US 6,991,227 B2Granted

Sheet feeder with stopper

AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

InventorWon-taek Kim

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Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus for a printing device includes a pickup roller and a feeding roller picking up sheets loaded on a tray and feeding the sheets into a sheet feeding path, respectively, a rotation member installed on a rotation shaft of the feeding roller to support and rotate the pickup roller at a free end, a relay gear engaging the feeding roller and the pickup roller, a clutch unit selectively transferring a raising force of the rotation shaft to the rotation member, and a stopper installed in the rotation member to be elevated and lowered with respect to the rotation member to block a path between the pickup roller and the feeding roller. Accordingly, since the pickup roller is raised to allow the sheets to be loaded and then lowered after the sheets are loaded on the tray, front ends of the sheets are automatically inserted under the pickup roller. In addition, since the stopper aligns the sheets under the pickup roller when the sheets are pushed toward the feeding roller, the front ends of the sheets are prevented from being crumpled by the feeding roller.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A sheet feeding apparatus for a printing device having a tray and a sheet feeding path, comprising:

a pickup roller picking up a sheet loaded on the tray to feed the sheet into the sheet feeding path;
a feeding roller receiving the sheet picked up by the pickup roller to introduce the sheet into the sheet feeding path;
a rotation shaft connected to a rotation power source to rotate the feeding roller;
a rotation member installed on the rotation shaft to support the pickup roller disposed at a free end of the rotation member and to rotate with respect to the rotation shaft;
a relay gear installed in the rotation member to engage the feeding roller and the pickup roller;
a clutch unit selectively transferring a rotation force of the rotation shaft to the rotation member by blocking the rotation force between the rotation member and the rotation shaft, so that the pickup roller contacts the sheet on the tray by a weight of the pickup roller when the rotation shaft rotates in a sheet feeding direction, and by transmitting the rotation force between the rotation shaft and the rotation member to rotate the rotation member according to a rotation of the rotation shaft when the rotation shaft rotates in an opposite direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction;
and
a stopper installed in the rotation member to be elevated and lowered with respect to the tray according to a rotation of the rotation member to locate a front end of the sheet loaded on the tray to be disposed under the pickup roller and not to reach the feeding roller by blocking a path between the pickup roller and the feeding roller, the stopper including a gear portion.

5 more elements

A sheet feeding apparatus for a printing device having a tray and a sheet feeding path, comprising:

a pickup roller picking up a sheet loaded on the tray to feed the sheet into the sheet feeding path;
a feeding roller receiving the sheet picked up by the pickup roller to introduce the sheet into the sheet feeding path;
a rotation shaft connected to a rotation power source to rotate the feeding roller;
a rotation member installed on the rotation shaft to support the pickup roller disposed at a free end of the rotation member and to rotate with respect to the rotation shaft;
a relay gear installed in the rotation member to engage the feeding roller and the pickup roller;
a clutch unit selectively transferring a rotation force of the rotation shaft to the rotation member by blocking the rotation force between the rotation member and the rotation shaft, so that the pickup roller contacts the sheet on the tray by a weight of the pickup roller when the rotation shaft rotates in a sheet feeding direction, and by transmitting the rotation force between the rotation shaft and the rotation member to rotate the rotation member according to a rotation of the rotation shaft when the rotation shaft rotates in an opposite direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction;
a stopper installed in the rotation member to be elevated and lowered with respect to the tray according to a rotation of the rotation member to locate a front end of the sheet loaded on the tray to be disposed under the pickup roller and not to reach the feeding roller by blocking a path between the pickup roller and the feeding roller;
and
a driving force connection unit selectively rotating the feeding roller according to the rotation of the rotation shaft,
wherein the driving force connection unit includes:
a gear portion fixed on the rotation shaft;
a step surface of a pinwheel shape formed on one sectional surface of the feeding roller;
and
a saw tooth member installed between the step surface and the gear portion to rotate by the gear portion, having a saw tooth portion formed on one side of the saw tooth member so that the saw tooth portion engages the step surface only when the saw tooth member rotates in a certain direction.

11 more elements

A method in a sheet feeding apparatus for a printing device having a tray, a pickup roller picking up a sheet loaded on the tray to feed the sheet into a sheet feeding path, and a feeding roller feeding the picked-up sheet into the sheet feeding path, the method comprising;

inserting a rotation shaft connected to a rotation power source into a hole formed along a longitudinal center of the feeding roller;
supporting the pickup roller and the feeding roller using a rotation member rotatably mounted on the rotation shaft, the rotation member including a stopper disposed therein, the stopper having a gear portion and being elevated and lowered with respect to the tray according to rotation of the rotation member;
selectively transmitting a rotation of the rotation shaft to the rotation member to control the rotation member to rotate with respect to the rotation shaft;
and
selectively transmitting a driving force of the rotation shaft to the feeding roller and the pickup roller.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/282,249Filed 29 Oct 2002
Priority: KR 2002-180242 Apr 2002
Published: US 2003/0184000 A12 Oct 2003
Granted: 31 Jan 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B65H 1/26
Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated: with auxiliary supports to facilitate introduction or renewal of the pile
B65H 3/0669
Rollers or like rotary separators: driving devices therefor
B65H 3/0684
Rollers or like rotary separators: on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile
B65H 3/34
Separating articles from piles: article-retaining devices controlling the release of the articles to the separators