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US 7,441,767 B2Granted
Sheet feeder with stacking member lifted by planetary gear system
AssigneeOki Data Corporation
InventorTakashi Saito
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To reduce the number of components and further to provide a downsized sheet feeder, a shaft is arranged to a lower side of a sheet receiver stacking sheets, and gears are respectively attached to each opposite end of the shaft to mesh with rack portions. The gears move, upon gear's rotating, up and down along the rack portions. Another gear in mesh with the gear is further formed to transmit a torque from a driving source to the gear.
Claims6
A sheet feeder detachably attached in an inserting manner to a recording apparatus, comprising:
- a stacking member for stacking sheets of a recording medium, the stacking member being movable up and down;
- a rotating drive gear receiving a driving force from said recording apparatus, said drive gear transmitting said driving force to move said stacking member up and down;
- a lifting member for moving said stacking member up and down;
- a first curved rack portion on a first sidewall of the sheet feeder, said first rack portion having a curvature matching a circumference of said drive gear;
- and
- a first planet gear moving along the circumference of said drive gear in accordance with rotation of and in mesh with said drive gear, said first planet gear being sandwiched between said drive gear and said first rack portion and being engaged with said drive gear and said first rack portion,
- wherein said lifting member moves up and down in accordance with movement of said planet gear.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.