Rotating or pivoting apparatus and medium feeding apparatus

• US 6,293,539 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Katsumi, Fukatsu, Kunio, Obama, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIDLEY, RICHARD W L
• Application Number:
  US09/516,772
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 271/120, 271/126, 271/110, 271/152, 271/153, 271/154, 271/155, 736/50, 73/650.7, 310/311, 310/313.A
• US Class Current: 271/126
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/14 comprising positively-acting mechanical devices B65H1/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/11 indicating that the input or output entities exclusively relate to machine elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/40 Movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2515/30 Forces; Stresses
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2515/50 Vibrations; Oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0638 Construction of the rollers or like rotary separators B65H3/0615 takes precedence; construction of feed or guide rollers B65H27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6511 Feeding devices for picking up or separation of copy sheets
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00396 Pick-up device

Abstract

A medium feeding apparatus comprises a driving motor for moving a backup plate to press a medium against a pickup roller, piezoelectric elements for sensing slippage between the pickup roller and the medium which occurs while the roller rotates, and a controller for driving the driving motor to thereby vary a force for pressing the medium against the pickup roller, when the sensing means has sensed slippage between the pickup roller and the medium.

Claims

1. A rotating or pivoting apparatus comprising:

an inner ring rotating or pivoting when power is transmitted thereto from a driving source;

an outer ring located outside the inner ring and rotating or pivoting when power is transmitted thereto from the inner ring, thereby transmitting power to a to-be-treated medium; and

sensing means provided between the inner ring and the outer ring for sensing vibration of the outer ring to thereby sense slippage between the outer ring and the to-be-treated medium.

2. A rotating or pivoting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means senses the frequency of the vibration of the outer ring to detect the slippage from the sensed frequency.

3. A rotating or pivoting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are formed of cylindrical members.

4. A rotating or pivoting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are formed of partially cut-out cylindrical members.

5. A rotating or pivoting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outer ring has an outer peripheral surface formed such that a substantially central portion is swollen in the shape of an arc.

6. A medium feeding apparatus comprising:

mounting means for mounting thereon a medium in a stacked manner;

a pickup roller for picking up each of the medium while it rotates or pivots;

a driving source for driving the pickup roller; and

driving means for moving the mounting means to press the medium against the pickup roller;

sensing means provided in the pickup roller for sensing a change in fine acceleration of the pickup roller to thereby sense slippage between the pickup roller and the medium; and

control means for executing control so as to drive the driving means to thereby vary a force for pressing the medium against the pickup roller, when the sensing means has sensed slippage between the pickup roller and the medium.

7. A medium feeding apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control means repeats the control for varying the force to press the medium against the pickup roller, until the sensing means does not sense any more slippage between the pickup roller and the medium.

8. A medium feeding apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising separating means for separating, one by one, the medium picked up by the pickup roller.

9. A medium feeding apparatus comprising:

mounting means for mounting thereon a medium in a stacked manner;

a pickup roller for picking up each of the medium while it rotates or pivots;

a driving source for driving the pickup roller; and

driving means for moving the mounting means to press the medium against the pickup roller;

sensing means provided in the pickup roller for sensing a change in fine acceleration of the pickup roller to thereby sense slippage between the pickup roller and the medium; and

control means for executing control so as to drive the driving means to thereby vary a force for pressing the medium against the pickup roller, when the sensing means has sensed slippage between the pickup roller and the medium,

wherein the pickup roller includes;

an inner ring rotating or pivoting when power is transmitted thereto from the driving source; and

an outer ring located outside the inner ring and rotating or pivoting when power is transmitted thereto from the inner ring, thereby transmitting power to the medium, and

the sensing means is provided between the inner ring and the outer ring for sensing a change in fine acceleration of the outer ring to thereby sense slippage between the outer ring and the medium.

10. A medium feeding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control means repeats the control for varying the force to press the medium against the pickup roller, until the sensing means does not sense any more slippage between the pickup roller and the medium.

11. A medium feeding apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising separating means for separating, one by one, the medium picked up by the pickup roller.