US 6,709,177 B1Granted

Paper feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus

AssigneeFuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

InventorNaoto Sugimura

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Abstract

Two paper trays 11, 12 are disposed in such a manner that they are superimposed on top of each other in the vertical direction, a first paper feed roller 13 for feeding out paper from the upper-side paper tray 11 is disposed backwardly of and obliquely upwardly of a second paper feed roller 14 with respect to a direction in which the paper is fed out, and the upper-side paper tray 11 is disposed backwardly of and adjacently to the second paper feed roller 14. The sheets of paper fed out from the upper- and lower-side paper trays are delivered along the upper or lower surface of the second paper feed roller 14 and a are then fed into a common registration roller 10 without providing a delivery roller on the way. A holder 18 for supporting a handling member 16 to be contacted with the second paper feed roller 14 is supported by the paper tray 12 and can be retreated downwardly when pulling out the paper tray 12.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A paper feeding apparatus comprising:

an upper paper tray for piling up and storing first sheets of paper;
a lower paper tray disposed below the upper paper tray, the lower paper tray for piling up and storing second sheets of paper;
a first paper feed roller contactable with the first sheets of paper in the upper paper tray, the first paper feed roller for feeding out the first sheets of paper one by one;
a second paper feed roller contactable with the second sheets of paper in the lower paper tray, the second paper feed roller for feeding out the second sheets of paper one by one;
a paper delivery roller for receiving and delivering both of the first and second sheets of paper fed out from the upper and lower paper trays, respectively;
and
a holder mounted on the lower paper tray and having an end terminated with a handling member,
wherein the end of the holder is oriented to a downstream side of a paper-feed-out direction at which the second paper feed roller is contacted with the second sheets of paper stored in the lower paper tray,
wherein the handling member is contactable with a peripheral surface of the second paper feed roller,
wherein the lower paper tray is removable from a main body by pulling out the lower paper tray in a direction opposite to the paper-feed-out direction, and
wherein the first paper feed roller is disposed backward and obliquely upward of the second paper feed roller with respect to the paper feed-out direction to feed out the sheets of paper.

8 more elements

A paper feeding apparatus comprising:

an upper paper tray for piling up and storing first sheets of paper;
a lower paper tray disposed below the upper paper tray, the lower paper tray for piling up and storing second sheets of paper;
a first paper feed roller contactable with the first sheets of paper in the upper paper tray, the first paper feed roller for feeding out the first sheets of paper one by one;
a second paper feed roller contactable with the second sheets of paper in the lower paper tray, the second paper feed roller for feeding out the second sheets of paper one by one;
and
a holder mounted on the lower paper tray and having an end terminated with a handling member,
wherein the upper paper tray is disposed backwardly of and adjacently to the second paper feed roller with respect to a paper feed-out direction to feed out the second sheets of paper,
the first paper feed roller is disposed obliquely backward of the second paper feed roller with respect to the paper feed-out direction,
the first sheets of paper to be fed out by the first paper feed roller are allowed to pass through between the first and second paper feed rollers,
centers of the first and second paper feed rollers are set at positions distant from each other in the horizontal direction with a distance equal to or more than R1 or R2 and equal to or less than (R1+R2), where R1 and R2 respectively express radii of the first and second paper feed rollers,
wherein the end of the holder is oriented to a downstream side of the paper-feed-out direction at which the second paper feed roller is contacted with the second sheets of paper stored in the lower paper tray,
wherein the handling member is contactable with a peripheral surface of the second paper feed roller, and
wherein the lower paper tray is removable from a main body by pulling out the lower paper tray in a direction opposite to the paper-feed-out direction.

10 more elements

A paper feeding apparatus comprising:

an upper paper tray for piling up and storing first sheets of paper, the upper paper tray having a bottom surface;
a lower paper tray disposed below the upper paper tray, the lower paper tray for piling up and storing second sheets of paper;
a first paper feed roller contactable with the first sheets of paper in the upper paper tray, the first paper feed roller for feeding out the first sheets of paper one by one;
and
a second paper feed roller contactable with the second sheets of paper in the lower paper tray, the second paper feed roller having an upper end, and the second paper feed roller for feeding out the second sheets of paper one by one;
and
holder mounted on the lower paper tray and having an end terminated with a handling member,
wherein the bottom surface of the upper paper tray is set lower than the upper end of the second paper feed roller,
wherein the first paper feed roller is disposed backward of, obliquely upward of, and adjacently to the second paper feed roller with respect to a paper feed-out direction to feed out the second sheets of paper, and
centers of the first and second paper feed rollers are set at positions distant from each other in the horizontal direction with a distance equal to or more than R1 or R2 and equal to or less than (R1+R2), where R1 and R2 respectively express radii of the first and second paper feed rollers,
wherein the end of the holder is oriented to a downstream side of the paper-feed-out direction at which the second paper feed roller is contacted with the second sheets of paper stored in the lower paper tray,
wherein the handling member is contactable with a peripheral surface of the second paper feed roller, and
wherein the lower paper tray is removable from a main body by pulling out the lower paper tray in a direction opposite to the paper-feed-out direction.

