Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming system

• US 7,677,550 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey; Patrick H
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCullough; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/439,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20070045933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 271/104, 271/94, 271/11
• US Class Current: 271/11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0057 Conveying sheets before or after scanning arrangements for conveying sheets as part of the scanning operation H04N1/04 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00588 to the scanning position H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00602 Feed rollers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00607 Grippers or the like, e.g. suction grippers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0062 Removing sheets from a stack or inputting media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00628 Separating, e.g. preventing feeding of two sheets at a time

Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a sheet tray in which a plurality of sheets is to be stacked; a sheet feeding section which vacuums a sheet from the plurality of sheets stacked in the sheet tray and feeds the sheet to an image forming apparatus; a first sheet separator which has a member which separates each sheet from the plurality of sheets when the sheet feeding section feeds the plurality of sheets; and a second sheet separator which has a forward roller rotated in a sheet transport direction, which feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus, and a parallel retard roller rotatable in an opposite direction so as to separate each sheet from the plurality of sheets.

Claims

1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

a sheet tray in which a plurality of sheets are to be stacked;

a sheet feeding section which lifts a sheet upward by vacuum from the plurality of sheets stacked in the sheet tray and feeds the sheet to an image forming apparatus;

a first sheet separator which comprises,

an advance resisting member movable between a separation position where the advance resistance member comes in contact with the sheet vacuumed at the sheet feeding section and separates each sheet from the plurality of sheets when the sheet feeding section feeds the plurality of sheets and a retreat position where the advance resisting member is retreated from contact with the sheet; and

a second sheet separator downstream of the first sheet separator in a conveyance path of the sheet, the second sheet separator comprises,

a forward roller rotated in a sheet transport direction, which feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus,

a parallel retard roller which rotates in an opposite direction so as to separate each sheet from the plurality of sheets; and

a sheet separator controller section which controls movement of the advance resisting member between the separation position and the retreat position.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a sheet type input section which inputs a type of sheet;

a print information receiving section which receives print information regarding the type of sheet inputted through the sheet type input section; and

the sheet separator controlling section controls the movement of the advance resisting member and controls driving power of the parallel retard roller based on the print information.

3. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sheet separator controlling section performs control such that the advance resisting member is moved to the separation position, and that the driving power is not transmitted to the parallel retard roller, when the print information receiving section has received the print information of a sheet having a first thickness or a sheet having a thickness which is less than the first thickness.

4. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sheet separator controlling section performs control such that the advance resisting member is moved to the retreat position, and that the driving power is transmitted to the parallel retard roller, when the print information receiving section received the print information of a sheet having a second thickness wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

5. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sheet separator controlling section performs control such that the advance resisting member is moved to the retreat position, and that the driving power is not transmitted to the parallel retard roller, when the print information receiving section received the print information of a sheet having a third thickness wherein the third thickness is greater than the second thickness.

6. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sheet separator controlling section performs control such that the advance resisting member is moved to the separation position, and that the driving power is transmitted to the parallel retard roller, when the print information which the print information receiving section has received through the sheet type input section comprises the print information of a sheet that adheres to another sheet stronger than a sheet having a predetermined adhesiveness.

7. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a double feeding detection sensor which detects a situation of feeding a plurality of sheets; and

the sheet separator controlling section performs control to transmit the driving power to the parallel retard roller, when the double feeding detection sensor has detected the situation of feeding a plurality of sheets.

8. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

a sheet tray in which a plurality of sheets are stacked;

a sheet feeding section which lifts a sheet upward by vacuum from the plurality of sheets stacked in the sheet tray and feeds the sheet to an image forming apparatus; and

a sheet separating section which separates each sheet from the plurality of sheets when the sheet feeding section feeds the plurality of sheets, the sheet separating section comprising;

an advance resisting member movable between a separation position where the advance resistance member comes in contact with the sheet vacuumed at the sheet feeding section and separates each sheet from the plurality of sheets when the sheet feeding section feeds the plurality of sheets and a retreat position where the advance resisting member is retreated from contact with the sheet;

a forward roller rotated in a sheet transport direction, which feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus;

a parallel retard roller which rotates in an opposite direction so as to separate each sheet from the plurality of sheets;

an advance resisting member controlling section which controls movement of the advance resisting member between the separation position and the retreat position a roller controlling section which controls a driving power of the parallel retard roller; and

a driving power selecting section which selects whether to transmit the driving power to the parallel retard roller.

9. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a sheet type input section which inputs a type of sheet; and

a print information receiving section which receives print information regarding the type of sheet inputted through the sheet type input section,

wherein the roller controlling section controls the driving power of the parallel retard roller based on the print information.

10. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 8, further comprising

a sheet type input section which inputs a type of sheet;

and

a print information receiving section which receives print information regarding the type of sheet inputted through the sheet type input section,

wherein the advance resisting member controlling section controls the movement of the advance resisting member based on the print information.

11. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a double feeding detection sensor which detects a situation of feeding a plurality of sheets;

wherein the roller controlling section performs control to transmit the driving power to the parallel retard roller, when the double feeding detection sensor has detected the situation of feeding a plurality of sheets.

12. An image forming system comprising:

an image forming apparatus that comprises an image forming section which forms an image on a sheet;

a sheet feeding apparatus which comprises,

a sheet tray in which a plurality of sheets are to be stacked;

a sheet feeding section which lifts a sheet upward by vacuum from the plurality of sheets stacked in the sheet tray and feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus;

a first sheet separator which comprises,

an advance resisting member movable between a separation position where the advance resistance member comes in contact with the sheet vacuumed at the sheet feeding section and separates each sheet from the plurality of sheets when the sheet feeding section feeds the plurality of sheets and a retreat position where the advance resisting member is retreated from contact with the sheet;

a second sheet separator downstream of the first sheet separator in a conveyance path of the sheet, the second sheet separator comprises,

a forward roller rotated in a sheet transport direction, which feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus; and

a parallel retard roller which rotates in an opposite direction so as to separate each sheet from the plurality of sheets;

a sheet separator controller section which controls movement of the advance resisting member between the separation position and the retreat position.

13. The image forming system of claim 12,

wherein the image forming apparatus, further comprising;

a sheet type input section which inputs a print information including a type of sheet; and

the sheet separator controlling section controls the movement of the advance resisting member and controls driving power of the parallel retard roller, based on the print information including the type of sheet inputted through the sheet input type section.

14. The image forming system of claim 12, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus further comprising:

a double feeding detection sensor which detects a situation of feeding a plurality of sheets; and

the sheet separator controlling section performs control to transmit a driving power to the parallel retard roller, when the double feeding detection sensor detected the situation of feeding a plurality of sheets.