame which supports the feeding roller and is pivotally provided, and when an amount of stacked sheets is reduced, the feeding roller is lowered to maintain the abutting against the sheet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the second separating unit and the sheet stacking unit is movably supported to the other, and the sheet feeding apparatus includes a control unit which performs control such that a distance between a top sheet on the sheet stacking unit and the separation nip portion is substantially constantly maintained while following a reduction of the sheets by moving the one of the second separating unit and the sheet stacking unit toward the other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second separating unit is movably supported to the sheet stacking unit, and the control unit substantially constantly maintains the distance between the top sheet on the sheet stacking unit and the separation nip portion by moving the second separating unit toward the sheet stacking unit based on a reduced amount of sheets on the sheet stacking unit with respect to the second separating unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sheet stacking unit is movably supported to the second separating unit, the feeding unit is movably supported while following a movement of the sheet stacking unit in a state of abutting against a sheet on the sheet stacking unit, and the control unit substantially constantly maintains the distance between the top sheet on the sheet stacking unit and the separation nip portion by moving the sheet stacking unit toward the second separating unit together with the feeding unit, based on a moving amount of the feeding unit which moves while following a reduction of sheets on the sheet stacking unit. ### Claim 11 A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet stacking unit on which sheets are stacked; a feeding unit which contacts a top sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction; a conveying unit which receives the sheet fed by the feeding unit and conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction; a separation slope which is disposed between the feeding unit and the conveying unit and is inclined to be located in downstream in the sheet feeding direction as going to upside, so as to abut against a front edge of the sheet fed by the feeding unit and separate the sheet one by one; a friction member which is disposed on the separation slope in a center of a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, the sheet slidably contacting the friction member; an opposite member which is disposed to face the friction member; and a biasing unit which biases one of the friction member and the opposite member against the other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a notch portion is formed on the separation slope in the center of the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, a sheet separation member including the friction member is disposed in the notch portion, and the friction member is biased in a direction protruding from the notch portion by the biasing unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sheet stacking unit is fixed, the feeding unit includes a feeding roller which feeds a sheet by rotating while abutting against a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and a pivot frame which supports the feeding roller and is pivotally provided, and when an amount of stacked sheets is reduced, the feeding roller is lowered to maintain the abutting against the sheet. ### Claim 14 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion which forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet feeding apparatus which supplies the sheet to the image forming portion, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus including: a sheet stacking unit on which sheets are stacked; a feeding unit which contacts a top sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction; a conveying unit which receives the sheet fed by the feeding unit and conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction; a first separating unit which is disposed between the feeding unit and the conveying unit, and includes a separation slope inclined to be located in downstream in the sheet feeding direction as going to upside, so as to abut against a front edge of the sheet fed by the feeding unit and separate the sheet one by one; and a second separating unit which is disposed between the first separating unit and the feeding unit, and includes a separation nip portion which separates the sheet having passed through the separation slope one by one. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second separating unit includes: a sheet separation member and an opposite member disposed to face the sheet separation member, the sheet separation member and the opposite member mutually abutting to form the separation nip portion; and a biasing unit which biases at least one of the sheet separation portion and the opposite member against the other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sheet separation member is biased by the biasing unit which is movable to a protruding position forming a part of the separation slope and a retracted position retracted from the separation slope, and the sheet separation member abuts against the opposite member at the protruding position to form the separation nip portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the opposite member has a curved surface which guides a sheet moving the separation nip portion by sliding contact. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the opposite member includes a rotating member which rotates with respect to a sheet moving the separation nip portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the separation slope extends in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, and the separation member is disposed in a notch portion formed in a center of the separation slope in the sheet width direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sheet stacking unit is fixed, the feeding unit includes: a feeding roller which feeds a sheet by rotating while abutting against a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit; and a pivot frame which supports the feeding roller and is pivotally provided, and when an amount of stacked sheets is reduced, the feeding roller is lowered to maintain the abutting against the sheet. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein one of the second separating unit and the sheet stacking unit is movably supported to the other, and the sheet feeding apparatus includes a control unit which performs control such that a distance between a top sheet on the sheet stacking unit and the separation nip portion is substantially constantly maintained while following a reduction of the sheets by moving the one of the second separating unit and the sheet stacking unit toward the other. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The image forming apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the second separating unit is movably supported to the sheet stacking unit, and the control unit substantially constantly maintains the distance between the top sheet on the sheet stacking unit and the separation nip portion by moving the second separating unit toward the sheet stacking unit based on a reduced amount of sheets on the sheet stacking unit with respect to the second separating unit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The image forming apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the sheet stacking unit is movably supported to the second separating unit, the feeding unit is movably supported while following a movement of the sheet stacking unit in a state of abutting against a sheet on the sheet stacking unit, and the control unit substantially constantly maintains the distance between the top sheet on the sheet stacking unit and the separation nip portion by moving the sheet stacking unit toward the second separating unit together with the feeding unit, based on a moving amount of the feeding unit which moves while following a reduction of sheets on the sheet stacking unit. ### Claim 24 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion which forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet feeding apparatus which supplies the sheet to the image forming portion, the sheet feeding apparatus including: a sheet stacking unit on which sheets are stacked; a feeding unit which contacts a top sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction; a conveying unit which receives the sheet fed by the feeding unit and conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction; a separation slope which is disposed between the feeding unit and the conveying unit and is inclined to be located in downstream in the sheet feeding direction as going to upside, so as to abut against a front edge of the sheet fed by the feeding unit and separate the sheet one by one; a friction member which is disposed on the separation slope in a center of a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, the sheet slidably contacting the friction member: an opposite member which is disposed to face the friction member; and a biasing unit which biases one of the friction member and the opposite member against the other. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The image forming apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a notch portion is formed on the separation slope in the center of the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, a sheet separation member including the friction member is disposed in the notch portion, and the friction member is biased in a direction protruding from the notch portion by the biasing unit. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The image forming apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the sheet stacking unit is fixed, the feeding unit includes a feeding roller which feeds a sheet by rotating while abutting against a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and a pivot frame which supports the feeding roller and is pivotally provided, and when an amount of stacked sheets is reduced, the feeding roller is lowered to maintain the abutting against the sheet.