10 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet of paper in accordance with a digital signal, or for transferring an image formed on an image carrier element onto a sheet of paper;
a paper feeding apparatus for storing sheets of paper, the paper feeding apparatus for feeding out the sheets of paper one by one therefrom;
and
a registration roller for delivering the sheets of paper fed out from the paper feeding apparatus at a given timing to a position opposed to the image forming unit,
wherein the paper feeding apparatus includes:
an upper paper tray for piling up and storing first sheets of paper, the upper paper tray having a bottom surface;
a lower paper tray disposed below the upper paper tray, the lower paper tray for piling up and storing second sheets of paper;
a first paper feed roller contactable with the first sheets of paper in the upper paper tray, the first paper feed roller for feeding out the first sheets of paper one by one;
and
a second paper feed roller contactable with the second sheets of paper in the lower paper tray, the second paper feed roller having an upper end, and the second paper feed roller for feeding out the second sheets of paper one by one;
and
a holder mounted on the lower paper tray and having an end terminated with a handling member,
wherein the end of the holder is oriented to a downstream side of a paper-feed-out direction at which the second paper feed roller is contacted with the second sheets of paper stored in the lower paper tray,
wherein the handling member is contactable with a peripheral surface of the second paper feed roller,
wherein the lower paper tray is removable from a main body by pulling out the lower paper tray in a direction opposite to the paper-feed-out direction,
wherein the bottom surface of the upper paper tray is set lower than the upper end of the second paper feed roller,
wherein the first and second paper feed rollers feed the first and second sheets of paper into the registration roller, respectively.

14 more elements

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet of paper in accordance with a digital signal, or for transferring an image formed on an image carrier element onto a sheet of paper;
a paper feeding apparatus for storing sheets of paper, the paper feeding apparatus for feeding out the sheets of paper one by one therefrom;
and
a paper delivery unit for delivering the sheets of paper fed out from the paper feeding apparatus to a position opposed to the image forming unit,
wherein the paper feeding apparatus comprising:
an upper paper tray for piling up and storing first sheets of paper;
a lower paper tray disposed below the upper paper tray, the lower paper tray for piling up and storing second sheets of paper;
a first paper feed roller contactable, with the first sheets of paper in the upper paper tray, the first paper feed roller for feeding out the first sheets of paper one by one;
and
a second paper feed roller contactable with the second sheets of paper in the lower paper tray, the second paper feed roller for feeding out the second sheets of paper one by one;
and
a holder mounted on the lower paper tray and having an end terminated with a handling member,
wherein the end of the holder is oriented to a downstream side of a paper-feed-out direction at which the second paper feed roller is contacted with the second sheets of paper stored in the lower paper tray,
wherein the handling member is contactable with a peripheral surface of the second paper feed roller,
wherein the lower paper tray is removable from a main body by pulling out the lower paper tray in a direction opposite to the paper-feed-out direction,
wherein the upper paper tray is disposed backwardly of and adjacently to the second paper feed roller with respect to the paper feed-out direction to feed out the second sheets of paper,
the first paper feed roller is disposed obliquely backward of the second paper feed roller with respect to the paper feed-out direction,
centers of the first and second paper feed rollers are set at positions distant from each other in the horizontal direction with a distance equal to or more than R1 or R2 and equal to or less than (R1+R2), where R1 and R2 respectively express radii of the first and second paper feed rollers, and
the first sheets of paper to be fed out by the first paper feed roller are allowed to pass through between the first and second paper feed rollers.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/722,038Filed 27 Nov 2000
Priority: JP P.2000-1045596 Apr 2000
Granted: 23 Mar 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B65H 3/5223
The retainers positioned under articles separated from the top of the pile: retainers of the pad-type, e.g. friction pads
B41J 13/103
Sheet holders, retainers , movable guides, or stationary guides: for the sheet feeding section
B65H 3/44
Separating articles from piles: simultaneously, alternately, or selectively separating articles from two or more piles
B65H 2405/31
Other features of supports for sheets: supports for sheets fully removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette