Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Kenji Okada

Toyoaki Namba

Hiranaga Yamamoto

Yuji Sugimoto

Ken-ichi Iwamoto

Shoichiro Yoshiura

Mitsuru Ogura

Tadasu Taniguchi

Yoshikado Yamada

Osamu Wakuda

Souichi Takata

Tatsushi Hayashi

Yuuji Sugimoto

Kouichi Matsumoto

Hiroshi Nakamura

A paper feeding device comprising a tray storing case attachable to and removable from a device housing; a rotatable tray, provided in the tray storing case, which rotates copy paper to a longitudinal and lateral feed position; and a mechanism for lifting up a paper-feed end of a paper holding plate provided in the tray when paper is to be fed. The mechanism is composed of a guide member provided in the device housing; a lift-up guide provided on a side face located on a paper-feed end of the tray; a first rotary bar provided in the tray storing case and driven by the guide member when the tray is attached thereon; and a second rotary bar, a spring and a lift plate driven by the lift-up guide when the tray is in the paper-feed position. The first and second bars are driven simultaneously, thus lifting up the paper-feed end of the paper holding plate. Alternatively, the mechanism comprises at least three springs provided between the tray and the tray storing case; a guide rib provided in the tray storing case; and a pivot pin, a wire and a slide plate provided on the paper holding plate. The guide rib causes the slide plate to rotate and the wire pulls the pivot pin downwards. A simplified and miniaturized mechanism that lifts up and lowers the paper holding plate is thus achieved.

Paper feeding device

Recording papers stacked up on a tray are conveyed as being attracted in vacuum by the conveying belt located above or beneath. To convey the recording papers one by one, air flow is blown to the front edge of the recording papers to separate. Accordingly, plural nozzles are disposed in the widthwise direction of the recording paper, and the air flows from the nozzles are directed to converge at the upstream side in the conveying direction front the front edges of the recording papers. By setting this converging position near the both ends in the widthwise direction of the recording papers, the recording papers may be separated securely and stably.

Sheet feeding apparatus

A sheet feeding apparatus enables the uppermost sheet in sequence in a stack of recording papers be lifted by air flow to separate and to convey the recording paper. The feeding apparatus comprises a laying plate on which plural sheets are stacked, a sheet feeding means disposed above the stacked sheets, which means partially deforms the first sheet in sequence by negative pressure at the leading end part of the sheet, and air forming means which injects air flow between the first sheet and the next sheet near the both ends in the widthwise direction of the recording paper, which flow comprises a straightforward air flow, and an air flow directed outwardly in the widthwise direction. The recording paper is separated from the next sheet by the air flow.

Top sheet feeding apparatus

A sheet supplying device has at least one sheet stacking portion for stacking a plurality of sheets to be fed, a unit for drawing the sheets out of the sheet stacking portion to feed the drawn sheet to a predetermined path, and a unit for returning a sheet into the sheet stacking portion. This sheet is drawn by the drawing unit but stayed in a position that the leading edge thereof is out of the sheet stacking portion.

Sheet supplying device

A variable magnification apparatus is provided with a magnification converting mechanism and a scan speed change mechanism. In the magnification converting mechanism, the force generated by operating a magnification converting lever is transmitted to the lens holder through a magnification change-over arm and to a speed change selection member through a scan speed change shaft. In the scan speed change mechanism, the number of rotations of an output shaft is changed by a selected rotation transmission member which is actuated by a speed change ratio selection member.

Magnification converting mechanism for a variable magnification copying

A detector mechanism for detecting the condition when a waste toner container is full of waste toner. A piston is provided which moves in response to the waste toner pressure in the waste toner container, a shutter is provided in the path of light irradiating the photoreceptor so as to close or open the light path, and a wire is provided which is connected between the piston and the shutter and forces the shutter to move in the direction for closing the light path according to the piston movement when the toner container is full of waste toner.

Growing community of inventors

Ikoma, Japan

Kenji Okada