US 6,806,946 B2Granted

Feed paper apparatus

AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorMitsuhiko Otaki

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Abstract

A paper feed has a door and a paper carrying tray, and raises the tray as paper is fed. A first detector that detects the presence of paper is located below a paper feed position by a margin corresponding to a given number of paper sheets, and second detector that detects the presence of paper is located below the first detector. If an open state of the door is detected, the paper carrying tray is lowered to a position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper. If the first and second detectors detect the presence of paper after the tray is lowered, the tray is lowered to the position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper. If a closed state of the door is detected after the tray is lowered, the tray is raised so that the uppermost one of paper sheets on the tray is situated in the paper feed position.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A paper feed apparatus which has a door adapted to be opened and closed as paper is supplied, successively feeds paper on the top portion of a paper carrying tray, and raises the tray as the paper is fed, the paper feed apparatus comprising:

a door detector which detects the state, open or closed, of the door;
a first detector which is located below a paper feed position by a margin corresponding to a given number of paper sheets and detects the presence of paper;
a second detector which is located below the first detector and detects the presence of paper;
and
an elevator mechanism a) which lowers the paper carrying tray to a position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the door detector detects the open state of the door, b) which lowers the paper carrying tray to the position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the first and second detectors detect the presence of paper, c) which raises the paper carrying tray so that the uppermost one of paper sheets on the tray is situated in the paper feed position if the door detector detects the closed state of the door after the tray is lowered to either a) the position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the door detector detects the open state of the door, or b) the position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the first and second detectors detect the presence of paper.

2 more elements

A paper feed apparatus which feeds paper, comprising:

a storage section which stores paper;
a paper carrying tray which carries paper thereon and moves the storage section up and down;
a paper feed section which feeds a paper sheet on the top portion of the paper carrying tray;
a drive section which raises or lowers the paper carrying tray;
a door detector which detects the state, open or closed, of a door which opens and closes the storage section;
a paper detector which is located on the top portion of the storage section and detects the presence of paper on the paper carrying tray;
a first detector which is located below the top portion of the storage section by a margin corresponding to a given number of paper sheets and detects the presence of paper;
a second detector which is located below the position of detection by the first detector and detects the presence of paper;
and
an elevator mechanism a) which drives the drive section to lower the paper carrying tray to a position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the paper detector and the door detector detect loading of paper and the open state of the door, respectively b) which drives the drive section to lower the paper carrying tray to the position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the first and second detectors detect the storage of paper after the lowering, c) which drives the drive section to raise the paper carrying tray so that the uppermost one of paper sheets on the tray is situated in a paper feed position for the paper feed section if the door detector detects the closed state of the door after the tray is lowered to either a) the position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the paper detector and the door detector detect loading of paper and the open state of the door, respectively, or b) the position where the second detector ceases to detect the presence of paper if the first and second detectors detect the storage of paper after the lowering.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/320,392Filed 17 Dec 2002
Published: US 2004/0114126 A117 Jun 2004
Granted: 19 Oct 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G03G 15/6508
Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor: automatic supply devices interacting with the rest of the apparatus, e.g. selection of a…
B65H 1/14
With means for advancing the articles to present the articles to the separating device: comprising positively-acting mechanical devices
G03G 15/6511
Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor: feeding devices for picking up or separation of copy sheets
B65H 2301/422548
Boxes; Cassettes; Containers: filling or loading process