The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 13, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 30, 1999
Katsuya Tomiyama, Tokyo, JP;
Isamu Nakabayashi, Tokyo, JP;
NEC Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sheet feeding apparatus includes a carrier portion, a suction belt, a servo motor, a blower, a solenoid valve, a pressure sensor, a position sensor, a belt hole sensor, and a controller. The carrier portion feeds a plurality of sheets of different sizes in a direction of their thickness in an upright state. The suction belt has a belt hole for drawing each sheet fed from the carrier portion by suction, so as to feed out each sheet drawn by suction with the belt hole. The servo motor drives the suction belt. The blower generates a pressure for drawing the sheet by suction in the belt hole. The solenoid valve enables/disconnects supply of the negative pressure from the blower to the belt hole. The pressure sensor measures a pressure in the belt hole. The position sensor detects the sheet fed out by the suction belt. The belt hole sensor detects the belt hole after the sheet is fed out. The controller controls operations of the solenoid valve and the servo motor on the basis of detection outputs from the pressure sensor, the position sensor, and the belt hole sensor.