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:
Jul. 21, 2015
Filed:
Sep. 12, 2013
Ikuo Fujii, Osaka, JP;
Toshio Matsuyama, Koutou-ku, JP;
Ippei Kimura, Osaka, JP;
Mizuna Tanaka, Osaka, JP;
Hirofumi Horita, Osaka, JP;
Takamitsu Ikematsu, Osaka, JP;
Kaoru Tada, Osaka, JP;
Ikuo Fujii, Osaka, JP;
Yasuo Matsuyama, Hyogo, JP;
Ippei Kimura, Osaka, JP;
Mizuna Tanaka, Osaka, JP;
Hirofumi Horita, Osaka, JP;
Takamitsu Ikematsu, Osaka, JP;
Kaoru Tada, Osaka, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A feeding device includes a paper feed tray, a detector on an image forming apparatus main body, a control member rotatably supported by the paper feed tray, and spacers. The detector includes movable pieces and contact points corresponding to the movable piece, and switches each contact point by the position of the corresponding movable piece. The control member includes a control surface formed on its outer circumferential surface with projecting and recessed portions. The projecting and recessed portions are disposed in a pattern corresponding to rotation angles in an area of the control surface facing the movable pieces. Controlling the positions of the movable pieces according to the pattern encodes paper size. Each movable piece is lined in the circumferential direction facing the control surface. The outer circumferential surface of the projecting portions is formed in a cylindrical surface shape centering around the rotational axis of the control member.