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:
Apr. 17, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 27, 1999
Keiichiro Yamazaki, Tokyo, JP;
Oki Data Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A paper-feeding apparatus is used for feeding print medium from a paper cassette. The paper cassette holds a stack of print paper therein. The feeding roller is disposed close to a forward end of the paper cassette. The feeding roller engages a top page of the stack of print paper to feed the top page from the paper cassette to a printing area. The paper separator engages the feeding roller to cooperate with the feeding roller to separate the top page from the stack of print paper. The paper-positioning member is, for example, an arm. When the feeding roller is not feeding the print medium, the arm pushes back the forward ends of pages of print medium toward the rear end of the paper cassette, thereby aligning the forward ends of the pages of the stack of print paper. The paper feeding apparatus may further have an urging member, e.g., a spring, which urges the paper separator against the feeding roller, and an urging-force-changing member, e.g., a cam that changes an urging force of the urging member. When the cam rotates to a high-pressure position, the cam pushes the spring to cause the spring to urge the medium separator against the feeding roller with a larger force. When the cam rotates to a low-pressure position, the cam pushes the spring to cause the spring to urge the medium separator against the feeding roller with a smaller force.