Sheet picking system for an imaging apparatus

A sheet picking system for picking a sheet of media, comprising:

• a power source having a driveshaft;
• a first housing arm containing a drive gear drivably coupled to said driveshaft, said drive gear defining a first pivot axis for said first housing arm, said drive gear being driven by said driveshaft to rotate about said first pivot axis;
• a second housing arm containing an intermediate gear, a transmission device, and a pick roller, said transmission device being configured to rotatably couple said intermediate gear to said pick roller, said intermediate gear being positioned to be directly meshed with said drive gear, said intermediate gear defining a second pivot axis for said second housing arm;
• a link mechanism pivotably coupling said first housing arm at said first, pivot axis to said second housing arm at said second pivot axis;
• and
• a sheet buckler that is located downstream of a nip defined by said pick roller, said nip being spaced from said sheet buckler by a variable buckling length, said nip being spaced a first distance from said sheet buckler when said second housing arm is at a home position relative to said first housing arm, and said nip being spaced from said sheet buckler by a second distance greater than said first distance as said second housing arm is pivoted away from said home position during a picking of said sheet of media to increase said buckling length, wherein an angle of said second arm relative to said sheet of media decreases as said buckling length increases.

An imaging apparatus, comprising:

• a media transport system configured to transport a sheet of media along a sheet feed path:
• an imaging engine located along said sheet feed path;
• and a sheet picking system configured to pick said sheet of media from a media stack and transport, said sheet of media to said media transport system, said sheet picking system including:
• a power source having a driveshaft;
• a first housing arm containing a drive gear drivably coupled to said driveshaft, said drive gear defining a first pivot axis for said first housing arm, said drive gear being driven by said driveshaft to rotate about said first pivot axis;
• a second housing arm containing an intermediate gear, a transmission device, and a pick roller, said transmission device being configured to rotatably couple said intermediate gear to said pick roller, said intermediate gear being positioned to be directly meshed with said drive gear, said intermediate gear defining a second pivot axis for said second housing arm;
• and
• a link mechanism pivotably coupling said first housing arm at said first pivot axis to said second housing arm at said second pivot axis;
• wherein said link mechanism includes an elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate portion located between said proximal end and said distal end, wherein:
• said elongate member forms a first pivot joint with said first housing arm near said proximal end at said first pivot axis;
• said elongate member forms a second, pivot joint with said second housing arm in said intermediate portion at said second pivot axis;
• and
• said elongate member defines a cantilever beam located at said distal end, and said second housing arm includes a protrusion member, said cantilever beam having a cam surface, said protrusion member being located to engage said cam surface and deflect said cantilever beam to provide a rotational resistance when said second housing arm is pivoted at said second pivot axis.

An imaging apparatus, comprising:

• a media transport system configured to transport a sheet of media along a sheet feed path;
• an imaging engine located along said sheet feed path;
• and
• a sheet picking system configured to pick said sheet of media from a media stack and transport, said sheet of media to said media transport system, said sheet picking system including;
• a power source having a driveshaft;
• a first housing arm containing a drive gear drivably coupled to said driveshaft, said drive gear defining a first pivot axis for said first housing arm, said drive gear being driven by said driveshaft to rotate about said first pivot axis;
• a second housing arm containing an intermediate gear, a transmission device, and a pick roller, said transmission device being configured to rotatably couple said intermediate gear to said pick roller, said intermediate gear being positioned to be directly meshed with said drive gear, said intermediate gear defining a second pivot axis for said second housing arm;
• a link mechanism pivotably coupling said first housing arm at said first pivot axis to said second housing arm at said second pivot axis;
• and
• a sheet buckler that is located downstream of a nip defined by said pick roller, said nip being spaced from said sheet buckler by a variable buckling length, said nip being spaced a first distance from said sheet buckler when said second housing arm is at a home position relative to said first housing arm, and said nip being spaced from said sheet buckler by a second distance greater than said first distance as said second housing arm is pivoted away from said home position during a nicking of said sheet of media to increase said buckling length, wherein an angle of said second arm relative to said sheet of media decreases as said buckling length increases.

An imaging apparatus, comprising:

• a media transport system configured to transport a sheet of media along a sheet feed path;
• an imaging engine located along said sheet feed path;
• and
• a sheet picking system configured to pick said sheet of media from a media stack and transport, said sheet of media to said media transport system, comprising
• a power source;
• a first housing arm operatively coupled to the power source;
• and
• a second housing arm operatively coupled to the first housing arm and having a pick roller, the second housing arm forming an angle relative to the sheet of media disposed below the second housing arm, wherein the angle decreases with continued rotation of the second housing arm relative to the first housing arm during a sheet pick operation.