Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.

Hideki Sendo

Yuma Yoshida

Yoshihiro Wago

Yasuhiro Iwamoto

A retard roller of non-ground surface type which is virtually free from adhesion of paper dust thereby to have an excellent friction coefficient sustain ability, and which is free from creaky noises at a relatively low sheet feeding speed; a retard roller of non-ground surface type having little variation in outer diameter; and a sheet feeder employing such a retard roller. The retard roller comprises a roller body and a shaft extending axially therethrough, the roller body having a textured roller surface comprising a multiplicity of island portions ( ) and a sea portion ( ) recessed from the island portions, the island portions and the sea portion each having a multiplicity of fine projections ( ). The ratio S /S of the total area S of the island portions to the area S of the sea portion preferably is 0.25 to 0.55. The fine projections preferably each have a height of 3 to 25 &mgr;m.

Growing community of inventors

Toyokawa, Japan

Hideki Sendo